Today's Frugal Living Tools
Saving for a Newer Car
Avoiding the car payment trap
Eating on the Move
Planning is key to a fatter bank account and healthier kids!
Super Frugal vs. Just Trying to Save a Buck
The basic rules of frugality
My Story:
Enjoying Movies On the Cheap
You can still have a life!
Old School vs. New Wave
10 Ways to save
Health or Hype?
How not to be fooled
Simple Living
Is it time to reconsider what you're doing?
All Day Mac and Cheese
Great for parties!
Stress-Free Frugality
How to get a good deal without driving yourself crazy
Video: Recession-Proof Your Career
The more you know, the more opportunities there are
Teen Rooms on the Cheap
A daunting task made easy and affordable
My Story:
Buying Bulk
Buy big and save big
Video: Inexpensive Luxury Gifts
Luxury gift giving on a budget
Packing a Healthy Lunch Box
Good habits that will serve for a lifetime
Gas vs. Electric Heating
Keeping winter energy bills manageable
An Early Start on Christmas
Start now and you'll save money
Clean and Freshen With Essential Oils
Spruce up your home!
Frozen Homemade Biscuits
The convenience of prepared refrigerated dough without the cost
Retirement and the $406 Soda
It's cool and refreshing, but $406?!?
Cheap Eats
It's amazing what you can do with a potato
Spoil Yourself
She can afford to treat herself well because of the 'me' jar
Cleaning Engineered Hardwood Floors
What's the best way to get a streak-free floor?
Pet Odor
A natural approach to eliminating pet odor
Gourmet Munchies
Have an upscale meal at home!
5 Cheap Storage Solutions for Kids Rooms
Creating a comfortable, organized space for your little one
Summer's End
Fall is a great time to live better for less!
Maintain and Save
Helpful hints to keep appliances running like new
More Frugal Living Resources
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How to Store Potatoes
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Reader's Tips
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Your Story
Do you know a way to save time and money? Then please take a moment to "Tell Us Your Story"
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Helping You Achieve Financial Independence!
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Lose weight, save money?
Will whittling your waistline really add some heft to your wallet? Experts weigh in.
Paperwork you need to get a home mortgage
Do you have strong credit? You'll still need to jump through hoops to secure a home loan.
3 smart tips for buying health insurance
Health insurance runs the gamut on costs and coverage. Follow these hints to make the right choice.
5 tips to get a first mortgage
Applying for your first mortgage can be a hassle. Here are five ways to make it a little easier.
Video: Are your friends sending you into debt?
Sometimes it can be downright stressful trying to balance your friendship and your bank account.
Fix your credit score, step by step
A credit score is computed in five parts. Follow these hints to improve each component.
Don't let fiance's debt ruin your credit
You may want to help with your fiance's debt, but follow these tips to protect your credit.
Is depreciation recapture required on rental?
A couple who sold rental property wonders what forms they need to recapture depreciation.
5 ways to get the best mortgage deal
It's tougher to get a mortgage today. But shoring up your credit and other moves can lead to success.
3 keys to successful retirement planning
Planning your retirement may seem a daunting task, but if you follow these steps, you can get on track.
Are online checking accounts for you?
Before you consider going virtual with your checks, here are some key drawbacks to consider.
Finding work is a hard job this Labor Day
Labor Day is a time to honor workers, but companies are looking to hire fewer of them.
What should you do if you own a lemon car?
If you think you own a lemon car, follow these steps to return it to the dealer.
5 ways to feather your retirement nest egg
Follow these steps to make it less painful to build retirement savings.
4 shortest routes to cheap car insurance
Don't insure your car for more than you have to. Follow these tips to getting cheap car insurance.
Should you stretch out a refinance?
It might make more sense to increase the length of your mortgage to free up some cash.
5 things to know before buying credit life
Credit life insurance is for borrowers of auto or mortgage loans. But is it worth the cost?
5 investment strategies for retirees
Some investments offer income and safety. Consider these places to stash your cash.
Is September the best time to a buy a car?
Is this the best month for buying car? Maybe. Follow these car-shopping do's and don'ts for a deal.
Save money: Hire professionals in training
Professional services are costly. Find out where you can save money by having students do the work.
Cruise line reward card dunks cardholder
Transferring a balance to a lower-rate card can gain you protections offered by the CARD Act.
How to write off an unpaid business loan
You can use the loss to offset any capital gains you have in the year that the debt became worthless.
4 ways to save on title insurance
Homebuyers smitten with a new dream home may gloss over title insurance. But that's a mistake.
