Household

Comcast Escape Attempt and CenturyLink FAIL: A Customer Service Story

Fed up with Comcast, I set out to switch to CenturyLink, a new provider of TV in my area. The experience was less than perfect, and I’m left wondering if Cable TV providers just don’t give a damn anymore.

The Premium of Living Remotely

I was driving through the mountains of Northern Georgia on our most recent July 4th vacation and realized how many things I take for granted.

9 Appliance Repair Tips for Renters

A few weeks ago, the refrigerator in our apartment went out, leaving us without a way to keep food fresh. This is the story of how we dealt with it.

The Benefits of Renting: A Surprisingly Long List

While I very much want to buy a house, I completely acknowledge that renting comes with a lot of under-talked-about benefits. Here are some of them.

Taxes, PMI, Insurance, and More: Huge Wildcards When Buying a Home

It used to be that a mortgage accounted for 70, 80, maybe 90% of what you were paying out every month. No longer the case, it seems.

How Much Do I Need to Buy a House?

Yesterday’s post looked at how to save money for a house, but didn’t touch on what your actual target should be. Today, I’m going to cover the back end of things–how much money you’ll need to buy a house.

How to Save Money for a House

With the recession putting a damper on the housing market, a lot of people are wondering how to save money for a house so they can get in the game while prices and rates are good.

Video Review: Suze Orman Speaks at Google

Suze Orman recently spoke at Google about an action plan for employees, investing, saving, buying a home, credit scores, and her 10 “truths” of personal finance. Here are the highlights.

3 Ways to Tame a Yo-Yo Power Bill

Some of us can experience crazy swings in our power bills from month to month due to weather or other factors. Here are three strategies that will help you cope with a power bill that looks more like the stock market chart.

Needs, Wants and Crap for Babies: Part 2

The follow-up to my widely successful post covering baby gear. See what we’ve learned from eight months of experience and if our previous recommendations have held up.

Five Easy Ways to Save on Laundry

You don’t want to make your own detergent, but you still want to save some dough when it comes to laundry. Well, this post is just for you.

When Home Ownership Went Downhill

Have you noticed how owning a home is getting a terrible reputation lately? We are a society that loves to challenge the status quo, and thanks to the spectacular collapse of the housing market, the long-time “American Dream” is the new target. “Isn’t this the best time to buy a home?,” you might ask. “Aren’t [...]

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