The beginning of the year is always a time of goals and resolutions. Everyone is brimming with endless possibilities, hoping to start afresh and make the most of the clean slate set before them. The euphoria of a new year usually has most people feeling that everything is possible and this year can be different… Read More


Think that rock-bottom, factory-closeout price is a great deal? Think again. If you learned to speak Minnesotan from Garrison Keillor on his iconic radio show, “A Prairie Home Companion,” you might know the difference between “not a bad deal” and “a heckuva deal.” But for the large swath of the population who don’t speak Minnesotan,… Read More


You’ve probably encountered Minimalism in the arts: visual artists like Frank Stella and Donald Judd, composers such as Philip Glass and Steve Reich, and writers including Raymond Carver or Richard Ford. But none of them are going to save you any money. There are tons of minimalist bloggers and lecturers, however, whose impassioned posts and… Read More


Starting a budget, paying off debt and building savings are some of the most common New Year’s resolutions.  According to a study by Fidelity(1), more than a third of Americans had a financial New Year’s resolution in 2017. They also found that the majority of people were able to stick to their resolution and save… Read More


What is Zero Based Budgeting

What is the advantage of zero based budgeting? When it comes to budgeting, most of us have a pretty general idea as to what that means. In fact you might have a simple traditional budget where you set spending targets on certain categories, like groceries. When you’re over budget, well, you might remedy that by… Read More


How to have a happy holidays without over spending

If you’re like most Americans, the celebration and sparkle of the holiday season will get the best of you. That’s right, chances are you’ll end up spending too much and out come those credit cards! You feel so good about the gifts you bought for everyone. But in January when your statements arrive, so does… Read More