As I mentioned a couple of months ago, this year I had solar panels installed on the roof of our house and I continue to be extremely pleased with the results. Historically, our summer electricity bills have always been extremely painful -- last year ...
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How to Raise Your Kids to Be Personal Finance Losers (in 6 Easy Steps)
There are a handful of questions out there that simply defy explanation. For example, who built Stonehenge and what was it for? Why isn't phonetic spelled the way that it sounds? And why can't women put mascara on with their mouths closed?
Here's ...
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5 Clever Ways to Save Money on Pet Care
If you're like most pet owners, you consider your animal companions part of the family. But caring for pets can often lead to high expenses, which puts a strain on your household -- and, more specifically, your wallet. It's important to evaluate how ...
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A Tribute to the Vanishing Pay Phone
Maroon 5 has a song entitled "Payphone" and, every time I hear it, I can't help but wonder how many of their fans have ever used one.
Long before anybody ever heard of a cell phone, pay phones were everywhere. In addition to the iconic phone ...
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My 7th Annual Cost Survey of 10 Popular Brown Bag Sandwiches
This is the third year in a row that the price of the unappetizing school lunches being served at my kids' school will cost $2.75. As a result, there may be more than a few parents struggling to make ends meet who mistakenly believe that's a relative ...
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My Teenage Son, His Cell Phone, and the Bill for $1,055.20
We held out for as long as we could. We really did.
Despite an intense and relentless lobbying effort from my son, the Honeybee and I stayed strong and denied his repeated requests for a cell phone.
And, boy, were there a lot of requests.
I ...
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Dear Friend: Here Are 41 Reasons Why I’m NOT Lending You the Money
I recently saw a curious article in the Huffington Post that attempted to explain why our friends often fail to repay money that they borrow from us. In a nutshell, the piece offered five reasons:
You refuse to ask for the money back.
You ...
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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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9 Movie Theater Extras That We Could All Do Without
Let me tell you, sometimes this working-for-a-living thing isn't all it's cracked up to be. For the past couple of weeks I've been in one of those high-pressure do-or-die phases that requires me to be at the office from six in the morning to six at ...
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How I Survived Two Armed Robberies (and How You Can Too)
We tend to take for granted that the terrible misfortunes we see on the nightly news befalling people every day will never ever happen to us. Perhaps that is so for the majority of folks. But it is not certain by any means.
By the time I was 30 I ...
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10 Tips for Managing Long-Term Care for Elderly Parents
We all dread the day when we may be faced with making important life decisions on behalf of our aging parents. It's never an easy road deciding how to best care for the people who used to care for us, and there are plenty of variables that should be ...
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The 10 Most Affordable U.S. Cities to Settle Down In
From the Floridian peninsula to the Hawaiian Islands and everything in between, one thing is for sure: the United States is one big and diverse country. That's why many people find it difficult to choose the best place to settle down. And while many ...
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A Detailed Look at My First Monthly Electric Bill with Solar Panels
As most of you probably know, this year I had solar panels installed on the roof of our house. The entire process, from first contact with the solar company to the final system activation in mid-May, took slightly less than six months.
Now, if I ...
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How to Find a Low-Cost Pest Control Company That Won’t Rip You Off
Eventually, pests happen. Whether it's a rat or rodent infestation, a serious bug problem or something more serious like termites, you will need to hire a professional pest control company. In most cases, you can rely on them to rid your home of a ...
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5 Key Points to Consider Before Signing a Service Contract
I see offers like these on a daily basis: "Get a new iPhone for only $99; requires two-year contract," or "Get DIRECTV for only $29.99 a month for six months; requires a one-year commitment."
These teasers may sound great, but the companies ...
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22 Home Hacks for Removing Common Stains (Part 2)
Accidents happen, and they can totally put a damper on your otherwise positive demeanor if you don't know how to properly eliminate the stains they cause around the house.
I covered the first 11 proven home hacks for common stains in Part 1. Here ...
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22 Home Hacks for Removing Common Stains
Accidents happen, and they can totally put a damper on your otherwise positive demeanor if you don't know how to properly eliminate the stains they cause around the house. To prevent your own spontaneous combustion, take a look at these 22 home hacks ...
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Lost Checks: Is Not Stopping Payment Worth the Risk?
I wish I was as smart as my kids. They're never wrong.
Never.
If you don't believe me, just ask them.
As a matter of fact, I was reminded of that little "fact" last month after the Honeybee noticed that a couple of checks hadn't been cashed ...
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When Is The Right Time to Consider Hiring a Lawyer?
A lot of people seem to assume that because they're honest and conscientious they'll never need a lawyer. How wrong that can be!
There are so many common occurrences that create situations where normal people like you and me suddenly find ...
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Why Do We Honor Kids Who Have Never Missed a Day of School?
The other day my daughter, Nina, got hit with a 24-hour flu bug that had her kneeling over the toilet all morning long. I felt bad for her, and don't know for sure where she picked it up, but that's not important. Right now I'm just waiting with ...
Continue reading Why Do We Honor Kids Who Have Never Missed a Day of School?
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