So apparently if you have a propane tank to heat your water, you need someone to come fill it AFTER it’s been unlocked. Having never dealt with propane before, I was a bit – to put it generously – confused about how it works. Fortunately, after three days without hot water we finally got it [...]
linklings, propane edition is an original article from the website brip blap.
What will you do for money? How far will you go? This guest post by David Bakke of Your Finances 101 brings up these questions. David also wrote the personal finance book “Don’t Be A Mule”.
Now that I have progressed to the point where I am saving in just [...]
In this age of 24 hour news, TMZ and Twitter, there’s not much that surprises me any more. It seems more and more like the ridiculous is becoming the norm. Yet, every once in a while I read something that manages to catch me off guard. I came across one such nugget [...]
Original Post on The Sun’s Financial Diary
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got a heads up the other day that Amazon has a deal on free lifetime phone service through Ooma for $150. Before you jump on the deal, here is a little bit what you need to know. The Ooma Telo service looks highly rated based on the Amazon reviews. While [...]
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There’s nothing like waiting until the last minute to do your holiday shopping. Holding out for the sale of the century often results in you having to rush around like a mad man (or woman!) to find the most sought after gift items of the season. Adding overnight shipping charges or driving to thirteen different [...]
About the Author: Jeremy is a retirement planning specialist and founder of Generation X Finance and the guide to Financial Planning at About.com. To learn more, follow Jeremy on Twitter.
Last Minute Holiday Gift Ideas For the Financially Challenged
I think there should be a song titled “The 12 days After Christmas”. What a fantastic time to purchase gifts for others or yourself, seasonal items for next year, and other great items at 50-75% off of the price these same products were just two weeks earlier!
Retailers are very interested in getting you into stores after Christmas because they cannot count gift card purchases in their sales figures until the gift card is redeemed. It’s a win-win situation for both consumers and merchants: merchants can move some seasonal and regular merchandise off of shelves before new stock arrives for February, and consumers can find great deals!
For decorations, wrapping paper, etc., you will find the steepest and quickest mark downs at stores that do not typically carry large amounts of seasonal merchandise, such as the aisle in Walgreens, CVS, or Rite Aid that turns into a Christmas Wonderland in late October, or in your grocery store.
Dealnews is a great website to keep you on top of steep discounts from a variety of stores. If you are looking for deals at a particular store, it’s a great idea to go to the ‘clearance’ section of their website, or visit them directly and take a look around at what is on sale.
Are you the type who wants to rush out to stores the day or week after Christmas to snatch up some deals? Perhaps there is something in particular this year that you have been waiting to purchase. I am here to tell you that you should wait some more.
Stores will typically put items on clearance for 25-50% off for the week after Christmas. But if you wait another week, you can get the same items at a deeper discount. What if you were to wait until three weeks after Christmas? Stores will generally keep merchandise on sale and make steeper and steeper reductions on prices until the last week of January. February is the month when the shelf space is needed for new products and so old merchandise is moved out whether it was sold or not.
Are you willing to play chicken with retailers to get upwards of 75% off? The only issue with doing this is if there is something specific item that you want; someone else may buy it, or the store may pull merchandise before you have the chance to purchase it yourself.
While past sales are not necessarily a predictor for future ones, there are several stores that tend to give the steepest discounts on their merchandise after the holidays. Here is a worthwhile list for you to check out this year to score some great deals:
Where do you plan to shop after the holidays?
Written by Amanda
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With the holidays almost on us, I decided rather than posting a serious piece, I’d just post a little lighthearted thing that I wrote a while back. It’s all in good fun – I grew up in a small town in Mississippi, and now I’m back in a small town in Florida, so don’t [...]
you know, you might be a personal finance redneck if… is an original article from the website brip blap.
With this years event being bigger than ever, there was a large number of participants in the giveaway. The sponsors came through with so many great prizes that I decided to split them up into 2 days.
Day 1 prizes included a PS3 Slim 120GB courtesy of RedFlagDeals, and a $100 shopping gift card offered by [...]
The following post is from Neal of WealthPilgrim.com. After reading the article, be sure to sign up for free at Wealth Pilgrim to receive more from Neal.
Like you, I take stock of myself this time of the year. I look back over the last 365 days and consider my accomplishments. I also think about [...]
Post by Frugal Dad
Become debt free by making a commitment. Lending Club’s DebtBuster Challenge encourages you to pay off your debt quickly.
In the thick of the holiday season, I am seeing myself part with my cash faster than I normally would during any other month. The festivities have a way of making us feel more generous [...]
Become Debt Free Faster With The Lending Club DebtBuster Challenge
Investment clubs, like anything in the world of investing, require due diligence before deciding whether they’re right for you. We’ve taken a look at some investment club tips for your personal situation and covered things to consider when joining an investment club.
Although there are things to watch out for with investment clubs, there are certainly benefits to belonging [...]
Hall of Fame receiver Michael Irvin said a week ago that he’d trade his Hall of Fame inclusion and his 3 Super Bowl rings for a perfect season. Earlier this past Sunday, he went into more detail on his reasoning, which many found curious. Irving said that there have been very few [...]
