Reviews

Mvelopes Re-Design and Free Version Fall Short

I started using Mvelopes to manage my budget in February 2009, less than one month after the launch of this blog. Since then, the software has remained mostly the same in terms of functionality, design, and price. Last week, Finicity launched a new version of the product with the promise of grand improvements. Unfortunately, my long-time [...]

Is Progressive Snapshot Worth It?

Nearly two years ago, I revisited my auto insurance premiums as I do every few years, and decided that switching to Progressive was the most logical and inexpensive choice among the providers I quoted (4-5 of them). Through two fender-benders (neither our fault), they have been nothing short of fantastic to work with. While the [...]

Hertz Car Sales Update: Customers Speak Out

Since I published my thoughts on buying rental cars and my review of Hertz Car Sales over a year ago, they have been among the most popular posts on this site. Readers are very interested in ways to save on their car purchases and are willing to give buying a rental car a try. It’s [...]

Mvelopes Review: 2011 Update

An updated review of Mvelopes, I take an in-depth look at some of the features the program offers and my overall take.

TurboTax Online Rocks My World Every Year

I just finished up filing my taxes with TurboTax Online for the 5th or 6th year in a row. I just love this software!

Can We Boil Down Personal Finance to Simple Ratios?

That’s the premise of a new book by Charles Farrell, “Your Money Ratios: 8 Simple Tools for Financial Security at Every Stage of Life.” The book lives up to its title—people at any stage of life can pick this up and figure out exactly how they relate to where they should be, according to Farrell. [...]

Needs, Wants and Crap for Babies: Part 2

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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.

YNAB 3.0: Second Look

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In January, I put up a long review of the newest version of YNAB, being fairly disappointed in how it stacked up to other alternatives I was using at the time, like Mvelopes. Knowing how to create a budget was a good start, but I needed the right tool to help me make my plan [...]

Buying a Car from Hertz Car Sales

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Reviewing our experience with Hertz Rent2Buy, including the entire process and what we liked and did not like about it. Includes tips for getting the most out of the test drive.

Stopping Entitlement in Kids

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Wondering how to stop entitlement attitudes in your kids? Donna Corwin, author of “Give Me, Get Me, Buy Me” has a book out that might be the solution!

Using Consumer Reports to Select a Car

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I walk you through some of the various tools available to find the perfect car on Consumer Reports. Includes screen shots of some of the tools!

How to Sell Your Car on Craigslist

A few weeks ago, I sold my aging Dodge Intrepid on Craigslist for $300 more than I wanted and in under 4 hours. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to repeat my success, including my best tips for getting the best possible price!

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