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Len Penzo dot Com

The offbeat personal finance blog for responsible people.

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9 Things We Routinely Overpay For

By Len Penzo

Nobody likes overpaying for stuff. Even so, many people do it without even realizing it. The good news is, by getting the urge to splurge under control, it's possible to save significant amounts of cash that can be used to stretch your household ...

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October 11, 2021

Buyer Beware: Here Are the 6 Biggest Consumer Electronics Markups

By Andrea Woroch

What do a grocery store, a funeral home and a college bookstore have in common? They each sell products with some of the highest markups in retail. While we dont want to think of a funeral as a financial transaction, the reality is that we all pay ...

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September 28, 2021

4 Good Reasons Why You’re Overspending (and How to Stop It)

By Tex Freitag

During the second quarter of 2021, household debt in the United States jumped from $313 billion to $15 trillion. Credit card debt, in particular, rose to $787 trillion -- $17 billion higher than the previous quarter. This spike shows that it's more ...

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September 15, 2021

The Trick to Making Smarter Spending Decisions

By Tex Freitag

We all have our own ways of justifying purchases, whether we're trying to convince ourselves that a new car is essential, or that new boots are a just requirement with winter around the corner. However, what if there was a way you could look at your ...

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September 1, 2021

What Is an Extended Auto Warranty and How Does It Work?

By Enero Febrero

With every new car, you get something called a standard factory warranty. This warranty acts as a guarantee that all repairs that are caused by mechanical failure and defects will be covered. Basically, the standard factory warranty promises that ...

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August 24, 2021

My 13th Annual Cost Survey of 10 Popular Brown Bag Sandwiches

By Len Penzo

I don't know about you, but my monthly grocery bill has been increasing since the start of the new year. Meanwhile, the average cost of a school lunch this year is $3.81. For a family with two kids, that amounts to slightly less than $1400 during ...

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August 2, 2021

5 Items in Nature With Enormous Finder Fees

By Len Penzo

I realize the economy is wigging out and times are starting to get tough again. Of course, with the price of precious metals back on the rise, you could head out into the wilderness and try to find a stray nugget or two. Then again, if you ...

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July 12, 2021

4 Sneaky Car Dealer Tricks (and How to Avoid Them)

By Sabado Domingo

hidden fees to watch out for

The majority of car dealers are scrupulous professionals who simply want to sell you the vehicle of your choice. So why is it that taking a trip to the dealership often fills car buyers with dread? It's an unfortunate fact that many car buyers ...

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July 7, 2021

How to Take Advantage of Error Fares for Booking Super Cheap Flights

By Mikey Rox

Flying the friendly skies is an efficient and often necessary way to travel, but the cost of such convenience is often prohibitive. From ticket prices to baggage fees to in-flight purchases, these expenses can take a big chunk out of your vacation ...

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June 22, 2021

Why You Should Always Double-Check Grocery Store Meat Label Prices

By Len Penzo

For anybody who regularly shops for groceries, it should be common knowledge by now that food prices are beginning to rise at an alarming pace. Of course, many manufacturers are keenly aware of this, which is why they try to mask inflation by ...

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June 21, 2021

How to Select the Best Home Security Company

By Sabado Domingo

My wife gets on my case because I am terrible at engaging our burglar alarm system every night before bed. Rightfully so; a burglar alarm is a smart precautionary initiative toward protecting your home and the valuables within. In my opinion, ...

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May 12, 2021

The High Cost of CBD Oil: Why Is It So Expensive?

By Tex Freitag

CBD oil has never been more popular than it is now, thanks to a reputation that rivals most medical products. But if you are one of those who want to try CBD, chances are you might be discouraged by the steep cost. And without in-depth knowledge of ...

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April 9, 2021

How to Save Money On DIY Home Improvement Projects

By Enero Febrero

When making home improvements, savvy household CEOs employ an effective year-round strategy to help beautify their home and increase its value by using coupons, promo codes, and cash-back sites to help save money. Whether it's weather-stripping a ...

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March 10, 2021

25 Examples of Shrinkflation That No Longer Fool Consumers

By Len Penzo

Not too long ago I was preparing a recipe from an old cookbook that called for a couple of 7-ounce cans of tuna. After looking in the pantry, I was happy to see that I had exactly two cans of tuna -- until I remembered that tuna was one of the ...

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February 15, 2021

The 10 Worst Things I Ever Bought

By Len Penzo

Most of us have no trouble remembering the best things we ever bought. The worst things are another matter. Anyway, here's my list. How does it compare to yours? 1. My first house Purchase Date: 1990 Purchase Price: $114,000 Inflation ...

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February 8, 2021

I’m Stumped: 7 Perplexing Money Questions Without a Good Answer

By Len Penzo

Did you know that back in 2013, then British Prime Minister David Cameron offered $1.54 million to the first person who could solve mankind's greatest challenge? He did. However, before the challenge could officially begin, he had to wait for an ...

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January 25, 2021

A Simple Test to Know If It’s Better to Rent or Buy a House

By Len Penzo

This weekend my friend and I got into a discussion regarding the housing market; he was wondering whether current prices were still cheap enough to justify buying a new home. "That's a good question," I told him, "We could ask my Magic 8-Ball, but ...

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January 11, 2021

Are Gas Clothes Dryers Worth the Extra Money?

By Len Penzo

People looking to save money on appliances quickly learn that gas dryers typically cost between $75 to $150 more than their electric counterparts, primarily because the components are more expensive; for folks on tight budgets, that price premium can ...

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December 21, 2020

6 Ways to Avoid a Holiday Debt Hangover

By Mikey Rox

The holidays come with a host of stressors, the most Xanax-inducing of which is perhaps overspending. Sure, we make our lists and check them twice, but we're still human. Sales, discounts and deals are flashed furiously before your eyes while you're ...

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December 1, 2020

3 Short but Savvy Winter Season Shopping Tips

By Sabado Domingo

December typically begins a three- or four-month period where household and personal bills can skyrocket, largely due to heating and winter prepping. As a result, it's important to get smarter with the resources you have in order to ensure you're not ...

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November 25, 2020

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