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Bloggers Offer Their Best Saving Tips
Tweet Share on Facebook June 16, 2008 Comment (2)This week, Flexo at Consumerism Commentary published the third anniversary edition of the Carnival of Personal Finance. It's filled with tips on assessing your financial IQ, a review of the presidential candidates' policies that would affect consumers, and ideas for affordable romantic getaways.
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Two Credit Card Quandaries, Solved
Tweet Share on Facebook June 13, 2008 Comment (4)Two readers, both dissatisfied with their credit card companies but for different reasons, recently wrote to me. Here's the first problem:
I just received a notice from Capital One that my credit limit is being cut from $17,000 to $9,100 because I 'have not taken full advantage of [my] credit line.' I pay my account in full each month, though in the past couple years I have floated some bigger ticket items like new carpeting and living room furniture. Why did they do this, and will it negatively affect my credit score?
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The Cost of Online Dating
Tweet Share on Facebook June 13, 2008 Comment (6)I recently spoke with Felicia Taylor at Retirement Living TV about the financial dangers of online dating. One of the biggest complaints is that websites fail to match customers up with appropriate dates.
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Can You Afford a Baby?
Tweet Share on Facebook June 12, 2008 Comment (44)If you're of a certain age and life stage, then you might be asking yourself: Should I have a baby? Before getting carried away with visions of Baby Bjorns and onesies, consider this: Babies cost more than ever. According to the Agriculture Department, middle-income couples spend an average of $11,000 during the first year of a child's life. By the time that newborn reaches his 18th birthday, he'll have cost his parents around $204,000. (Creative solutions such as relying on grandparents for child care and swapping clothes with friends can help ease the strain.) Here is the Alpha Consumer quiz to help figure out if you're financially ready to become a parent:
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How to Teach Your Kids About Money
Tweet Share on Facebook June 12, 2008 Comment (14)When I was just out of college, my mom wrote a letter to my younger sisters and me filled with financial lessons she had learned over the years. She explained how she and my dad had earned less than a combined $40,000 when they got married but managed to save $10,000 during that first year, which let them buy a small house. Eventually, their frugal ways helped them pay for all of our college tuitions. She recommended saving as much as possible, avoiding credit-card debt, budgeting, and diversifyinginvestments.
My mom is hardly alone in trying to pass on financial know-how to her kids. In fact, teaching children about money is a growing concern among parents. And for good reason. Amid what could be considered a nationwide crisis in financial literacy, as illustrated by burgeoning consumer debt and paltry savings rates, parental guidance might be one of the few ways to reverse those trends.
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Vote for the Best Savings Idea
Tweet Share on Facebook June 11, 2008 Comment (3)Thanks to everyone who shared money-saving tips in the latest Alpha Consumer Challenge! There were a lot of great contributions, and it was hard to pick the top three.
Now, it's time to vote on the winner, who will be featured on this blog and receive a copy of Rob Walker's Buying In: The Secret Dialogue Between What We Buy and Who We Are. That book is also the first selection for the Alpha Consumer Book Club. To participate in the book club, all you have to do is read the book, which is an intriguing look at consumer culture. Then, E-mail questions you have for the author to alphaconsumer@usnews.com, or post them as comments on this blog. Rob Walker will answer them here over the next few weeks. You can also join the book club on Facebook and post your questions there.
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Top 8 Money-Saving Web sites
Tweet Share on Facebook June 10, 2008 Comment (48)With almost everyone looking for ways to trim their budgets right now, my mailbox has been overflowing with links to Web sites designed to help consumers do just that. I've picked out some of the most useful ones, which focus on food, coupons, and comparison shopping. If you know of any others, please let me know by commenting below.
- RetailMeNot.com. This site, which I've mentioned before, lets you search for coupons before making online purchases. I've used it to get free shipping on everything from shirts to steaks.
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Audio: Making Summer Vacation Affordable
Tweet Share on Facebook June 10, 2008 CommentThis weekend, I spoke with WTOP about how to save money on vacation. Listen now, download in
iTunes and 
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4 Easy Ways to Save at Home
Tweet Share on Facebook June 9, 2008 Comment (33)Listerine as mosquito repellent? Vinegar as air freshener? These ideas might sound unconventional, but some people swear they work. After my friend Cindy shared some of her best tips with me, I had the chance to try them out over the weekend. If they remind you of any creative tricks that you rely on, then please consider participating in the Alpha Consumer Challenge. Submissions will be accepted until Wednesday morning at 9, and the winner will have his or her name featured on this blog and receive a copy of Rob Walker's Buying In: The Secret Dialogue Between What We Buy and Who We Are. To participate, just describe your money-saving tip in a comment below.
Here are Cindy's secrets:
• Instead of buying expensive vitamin or flavored water, put a few slices of fresh summer fruit or mint sprigs in cool water. (I recommend cucumber slices.)
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Bloggers Offer Summertime Advice
Tweet Share on Facebook June 9, 2008 Comment (1)This week's Carnival of Personal Finance at Prime Time Money offers some great tips on staying cool this summer and free, fun activities for kids.
