At long last, the recession that so deeply gripped the international economy has begun to loosen. Companies everywhere are hiring again, and dedicated employees are no longer being asked to take a pay cut in order to keep their jobs. Things are still tight, though. The overall cost of living is on the rise, while paychecks remain lower than they should be. But the talented and dedicated worker will always find a way to make due. Luckily, technology offers some assistance in the constant work of trying to make ends meet. More than half of all Americans carry smartphones, and...

Now that spring has sprung across most of America, the opportunities for family fun have expanded significantly. There’s nothing quite like those first beautiful days, when you can step away from your winter hibernation and enjoy the full spectrum of events available within your community. But while you can pack the kids in the car and hit the town, you’ve still got to keep a close eye on the bottom line. Everything is exponentially more expensive when you have a family, and you’ve got to make sure you save on some weekend entertainment, so you can break the bank later...

The economy may still be stuck in a recession, but that doesn’t seem to have any effect on the cost of living. The price of everything you need to run your household on a monthly basis continues to rise, from the gas you pump into your vehicle to the produce you pick through at the supermarket. That makes it incredibly important to find alternatives that save you money on those necessities, hopefully leaving you with a bit extra you can put aside for a rainy day. Insurance is one of these requirements, and people spend an awful lot of time...

No one particularly enjoys paying for car insurance. But it’s a necessary evil that keeps our roads civil, creates a feeling of responsibility and protects people from physical and financial ruin caused by an automotive accident. There are dozens of reputable insurance providers you could choose from, and all of them spend millions of dollars a year advertising their services, and the benefits they provide over the competition. Proper coverage isn’t cheap in any instance, and they’ll certainly look to get as much money as possible out of every motorist they cover. Your job is to save as much as...

A root canal, which can be incredibly painful and lead to other problems, must be fixed right away, but if you don’t have dental insurance you could be spending upwards of $1000 or more on costs. Because many dentists practice in private offices, the costs can be far more than other medical costs, mostly because of high overhead. Most people need to have their teeth cleaned up to twice a year, or more, which can really start to add up. In addition, there will undoubtedly be other costs too, like x-ray and check up fees. If you are one of...

As more and more people are not only becoming increasingly aware of how they spend their money, but also of the various things that they can do to preserve the environment, many individuals have been spending less time at their local grocery store and opting to grow their own food instead. And while it may initially seem like a really good thing to do (and for many reasons, it is), the reality is that, as with most things in life, there are pros and cons that come with making that decision. If you’ve been wondering if it’s worth the time...

There are few experiences quite as fulfilling as owning a home. It goes far beyond interior decorating in an apartment, giving you an entire property with which to raise a family and express your personal taste. Home ownership isn’t easy, however. Beyond the obvious costs of a mortgage and property taxes, you’ll always have a to-do list of repairs looking to be addressed. Houses take an awful lot of bumps and bruises during a long winter, and even the hardiest property often has ‘character’ issues inherited from the previous owner. There’s simply no way to deal with all of it...

The last thing anyone wants to worry about while sunbathing on a white sandy beach is their money being gobbled up by hefty transaction fees and currency exchange rates. So, how can you make your money travel further when exchanging foreign currency abroad? Do your Homework Credit Cards Retain your credit card usage for larger purchases, such as travel, hotel bills and meals. Most credit card issuers charge currency conversion fees, however they are usually lower than cashing traveler’s cheques or converting your money at a bureau exchange service. There are also cards that do not charge foreign transaction fees...

Prom is just around the corner and there no if’s and’s or butt’s about it, prom night can be expensive for the parents of attendees. Statistics say that a typical family will spend about $1,078 this spring, a huge jump from $807 in 2011, for their child to go to prom. Yet, there are a number of ways for your teen to save big without forfeiting a good time. After all, it is prom night and any parent will want their child to have the night of their life, more than anything. Here are 5 ways to save money on...

Part of the joy of owning a home is having the opportunity to reshape it as your heart desires. Over the past few decades the DIY home renovation movement has truly blown up, with massive chains like Home Depot and Lowe’s now providing the weekend contractor with all of the tools and materials necessary to tackle basically any home improvement job. And thanks to the internet, you can also find step-by-step guides to walk you through any situation, many featuring videos that show you those tips in action. So while you may have access to the resources and the information,...

Will you be partaking in St. Patrick’s Day festivities this March? Do you love hosting parties? If you do, you’re probably going to go all out decorating your home. Unfortunately, party stores try to charge you a premium price for decorations. Do you really want to spend your entire budget in decorations when you’d rather spend it on lots of food and drinks? Below we showcase four ways you can save on decorations: Go To The Dollar store – Long gone are the days of bad quality items at the Dollar Store, as you’d be surprised at what you can find...

