Probably the most difficult step in getting ones personal finances in order is the step to actually begin working on them. If you have a great adversion to looking at your personal finances, it makes it that much more difficult as this reader knows:
I hate personal finance and my finances shows this. They […]

This is a question that often comes up — the difference between being frugal and being cheap. This reader asks for help in trying to remain frugal without becoming cheap:
I have a huge problem with my husband’s family. They don’t understand there is a difference between being frugal and being cheap. They constantly complain […]

When it comes to how much money the government keeps out of your paycheck, there are often a lot of questions. You don’t want to be giving the government a free loan of your hard earned money, but at the same time, you don’t want to owe a lot of taxes when April 15 […]

With Christmas right around the corner, you should have started to make your Christmas budget as one reader is currently doing. In the process, she wonders what is the better alternative: a real Christmas tree or an artificial Christmas tree?
I am trying to decide whether to purchase a real Christmas tree or an artificial Christmas […]

With the holiday season almost upon us (or already in full swing if you accept what retailers are telling us), what are your holiday tipping rules? I had a quite lively debate about this with a group of friends who had a wide variety of opinions on the subject, and I’m sure the readers here […]

As the US becomes more and more a cashless society, is it really necessary to have cash at all? In many instances, there may be no reason, but one time that cash is king is when there is an emergency where normal outlets that dispense cash are not available and credit systems may be offline […]

When money gets tight, one place that many people try to save money is on food. The problem is that this often means sacrificing healthy food. Therefore when the food budget is tight, a question that is often asked is whether it is possible to eat health food and still stay within budget? That is […]

One of the questions that is often sent to me is whether one should to pay down credit card debt or build an emergency fund first. As with most issues dealing with personal finances, a lot depends on your particular circumstances. One readers explains hers and is looking for advice:
I just read your post about […]

When reducing debt, one of the problems is getting frustrated that you can never have any fun while doing it. One way to help keep yourself motivated is to give yourself rewards for reaching specific goals. This reader wants to know how to go about setting up these rewards:
I have started to reduce my credit […]

When you must decide on what is a good plan of action which involves a housing arrangement outside the norm, it can be confusing and difficult to determine whether it is a good deal or not. That is the question that one reader has:
I have a financial question and hope you wouldn’t mind answering it […]