by Katherine Snow SmithContributorNeighbors rave about the spiced nuts you make and give out at Christmas. Friends say all they want for their birthday is a batch of your pimento cheese. Anytime there’s a potluck at the office, co-workers insist you bring your famous coffee cake.“You could make money selling this,” everyone says. If you’ve heard this compliment five or more times, you need to consider it.There are plenty of
by Michael ArchambaultSenior Writer When it comes to finding the best cheap cell phone plans, the sheer choice in the market can feel overwhelming, especially if you are looking for a plan that satisfies your budget. The perfect plan for you may vary depending on how much data you use each month, the time you spend chatting on the phone and whether you are a text-message aficionado or not. Whether
by Danielle BraffContributor It doesn’t matter if you’ve got curly hair, oily hair, natural hair or color-treated hair. You want your hair to look fabulous and even good cheap shampoo can make that happen. Yes, even drugstore shampoos can give you luxurious locks for less than $9 a bottle, way less. Watch for sales, especially buy-one-get-one free details, to maximize your savings. If $9 for a bottle of shampoo seems
Real Answers for Life’s Money Challengesby Robin Hartill, CFP®Senior EditorI am 69 years young, yet I am in a quandary regarding birthday and Christmas gifts for my wonderful posterity of four children and 14 grandchildren. Two of the grandchildren are married, and three of my children have a spouse or partner.We are on Social Security. What do I do? I have been gifting all my life, but now I am
by Quinten PlummerStaff WriterYou did it — you’ve gotten your debt under control and started building your savings. But if you don’t quite feel like patting yourself on the back, it’s probably because you know there’s still work to be done.What you do next can help determine if you continue moving forward or slide back into the pattern of surviving until the next paycheck. Here’s how to avoid squandering your
by Kristin JennyContributor There is rarely a convenient time to take your car to the mechanic. Even less convenient is learning you need new tires after shelling out a couple hundreds bucks for an oil change and tuneup. If you’re a DIY car-care expert, you can stave off a trip to the mechanic by changing your car’s oil, removing leaves and debris from the intake vents and preventing dirt buildup
by Rachel Christian, CEPF®Senior WriterIf you’ve been within 10 feet of the internet in the past few days, you’ve surely heard the news.Amazon Prime Day is here — Amazon’s blatant attempt to recruit more Prime members and beat the mid-year slump disguised as a mega-sale “bigger than black Friday.”To be sure, there are tons of great deals to nab. And since they roll out intermittently between now and Amazon Prime
by Katherine Snow SmithContributorThe U.S. economy is seeing more than 400,000 new jobs each month so far in 2022, according to one of the latest updates from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. There’s a total of 11.4 million job openings out there.While there is a great demand for people to fill these jobs, there are also record numbers of employees changing careers and swapping old jobs for better ones.So if
by Rachel Christian, CEPF®Senior Writer Plan B is an effective form of emergency conception that can help prevent pregnancy. It’s widely available at many retailers, both online and in-store. But just because something is available over-the-counter doesn’t always mean it’s affordable. You can get Plan B One-Step, also known as the morning-after pill, for about $45 to $60 at most major retailers, including CVS, Target, Walmart and Walgreens. You don’t
by Robert BruceSenior WriterPeanuts and Cracker Jacks apparently aren’t cheap these days.The average cost for a group of four people to attend a Major League Baseball game in 2022 is nearly $257, according to Team Marketing Report. With the average ticket price being around $36, that means a group of four is spending more than $100 on parking and concessions!The good news, though, is that baseball lovers have an alternative.
