Consider repurchase intervals to save money.  Stretching the time between purchases translates into lower spending.  The longer the repurchase interval stretches the less excess needs to be stored.  Or maybe you’d like to live with less.  For example, my under-the-sink bathroom cabinet feels stuffed.  I’m following The Money Skinny™ Project Use It Up Tips.  Slowly … Read more

Create a Project Use It Up when spending and volume seem out of control.  Or even just to live with less.  Reduce spending and consumption by viewing all items as a category.  For example, nail polish.  Gather all items in the category together. Discard or re-home the useful.  Eliminate buying the category to avoid those … Read more

I’ve been evaluating a big ticket purchase.  Caught in a Canon camera conundrum for more than six months, researching models and prices.  Not as high priced as a house or car.  But expensive enough that a well researched solution is needed.  And these types of transactions occur more frequently.  Recall The Money Skinny™ mission is … Read more

Trimming vacation travel expenses takes focus.  View travel as a door-to-door experience.  Anticipate your needs throughout the trip to avoid those small, almost-invisible expenditures that add up quickly.  Recall The Money Skinny™ mission is to save you time and money.  Start by reading The Money Skinny™ Save Vacation Cash with a Commuter Train.  Let’s review ways … Read more

Considering an auto title loan?  It’s an easy way to raise quick cash.  Think of it like a car pawn broker.  The car’s title is used as collateral.  Fork over a set of keys and you get the cash typically without a credit check.  Just a minute.  Those are the pros.  What are the cons?  The Consumer Finance Protection … Read more

How should you respond to an IRS prove-it letter?  You know that guilty-until-proven-innocent IRS letter spit out by a regional office.  I’m sure I’m not the only person who receives these heart-stopping communications from the Internal Revenue Service.  Recall The Money Skinny™ mission is to save you time and money.   Let’s review the IRS mailing list, responding to an IRS … Read more

Cleaning contact lenses saves money.  A hydrogen peroxide cleaning & disinfecting solution extends contact lenses wearability.  My current soft contact lenses are two-week disposables.  Supposed to be discarded after two weeks of wear.  Disposable contact lenses require no maintenance.  Just soak in a saline solution.  That’s it.  After two weeks the lenses develop a residue.  … Read more

Save vacation cash with a commuter train.  Visiting a big U.S. city?  You’ll save money and maybe time.  Take a commuter train on the final segment of a driving trip saves money on parking, highway tolls and gas.  Combat the stress of traffic snarls and construction zones with a soothing train ride.  Recall The Money … Read more

Reduce waste and save money at the same time.  We’ve all felt the frustration of a large discard pile.  Product expiration dates zoom past while our focus is elsewhere.  A The Money Skinny™ truism – The most expensive products are those that are thrown in the trash.  Reducing waste can save money by stretching the … Read more

Filing your income taxes late?  April 15th is the typical deadline to submit income tax returns.  Maybe some documents are missing.  Perhaps despite your best efforts, you will not be able to meet that deadline.  The reason doesn’t matter.  Recall The Money Skinny™ mission is to save you time and money.  Let’s take a look at what steps … Read more

You have until April 18, 2017, to make a 2016 Roth IRA deposit.  This is especially important if your 2016 earnings will be lower than what you will earn in 2017.  Perhaps you’re a college student or recent graduate.  Maybe you were unemployed during 2016.  Creating a retirement account may seem like a low priority.  Recall The Money Skinny™ … Read more

Wedding guest expenses can really add up.  According to the American Express Spending and Savings Tracker, survey respondents will attend three weddings this year at an average cost of $703 per event.  That’s a lot of dough!  Those are average costs to attend a wedding.  Not including expenses of members of the wedding party.  Pushing costs … Read more

Value Sourcing as defined by The Money Skinny™ is examining the source of a product to determine if the same product is available at a lower cost or more efficiently.  Recall The Money Skinny™ mission is to save you time and money.  Value sourcing encourages you to take a closer look at where and how you are purchasing … Read more

Cell phone Carrier Freedom Day is that day when you’re finally free of your cell phone carrier contract and can move to a lower-priced option without the stranglehold of the legacy cell phone carrier.  Recall The Money Skinny™ mission is to save you time and money.  Mark the Cell Phone Carrier Freedom Day on the … Read more

Remove your eyeglasses for your passport photo.  The U.S. Department of State changed the rule November 1, 2016.  Too many pictures with eyeglasses were rejected due to glare or blocking a portion of the face.  This applies to new passport applications and renewals.  Existing passports are exempt.  Passport photos with eyeglasses will result in a processing … Read more

The Money Skinny™ is overflowing with gift gratitude for Twitter and JCPenney for providing a gifting home run.  You know that special gift the recipient wouldn’t buy for her or himself because it’s too expensive or not a necessity.  It may be something on the luxury or frivolous level that bypasses the brain but makes … Read more

Let’s save time and money gathering those last-minute gifts for the young adult.  The stockings can be filled courtesy of TheMoneySkinny™ article Christmas Stocking Stuffer Savings here.  Now it’s the final week to finish filling the space below the Christmas tree.  Recall TheMoneySkinny™ mission is to save you time and money.   Let’s review great gift ideas … Read more

