A yearly utility bill like that can certainly take a toll on your wallet. But with a little ingenuity and some inexpensive accessories, nearly anyone can learn how to save money on heating bills.Here are six changes you can make today to start ...

Stay Warmer and Richer With These 6 Winterizing Tips

Here are some strategies to help maximize your cash flow, cut major expenses and quickly build your savings and retirement accounts.Stop Getting a Tax RefundThe average U.S. taxpayer receives a $3,000 refund come tax time -- that's essentially money ...

The Absolute Best Ways to Save Money

The only way to control my tendency for extreme gift giving is to create a holiday budget. Since no one budget fits all, I've provided four ways to budget for the holidays. Pick one, follow the directions, and then we'll bake sugar cookies.Budget ...

Never Overspend On The Holidays Again With These 4 Budgeting Ideas

Here are 16 travel tips to help you save money during the holidays.16. Take one of the most affordable family vacations known to mankind, according to US News & World Report. Where can you go? I'll give you a hint: anywhere you can pitch a tent. If ...

16 Simple Ways To Slash Your Holiday Travel Budget

Good habits are the key to financial security. If you want to put yourself in position to weather any financial storm, you need to understand and follow only four good habits:1. Work hard, preferably at a job you love.2. Stay out of debt.3. Save at ...

The Four Habits of Financially Secure People

Need a kitchen table, a road bike or an acoustic guitar? You could browse the big box stores and shell out the cash for a new model. Or, you could hop on Craigslist. Since its launch about 16 years ago, Craigslist.org has become a more popular place ...

Craigslist: 3 Used Treasures to Look For, 3 Duds to Avoid

If you find yourself continually overspending, you are not alone. Americans are seemingly addicted to consumption and it has brought about the highest levels of credit card debt in the history of our nation.Every year, we vow not to spend more than ...

6 New Behavioral Strategies to Curb Your Spending

Just one more year. That's the goal as we cajole our cars to stay on the road for a little longer. Yet there invariably comes a time when an aging car is no longer worth the hassle. By the time the odometer hits 150,000 miles, the repair bills start ...

Why Buying A New Car Is For Suckers

We all have our bad spending habits: a $3 latte in the morning, an expensive taxi fare now and then, a cheap piece of jewelry when we're down in the dumps. We're all for splurging, especially if you do it right. In other words, go ahead and buy the ...

Ripoffs: 8 Everyday Buys That Are A Total Waste Of Money

Sometimes it seems like life is one never-ending battle against scam artists trying to part you from your money. Stay diligent and avoid the three latest schemes devised to take advantage of you and your family.Pie-in the-Sky CD RatesAs you're ...

Protect Yourself From Today's Most Destructive Scams

If you're like most Americans, you feel like you've tightened your belt to its last notch.You've cut the eating out; the gym membership is a distant memory; date night with your spouse has turned into quiet night on the couch; you've cut your shower ...

7 Ways to Be a Super Saver

The idea of watching the needle on your electric meter turn backward instead of forward is a wondrous concept for any homeowner.Unfortunately, the materials needed to make this dream a reality -- solar panels, wind turbines, geothermal heating, a ...

11 Simple Ways to Save on Utilities

For some couples, it’s a lavish house or boat. For others, it’s purebred show dogs or a live-in chef. But after our honeymoon in Italy, my wife and I agreed the opportunity to travel would be the main reason we would strive to save money. If you ...

How I Prepared for a Year of Travel, Part 2: Working Overseas

Ryan Ferrell, a senior manager at a Chicago-based ad agency, isn't your average 25-year-old. He's saved enough to put a sizeable down payment on a condo in the city's trendy South Loop and even qualified for a conventional loan. How has he pulled ...

5 Money-Saving Myths We Need To Stop Falling For

Each Monday, Julia Scott offers a collection of savings tips -- including some of the week's best links from around the Internet -- to InvestingAnswers readers. Julia is the founder of the savings and coupon blog BargainBabe.comMy husband recently ...

9 Unbelievably Easy Ways To Save More Money

Unwanted fees have a way of taking their toll on budgets insidiously. They arrive every month, neatly hidden among the lines of legitimate charges from banks, credit card issuers and utility companies. Each one separately may not amount to much, but ...

These 6 Sneaky Fees Can Kill Your Budget

When you're traveling in Egypt, several months into a year's trek around the world with a family of four, the last thing you want is for an ATM to eat your debit card.That's what happened to Heather Greenwood Davis of Globetrotting Mama, and it ...

5 Money Mistakes That Can Ruin Your Summer Vacation

While most everyone wants to maximize their tight vacation budget, it can be particularly critical for retired people and other older folks whose income isn't what it once was. With plane tickets reaching some of the highest levels in years, some ...

4 Tricks To Save Money on Your Summer Vacation

I'm a pretty low-maintenance traveler. I'm happy if my room is pest and burglar free and has a reasonably comfortable bed. I don't need nice decorations, fancy linens or granite in the kitchen. My wife, on the other hand, is a different story. It ...

