Articles on Frugal Living

The Frugal Balance: Staying Away from Financial Extremes

One of the most underrated financial x-factors in our lives is our relationship with money and the inner psychology of how we deal with our finances. I suspect that it is bec

Health Insurance Costs Too High? Alternative Not Pretty

I hear this argument over and over and it's one of the things I'll debate until I'm blue in the face. "Health insurance is too expensive." Ok, I have to agree

10 Negotiable Ways To a Fatter Wallet

Growing up in a typical small Jewish family, I assumed everyone knew the I’m-smart-but-not-cheap tactics I was raised with. But as I’ve gotten older (yeah, it had to happen sometim

The Retirement Latte

My introduction to David Bach was when I saw him speak at a financial conference a few years ago. He told an interesting story about a couple who came in for a consultation with hi

It's all your money

Sometimes you get a windfall--a bonus, an award or reward, a gift, a long-forgotten loan unexpectedly repaid. When that happens to you, do you use the money to make a special purc

The Case for Amazon

While it would be prudent to think ahead and just buy in bulk when I’m in the city, that isn’t always possible without a full day of planning and a small pull-behind trailer. So I

How to Make Moonshine

Making moonshine is especially easy because running it through a still makes all the delicate balancing of flavors that mark a great beer or wine irrelevant.

Price adjust - your big, fat shopping safety net.

My wife and I never worry about buying something with the fear that it may go on sale. And there's a good reason for that. It's called the "price adjust" and it's an almost ironcla

10 Kicky Drinks Without the Caffeine

At one point or another, you may find yourself needing to cut caffeine from your diet (or at least scaling way back). As a tribute to all those who have had to do without, I gi

Why there's no reason NOT to buy store brand baby formula.

There’s nothing like starting an article with a double negative is there? Sorry, but it was the easiest way to get my point across. As a father of a 3-year old and a soon to be 1-y

Quick travel ideas

So, I'm finishing up at my old job this week and things are crazy. Thus, I offer you some of the best travel tips that just might save you some money.

Slamming Suggestions for the Humble Rubber Band

Have more of these things floating around than you know what to do with? Just like clothespins and binder clips, these humble bits of office flotsam can be used for more things tha

DIY Baby Care for Your Cheap Bum

A dear friend of mine had six children. She once told me that one secret to their financial stability came in the form of making their own toiletries and bathroom items, specifica

Give Household Products New Use: Clever Cleaning Tips From the Motherland

Out of all the famous shows to come out of the UK, who would have thought my favorite would star two nanny-like figures clad with rubber gloves? But as a girl who moves around from

Save time, money, energy, and eat great

Depending on how old you are, your mother or grandmother probably had one of these: a pressure cooker. (She probably also had a story of one exploding, which may be why they're n

Special Events that Will Cost you Nothing

Want something to do, but don’t have the cash? Activities are popping up all over the U.S. that won’t even require you to bring your wallet!

Our high, high standard of living

In the 1950s and 1960s, a working man could support a family at a middle-class standard of living with just one income. It might surprise you to learn that one person working full

Hitching a Ride on an Airplane

Hitch hiking has been done for years and years. Simply stick your thumb out and wait for a benevolent driver to stop. But how about thumbing a ride on an airplane?

6 Secret Homemade Stain Removers That Kick Butt

Save money with these simple homemade stain removers.

How to be happy

A lot of happiness (and unhappiness) comes from within. But there are other things that matter a lot: relationships, doing important work, living your life according to your valu