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Posted
Oct 07 2008, 04:56 AM
by
Karen Datko
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
This post comes from partner blog Blueprint for Financial Prosperity. By nature, I accumulate stuff. Three years ago, my office was pristine. Everything was organized, everything had its place, there were no papers strewn about, and there was order in the world (with world peace and the abolishment of hunger mere moments away). But, as the weeks passed and entropy worked its magic, my office became more and more chaotic. I never lost anything, but anyone walking into it would be amazed that I could ever find anything. It was organized chaos. Then I stumbled upon this idea: The easiest way to de-clutter and reorganize a room is to wipe the slate clean and start over. Want to do it? It's easy.
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Posted
Aug 20 2008, 04:54 PM
by
Ryan MacClanathan
Rating:
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
If you're looking for ways to cut your energy and water
bills (and practice a little conservation) you might want to consider starting
your day with a navy shower.
A post at Lifehacker features
a humorous video explaining the basics
of this showering method, which originated on naval ships as a way to
conserve fresh water. If you don't want to watch the video, here's the scoop on how to take a navy shower:
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Posted
Aug 19 2008, 01:43 PM
by
Ryan MacClanathan
Rating:
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
If you heat your home with an oil furnace, you're likely
dreading the approaching cooler weather. With the cost of a gallon close to $2
more than last year's, many families will be feeling the pinch this winter.
Some people are filling up their tanks now and locking in
prices in anticipation of further spikes this winter. In some parts of the
country, though, getting a summer delivery may be hard to do.
Evelyn Black at the Amateur Economists has encountered
difficulties
getting her home's oil tank filled this summer ahead of the fall rush. According to news reports, many small oil delivery companies are unable to purchase
heating oil to fill their trucks due to credit problems.
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Posted
Jul 21 2008, 05:02 PM
by
Karen Datko
Rating:
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
An article in The New Yorker by the always excellent Elizabeth Kolbert about the invention and evolution of the American lawn got us thinking. Isn't there a better way to maintain our outdoor space without spending so much money for water and chemicals? We're not suggesting you cover your front yard in asphalt. It turns out there is a lot of help online if you want to reduce spending, save resources and enhance beauty.
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Posted
Jul 16 2008, 12:44 PM
by
Karen Datko
Rating:
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
Catherine at Frugal Homemaker Plus and Crystal at Money Saving Mom have heard this comment from others: "You and your husband make good money. Why don't you spend more on a nicer home/car/vacation/TV?" Why? Because they have different -- and impressive -- priorities for their money, if you really must know. As Crystal said -- in response to a rude comment apparently questioning her sanity for repairing her old van rather than buying a new one -- "We're living like no one else so that someday we can live and give like no one else." (Yes, she is a fan of Dave Ramsey.)
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Posted
Jul 16 2008, 04:20 AM
by
Karen Datko
Rating:
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
This post comes from partner blog The Dough Roller. If you are in the market to buy your first or next home, a HUD home could potentially save you tens of thousands of dollars on the purchase price. But there are some things to watch out for. In this article, we'll cover the basics of buying a HUD foreclosure home and some tips on getting the lowest possible price.
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Posted
May 20 2008, 11:18 AM
by
Karen Datko
Rating:
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
A rash of break-ins at Andy's apartment complex prompted him to think about improving security. He found that the cost of a monitored security system would run about $1,200 for the year, including $500 for installation. Yikes. He came up with some low- and no-cost alternatives and lists them in a post at Saving to Invest. For instance, what would it cost you to turn down your phone ringer before you leave home?
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Posted
May 07 2008, 10:38 AM
by
Karen Datko
Rating:
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
What's the point in everyone in the neighborhood paying for way more broadband than they can use?
Poster East Coaster Now in CO says he's begun piggybacking on his neighbors' wireless signals.
"Once in a while I can't get a signal, but 98% of the time I want to get online I can. That saves me about $30 a month."
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Posted
May 05 2008, 07:12 PM
by
Karen Datko
Rating:
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
We've got a huge fenced backyard, but that didn't help when we decided to raise vegetables and put in a raised-bed garden. No matter how we attempted to secure our plot, our dog Furio always managed to dig it up. That's how we became a convert to container gardening and other clever ways to grow food in small (dog-proof) places. More people are joining what Cindy at Oh My Aching Debts calls the urban-homesteading movement. She reports, "My article on vegetables that can be grown in a pot is already one of my most popular."
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Posted
Mar 20 2008, 05:32 AM
by
Karen Datko
Rating:
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
This post comes from Xin Lu at partner blog Wise Bread. Since I got married, people have been constantly asking me two questions: "Are you pregnant yet?" and "Are you going to buy a house?" If you are a reader of my personal blog, you already know that I don't want to buy a house in the San Francisco Bay Area right now because the prices are still quite ridiculous. The hubby and I always tell people that we cannot afford a house, but that's not entirely true. We can afford to buy a house with a pretty nice margin of comfort, but we don't want to buy one just because we can afford it. One day I told someone that I do not want to afford a house right now and he asked me what I meant. Here is my explanation. We do not need to spend more. The cost to own a unit similar to what we live in is two to three times what we pay in rent. The only purpose of a house is to provide shelter, and I don't see a need to upgrade just because we can afford it.
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