How to Save Money on Hotel & Lodging Costs

Every parent's goal is to have her child do better than they did. And today's parents are no different.Trouble is, it's getting harder and harder these days -- and may even be impossible for some.A report by the Pew Charitable Trusts paints a grim ...

5 Surprisingly Dangerous Places To Stash Your Emergency Cash

A recent health care industry study showed that 59 million Americans are without health care coverage; 20% of U.S. adults reported problems paying their medical bills; and 31% of U.S. adults admitted spending too much time on insurance paperwork, ...

How to Save 30% On Your Medical Bills Today

There are a number of 'sins' we can commit against our credit scores that can hurt ourselves, and others, in the long run. Having a great credit score could save you around $100,000 on a mortgage and $6,000 on an auto loan compared with having a bad ...

7 Deadly Money Sins That Can Wreck Your Credit

Some 147 million shoppers will bustle through the stores on Black Friday and into the post-Thanksgiving weekend, but the real deals will escape them unless they're smart about their timing. Black Friday presents a great opportunity for stores to get ...

8 Overpriced Gifts You Should Never, Ever Buy On Black Friday

How do you say 'slippery road' in German?Schlitterbahn.You might have known that if you've ever visited Schlitterbahn Waterpark in New Braunfels, Texas. Actually, you'd pick up a lot more German words on a visit to New Braunfels. The town, which ...

7 Affordable, Close-To-Home Destinations With International Flavor

It's that time again when scorching summer temperatures are on their way. And since heat rises, the upstairs of your home can become unbearable. Running your central air or A/C on full blast, however, can rack up serious energy bills.Keep reading ...

How to Keep Your Upstairs Cool in Summer (on a Budget)

If there's one thing I learned after planning for a year of overseas travel, it's that navigating all of the travel sites on the internet can be almost as difficult as saving the money for the trip in the first place. In case you've missed the first ...

How I Prepared for a Year of Travel, Part 3: Flying on a Budget

While the majority of people still consider coupon-clipping as the realm of a middle-class mom, that perception is false. Those most likely to benefit from coupons are actually the least likely to participate.The Nielsen Company, a global ...

How to Save Hundreds of Dollars on Groceries (and Other Expenses)

The holiday season is upon us and let's face it, it can be a season of excess. Too much food, too much snow, too much time with family and for many people, too much money spent on gifts. And why not? Tis' the season to be jolly after all. Even the ...

3 Steps to Smart Shopping Over the Holidays

In the midst of riding out a tumultuous economy, we all want to save a buck and avoid paying full price if we can.But rather than just watching their sales dwindle away, manufacturers and retailers have responded with a special tactic, creating a ...

The Dark Side of Coupons -- 5 Reasons They Could Be Costing You Big

There are important reasons to be cautious about when looking at new products. In some instances, these products will improve down the road; buy them now and you may get stuck with yesterday's technology. A pair of clear examples: hybrid cars and ...

'Green' Technologies: Why You'll Regret Buying Now Instead Of Waiting

Our mother and father are usually the first people we look to as we're trying to learn new things -- driving a car, hitting a baseball, playing an instrument, whatever. When it comes to money, it's no different. That's why, in honor of Father's Day, ...

The Financial Wisdom of our Fathers: A Father's Day Tribute

With all of the discussion about the widening income gap in America, you may be wondering where you fall in the equation. Are you earning enough to keep up with the cost of living or do you need to make more to stay apace and live without serious ...

How Much Money Makes You Happiest? Princeton Has An Answer

Windfalls come in many forms: inheritance, bonus, legal settlement... or maybe you just won the lottery. When you receive a financial windfall, you need to decide what to do with the money.People are often confused about how to handle newfound ...

6 Smart Ways to Use a Sudden Financial Windfall

Rising food prices and stagnant job growth have many Americans looking for ways to save on food bills, but that doesn't justify an unhealthy diet of fast food or frozen pizza for you or your family. In fact, fast and cheap food isn't 'cheap' at all. ...

10 Simple Food Habits That Will Save Money and Your Life

Not every scam is like the complicated set-up in The Sting.Con jobs can nickel and dime you over time, like the slow leak of management fees from a long-term buy and hold retirement account. Or they can wallop you at the most inopportune moment, ...

The 7 Most Widespread Financial Rip-Offs

For whatever reason, those of us in the financial industry tend to regurgitate the same investing mantras over and over again, without stopping to think critically about what we're saying. So, I thought it was time to address some of the old 'rules' ...

5 Money Rules That Are Just Plain Wrong

Gift cards have surpassed all other categories as the most popular gift, according to the National Retail Federation.Here's a news flash, however: If this is the extent of your gift card experience, you have not tapped into the true money-saving ...

5 Gift Card Discount Sites The Big Stores Don't Want You To Know About

Marketing jargon seems to permeate every aspect of our lives. In fact, getting pressured into buying seemingly valuable products you don't really need is a long-standing way of doing business in America. Snakeoil, anyone?Financial products are no ...

5 Financial Products That Are Absolutely Worthless

It’s simple: Pick 6 numbers, match the numbers drawn on TV, win millions.Winning the lottery is what many consider the ultimate dream. Even just thinking about what you’d do with unexpected millions invites fun conversation around the dinner table. ...

