Spending & Saving

SPENDING & SAVING

How to Make a Budget

Why do you need to have a budget?

SPENDING & SAVING

It's Time for an Emergency Fund

Roughly 42 million Americans live paycheck to paycheck, or so says a recent survey commissioned by Automatic Data Processing, a New York-based payroll service. If one paycheck were late, 60% of respondents said they'd have to cut back on at least one important household expense such as buying groceries or paying rent or utility bills, the survey found.

SPENDING & SAVING

Five Steps to Peace of Mind

There's little question our financial lives are getting more complicated--so much so that many people hate to even think about their money and bills, for fear of being overwhelmed.

SPENDING & SAVING

What Does It Take To Be Rich?

So your net worth is $1 million.

SPENDING & SAVING

To Be Wealthy, Don’t Get Trapped in Trappings

Gold diggers apparently have it all wrong.

SPENDING & SAVING

Case Study: Put Limits on Everyday Spending

Steven Ferris was walking out of a country and western bar one night when Jeanie walked in. He turned around and asked her to dance.

SPENDING & SAVING

Getting Off the Work-and-Spend Treadmill

Several years ago, Bev and Tom Feldman were racing to two jobs, in their two cars, living in Silver Lake and doing a great job of keeping up with the Joneses.

SPENDING & SAVING

How to Keep the Wolf From the Door While Walking a Picket Line

Workers of the world, prepare your finances.

SPENDING & SAVING

Simplify Your Finances with Software

Using software to simplify your life sounds like an oxymoron. Given the time it takes to install, customize and update most programs, many people understandably groan at the idea of learning yet another piece of software.

SPENDING & SAVING

Online Banking Can Be Boon for Parents and Spouses

The Internet makes it easier than ever to spy on the finances of those you love--and that's a good thing. Web-friendly bank accounts, credit cards and "stored value" cards can actually improve family relations and stave off costly financial disasters.

SPENDING & SAVING

Reducing Your Power Usage Will Pay Off in Future

Go ahead. Leave a light on. The amount of money you'd save by turning off every 100-watt bulb the moment you left the room wouldn't even buy a cappuccino in these days of budding deregulation and rising energy prices.

SPENDING & SAVING

Ways to Find Your Missing Money

If you're looking for unclaimed utility deposits, forgotten bank accounts and other misplaced funds, consider checking out the Missing Money Web site. Here are the answers to some frequently asked questions:

SPENDING & SAVING

Work-at-Home Schemes, Not Scams

These are the best and worst of times for working mothers, says Cheryl Demas, author of "The Work-at-Home Mom's Guide to Home Business" (Hazen Publishing, 2000) and founder of WAHM.com (http://www.wahm.com), a Web site devoted to the topic.

SPENDING & SAVING

Which Is Better, to Rent or to Buy?

When it comes to big discretionary items, such as vacation homes, recreational vehicles and watercraft, financial planners often counsel that it's much better to rent than to buy. That's because you incur costs only when you use it, and you're likely to use these things so infrequently that buying simply "doesn't pencil out."

SPENDING & SAVING

Planning a Move? Take These Steps to Protect Yourself

One Thanksgiving, Leonard Raymond packed all his possessions on a moving truck bound from Dallas to Sacramento. The truck made it to his new apartment a little more than a week later, but thousands of dollars worth of electronic equipment--his computer, television sets, stereo--and a host of lamps and other expensive items did not, he claims.

SPENDING & SAVING

Affordable Back-to-School Shopping

When it comes to back-to-school shopping, Brenda Lipscomb has a simple plan to keep her purchases affordable. The La Canada resident limits her two children’s wardrobes to a handful of basic colors, so they can easily mix and match. She frequents discount stores for the copious numbers of required folders, paper, pencils and notebooks. And she doesn’t try to buy everything all at once. Instead, she buys both school supplies and clothes a bit at a time--as they’re needed and as her budget allows.