For the longest time, my kids have laughed at me for my thrifty habits. For example, I reuse aluminum foil if it’s in good condition, I turn off lights whenever I leave a room and I won’t throw away leftovers. You could say that I’ve always practiced one of Benjamin Franklin’s suggested virtues, frugality, as outlined in his “Plan for Attaining Moral Perfection.” He says frugality means not spending unless it does good for yourself or others, emphasizing that you should waste nothing. Read more

Many of you will be traveling by airplane this summer, and I hope you don’t get into the mess that my friend did. Here’s what happened. Eleanor and her husband booked two roundtrip tickets to Portland at different times, so they each had their own confirmation number. The day before the flight, Eleanor received an email confirming her trip but not her husband’s. Read more

We’re all complaining about problems we’re having in the service sector since the pandemic wreaked havoc on all types of businesses. Have you spent 90 minutes on hold with a utility to clear up an incorrect bill like I have? If you’ve ordered new furniture, you may have been told the wait time is four to six months due to supply chain issues. And if you’ve been out to eat, you’ve probably experienced slower service (due to staffing issues) and higher prices. Read more

I started thinking about this topic after reading an article about Warren Buffett and his frugal habits. It said he still lives in the same house he bought in 1958, drives older cars, rarely takes out loans and prefers not to spend a lot of money eating out. Buffett still uses a flip phone and doesn’t like designer suits. In the Yahoo Finance article, he’s quoted as saying, “Don’t save what’s left after spending, but spend what’s left after saving.” Read more

I had a slight case of buyer’s remorse the other day after impulsively buying a mint green cardigan sweater online. After it arrived, I realized it wasn’t the right color for me, the style was all wrong and it was too big. I could have returned it, but I got out of that hassle by selling it to my sister-in-law, who loved it. Read more

The end of 2017 brought about a major overhaul to the United States tax system called the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA). Last year, we spoke with Russell Barnett, EA, CTC to get a sense of how the new code might impact taxpayers. One year after the overhaul, we turned to Mr. Barnett again to learn what insights he’s gained after working with the new regulations. Here’s our conversation: Read more

It’s springtime, and with the longer days and milder weather, the last thing you probably want to do is your tax return. But the deadline for filing returns is just around the corner. If you’ve been putting off the inevitable, or if doing your taxes was a more harried experience than you would have liked, review these tips for getting through tax season. Read more