4 Negative Effects of Winning the Lottery That Everyone Ignores

Many of us are compelled to travel, even when we really don't want to. Whether it's to visit relatives during the holidays or clients for business, we find ourselves schlepping through crowded airport terminals and standing in long security lines, ...

10 Tricks for the Shrewd Traveler

Gas prices are near historic highs, and with a national average between $3.50 and $4.00 per gallon, you may be wondering if it's time to buy a hybrid or fuel-efficient car. You're not the only one thinking about it -- small car sales have jumped ...

The Most Affordable Fuel-Efficient Cars of 2011

A money crisis can occur in the blink of an eye – and most aren’t predictable. COVID-19 is a perfect example of an unforeseen circumstance that caused massive personal finance issues for millions of Americans who suddenly found themselves out of ...

8 Steps to Prepare for a Personal Financial Crisis

With a little patience, planning, and access to a computer or smartphone you can easily save money on gas starting tomorrow. Below are seven no-brainer tips for how to save money on gas. Editor's Note: All savings estimates are based on a national ...

8 Easy Ways to Save Money on Gas

Other than a new smell and the satisfaction of being the only owner, buying something new doesn't make sense for some things.Buying used items can save you a significant amount of money, which can make up for the fact that you don't get the joy of ...

Buried Treasures: 5 Things To Always Buy Used

Earlier this year, the New York Post alerted readers to 'the city's first million-dollar parking space' and put the cost of the hot spot at 66 E. 11th St. into proper perspective: Purchasing it would be equivalent to paying a $115 ticket for illegal ...

The Most Ridiculously Expensive Places To Park In America

According to the Department of Energy, nearly $2,000 of your annual salary goes directly toward your electric bill. Yet utilities are one of the easiest and fastest household expenses to cut. If you have $50 or less, you can slash your energy bill ...

Save $400 on Your Electric Bill Right Now

According to the IRS, the average American received a $2,913 tax refund last year. Tax refunds give you a great opportunity to improve your life and well-being, as well as your financial future. You worked hard for your money, so while it may sound ...

20 Ways to Use Your Tax Refund Wisely

Looking for the best ways to save money for a future holiday, buying a house, or simply to improve your overall financial health? Whatever your reason, with time, commitment, and a little sacrifice, these 25 creative ways to save money have the ...

The Easiest, Best Ways to Save Money Every Month

Used cars today are a great buy. No longer is the 100,000 mile mark a warning sign as much as it is a 'deep discount' sign.In fact, owners of Toyotas, Hondas and Subarus will tell you that their cars have been flipping the 200,000-mile odometer ...

The 10-Second Trick to Outsmart a Used Car Salesman and Save Thousands

Wouldn't it be great if you could keep track of your credit card spending, set alerts for bill due dates and even create a budget for getting out of debt -- all on your mobile phone? You're in luck, there's an app for that. In fact, there are ...

The 8 Best Personal Finance Apps in America

Want to get a handle on our household money? Use what psychologists call 'creative visualization.' Imagine yourself as the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of My Family, Incorporated.A major part of the effective management of a household budget is ...

6 Common 'Black Holes' That Are Shrinking Your Family Budget

Do not despair if you are recovering from a summer of soaring gas prices and back-to-school shopping while gearing up for the pinch of holiday shopping. With deals and savings specific to the season, autumn is a great time to fall into a pile of ...

It's The Cheapest Time Of Year To Buy These 5 Everyday Items

Each Monday, Julia Scott offers a collection of savings tips -- including some of the week's best links from around the Internet -- to InvestingAnswers readers. Julia is the founder of the savings and coupon blog BargainBabe.com. This edition ...

11 Labor Day Travel Secrets To Save You Money, Aggravation

Each Monday, Julia Scott offers a collection of savings tips -- including some of the week's best links from around the Internet -- to InvestingAnswers readers. Julia is the founder of the savings and coupon blog BargainBabe.com.My mom's dog was ...

How To Make $150K By Bringing Your Lunch To Work (And Other Money Tips)

Each Monday, Julia Scott offers a collection of savings tips -- including some of the week's best links from around the Internet -- to InvestingAnswers readers. Julia is the founder of the savings and coupon blog BargainBabe.com.I've come to believe ...

3 Crazy Things You Can Do Right Now To Save More Money

Each Monday, Julia Scott offers a collection of savings tips -- including some of the week's best links from around the Internet -- to InvestingAnswers readers. Julia is the founder of the savings and coupon blog BargainBabe.com.Halloween costumes, ...

Best Tips For A Fun, Scary, Inexpensive Halloween

Linking credit debt to your fitness routine seems like a stretch, but it's a claim New York Times writer Charles Duhigg champions in his new book, 'The Power of Habit.' In the book, Duhigg explores the impact our everyday habits have on our health, ...

Can You Kickbox Your Way Out Of Financial Trouble?

Drivers in Wyoming may be fewer and farther between than high-traffic cities like Los Angeles and Atlanta, but they're shelling out the most cash for car repairs, according to new data from CarMD.com.At an average of $389.18 per repair, Wyoming ...