There’s no question that the food you eat makes a huge difference in your long term health and well-being. Whether you think GMOs and pesticides are a severe detriment to farmers and our environment or not, it’s pretty much a no-brainer to declare that fresh, natural food untreated by chemicals and unaltered by man is always going to be better for you. But it’s also more expensive. People who only eat organic foods know they are making an investment in their future, and hopefully cutting down on potential medical expenses by giving their body the healthiest fuel possible. But that...

Weekly groceries are some of the most unavoidable life necessities of all–an expense that even the most wily consumers can’t edge out of their budgets. As difficult as it may be to manage a budget today, room will always have to be made for groceries. There are many ways, however, that you can save money on your groceries. Don’t worry if you don’t have time to collect coupons, because you won’t even need them. Shop at Multiple Stores Many shoppers restrict all of their grocery needs to a single store. Vast and all-encompassing supermarkets encourage lazy shopping by offering everything...

Many homeowners are looking for more and more ways that they can “go green” around the house. There are a couple of reasons for this recent trend. One of them is the fact that we’ve all become aware that we have to do a better job when it comes to protecting the environment. The other reason has to do with the financial hardships many individuals have found themselves experiencing. As it turns out, when you help out the environment by consuming less energy around your home, you’re able to save serious money on your monthly bills at the same time....

Auto insurance is a very necessary thing, but it can also be a very costly thing. If you’re a driver, you must always have car insurance. It’s against the law to drive without it, but many drivers find themselves wishing they could save a bit of money when it comes to those monthly premiums. Since you can’t really drive without car insurance, it’s something that many drivers put up with. If you feel like you’re paying too much for your car insurance, though, there are plenty of things that you can do to fix this problem. You can always shop...

Sergiu Bacioiu / Foter.com / CC BY-NC There’s nothing quite like the anticipation of having a baby. Whether it’s your first, and the twosome is now becoming a family, or the new arrival is going to become a little brother or sister for another excited child it’s always a time of intense joy mixed with a little bit of stress. You worry about everything going right during the birth, and you worry about the baby’s health. But for many people the primary concern is financial. A baby doesn’t only bring a whole lot more love into your life, but also...

Caucas’ / People Photos / CC BY-NC-SA So, you have a wedding coming up, eh? Are you excited? You definitely have every right to be. Weddings are like one huge party to celebrate the love that two people have for one another while being surrounded by all of the ones they love the most. Due to the fact that this kind of “party” can tend to be a bit on the expensive side, while you’re in the midst of putting your special day together, we just wanted to make sure that we could do what we can to make sure...

marcp_dmoz / Car Photos / CC BY-NC-SA When it comes to driving safely, car insurance is one of the most important things for which you could possibly be responsible. Every driver on the road needs to make sure that they have insurance; it’s a matter of social responsibility. In most cases, it’s against the law to avoid having car insurance. Should you get into an accident with another driver, your insurance policy will make sure that the other driver will be compensated for any damage they suffered (if the accident was your fault). For these reasons, it’s very smart to...

When you’re in college, you’ve definitely got a lot on your plate. The years that you spend working on your degree usually represent a pretty huge transition in your life. High school is pretty easy, and you don’t typically have a lot to worry about before you’ve graduated and headed off to college. When you’re working on your higher education, though, things are a lot different. You have a level of autonomy when you’re in college that most individuals don’t experience before they graduate high school. It’s a time when you have a lot of things to figure out, and...

One of the biggest responsibilities than any of us will ever have is being a homeowner. Not only do you have to concern ourselves with paying the mortgage on a monthly basis, but when you own a house, there is no landlord to come and do the home improvements that are needed. Basically, you are the landlord and so those kinds of responsibilities are solely up to you. And so, when you’re looking around thinking about what kind of “upgrades” you need to make, you might be wondering which ones are better (and cheaper) than others. That’s why we’re here:...

When you decide that you’re going to give your home a much-needed remodel, you’ve got a pretty exciting process ahead of you. You’ve also got a lot of responsibility coming your way; a remodel can be as trying as it is exciting. Everybody loves to think about how that kitchen or living room is going to look when everything’s finished, but it can still be pretty tough to deal with plastic sheeting where a wall used to be, even if it’s only there for a matter of weeks. Extensive remodeling can also get to be pretty expensive, and these days...