Do you have a pile of unused and unwanted stuff others might buy?  The Money Skinny™ wants to encourage you to make money selling those items on Craigslist.  Craigslist is a free match-making forum for buyers and sellers.  More information on how to resell with Craigslist is available in The Money Skinny™ article Craigslist Selling in 5 Easy … Read more

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is now open for High School Seniors and those students that will attend college during the 2017-2018 school year.  Unsure of whether or not to submit a FAFSA?  Read The Money Skinny™ Who should complete a FAFSA Application? for assistance.   While FAFSA completion deadlines vary by school and … Read more

Sell books online for the most cash.  New on the garage sale scene were three patrons that did the same thing.  They scanned the ISBNs of the book and DVD pile with a cell phone app to check the resale value.  They assumed I didn’t know the value of the books I had for sale … Read more

Grilling a chicken breast can result in a thick end that’s cooked while the thin end is dry and overdone.  Pounding a chicken breast to create a uniform thickness makes a mushy mess.  A better technique is to cut a single chicken breast into three approximately even pieces.  This reduces the cooking time and improves … Read more

The ninth annual survey How America Pays for College 2016 has been released by Sallie Mae and Ipsos.  This study details how Americans pay for the pursuit of undergraduate degrees.  Some interesting information included is that in 2016 thirty-four percent of college costs are covered by scholarships and grants and that fewer than half the … Read more

Wow, college textbooks are expensive!  Anyone can walk into the campus bookstore and pay full price.  You can do better.  We need strategies for curbing the cost of college textbooks.  Recall The Money Skinny™ mission is to save you time and money.   Purchase textbooks with money invested in a 529 College Savings Account.  Use The Money Skinny™ Value … Read more

By carefully considering storage needs, containers already owned and repurposing items the costs of containment can be reduced or even eliminated.  Use the Value Sourcing technique to purchase the same or a similar item from a lower cost supplier.  At a minimum, using these strategies results in more intentional purchases.  Furthermore, it’s the items in … Read more

Effective December 1, 2016, the threshold for overtime pay eligibility will be raised to $47, 467 per year or $913 per week.  Those salary workers making less than the annual or weekly salary limit must be paid time and a half for any hours worked above a 40-hour work week.  While the change does not … Read more

College students are prime targets for credit card companies. Selecting an initial credit card should be based upon minimizing fees and finding the best product that matches one’s needs, not on unsolicited glossy offerings. Begin credit card usage with a simple, straight-forward product. TheMoneySkinny recommends a first credit card with no annual fee and low … Read more

Both Coverdell Education Savings Accounts and 529 College Savings Plans are tax advantaged ways to save for college with a few key differences. Coverdells and 529s are similar in that gains are not taxable when funds are withdrawn to pay for qualified education expenses and both are included as assets in financial aid calculations. However, … Read more

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid or FAFSA is used by colleges to determine financial aid eligibility.  Think of the FAFSA as the gateway to government and private grants and loans.  Beginning with 2016-2017 high school seniors, the 2017-2018 FAFSA application is planned to open October 1, 2016, so FAFSA completion will be mixed … Read more

Have you heard of the podcast Serial?  First released as a spinoff of the radio program This American Life, Serial is follows a true story each season, told week by week, hosted by Sarah Koenig.  Episodes vary in length – typically 45 minutes to an hour.  Serial is available at serialpodcast.org or as a free … Read more

Midnight tonight, Monday, April 18th, is the deadline for filing 2015 Federal Income Taxes. Tax returns must be submitted electronically, post-marked or hand-delivered to the IRS by 12:00. An exception is being made for residents of Maine and Massachusetts who have until Tuesday, April 19th, to file income tax returns due to Patriots’ Day. Those … Read more

2015 tax returns must be filed by Monday, April 18th, instead of the usual April 15th, due to a local holiday.  If you are one of the millions of U.S. citizens that have yet to file a 2015 income tax return forget about April 18th.  Plan to have your tax return completed and ready to … Read more

Verify both the account number and the bank routing number before filing for direct deposit of a tax refund.  An incorrect number in either location can cause a refund to ricochet back to the IRS and requires corrective action to obtain the money.  Incorrect account and/or routing numbers are among the top common errors filers make.  … Read more

Retroactive to 1/1/15, computers, software and related technology are expenses that are eligible for withdrawal from a 529 College Savings Plan.  Computers join tuition, fees, books and supplies required for attendance as eligible for withdrawal.  Allowable expenses must be incurred during the same calendar year as the associated 529 College Savings Plan withdrawal.  See IRS Publication … Read more

People who are at least 62 years old as of the end of 2015 keep the ability to file a restricted Social Security application based on the earned record of a worker whose own benefit is suspended but they must file that restricted Social Security benefits application by 4/30/16.

Before celebrating 2016, estimate 2015 earnings and taxes paid by examining paystubs combined with other estimated income. Pay particular attention to stock market and mutual fund gains and losses in accounts that do not withhold income taxes. Ninety percent of taxes owed must be paid by the end of the year to avoid an underpayment … Read more

Utilize Reusable Gift Bags (RGBs) to save time and money. The fabric RGB requires minimal sewing skills with the most basic style a rectangle with a hem on the open end and a ribbon attached for closure. Directions can be found with an internet search. Any sewing scaredy cats can purchase RGBs ready-made, fabric or … Read more