budgeting & saving library

 

A dollar here, a dollar there ... it all counts. Whether it's learning to drive economically, handling your bonds or building a strategy to be a millionaire, we've got information in our Budgeting channel.

Featured Article:  How Negotiation Works

Some people hate it, and others love it. Maybe you pay full price just to avoid the hassle of negotiation. Or, perhaps you get your thrills from haggling with the used-car salesman. See more »

10 Tips for Staying on Budget

10 Tips for Staying on Budget

You have a big expense coming up. You need a better car, or a bigger home, or you want to go back to college. What do you do? Borrow, borrow, borrow -- right? Well, maybe not. Working off of a budget just may save your sanity -- and credit.

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5 Tips For Shopping Online

5 Tips For Shopping Online

Shopping online is so easy that people forget that it's fraught with pitfalls. You can buy anything you want with a mouse click, but you have to be careful on the Internet.

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Are gift cards ultimately a waste of money?

Are gift cards ultimately a waste of money?

So you don't know what to buy your dad for Christmas. Maybe you can't wrap a gift to save your life. Whatever the reason, more people are giving gift cards these days. Buyer beware: They have more hidden strings than you may realize.

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Are layaway plans or credit cards better for saving money?

Are layaway plans or credit cards better for saving money?

Hard times during the Great Depression led to the advent of layaway plans. And while it may be simpler to swipe a credit card at the checkout counter, layaway could be your credit score's saving grace this holiday season. But what are its drawbacks?

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Does it make sense to buy extended product warranties?

Does it make sense to buy extended product warranties?

Extended product warranties are a good thing -- most of the time. However, under certain circumstances, it would be in your best interest to ignore the hard sales pitch and steer clear.

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Dollars and Sense: Test Your Budgeting Knowledge

Dollars and Sense: Test Your Budgeting Knowledge

In tough economic times, we all start to look at trimming our expenses. Take the Budgeting Quiz to find out how savvy you are with your money and get a few money-saving tips along the way.

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How Budget Airlines Work

How Budget Airlines Work

In the late 1970s, all U.S. airlines were deregulated giving carriers the authority to set their own prices. Without regulated fares, budget airlines began to form. But exactly how do they cut costs?

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How Discretionary Expenses Work

How Discretionary Expenses Work

Trendy clothes. Daily Starbucks coffee. All the newest CDs. In budgeting, these common spending habits are identified as discretionary expenses. Discretionary expenses can be a reward, or they can wreck your budget. So what's your weakness?

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How do bonds work?

How do bonds work?

People buy bonds as investments, similar to buying stocks. The difference, though, is that bonds are much less risky than stocks. And, while both can be traded, bonds usually earn less money than stocks do.

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How do CDs (certificates of deposit) work?

How do CDs (certificates of deposit) work?

Putting your money into a CD can yield higher interest returns than a standard savings account. Do you know the difference between a CD and a savings account? Find out how you can invest your money into a CD money account.

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How do store coupons work?

How do store coupons work?

How do store coupons work? Learn how grocery stores use coupons and still make money.

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How Fixed Expenses Work

How Fixed Expenses Work

Some bill payments are fixed expenses and you know you've got to pay the same amount every month. Car note, rent and mortgage sing the same fixed expenses tune every 30 days.

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How Flex Funds Work

How Flex Funds Work

With taxes and medical expenses increasing, it isn't hard for U.S. workers to get discouraged. Nothing is more frustrating than working hard all year, just to have the government and the pharmacy take your money. But flex funds may help you save.

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How Minimum Wage Works

How Minimum Wage Works

Minimum wage is supposed to ensure that workers get paid enough to live. So why do some people think it should be abolished?

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How much money do I really need to live?

How much money do I really need to live?

Maybe keeping up with the Joneses is running you into the poorhouse. But will cutting out your luxuries make your friends think you're in dire straits?

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How Negotiation Works

How Negotiation Works

Some people hate it, and others love it. Maybe you pay full price just to avoid the hassle of negotiation. Or, perhaps you get your thrills from haggling with the used-car salesman.

See more »
How Non-Fixed Expenses Work

How Non-Fixed Expenses Work

When you car breaks down, or you take those morning trips to the latte shop, you incur non-fixed expenses. Reviewing your budget, you'll see that they can fluctuate from one month to the next.

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How Personal Budgets Work

How Personal Budgets Work

Financial planners will tell you that creating your own personal budget is a great way to help you find your way out of debt. How hard is it to write a budget and stick to it?

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How Putting Together an Emergency Fund Works

How Putting Together an Emergency Fund Works

Losing a job can put a person in the poor house. An emergency fund can prepare you for a disaster, keep you out of financial hot water, and get you back on your feet sooner.

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How to Know When to Spend and When to Save

How to Know When to Spend and When to Save

It's a difficult and confusing time to be an American consumer. You want to save your pennies during this economic downturn, but the government wants you to spend to stimulate the economy. What's a poor patriot to do?

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