Author Archive

• Why I Don’t Shop Much at Dollar Stores
  barrieabalard, March 18th, 2010 at 12:01 am, Comments: 0

  Frugalistas often trot out the suggestion to shop at dollar/ninety-nine cent stores. For some items, such stores can be a real help to someone on a tight budget. But there are some dollar store items that are either not good deals or are hazardous.

  Anything you need to last, you shouldn’t buy at a dollar store. [...]

• Mixed Money Messages
  barrieabalard, March 11th, 2010 at 12:01 am, Comments: 0

  This week’s post holds no secrets regarding getting free help or stuff. Nor does it tell you how to make more money or cut your budget. Instead, it concerns thinking about your spending habits, but not in a, “I’m so bad with money” way. Do not beat yourself up. Instead, think about the sorts of [...]

• No Blog Post Today
  barrieabalard, March 4th, 2010 at 12:01 am, Comments: 0

  Because of family and other obligations, there will be no blog post from me again today (Mar. 4). Catch me again next Thursday, March 11.

• No Blog Post This Thursday and Next
  barrieabalard, February 25th, 2010 at 12:01 am, Comments: 0

  I'm sorry, but because of family and other obligations, there will be no blog post from me today (Feb. 25) and next Thursday (Mar. 4). Catch me again on Thursday, March 11.

• Free Federal Tax Help
  barrieabalard, February 18th, 2010 at 12:01 am, Comments: 0

  Haven’t done your taxes yet?
  Me, neither.
  The large snowfalls have delayed my annual scan of my records for anything I might have missed regarding deductions for my business(es) and for our personal returns. Of course, I double-check my income, too, which comes from many sources, some of which do not send 1099 forms. We use and [...]

• Ways to Make Extra Money Without a Job, Part Two
  barrieabalard, February 11th, 2010 at 12:01 am, Comments: 0

  One way to make money that I mistakenly left off the “under $100” list last week is selling stuff on Etsy.com. If you are artistic or can make sweets, Etsy has a place for you. Their charges are similar to eBay’s, and on Etsy, remember, presentation is everything. It must look nice down to the smallest detail [...]

• Ways to Make Extra Money Without a Job, Part One
  barrieabalard, February 4th, 2010 at 12:01 am, Comments: 0

  I spent a fair amount of time in the past week researching ways to make money when you don’t have, or don’t want, a permanent, full-time job. You might be retired (forcibly or not); you might be a stay-at-home parent looking to fill in the gaps around the main breadwinner’s income; or you might live [...]

• Save Serious Money on Food
  barrieabalard, January 28th, 2010 at 12:01 am, Comments: 0

  This post is prompted partially by the statistic that one in eight Americans now use food stamps. As startling as that statistic is, many who have little income don’t qualify because they own too many assets. Many of these people, often suburbanites who are living on unemployment or who are underemployed, don’t know where or [...]

• Don’t Be an Ostrich***
  barrieabalard, January 21st, 2010 at 12:01 am, Comments: 0

  In the past couple of weeks the media had a small hoo-hah over whether or not people who are underwater in their mortgages can walk away with a clear conscience. Both the New York Times and Howard Lindzon of StockTwits, among others, have penned articles about the question. The Times noted that businesses often do [...]

• Brave New Specs Update
  barrieabalard, January 14th, 2010 at 12:01 am, Comments: 0

  Here’s a link to my original blog post concerning the pluses and minuses of buying eyeglasses over the internet.
  To finish my story—I decided against ordering any sort of prescription eyeglasses over the internet because no one solution or provider seemed to fit my budget and my preferences. However, I did order a pair of Cocoons [...]