Landing your first real job and bringing in a steady paycheck each month is an exciting time. However, if you're like most people, that's shortly followed by a myriad of expenses. It's difficult to keep track of all your bills and expenses -- and if ...
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6 Not-So-Conventional Ways to Own a Home
Homeownership is part of the American dream, but buying a house today is not what it used to be. Fortunately for modern homebuyers, there are many nonconventional ways to become a homeowner. When you think outside the box, home buying becomes more ...
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12 Ways to Save Money on Your Sushi Order
Does your stomach growl at you when you drive by your favorite sushi place? Chances are your wallet growls right back once you splurge on that indulgence.
So ... How do you save money on your sushi order and still manage to satisfy your stomach ...
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A Guide to Retirement Budgeting on a Fixed Income
So you're planning to retire soon? First of all: congratulations! Now, it's time to ensure that your money outlasts your life and that there's some left over for your children.
You can do that by setting up, and following, a realistic ...
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6 Good Habits You Can Employ to Improve Your Finances
Did you make a new year's resolution to improve your finances this year? Fortunately, it only takes a few good habits to meet that noble goal. Even better, most good financial habits are so easy to implement that it's just a matter of getting ...
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5 Ways Smoking Negatively Affects Your Personal Finances
It's not likely you'll be able to find anyone in the United States who has escaped the message that smoking is hazardous to your health. After all, there's a Surgeon General's warning on every pack. And children learn about the negative effects of ...
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7 Great Careers That Don’t Require Much Experience to Start
Are you looking for a career that doesn't require many years of experience? It can be discouraging to look at job postings where all you see is "five years of experience needed" or "experienced personnel only."
Fear not, though. It turns out there ...
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5 Ways You Can Save Money on Groceries This Week
For many people, the grocery bill is one of their largest monthly expenses. Fortunately, you can easily save money on groceries this week -- and every week after that -- with a little pre-planning and a lot of creative frugality.
Nix the ...
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How to Use Credit Card Chargebacks to Get Refunds from Stubborn Vendors
Not every merchant goes by the mantra, "The customer is always right." Therefore, even if you've received a fraudulent charge or want to return a piece of merchandise, they may not let you -- and you may not get your money back.
Fortunately, ...
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More Clever Low-Cost Homemade Gifts Everyone Will Enjoy
If you missed Part 1 of this series, click here.
One of the best gifts you can give or receive is something that was handmade with love. The special touches, time and effort that go into DIY projects let everyone know they're important to you. If ...
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7 Ways to Cut Down on Your Christmas Shopping List
Santa gives Christmas gifts with a "Ho, ho, ho." However, people who don't have a legion of elves to help them often feel like "Ho, ho, NO!"
If the expectations of gift-giving have become too much for your budget, consider reducing your Christmas ...
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8 Ways to Keep Your Thanksgiving Meal as Inexpensive as Possible
Thanksgiving is filled with family, friends, good food and football. But it can also be filled with expenses -- especially if you're having Thanksgiving dinner at your house.
No need to worry, though. The Thanksgiving holiday also offers ample ...
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6 Costly Mistakes People Make with Their 401k Plans
If you're interested in saving for retirement, a 401k plan can't be beat. These employer-sponsored plans let employees save tax-free and choose from a range of investment options. The tax-free savings effectively lower your taxable income, which may ...
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Is Pet Insurance Really Worth It?
Pets enrich our lives by providing welcome companionship and loyalty through our toughest days, as well as our happiest ones. What would you do if yours got sick? Are you prepared to bear the financial burdens of veterinary visits and the associated ...
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4 Really Dumb Ways to Pay Down Your Debt
Debt may be a part of life, but that doesn't make it suck any less. If you've got lots of debt, you're probably always looking for ways to pay it down, either in its entirety or at least enough to make your credit report look better. Whatever the ...
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5 Frugal Tips for Family Fun During the Fall Season
Just because summer is over doesn't mean you have to stop having family fun. With the kids back at school, bills due and a chill in the air, it feels hard to find affordable activities the whole family will enjoy.
We all know that fall heralds a ...
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8 Things Employers Are Looking for Beyond a College Degree
You're about to graduate from college, or maybe you already have your degree and are looking for employment. Be proud of your degree -- you earned it through several years of hard work. Hopefully, that translates into a good job in your field of ...
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Comparing the Flat Tax, Fair Tax, and Progressive Tax Systems
If you dread filing your taxes every year, it's good to know there are multiple taxation systems besides the current progressive one here in the United States.
If you've heard the terms "flat tax" or "Fair Tax" then you may be wondering what they ...
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5 Chores That Today’s Kids Can Do to Earn Money
When did you learn the value of money? For many of us, it begins the day our parents dole out chores for the first time. A week's worth of completed chores meant we earned allowances that we could spend right away or save for something we really ...
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How to Get a Higher Credit Score No Matter How Bad Your Finances Are
Imagine being so rich you never had to borrow money!
If you're wealthy enough to pay cash for any car or home you like, then you have no need to read about how credit scores are determined -- but most of us have to borrow money from time to time. ...
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