January 28, 2010 by April | Comments Off
This post is from GRS staff writer April Dykman.
Social psychologists have found that people tend to choose their significant other based on similarities—similar attitudes, values, and even similar names.
Those findings would seem to suggest that people with similar spending habits would be attracted to each other, too. But a working paper published last year found the opposite to be true. In &#
January 21, 2010 by April | Comments Off
This post is from GRS staff writer April Dykman.
Most people agree that a vacation is supposed to be relaxing, but planning for one can be just the opposite. Still, poor planning can cost money and time, causing headaches and frustration when you’re supposed to be getting away from it all.
Some people like to book a ticket and see where life takes them. Others prefer cruises or tours where t
January 14, 2010 by April | Comments Off
This post is from GRS staff writer April Dykman.
I have a friend who just doesn’t see himself. He has declared bankruptcy twice and alcohol abuse landed him in jail for the past year. Despite losing almost everything, when he was released he was talking about how much money it would cost to get his iPhone back in service. To make the situation more frustrating, he largely blames others for his c
January 7, 2010 by April | Comments Off
This post is from GRS staff writer April Dykman.
My mom has a sixth sense when it comes to bargain hunting. Where I’m thrilled to get 25 percent off and free shipping, she’s finding deals of 70 percent off and getting inside scoop from the salespeople, who probably have her on speed dial should a ginormous everything-must-go-or-we-torch-it clearance sale come along.
Okay, so I’m
December 22, 2009 by April | Comments Off
This post is from GRS staff writer April Dykman.
Most of us, at one time or another, have seen a photo of a celebrity with an “it” bag, even if just in tabloids at the supermarket check-out. Most of the time they are over-sized totes, logo prominently displayed, on the arm of an actress or pop star. (Sometimes I wonder if the tinier celebrities could, in fact, fit inside their own handbag.)
An
December 15, 2009 by April | Comments Off
This post is from GRS staff writer April Dykman.
Right before our Thanksgiving trip, the AC went out on our vehicle. $600 later, we had a functioning AC. What a way to start a camping trip.
The good news was that we had the funds set aside for that specific reason—auto repairs. We’ve never used one of our targeted accounts before, and now that we have, I can attest that they are a fantas
December 11, 2009 by April | Comments Off
Right before our Thanksgiving trip to Big Bend National Park, the AC went out on our vehicle. $600 later, we had a functioning AC. Bummer, right? What a way to start a camping trip.
The good news was that we had the funds set aside for that specific reason—auto repairs. In fact, our ING subaccount is labeled “auto repairs.” Now obviously the repair would cost the same whether it came from
December 9, 2009 by April | Comments Off
This post is from GRS staff writer April Dykman.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the number of unemployed was 15.4 million and the jobless rate was 10 percent in November. While those numbers “edged down” from previous months, there’s no doubt that job loss and unemployment are hot topics, and people are worried.
Some of those lucky enough to hang onto their jobs h
December 2, 2009 by April | Comments Off
This post is from GRS staff writer April Dykman.
I haven’t tracked our expenses since June.
Not to appear completely incompetent, I do check our accounts on a regular basis to verify the charges and withdrawals. But I can’t tell you how much we spent on groceries in August or how much we spent on fuel in October without printing out some statements and manually doing the math.
For a long t
November 22, 2009 by April | Comments Off
This post is from GRS staff writer April Dykman.
Thanksgiving might be my favorite holiday, and in large part that’s because I spend it camping in Terlingua Ranch and hiking, backpacking, or kayaking in Big Bend National Park (about 15 minutes away from the ranch).
I get mixed reactions when I tell people that’s how my family celebrates the holiday. Yes, we do have turkey — slow-co
November 17, 2009 by April | 2 Comments
This post is from GRS staff writer April Dykman.
For more than a decade, Jay Shafer of Tumbleweed Tiny House Company has lived in an 89 square-foot home.
His decision to live in a tiny house came from concerns about the effects a larger house would have on the environment, and his desire to not maintain a lot of unused or unusable space.
Obviously Jay’s home is at the extreme low end of how