3 Reasons Why Spreadsheets Make Effective Tools

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I used to think spreadsheets were lame and difficult to use, but I’ve turned on both counts. Here are three reasons why I love spreadsheets.

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 [...]

The Slow Monopoly of Mint.com

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Ten years ago, when I first seriously got into personal finance and started using yearly versions of Quicken, there was a decent amount of choice. The big players, Quicken and Microsoft Money, kept each other somewhat on their toes and new features were implemented over the base design, although Quicken never really changed much. Somewhere [...]

Using Consumer Reports to Select a Car

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!

How to Write a Great Financial Mission Statement

This is it–the one document that will guide your financial decisions for the rest of your life. Are you ready to write one?

Being Good With Money When You’re Bad With Math

Five strategies to try if you’re bad with math, can’t seem to manage your money, and are ready to throw in the towel.

Installing Financial Red-Light Cameras

Many municipalities are installing red-light cameras at important intersections – can we learn any lessons from this that work in our own financial life?

Tracking Home Inventory Values: The Why and How

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Tools and tips for keeping track of the value of your home inventory, and why it’s important to have the information on hand when something unexpected happens.

Creating Graphic Tools to Motivate Your Finances

How to create four different graphic tools to help you save or pay off debt faster, and to keep yourself and your family motivated. Includes a link to a template.

Why I Use an Envelope Budget

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Four reasons why I use an envelope budget – paradigm shift, savings goals, irregular expenses, and eliminating guess work. Includes a free e-book from the makers of Mvelopes.

Tracking Your Finances: Tasks and Tools

Tracking your finances is an essential personal finance skill, and one of the first we learn when first dealing with money on our own. Tracking involves more than just keeping an account register – some form of analysis should be applied to determine how and where money flows. The end result of applying the principles [...]