How to Give Meaningful Gifts on a Tiny Budget
There’s a belief embedded in modern gift-giving that the value of a gift is related to its price. That spending more demonstrates caring more. That a $100 gift says something that a $20 gift doesn’t. This belief is false — and most people…
Black Friday vs Waiting for Sales: When Should You Actually Buy?
Black Friday has a marketing problem that works entirely in retailers’ favor. The premise — one day a year when prices drop dramatically and savvy shoppers score incredible deals — is compelling enough that millions of people plan around it, lose…
The Smart Way to Save Money on Back-to-School Shopping
Back-to-school season is one of the most reliably expensive times of year for families — and one of the most reliably manipulated by retailers who know exactly when parents are stressed, rushed, and susceptible to spending more than they planned. The…
How to Have a Frugal Christmas Without Feeling Like a Scrooge
Christmas has a spending problem. The average American spends over $900 on Christmas — gifts, decorations, food, travel, cards, wrapping, and the dozen other expenses that quietly accumulate between Thanksgiving and December 25th. Many people spend…