I've been seeing some critiques of credit cards. Once people had to (gasp) pay off all those balances they racked up, they couldn't complain enough about those meanie creditors who lent them way more than was responsible.To be fair, card companies have some pretty evil practices. I just think it's amusing that, around three years ago, most folks considered their plastic a part of the family.But recently I read a pretty awful account of Citibank's maneuvering that kind of shocked me.I should s... Read Full Story

Yeah, that's right: We got potatoes in the mail. They're from Betty Crocker.These aren't you basic free potatoes, either. This is a whole friggin' box of Roasted Garlic Betty Crocker potatoes-- 2 pouches, 4 servings each -- such as you would buy in the grocery store. I know this because last Tuesday we actually did buy these kinds of potatoes.In other happy news, I officially have a doctor in the city again. Less than two miles from our front door, no less! This is especially spiffy because m... Read Full Story

Okay, I have accepted that not everyone can be perfectly frugal. (I certainly can't.) I get that the average American isn't going to be as successful at pinching pennies as the average personal finance blogger. It's unrealistic to expect that kind of thing.But then I see something like the little blip on CBS News called Money Talks, where Kelli Grant from SmartMoney.com talks about small ways to save. And, boy, were they small.Grant offers tidbits like:Use bookstore loyalty programs. For exam... Read Full Story

FruGal has a post up about learning the value of money. She remembers how hard it was when she, at age 19, scrimped and saved all by herself for a backpacking trip, no help from her parents. All the toil was worth it, she says, when she finally started out on her trip. And there was the exhilarating feeling that she had worked hard and earned the trip, all on her own.Alas, I have no cool vacation story to relate here, but it did get me thinking about how much I owe my mom for teaching me the ... Read Full Story

Freebie Friday is brought to you by The Freebie Blogger. Be sure to check the site daily for more events, samples and, of course, freebies.50 Free Photo Cards + Free ShippingKotex Ultra Thin Overnight Free SampleFree $10 Mall Gift CardHuggies Little Movers Diapers Free SampleFree CMA Nominated Artist Song DownloadBetty Crocker Cookie Booklet & CouponsGraffiti Safewipes Free SampleFree Jennifer Lopez "My Glow" Fragrance SampleHoliday Recipe/Entertaining eBooks: Thanksgiving Recipes eBook, ... Read Full Story

We all love freebies. They make our little frugal hearts beat a little faster. At least, that's the effect they have on me.But not all free stuff is equal. Most of us would work a lot harder to get a free shirt of our choosing than we would for some random promotional t-shirt. Similarly, sometimes you can choose what it is you get for free. That's when the real quandary can present itself: What's the best use of a freebie?Here's a good example -- and one that I have yet to decide:I saw an ad ... Read Full Story

According to Tim, we got a free Xbox 360 this weekend. Did we actually? Not even close.Our old console had been making some rather ominous sounds lately. It made quite a racket when it ran, but we had gotten used to that. The last week or two, though, it had had trouble starting up. We would get an error message 2 or 3 times before it would turn on normally. So when Wal-Mart released its Saturday deals, I was thrilled to see a special on Xbox 360s. If you bought the Arcade version for the reg... Read Full Story

According to Tim, we got a free Xbox 360 this weekend. Did we actually? Not even close.Our old console had been making some rather ominous sounds lately. It made quite a racket when it ran, but we had gotten used to that. The last week or two, though, it had had trouble starting up. We would get an error message 2 or 3 times before it would turn on normally. So when Wal-Mart released its Saturday deals, I was thrilled to see a special on Xbox 360s. If you bought the Arcade version for the reg... Read Full Story

It seems that I'm not the only one in the blogosphere thinking way too much about the holiday season already. I've already read several posts -- yes, I am FINALLY caught up on the blogroll that accrued in my absence, thankyouverymuch! -- about holiday preparations, making lists, checking them twice... You get the idea.But Stacking Pennies asked a question that I've secretly wondered for ages: How much do you spend on a gift? Okay, there are plenty of you who are smart and non-materialistic an... Read Full Story

It seems that I'm not the only one in the blogosphere thinking way too much about the holiday season already. I've already read several posts -- yes, I am FINALLY caught up on the blogroll that accrued in my absence, thankyouverymuch! -- about holiday preparations, making lists, checking them twice... You get the idea.But Stacking Pennies asked a question that I've secretly wondered for ages: How much do you spend on a gift? Okay, there are plenty of you who are smart and non-materialistic an... Read Full Story