7 steps to becoming a one-income family
Whether it's forced or chosen, living on one family income will mean making difficult choices.
4 good reasons to borrow from your 401(k)
Sometimes it makes sense to tap your retirement account. Be sure to understand the tradeoffs.
Building a good credit score in college
Which is better for your credit score: paying the minimum or paying off the balance each month?
Video: Using the balance transfer calculator
Bankrate's new balance transfer calculator will help you decide if the move will pay off.
Don't lie: Your life insurance depends on it
Your medical decisions won't block a life insurance claim, but fraud's another matter. Don't do it.
College savings: 529 plan or Roth?
What is the best way to save for college? The answer differs from family to family.
How much credit do you really have?
Figuring out how much credit you are using is key to keeping your credit score high.
4 smart steps to a low car insurance quote
An affordable car insurance quote doesn't just happen. Follow these tips to find a lower premium.
Ask Dr. Don
Is it safe to invest in a one-star bank?
What's more important: a bank's safety rating or its yield on deposits?
Investor questions meager stock payout
A man worries that his grandmother's power company stock is not delivering the payout it should.
Is traditional or Roth IRA best for you?
Should you convert from a traditional IRA to a Roth IRA? Answer these questions to find out.
401(k) loan? It may make sense
New research suggests it may be worthwhile to use retirement money to pay off some types of debt.
'Extension' bond ladder makes sense now
In today's low-rate environment, an extension bond ladder offers investors built-in flexibility.
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Frugal Living in Tough Times
Finishing Touches for Less
How little things can make your decor pop!
How to Save Money on Console Games
Don't spend hundreds to play
My Story:
14 Ways We Save Money
Which ones would help your family?
Video: Cash For Old Electronics
Your old electronics are not worthless!
Year-End Yard and Garden Savings
How to reduce the cost of next year's yard and garden
The Hidden Costs of Excess Stuff
Have a roomier, more enjoyable home
An Early Start on Christmas
Start now and you'll save money
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Share what you know with your frugal friends!
Eating Healthier Comes at a Price for Families - Do healthy foods really cost more? Is it possible we are comparing apples and oranges when it comes to food?
100 Mile Diet -
Eating only food from within a hundred mile radius of your home - could you do it?
How do you save on electricity? - Read what others are doing, then come and share your own tips and tricks for saving electricity
How to stretch a dollar? - "What can you do to multiply your dollars, without the use of personal loans, I think is the next best question"
Never visited The Community? We'll make it easy for you to make new frugal friends in the About These Forums section.
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Dollar Stretcher Blogs
recent posts
Brother, can you spare a premium?
Have you been forced to shoulder a greater share of your health insurance premium in the past year?
Bankrate: Insurance
Retirement savings vs. college
Should parents pull money out of their retirement plans to pay for their children's college educations?
Bankrate: Retirement
Do men waste $3,000 on gas while lost?
Apparently the stereotypical male phobia surrounding asking for directions isn't just real, it's actually pretty expensive
Bankrate: Cars
Life insurance and retirement
Here are some cases where life insurance for retirees, or those close to retirement, can make sense
Bankrate: Retirement
Frugal? Or Deception?
Or an opportunity for kids to learn a lesson about managing money?
The Dollar Stretcher
Do you like to blog or have an idea for a blog that would interest Dollar Stretcher readers? Please email us with your blog idea and you could become a regular Dollar Stretcher blogger. We get the best ideas from our readers!
Vending machines that take credit, debit cards catch on
Newfangled machines take plastic and sell everything from fancy electronics to wine -- and yes, they can check your ID, too.
6 steps for handling your 1st credit card wisely
A reader just got her first student credit card and wonders what to do with it once she's "done" with it. Our expert tells her, but not before offering some tips for using her card wisely.
3 steps to take when disposing of your computer
Millions dump their old computers without much concern about all the sensitive information still stored on the hard drives, making them ripe for theft.
Your options for reducing a high credit card APR
If your card issuer won't lower your high rate APR, you have several options -- including moving to a new card.
How a new credit card affects your credit score
A reader "accidentally" applied for a new Costco American Express card and believes that it might hurt her credit score.
Don't automatically refuse extra rental car insurance coverage
It used to be a no-brainer -- credit cardholders refused costly additional insurance policies offered by car rental agencies. Now it's not.
Don't be afraid of online coupon services -- they save money, too
Traditional paper coupon-clipping is fine, but as long as you steer clear of the too-nosy ones, online coupon sites have advantages, too.
Financial Calculators courtesy of Bankrate.com
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