October 23, 2009 – 1:34 pm
Are you ever accused of being a cheapskate? If so, you have something in common with Linda Beech, a columnist for The Garden City Telegram, who wrote her latest opinion piece on why she bought a used car (instead of a new one) for her teenage daughter:
Years ago, when I had two small children and my [...]
October 16, 2009 – 3:07 pm
I may be late to the party but I only just learned that Microsoft has discontinued its game-changing Money software. I’ve been using Money for years to track my spending, retirement allotments, taxable investments, and savings accounts all in one tidy package. But unfortunately for me and Microsoft, the advent of free budgeting websites has [...]
October 13, 2009 – 4:32 pm
Blogger G.E. Miller from 20SomethingFinance.com has launched a new website to help young people control their spending.
MicroFrugality.com promises useful tips geared toward a younger audience of budgeters. Miller writes:
This blog will be all about the most controllable part of the personal finance equation – your expenses – and how you can dominate them!
The vision is [...]
October 8, 2009 – 4:11 pm
We have written a lot in the past about high schools incorporating financial education into their curriculum and local communities offering personal finance courses for kids. But personal finance lessons aren’t just for children and teenagers—they’re valuable even for those of us long-since out of school.
Jeremy Vohwinkle at Generation X Finance has compiled a list [...]
October 7, 2009 – 9:02 am
There is a host of new financial products to teach youths about managing their money before they’re even old enough to open their own credit lines. More banks are offering text alerts for your credit or debit card if your child is an authorized user. And now there are more options for giving kids autonomy [...]
September 17, 2009 – 4:18 pm
A CareerBuilder survey of American workers in May and June found that 61 percent of respondents say they are “just getting by.” The increase in the number of Americans who find themselves living paycheck to paycheck is up more than 10 percent from last year, and almost 20 percent from 2007. Surprisingly, 30 percent of [...]
September 15, 2009 – 3:41 pm
No doubt about it, retailers have been hit hard by the reduction in consumer spending. But a few new trends in retail marketing could lead even the savviest shoppers into a financial trap.
MSN Money columnist M.P. Dunleavey wrote last week about the way outlet malls use psychology to seduce consumers into paying more for lower-quality [...]
September 10, 2009 – 5:13 pm
New numbers released by the Federal Reserve on Tuesday show that consumer borrowing decreased for the sixth consecutive month in July. A Wall Street Journal article notes that consumers are distancing themselves from debt both “by choice and by force, reflecting a combination of the thrifty attitude and tighter lending conditions that have defined the [...]
September 1, 2009 – 1:11 pm
If you’re in college, chances are you’re back in the dorms this week. And if you’ve got your eye on the new fall fashions and cool electronics, we’ve got news for you: Being cheap is in.
As the Oregonian reports:
Frugality is the new cool in this back-to-school shopping season, expected to be one of the slowest [...]
August 27, 2009 – 4:45 pm
Tuesday’s Wall Street Journal had a useful article for parents on how to “train” their teens to start using credit cards wisely. The main goal is to teach youths to build a credit history without falling into debt.
The article makes a strong point: While it is a great gift to allow your child [...]
