Author: Melissa

Money-saving tips for college students

College kids all over the country are graduating this weekend, and I know that at least a few of those bright-eyed newbies are looking toward the future: Getting jobs, renting apartments/buying condos, and thinking about their student loans coming due. (Sorry if I caused a mild panic attack for anyone.) Ah, those four (or five or six) years were worth it, though, right? However, I bet more than one of those students is thinking, “Man, oh, man, I shouldn’t have taken out that student loan to finance my spring break (or my beer belly).” Some of them have college...

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What’s your Latte Factor?

Save for retirement. Save for an emergency fund. Save for your kids’ college educations. Pay your bills.    Exhausting, isn’t it? Yes. That overwhelming list makes it so easy to say, “There are too many buckets and not enough money to fill them all!” What if you could find your extra money and stuff all it into your vacation fund, or your rainy day fund, or invest it, for heaven’s sake? You may be thinking, “But I don’t have any extra!” Oh, but you do. David Bach, author of the book The Automatic Millionaire, coined and trademarked the term...

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Meal Kits: Are They Worth The Cost?

A few weeks ago, I received a coupon in the mail for Blue Apron, the meal delivery service. Being the pennywise person that I am and the type of person to be totally skeptical of these things — and the type of person to have a $60/week food budget, I threw the colorful flier right into the trash. Nope. Not for me. Then, weeks later, I got to thinking. What if it really was a good deal and I — gasp — threw away a perfectly good coupon? I couldn’t resist looking into it and jumped onto my computer...

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5 Frugal Vacation Ideas (Skip The Flight!)

Taking a vacation doesn’t need to break the bank, especially if you skip the flight. Here some frugal vacation ideas to get you started. Camping National parks, state parks, your own backyard… the options are for your frugal vacation are endless! Whether the Tetons beckon or if local Lake Red Rock is the furthest away you can get… who cares? Either way, you’re still away from it all, and you’ll be able to channel your inner outdoorsy persona to boot. Family/group reservations for Yosemite National Park, for example, are a reasonable $26-$50 for family/group camping reservations. First-come, first served...

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