Alison It’s the Holiday shopping season and savvy shoppers everywhere know the best deals of the year can be found in the few days immediately after Thanksgiving. The bravest of us get up at the crack of dawn on Black Friday to stand in ridiculously long lines and fight (sometimes literally) crowds of people for the … Read more
According to data collected by The College Board for the 2014-15 school year, the average cost of room and board ranges from $9,804 at four-year public colleges and universities to $11,188 at private ones. With total expenses at in-state public institutions averaging $18,943 and those at private schools hovering around $42,419, that means room and … Read more
This time of year, if you’re a parent of school-age kids, you might relate to that old commercial with the dad skipping merrily down the aisles of the office supply store as he tosses school supplies in his cart to a celebratory chorus of “It’s the most wonderful time of the year!” Or, perhaps, you … Read more
First impressions matter, especially when it comes to your home. Curb appeal–or lack thereof–significantly impacts property value. Investing in a nicely designed landscape can increase your home’s overall value by up to 20 percent. But, like many home improvement projects, landscaping expenses can easily get out of control. Below are a handful of tips that … Read more
It’s Earth Day. Well, on the day this article gets published it will be officially, but no matter what day of the year it is as you read this its message will have relevance. What was once a single day annual event that appealed mainly to tree hugging hippies has evolved into a mainstream effort … Read more
Well, friends, the time has come. The curtain is about to close on the literary reality show known as “Nickel and Dime Yourself to Life”–at least, for now. Regular NDYL readers might remember my original plan was to try this little experiment for 6 months. My, time sure flies when you’re–um, I’m not sure “having … Read more
This year I’m going to spend less on food by eating more. Nutritious foods, that is. Eating mostly minimally processed homemade nutrient-rich food, rather than a lot of convenience foods will save my family at least $#222222. Unlike last month, when I included some hypothetical savings, this time my figures reflect only actual budget dollars. … Read more
Yep. I’m not exaggerating. If all goes according to plan we really will have saved over $33,000 by the end of the year. Admittedly, numbers aren’t my forte, so you’d be right to question that figure, but I guarantee my math’s not fuzzy and $33,000 is only the tip of the iceberg. That amount only … Read more
“The best laid plans of mice and men oft go astray.” True dat, Robert Burns. True dat. I don’t know anything about Mr. Burns, the poet who penned those wise words, but I suspect he must have had children. If all had gone according to plan I would have finished this half of the “Relapse … Read more
I’m on stage, speaking to a huge crowd of people I’ve never met before about a subject far outside my comfort zone, and I’m naked. I cannot see my audience members’ faces or hear their voices, so I can’t read their reactions. I can’t tell if they’ve even heard a single word I’ve said . … Read more
