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Len Penzo dot Com

The offbeat personal finance blog for responsible people.

10 Tips for Making Your First Budget

By Anum Yoon

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 ...

Continue reading 10 Tips for Making Your First Budget

May 11, 2021

6 Not-So-Conventional Ways to Own a Home

By Anum Yoon

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 ...

Continue reading 6 Not-So-Conventional Ways to Own a Home

April 27, 2021

12 Ways to Save Money on Your Sushi Order

By Anum Yoon

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 ...

Continue reading 12 Ways to Save Money on Your Sushi Order

April 20, 2021

A Guide to Retirement Budgeting on a Fixed Income

By Anum Yoon

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 ...

Continue reading A Guide to Retirement Budgeting on a Fixed Income

March 24, 2021

6 Good Habits You Can Employ to Improve Your Finances

By Anum Yoon

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 ...

Continue reading 6 Good Habits You Can Employ to Improve Your Finances

March 9, 2021

5 Ways Smoking Negatively Affects Your Personal Finances

By Anum Yoon

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 ...

Continue reading 5 Ways Smoking Negatively Affects Your Personal Finances

February 16, 2021

7 Great Careers That Don’t Require Much Experience to Start

By Anum Yoon

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 ...

Continue reading 7 Great Careers That Don’t Require Much Experience to Start

February 9, 2021

5 Ways You Can Save Money on Groceries This Week

By Anum Yoon

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 ...

Continue reading 5 Ways You Can Save Money on Groceries This Week

January 19, 2021

How to Use Credit Card Chargebacks to Get Refunds from Stubborn Vendors

By Anum Yoon

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, ...

Continue reading How to Use Credit Card Chargebacks to Get Refunds from Stubborn Vendors

January 5, 2021

More Clever Low-Cost Homemade Gifts Everyone Will Enjoy

By Anum Yoon

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 ...

Continue reading More Clever Low-Cost Homemade Gifts Everyone Will Enjoy

December 8, 2020

7 Ways to Cut Down on Your Christmas Shopping List

By Anum Yoon

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 ...

Continue reading 7 Ways to Cut Down on Your Christmas Shopping List

November 24, 2020

8 Ways to Keep Your Thanksgiving Meal as Inexpensive as Possible

By Anum Yoon

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 ...

Continue reading 8 Ways to Keep Your Thanksgiving Meal as Inexpensive as Possible

November 17, 2020

6 Costly Mistakes People Make with Their 401k Plans

By Anum Yoon

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 ...

Continue reading 6 Costly Mistakes People Make with Their 401k Plans

November 3, 2020

Is Pet Insurance Really Worth It?

By Anum Yoon

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 ...

Continue reading Is Pet Insurance Really Worth It?

October 13, 2020

4 Really Dumb Ways to Pay Down Your Debt

By Anum Yoon

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 ...

Continue reading 4 Really Dumb Ways to Pay Down Your Debt

September 30, 2020

5 Frugal Tips for Family Fun During the Fall Season

By Anum Yoon

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 ...

Continue reading 5 Frugal Tips for Family Fun During the Fall Season

September 22, 2020

8 Things Employers Are Looking for Beyond a College Degree

By Anum Yoon

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 ...

Continue reading 8 Things Employers Are Looking for Beyond a College Degree

September 8, 2020

Comparing the Flat Tax, Fair Tax, and Progressive Tax Systems

By Anum Yoon

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 ...

Continue reading Comparing the Flat Tax, Fair Tax, and Progressive Tax Systems

August 25, 2020

5 Chores That Today’s Kids Can Do to Earn Money

By Anum Yoon

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 ...

Continue reading 5 Chores That Today’s Kids Can Do to Earn Money

July 28, 2020

How to Get a Higher Credit Score No Matter How Bad Your Finances Are

By Anum Yoon

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. ...

Continue reading How to Get a Higher Credit Score No Matter How Bad Your Finances Are

June 30, 2020

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