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Posted
Oct 05 2007, 09:18 AM
by
Donna Freedman
Rating:
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
I remember when slow cookers first hit the market, back in 1970. To my cash-strapped family such things were luxuries, culinary toys for the rich. We felt the same way about popcorn poppers and the Fry Daddy.
But I don’t know how I would have made it as a struggling single mother eight years later without the slow cooker. It made most of the meals on which the baby and I subsisted: primarily bean soup, with occasional forays into minestrone and spaghetti.
One or two mornings a week, I’d put a pound of great northern beans in the pot with some grated carrot, chopped onion, pepper, and smoked neck bones or ham hock. When I got home, the smell of soup made me feel like someone had been cooking for me all day. It also took my mind off the sack of dirty diapers that I’d be washing on a scrub board later on.
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Posted
Dec 03 2007, 08:28 AM
by
Donna Freedman
Rating:
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
A reader who calls herself “Tightwad_Amy” always has been kind of frugal. But recent upheavals in her personal life forced her to really live up to her sobriquet.
First, Amy lost “a great job.” Then her husband quit his job. Then her husband left her.
“I’ve really had to cut expenses,” Amy wrote on the Smart Spending message board.
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Posted
Dec 26 2007, 05:35 AM
by
Karen Datko
Rating:
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
This post comes from partner blog The Dough Roller. It's been said that money is the No. 1 cause of divorce. Or to say it another way: Marriage is about love, divorce is about money. To that we may add that money is the No. 1 cause of turmoil in a marriage. Strife over money can last years in a marriage if not properly addressed and, short of divorce, can drive a wedge between a husband and wife. This doesn't have to be, and so here are eight tips on fighting with your spouse over money. Honestly examine your own attitudes about money. We all have different views and attitudes about money -- how it should be spent, saved, given and so on. Before raising a difficult money issue with your spouse, honestly re-examine your approach and feelings about the issue. You may just find that you need to change as much as or more than your spouse. And if not, it will better prepare you for an open-minded discussion when you do raise the issue.
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Posted
Feb 05 2008, 09:25 PM
by
Karen Datko
Rating:
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
Just in time for Valentine's Day, Meg at The World of Wealth decided to analyze the financial phases people go through after a breakup. Right after your heart has been shattered into tiny pieces, your spending on alcohol, chocolate and other comfort food, and tearjerker movies might increase. Meg, in this tongue-in-cheek post, calls this "the initial Self-Pitying Spending period." Luckily, it doesn't last long for most. And your extra spending will probably be offset by savings you realize by moping at home alone. Meg writes: "Most people have some tendencies of withdrawal from social situations immediately after a breakup. Eventually that horrible period will end, though it may be replaced by its more assertive cousin -- Self-Indulgent Spending."
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Posted
Mar 10 2008, 09:26 AM
by
Donna Freedman
Rating:
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
Frugal epiphanies don't always have the magnitude of a subprime mortgage crisis. Mine came last week through a package of naan at a neighborhood market.
At the time I was getting over a stomach bug, and suddenly flatbread sounded like a nice accompaniment for the chicken soup on which I'd been cautiously dining. The price was $2.19 for a bag of five.
My first instinct was, "No. You don't need to spend the money. You've got crackers at home." My second thought was, "Do I really want these? If so, then I'll buy them."
I'm now able to report that toasted naan is a nice change of pace from saltines.
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Posted
Mar 13 2008, 04:54 AM
by
Karen Datko
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
This post comes from Lana Goodrich at partner blog Wise Bread. What's the first thing people tell you when you start feeling down in the dumps? "Don't worry. Things will get better." But sometimes, being too positive is just a one-way street to being unprepared. Here are four common worries and why dwelling on them can help you save cash. What if I lose my job? You're right to worry. The economy is on shaky ground, and you could be fired or laid off due to any number of circumstances. Take it for granted that you're going to leave your job eventually. This is a good time to set aside money for an emergency fund to cover at least three months' living expenses. Update your resume or portfolio so they're current and highlight your best work. Network with acquaintances and put out your feelers for similar jobs -- even if you have no intention of leaving quite yet. Being ready is the best way to bounce back.
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Posted
Mar 19 2008, 05:10 PM
by
Karen Datko
Rating:
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
Mrs. Micah clearly touched a nerve when she opened a discussion about how to save money to leave -- and ultimately divorce -- an abusive spouse. She and her readers -- including social workers, and former victims and their children -- provided lots of ideas to consider, as well as personal stories of successfully leaving or being found out. We'll summarize some of their suggestions here, but we recommend you read the entire series. Set up a P.O. box and get a bank account and safe deposit box using that address. Do not check your bank statements on your home computer. Readers left stories about tech-savvy abusers who installed programs to track their spouse's keystrokes. Stash a bag of clothing, cash and copies of important documents at the home of a trusted friend. Be extremely careful about sharing your plans; word can leak out. The daughter of an abused woman offered another perspective: Don't wait until you've saved money.
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Posted
May 03 2008, 05:47 PM
by
Karen Datko
Rating:
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
Former baseball star Jose Canseco is walking away from his 7,300-square-foot mansion in a Los Angeles suburb. But did you know he's only the latest celebrity who has faced foreclosure? In fact, the Los Angeles Times blog L.A. Land has an occasional feature called "Celebrity Foreclosures," and so far has written about such notables as Canseco and Marion Jones. The most recent installment includes suggested headlines about Canseco like "Jose walks" and "Canseco took a walk, but was called out at home."
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Posted
Jun 10 2008, 12:35 PM
by
Karen Datko
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
Sure, it's sad that TV icon Ed McMahon is facing foreclosure on his $6 million Beverly Hills mansion. But "PT" at Prime Time Money is irritated by the way McMahon has gone public with his housing woes. Ed has said he hopes his story will help others who are about to lose their homes. "In my opinion, a millionaire, who could get any type of mortgage he wanted, has no business being the spokesperson for the foreclosure issues facing the few who really got duped," PT writes. "... I'm convinced he's simply hyping this to get the house sold."
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Posted
Sep 18 2008, 11:46 PM
by
Donna Freedman
Rating:
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
Yesterday I spent 90 blissful minutes being rubbed the right way for a change. A licensed massage therapist dissolved painful knots in my neck and shoulders and loosened muscles that I'd strained while picking fruit.
Thanks to a student discount, the hour and a half cost $77, money that comes out of the "treats" section of my spending plan. Other people do dinners out, concerts, DVD subscription services, basketball games, fine wine. I do bodywork.
Even so, I hesitated to write about it because I was afraid that "massage" would sound elitist.
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