admin Pressmaster / Shutterstock.com Editor’s Note: This story originally appeared on The Penny Hoarder. A few years ago, I was invited to participate in a focus group. I visited in-person along with about 15 other people. For two hours, we vented all of our feelings about the ways a particular health insurance company interacts with its … Read more
Buying store-brand products is always a smart, money-saving move. But it becomes even more important during times of inflation like today. However, some people are reluctant to buy store brands because they worry the quality won’t match that of brand-name products. In fact, Consumer Reports recently surveyed around 2,500 adults and found that 43% said … Read more
Being in debt sucks. Believe me, I know. There was a point when I found myself in way more credit card debt than I’d like to admit as a personal finance expert. My husband’s chronic illness flared up, and suddenly we were facing mounting medical bills at the same time he had to stop working. … Read more
JHVEPhoto / Shutterstock.com When it comes to staying protected from COVID-19, Americans are falling woefully behind. Less than 14% of the U.S. population ages 5 and older has received the latest version of the COVID vaccine booster shot, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Protection. The new booster is specially formulated to fight … Read more
The Marriott hospitality family is big. It has more than 7,000 hotel and resort properties worldwide, many of which don’t have “Marriott” in the name. I only travel a few times each year, but more often than not, I find myself staying at one without really meaning to. Which means, at least on paper, I’m … Read more
fizkes / Shutterstock.com As the new year approaches, so does my favorite time of the year: tax season. Mind you, it’s not because I enjoy paying taxes, but because I enjoy trying to save other people money on their taxes through the IRS’ Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program. The best time to lower your … Read more
Travis Eckert / Shutterstock.com It’s not news to anyone: Life in the United States can be expensive. But if you’re willing to forego the fancier coastal cities, you can find a place to live that’s easier on your budget. Niche.com, a neighborhood data platform, publishes an annual list of the most affordable U.S. cities, based … Read more
Nicoleta Ionescu / Shutterstock.com Editor’s Note: This story originally appeared on Living on the Cheap. As the holiday gift-giving season approaches, we often are filled with a sense of dread: How will we ever find the perfect gift for everyone on our list, have the time to finish our shopping and come up with the … Read more
How much money you have has very little to do with how wealthy you feel. That’s backed up by a new report called “Everyday Wealth in America” from wealth management firm Edelman Financial Engines. It surveyed more than 2,000 people from all net worth brackets, with an emphasis on upper-middle-class earners who have household assets … Read more
Cari Rubin Photography / Shutterstock.com Subscriptions can be tricky. At times, they’re easy to forget because we tend to pay for them infrequently, while other times we feel compelled to “get our money’s worth.” They multiply and sometimes offer overlapping benefits. And those benefits are constantly retooled for ever-changing prices, always inviting a fresh cost-benefit … Read more