By Shannon Christman
Frugality and thrift are far from the predominant mindsets in our culture, even among the multitudes of people who are taking control of their finances and paying down debt. In times past (the Great Depression comes to mind), “thrift” was seen as a virtue, but not so much anymore. Frugality could, […]

By Shannon Christman
Most financially prudent people search for a good balance of price and quality when shopping for televisions and groceries and automobiles, but few consider value when shopping for higher education. Though tuition costs alone are often a factor in choosing a college, the overall value — the quality of education received for the […]

By Shannon Christman
Several years ago, my husband paid for a pizza entirely in change. It wasn’t that he didn’t have any money left at the end of the week; on the contrary, he had just deposited his paycheck in the bank that evening. He simply wanted to use his change and save his bills. […]

By Shannon Christman
It’s that time of year again. Some of us know it as spring; others call it the start of yard sale season. Yard sales (also known as garage sales, tag sales, rummage sales, and stoop sales) attract an interesting and diverse subculture of bargain hunters, environmentalists, and treasure hunters; they are […]

By Shannon Christman
Personal storage facilities are appearing everywhere. Whether new garage-like structures or refashioned warehouses, factories, and banks, all have the purpose of storing our culture’s accumulated stuff. For the “low” price of $39.95 a month, you can rent the smallest of these empty boxes — a space not much bigger than a walk-in closet. […]

By Shannon Christman
It’s been said that when you take free advice, you should remember that you get what you pay for. I agree that it’s important to evaluate any advice — free or not — before following it, but rejecting all free advice because it is free is a really bad idea. (Unless you […]

By Shannon Christman
Lehighton Night at Dorney Park was a highlight of each year when I was a young teenager. For $5 anyone in my small town (Lehighton) could buy an advance ticket for evening admission to the amusement park just over 25 miles away. Not only could a carload of my friends and […]

Shannon Christman
Personal finance isn’t about money. Well, it is about money in the sense that it’s not about music or biology or hockey, but it’s not only about money. Having strong personal finance skills usually does mean that you will have more money than your peers, but the benefits of honing your personal finance skills […]

By Shannon Christman
“Instead of using coupons, I buy things on sale” is a statement I hear often from people who think I waste my time clipping coupons. My response is, “Why not do both? If you use the coupons for things that are on sale, you can save even more.” In most cases, the […]

By Shannon Christman
My church is part of a denomination whose doctrinal statement reads in part, “Nonconformity calls us to reject the world’s unrestrained materialism, its sensualism, and its self-centeredness. Rather we seek to express the values of God’s kingdom by a lifestyle of modesty and simplicity.” Nevertheless, in the eight and a half years […]