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Posted
Jul 10 2008, 08:00 AM
by
Karen Datko
Rating:
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
This post comes from Myscha Theriault at partner blog Wise Bread. How little luggage can you take and how low can you go on the budget end when you travel? Space With all the talk about airlines starting to charge for the very first bag you check, one-bag travel is going to become a larger priority for many. This is easier to achieve on some trips than others. My personal indicators? The length, diversity and independence level of the trip. The longer my husband and I are traveling, the more climates, cultures and regions we're trying to see, or the more independent we are trying to be in order to maximize our travel bucks, the harder it is to eliminate items like the corkscrew, multipurpose tool, and other miscellaneous gear like mosquito nets, sleep sacks or hammocks.
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Posted
May 01 2008, 07:21 AM
by
Karen Datko
Rating:
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
This post comes from Xin Lu at partner blog Wise Bread. If you are a cube dweller like me, you are familiar with the usual benefits of a salary and paid days off. But there are many other ways you can benefit from your workplace. I am not talking about stealing pens or embezzling large sums of money. Here are some practical and legal means you can use at work to squeeze just a little bit of extra savings for yourself.
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Posted
Apr 10 2008, 05:48 AM
by
Karen Datko
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
This post comes from Nora Dunn at partner blog Wise Bread. As a traveler, very little irks me more than walking into a store and paying $7 to $12 for passport pictures. You need them not only for passports, but also visas, international driver's licenses, and other miscellaneous pieces of photo ID. At about 10 bucks a pop, this cost of traveling can add up. And ultimately, all they do is sit you in front of a white background, take your picture with a digital camera, then crop and print out a few copies. Ta-da: $10, please. The good news is that with a digital camera, you can take your own passport photos and print them out for pennies on the dollar. Literally.
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Posted
Feb 27 2008, 08:03 AM
by
Karen Datko
Rating:
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
This post comes from Julie Rains at partner blog Wise Bread. Frugality can be fun and help you sleep peacefully, knowing that you are not in debt (or at least that your assets are starting to outnumber your liabilities), building an emergency fund, saving for major purchases, and investing for the future. But don't be fooled: As frugal days turn into frugal years and frugal decades, bag lunches can be become boring; smallish houses confining; thrift shop clothing unfashionable. And though you may not care what people think of your "voluntary simplicity," it can become tiresome to always live outside of an acquisition-oriented, size-counts-the-most social norm. While some tout "The Millionaire Next Door" as a model for living and see their frugality as smart and wealth-building, others see minimalist living as pitiful, paltry and desperate. Call me shallow, but while I don't care if people think I'm poor, I certainly don't want them thinking I'm stupid. It's taken me years to figure out ways to look smart, be cool and remain true to my frugal roots. Here are my tips for gaining the psychological edge needed for endurance frugality:
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Posted
Feb 21 2008, 06:34 AM
by
Karen Datko
Rating:
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
This post comes from Philip Brewer at partner blog Wise Bread. I get a particular negative jolt when I review a credit card bill and find a charge for something that's already over and done -- a meal already eaten, a vacation already taken, a tank of gas already burned up. I'm much happier paying a charge when I can pat the thing purchased and know that it'll be serving some useful purpose for years to come. Just recently, though, I've found that I'm beginning to have a little more appreciation for those purchases that are only  memories before they're even paid for. Try this thought experiment: Imagine that all your property was destroyed in some disaster, but that you got a large check -- replacement value for everything that was lost. How much of your property do you replace with exact duplicates? A lot of the most important stuff is irreplaceable: artwork, antiques, mementos of things you've done. You'd replace them with exact duplicates if you could -- and might pay top dollar to do so -- but mostly they're just gone.
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Posted
Feb 07 2008, 06:32 AM
by
Karen Datko
Rating:
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
This post comes from Nora Dunn at partner blog Wise Bread. Next time you book a hotel room, would you like to stay in the presidential suite? Or drive that sleek convertible down the coast with the sun smiling down at you? And of course, would you like it all for the cost of the most basic economy option? All you have to do is ask. Free car-rental upgrades When you are renting a car, and they ask if you want to pay an extra $20 a day for an upgraded fancier version, say no. Then turn around and ask if free upgrades are available. Not only will they take the request in stride, but often you'll get some amazing results.
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