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Len Penzo dot Com

The offbeat personal finance blog for responsible people.

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Drop the Guilt: How To Splurge Without Breaking the Bank

By Len Penzo

Is it just me, or do I come off at times as a real financial stick in the mud? Uh huh. That's what I thought. Look back at my archives and you'll notice I've written plenty of articles about the importance of saving money and spending less than ...

Continue reading Drop the Guilt: How To Splurge Without Breaking the Bank

November 4, 2019

Outrageous Pizza Delivery Fees Are Here to Stay (and It’s Your Fault)

By Len Penzo

I love sleight of hand tricks. Occasionally, a coworker of mine named Fred will stop by my office and regale me with some truly amazing acts of prestidigitation. I'm always left in awe every time he seemingly pulls a coin out of thin air -- or ...

Continue reading Outrageous Pizza Delivery Fees Are Here to Stay (and It’s Your Fault)

October 7, 2019

Should You Buy a Diamond Engagement Ring from a Retailer or Wholesale?

By Sabado Domingo

So you've finally decided to take that next big step and get engaged -- but if you think making that decision was hard, then you're in for a ride, because the most common question that pops into the mind of someone getting engaged is what type of ...

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October 4, 2019

Don’t Be a Wimp! Here Are 22 Things You Should Always Haggle For

By Len Penzo

Last weekend I was at a barbecue with a buddy who told me a good-news bad-news story regarding a deal he got from DirecTV for their extremely popular NFL Sunday Ticket service that allows him to watch every out-of-market game during the entire ...

Continue reading Don’t Be a Wimp! Here Are 22 Things You Should Always Haggle For

September 23, 2019

Be Careful, Priceline Users! Name a Wrong Price and You May Go To Jail

By Len Penzo

I bet you didn't know Priceline had a jail. I didn't either until I got tossed into their web-based hoosegow for 24 hours. Heh. What was my "crime" you ask? This is kind of embarrassing to admit, but I recently made an offer on a rental car ...

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September 16, 2019

How Impulsivity Affects Your Financial Decisions

By Sabado Domingo

We're all guilty of an impulsive purchase or two; in fact, in four out of every ten stores we visit, we're likely to make an average of three unplanned purchases. Impulsivity -- also known as impulsiveness -- is something that even the most organized ...

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September 12, 2019

5 Ways to Cut Costs with the Latest Technology

By Tex Freitag

Some of the best things in life are free, right? Unfortunately, not a lot of things can be free but they can cost a little bit less. Some may look at technology and see it as a black hole for your money. For example, televisions always seem to be ...

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September 11, 2019

Dirty Harry Teaches Us a Lesson on Opportunity Cost

By Len Penzo

I was in heaven last week because one of my favorite movie channels ran all five Dirty Harry movies in succession. In Dirty Harry, during that famous bank robbery scene where Inspector Harry Callahan ends up spouting off his "Do ya feel lucky?" ...

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September 2, 2019

10 Shopping Hacks That Will Ensure You Always Get the Best Deal

By Sabado Domingo

Everyone loves a good deal. But your shopping habits could probably use a little tweaking. Online shopping and apps have changed the way shoppers buy things. And with that, tried and true shopping hacks may have changed, too. Of course, finding ...

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May 17, 2019

Is Coinstar’s 11.9% Conversion Fee Worth the Price?

By Len Penzo

I think grocery store self-check stands are both a blessing and a curse. When multiple shoppers, loaded up with enough groceries to, say, sustain a family of four through a nuclear winter are queued up in front of a human cashier, self-check kiosks ...

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May 13, 2019

4 Essential Questions to Ask Before Buying an Extended Warranty

By Len Penzo

As many guys will tell you, after countless cookouts and parties we tend to get attached to our barbecue grills the same way we get attached to our dogs. Let's face it, a good barbecue grill, like a good dog, is something to be revered, which is ...

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May 6, 2019

The Pros and Cons of Layaway Plans

By Tex Freitag

These days, a growing number of retailers are implementing a variety of promotional tactics to help draw in new customers. And some retailers are now bringing back one of the oldest retail-marketing tactics in the book: the layaway ...

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April 25, 2019

Is It Okay to Eat Foods Past Their Expiration Dates?

By Len Penzo

This weekend I was pouring a little half-and-half into my cup of coffee (no, not Folgers) when I noticed something extremely disturbing: the creamer was 34 days beyond the expiration date printed on the carton top. Yes, 34 days. I know. Of ...

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April 22, 2019

The 5 Most Misleading Grocery Items Shoppers Waste Money On

By Mike Dolen

If there's one thing I spend way too much time on in life, its the process of grocery shopping. As someone who blogs about cash back credit cards all day long, it's probably predictable that I waste a bunch of time obsessing over which stores ...

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April 8, 2019

The 10 Best Things I Ever Bought

By Len Penzo

The other day my son Matthew was extolling the virtues of the laptop computer that he recently bought with his own money. "This is the best thing I ever bought, Dad!" Of course, after hearing that, the first thought that came to mind was: Well of ...

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April 1, 2019

How to Pick the Perfect Christmas Tree

By Len Penzo

When I was growing up I had a friend whose family used to put up an artificial aluminum Christmas tree every year; pink. I remember one particular Christmas that same family had an ornament of a smiling Elvis Presley hanging on their pink tree -- ...

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November 26, 2018

What You Need to Know Before Hiring a Concrete Contractor

By Enero Febrero

If you're like most people, you may have the perception that a contractor may be expensive. You may be thinking that it would be nice to not have to do something yourself, but is it actually worth the money to pay the contractor? Thankfully, there ...

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November 16, 2018

My Margarine Taste Test: Which Brand Tastes Most Like Butter?

By Len Penzo

Did you know margarine was invented in 1869 after a challenge from Emperor Louis Napoleon III, who was looking for a satisfactory low-cost substitute for butter that could be used by commoners and his military? It was. Over the years, butter ...

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November 12, 2018

100 Words On: When High Car Insurance Deductibles Make Sense

By Len Penzo

While most people strive to keep their car insurance deductibles as low as possible, the downside is those deductibles result in higher premiums. But for folks who drive limited miles, safe motorists, and those who drive older vehicles that have lost ...

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October 25, 2018

How to Affordably Splurge on an Occasional Treat (in 4 Easy Steps)

By Graham

We all need treats in life; it's important to enjoy experiences that will create lasting positive memories. Today I will share how I do this -- and I hope that it will also work for you! Step 1: Recognize your "needless" expenses Advertising ...

Continue reading How to Affordably Splurge on an Occasional Treat (in 4 Easy Steps)

July 17, 2018

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