Tag Archives: money

Your money or your life

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I just read a great book entitled “Your Money or Your Life” by Joe Dominguez and Vicki Robin. It offers some practical solutions to money problems that arise from time to time.

I feel “captivated” by the purchases I’ve made over the past few years. Things I don’t need or want – just stuff that is stiffling my creativity. Here are a few tips either from the book or from Jeffrey Pritchard a financial planner in Beaumont, Texas, who writes the blog www.allfinancialmatters.com. Continue reading →

Save money at the grocery store

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I used to love grocery shopping. Pushing the cart along the lanes of colorful packages and produce – all yelling “Buy me!” or “Don’t buy me I have too many calories!” It was fun and challenging.

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But all that has changed. Now I dread my trips to the store because prices get higher every week. Did you know that the U.S. Department of Labor estimates that the average American family of four spends $8,513 per year on groceries. That’s about $709 per month for mathematically-challenged people like me.

I’m told food prices went up by 4 percent in the United States last year and are expected to climb as much again this year, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

So, how do we keep money in our pocket even as we have to keep feeding ourselves? The good people at Oklahoma State University Cooperative Extension had some really good tips: Continue reading →

Save on gas – coast!

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Aha! My friends make fun of me for barreling up a hill, then taking my foot off the gas and coasting down the other side. It confuses the heck out of people following me, but hey – gasoline is more expensive than prime rib these days. Now I see that some expert recommends that very thing..

Here are a few quick tips to help you conserve on fuel

Tips to help you save on gas

  1. Walk more to save on gas. Well duh, sometimes we overlook the obvious;
  2. Car pool to save on gas. Don’t think this needs much explanation;
  3. Get an oil change to save on gas. Your engine will run more efficiently;
  4. Turn off the air conditioner to save on gas. Most cars will gain at least 2 to 3 miles per gallon if the A/C is turned off. Don’t try that if you live in the south, or you’ll be toast!
  5. Properly inflate your tires to save on gas. Tires that aren’t inflated properly cause poor gas mileage
  6. Fill your car in the morning to save on gas. Gas expands as it gets warm so less fits in the tank in the warmer parts of the day. Well, I never heard of that;
  7. Coast to save on gas. Old technique that still works. When you can coast instead of using the accelerator, do so. See?! Makes sense to me.

Today I bought gas at $3.55 a gallon. I’m driving to Nashville for the weekend and I’m wondering if it wouldn’t be cheaper to fly!  It’s going to be a long, hot trip!