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  • Food and financial advice for the college-bound

    Posted Aug 19 2008, 04:36 PM by Ryan MacClanathan
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    Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money

    Student loans, fast food, credit card debt, the "freshmen 15," all-night binge drinking/study sessions -- plenty of financial and dietary perils await today's incoming college freshmen.

    For many young adults the first years of college are a time to make mistakes and, hopefully, learn from those mistakes. Unfortunately, some of those errors in judgment can take years to fix. Plenty of adults in their 30s and 40s are struggling to beat down debt accrued in their wilder days. And, of course, there's the old adage: A moment on the lips, a lifetime on the hips. 

    Fortunately, Kris at Cheap Healthy Good has sound, nonjudgmental advice for young student on how to eat healthy and live frugally, both of which go hand in hand.   Read More...

    Discuss ( 11 comments) 5,931 Views Digg this | Email this | Link to this

  • What's in your fridge?

    Posted Jan 09 2008, 09:22 AM by Donna Freedman
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    Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money

    Americans spend almost half their food dollars on meals and snacks away from home, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Economic Research Division. Sociologists have many theories about why this is so: single parents, two-career couples, after-school activities, the demise of cooking in America.

    My own theory? When you get home at 6:45 p.m. with a cranky toddler, the last thing you want to do is start peeling potatoes.

    Be proactive, the frugal types say. Buy a slow cooker, or prepare and freeze meals on weekends. You might even do these things, at least some of the time. But sometimes you don't. Sometimes life throws a monkey wrench (or a flat tire, or a sick kid) into your plans. And yeah, sometimes you forget to plug in the slow cooker on your way out the door.

    Stephanie, a mom of four who writes the Stop the Ride! personal-finance blog, has an ultra-simple solution.   Read More...

    Discuss ( 3 comments) 8,239 Views Digg this | Email this | Link to this