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Len Penzo dot Com

The offbeat personal finance blog for responsible people.

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My Blog Is Back! … But I’ve Still Got Some Work to Do

By Len Penzo

Yes, I'm still alive, folks. In case you missed it ... my blog ended up crashing on Saturday morning after a major malfunction at my old web host (Yahoo). I won't bore you with the technical details, but let's just say Yahoo's customer service ...

Continue reading My Blog Is Back! … But I’ve Still Got Some Work to Do

April 15, 2014

10 Out-of-the-Box Ideas for Saving Money

By Len Penzo

For many people, sticking to a tight budget often requires moving out of their traditional comfort zone. Studies have shown that thinking "outside the box" can provide many creative ideas for keeping a household budget on track -- usually in ways ...

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April 1, 2014

Brazilian Hyperinflation: A Reader Explains What Life Was Like (Part 2)

By Len Penzo

(In Part 1, Leasi shared her account of life in Brazil during the hyperinflation that raged there between 1984 and 1994. Part 2, is a Q&A with Leasi that sheds a little more light on what she endured during that time.) Len: Thanks for taking ...

Continue reading Brazilian Hyperinflation: A Reader Explains What Life Was Like (Part 2)

March 18, 2014

Bring a Companion on Every Southwest Flight for Less Than $30

By Sabado Domingo

I know how hard it is to save money on your vacation. With that in mind, Southwest Airlines has a deal for travelers who want to bring someone with them on every flight they take for the rest of the year and all of next year for just the cost of ...

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January 27, 2014

Your Big Fat Expensive Wedding: Stupid Is As Stupid Does

By Len Penzo

According to the New York Daily News, Chelsea Clinton and Marc Mezvinsky spent roughly $3.3 million in 2010 on their marriage celebration. Talk about a big fat expensive wedding. The good news is, more than three years after saying "I do," the ...

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January 27, 2014

Why I’m Making My Daughter Pay for Her Dental Braces

By Len Penzo

"This is going to hurt me a lot more than it is going to hurt you." That was an admonition Mom or Dad occasionally gave me and my sister when we were growing up -- and I know we weren't the only kids to hear those words either. Of course, as a ...

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January 13, 2014

A Fond Look Back at My 10 Most Popular Posts of 2013

By Len Penzo

All in all it was a successful year here at Len Penzo dot Com. In terms of traffic, the blog had almost one million visits and nearly two million page views in 2013. I know. I don't understand why either -- but I'll take it! Anyway, thank you ...

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December 30, 2013

If I Got to Pick the Gifts in “The 12 Days of Christmas”

By Len Penzo

I don't mean to sound like a scrooge, but when it comes to Christmas carols, "The 12 Days of Christmas" has got to be the most annoying one of them all, even when Burl Ives sings it -- and nobody sings Christmas carols like Burl Ives. Okay, you ...

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December 16, 2013

Len Penzo dot Com Is Five Years Old Today!

By Len Penzo

I wrote my first blog post five years ago today. Now I've got to be honest with you, folks: I only started Len Penzo dot Com as a way to try and keep myself from getting bored. It's true! Hopefully, I haven't bored too many of you since ...

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December 11, 2013

Why Doing Lines on Black Friday Isn’t All It’s Cracked Up to Be

By Len Penzo

Despite the conventional wisdom, Black Friday is not the busiest shopping day of the year. Most procrastinators know that honor belongs to the Saturday before Christmas. Black Friday has changed over the past decade or two, and the Internet has a ...

Continue reading Why Doing Lines on Black Friday Isn’t All It’s Cracked Up to Be

November 28, 2013

Financial Market Outlook: USA Versus UK

By Sabado Domingo

Both the United States and the United Kingdom's stock markets have had their share of ups and downs in the last few years, partly due to a shaky global world economy and the real estate bubble burst. While it's impossible to predict exactly how the ...

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November 24, 2013

Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? Which Emotion Is More Powerful?

By Len Penzo

Those who are concerned with managing financial risk understand that, when it comes to investing, it's especially important to have a diversified portfolio -- at least in theory. It's also important to have an exit strategy in place whenever you take ...

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November 21, 2013

How I Live on Less Than $40,000 Annually: Calin from Romania

By Guest

My name is Calin and I am a professional blogger living in Romania. Next year I'll be celebrating my 30th birthday with my beautiful wife and our newborn son. Yes, we still party, even though we live on less that $15,000 per year. (And no, I didn't ...

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November 6, 2013

How I Live on Less Than $40,000 Annually: Fawn from Illinois

By Guest

My name is Fawn. I'm a 54-year-old nurse who is a single parent to four children -- a son who is grown and married, a daughter who is away at college, and two teenage boys who are still eating at home. I've always been responsible with money, but ...

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October 23, 2013

How I Live on Less Than $40,000 Annually: Ralph from West Virginia

By RD Blakeslee

My name is Ralph and I'm a retired US Patent Examiner. I have five kids, all of them in their fifties. Since retiring, I've developed a prize Angus cattle herd. I've also bought and sold real estate that I've held title to, sold timber from time to ...

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October 9, 2013

How Cheaper Gasoline Ultimately Costs You More

By Len Penzo

You know, there used to be a guy named Ripley who made a fortune explaining why things aren't always what they seem. For example, a banana tree is not a really a tree at all, but a massive herb that can grow as tall as a four story building. If ...

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October 7, 2013

How I Live on Less Than $40,000 Annually: Lynsey from Minnesota

By Guest

My name is Lynsey and I'm 25-years-old with no children. I'm from Minnesota and have a bachelor's degree in Marketing and Business Management. I am currently employed in the marketing field. I've always been pretty responsible with my money, ...

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September 25, 2013

Comparing Tiger Woods’ Home Carrying Costs to Mine

By Len Penzo

When it comes to holes-in-one, I always tell anyone who will listen that Tiger Woods has got nothing on me. Did you know I recorded my first ace not long after reaching my 18th birthday, fully two months before Tiger got his first one? I ...

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September 16, 2013

How I Live on Less Than $40,000 Annually: Kacy from Iowa

By Guest

My name is Kacy and I'm currently employed full time as a leasing agent and resident manager for a community college property in Central Iowa. I've always been financially responsible. My dad is very good with finances and he taught me to always ...

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September 11, 2013

How I Live on Less Than $40,000 Annually: Jeff from Washington

By Guest

My name is Jeff and I've been reading Len's blog off and on for a couple of years now. I'm 55 years old. After getting my high school diploma I spent six years in the military, and then followed up my service with a series of various jobs. My ...

Continue reading How I Live on Less Than $40,000 Annually: Jeff from Washington

August 28, 2013

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