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When I woke up this morning and looked at the calendar I couldn’t believe it said December 21st. That means Christmas is in just a few short days! Then I started to think about what was left that had to be done before we begin our travels. Luckily, we don’t have to buy for very [...]
About the Author: Jeremy is a retirement planning specialist and founder of Generation X Finance and the guide to Financial Planning at About.com. To learn more, follow Jeremy on Twitter.
With businesses still struggling to keep employees in this economy, 2009 year-end bonuses are in short supply. Even when bonuses were small, they were still fun little gifts that allowed you to put a few extra dollars into the savings account, buy a couple of fun items for yourself, and fix up your wardrobe. Just [...]
Original Post on The Sun’s Financial Diary
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Are you still frantically looking for holiday gifts? Luckily, it’s easier than ever to shop from the comfort of your home, and get great deals in the process! Many online retailers are offering free shipping, and even more are offering BIG sales in an effort to drive revenue. The deals are-ever changing, so instead of highlighting specific items, I’ve listed my favorite items and go-to places for deals this holiday season.
If you’re not into homemade or alternative gift ideas, there are still items to be purchased without breaking the bank. These are some of my go-to items this year:
I’m always on the lookout for a good deal, but when in doubt a combination of these sites can usually get me what I want at the right price:
If none of the above gifts interest you, or you just want to buy some gift cards and be done, consider restaurant gift cards! You’ll make your shopping easier and save your recipient money on a meal out. I’ve seen a ton of restaurants offering great deals on gift cards this year. $100 may sound like a lot, but it could be 5 $20 gifts or even 10 $10 gifts for coworkers, your children’s teachers, or stocking stuffers. If there’s a deal offered at one of your family’s favorite restaurants, you can also use these deals as a chance to stretch your dollars a little further.
Many local restaurants are offering holiday deals on gift cards as well – make sure to check with your favorites!
Buying the gifts is only part of the battle! Save even more with our frugal gift wrap ideas, and take your bargain hunting one step further with this $5 coupon good on any purchase at Hallmark Gold Crown Stores.
Written by Jill
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The tooth fairy seems to leave a little less around here than she does at other houses. What’s up with that? Is there a 1-800 number I can call and lodge a formal complaint?
There is a child in my daughter’s class who gets a crisp $10 bill for every tooth she loses, except [...]
During the last year I have put my own health on the back burner as I focused on the health of my mother, who passed away in September at 54 after a long recovery attempt from a stroke. One thing I have a learned from her illness, and death, is that I need to take [...]
Post by Frugal Dad
This guest post comes from Michael, a contributing editor of the Dough Roller, a personal finance and investing blog, and Credit Card Offers IQ, a credit card review site. He explains how his perfect hobby can be an analogy to the world of business.
Image from GettyImages
When I was around 7 years old, I [...]
Everyone is looking for Christmas deals this weekend to finish up their Christmas shopping before the holiday. We just finished ours this afternoon, and we survived! Here are a few deals that caught my eye recently.
Blockbuster Free Trial
A Blockbuster free trial of their online movie service can be a good stocking stuffer if you have any [...]
Over the years I’ve tried to compile a few last minute gift ideas. Oddly enough, I nearly waited until the very last minute to run this post, as we find ourselves on the final shopping weekend before Christmas. However, it’s not too late to add some frugal gifts to finalize your Christmas shopping this weekend.
Black [...]
Post by Frugal Dad
Today, I’m departing from my usual fare by presenting a snarky and controversial guest post by Mr. Moneybags, a personal finance blogger I’ve recently come across. I’d characterize his writing style as risque, highly edgy and different (I had to tone down his post somewhat, in order to run it here). For a much [...]
Employment Discrimination, The Glass Ceiling & The Gender Wage Gap
I caught an article on the Simple Dollar yesterday: Investing without Goals Is Like Golfing without a Putter…. It’s a great article (Lifehacker even picked it up) if you want to know the basics of having goals and investing. At first, I thought that analogy of golfing without a putter was brilliant.
Note [...]
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I purchased a credit score the other day, using myFICO’s 26% off coupon code. The reason was that it has been almost a year since I last checked my FICO score in last January. A lot of things has happened since then, with the biggest event being that we are no longer homeowners, and the [...]
Original Post on The Sun’s Financial Diary
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It’s Free Money Friday! Hurry and get this great offer for 100 free trades from OptionsHouse Brokerage by the end of the year!
High Rankings. Barron’s ranked OptionsHouse #1 in Trade Experience.
Cheap Stock Trades. OptionsHouse offers a $2.95 flat rate on stock trades. Check out their rate page for details.
Written by Kate
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This post was written by Chris. He is a twenty-something battling his way out of more than $150,000 in debt. You can read more about him at Money Relationship.
When my wife and I decided to get out of debt, we went at it full force. We felt like nothing was going to stop us. However, [...]
Post by Frugal Dad
