South Florida on the Cheap » household

Have the ‘money talk’ with returning grads

Teresa — Thu, 26 May 2011 13:43:08 +0000

Many of you are proud to have in your homes a new college graduate. He doesn’t have a job yet, but surely that will come soon.

In the meantime, you have a new roommate.

That’s right. These days, as young adults live at home with their parents for years after they leave school, 50something and [...]

Advice on money for new grads

Teresa — Wed, 25 May 2011 13:42:05 +0000

One of the joys of getting older is offering young people sage advice, whether they want to listen or not.

As graduation time nears, I can’t resist offering today’s graduates the advice I wish I’d gotten when I was their age. Or maybe I got the advice and didn’t listen. I should have.

Last year [...]

Tips for spending less on air conditioning

Teresa — Mon, 23 May 2011 23:39:46 +0000

Summer is nearly upon us. In South Florida, that means high electric bills.

Except for a hardy few, going without air conditioning is probably not a practical cost-cutting measure. Still, there are ways to save energy and cut your electric bill.

We consulted the websites of Florida Power & Light and the U.S. Department of [...]

Watch out for automatic renewals

Teresa — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 04:21:16 +0000

Last week, I got a phone call offering me a six-month subscription to a publication. When I got a renewal notice, I ignored it because I didn’t want to continue the subscription.

• Tip No. 1: You can no longer afford to ignore subscription notices for print or online services. This is especially true when you take [...]

Advice to new college grads

Teresa — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 22:43:42 +0000

If you’re a 2010 college graduate, we’re sure you have received all kinds of uplifting and inspiring advice. We’re going to give you some mundane, down-to-earth advice: Start managing your money right now.

We agree with everyone who has advised you to get a job, buy health insurance, avoid credit card debt, draw up [...]

Clipping coupons may not pay

Teresa — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 21:51:12 +0000

As a personal finance columnist, I am supposed to advise you to clip coupons to save money. The truth is, it may not be worth your time.

Whether clipping grocery coupons will save you enough to compensate you for the time it takes to organize them depends upon your shopping habits and, even more, [...]

It’s OK to buy bagged salad

Teresa — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 21:50:18 +0000

I could be drummed out of the frugalista corps if this secret got around: I buy my salad ingredients already cut up.

Yes, I could save money if I bought heads of lettuce, washed, dried and cut them up myself. But I don’t save a thing if they sit in the refrigerator until they [...]

Pinching pennies can cost dollars

Teresa — Sat, 29 May 2010 14:59:11 +0000

This winter, I spent a few months living and working in my hometown in the Midwest.

I spend all day working at a computer, but I decided that, rather than spend money on an adjustable office chair, I’d just use a kitchen chair at an old table.

You can guess how that “frugal” decision [...]

Does it pay to turn off the a/c?

Teresa — Sun, 23 May 2010 18:55:32 +0000

Spring is a beautiful time in South Florida, and after the long winter (for us, anyway), it’s great to be able to open windows and let the breeze blow through the house. But in the past week, summer has started to sneak in. If you haven’t turned on your air conditioning yet, you know [...]

Take a ‘snow day’ to organize your life

Teresa — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 17:02:39 +0000

A few weeks ago I found time to make a special trip to CVS to get a tube of toothpaste for 24 cents using Extra Bucks and a coupon, but somehow I didn’t find time to call my insurance agent and find out why I hadn’t received the $501 refund I was due for an [...]