I think we've all been there before: you've been good and followed your budget all week, and then you see something you don't need, but really, really want. So you buy the item as a reward for being so good. Or you…

Pretty much my only exposure to the world of futures and commodities is the movie Trading Places. Seriously, watching that movie the first time made me research what was going on so I could understand it the second…

I can't tell you how many times I've received that stupid automated telemarketing call about a supposed expired car warranty. The worst was when I'd get them on my work phone. But thanks to an update to the FTC's rul…

Jobs are already a little hard to get, but at this point, my question is: Can you afford to shun a job that is currently the lightning rod of the extremely political?For example, I was about to apply for Whole Foods,…

Image Source Everybody goes to the bank. Even Superman has to get some money to take out Miss. Lois Lane. Although its easy to pay for things using Debit or Credit, sometimes you need cold hard cash for things such as…

Photo credit: Falashad Flickr Creative CommonsApartment hunting is one of those things everyone loves to do. Its exciting to look forward to a new living space, especially when it is your first experience moving out. It…

I was talking to my friend comparing the Boston Gucci and the Speedy Louis Vutton, which looks VERY similar in design. The Gucci also had this treatment on it to make it somewhat waterproof since it has this waxy outer c…

Sometimes, it gets expensive to go out and do something with the kids or with your siblings. With summer winding down and school starting soon, its time to find creative things to do in the house when everyone is either…

Image Source On my flight home from Los Angeles to New York, I was bored enough to go through the free magazines made by American Airlines. The Sky Mall magazine caught my eye as I began to browse through pages of pro…

Image Source Apparently nice guys do finish last (at least in the UK!). Researchers at the Institute for Social and Economic Research did a study on the link between personality and salary. Apparently, nice guys made…

Image Source So I'm sitting at my new apartment at law school, waiting (im)patiently for my financial aid money to come through. I've been in town since Friday and I'd like to buy my books because, in law school, you h…

Dear Moocher, I have been fighting with myself for a very long time about whether or not to confront you about this. Up until now, I have been wrestling the urge to talk to you about this into submission, because I f…

Settling into my new apartment on campus, I'm starting to stock the kitchen and it's got me thinking about budget meals. There's always ramen (which I just bought in bulk!), but a girl needs some variety, even if she doe…

Saving money on meals at home is already hard enough. With prices on local goods increasing, its difficult to imagine what to expect in another city. Since I'm in New York everyday, I know what to expect on the price…

Turns out money might be able to buy happiness after all. Despite the fact that we've been told over and over that money doesn't buy happiness, some researchers are suggesting that it might do that after all. A psycho…

Back in May, the Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility, and Disclosure (CARD) Act of 2009 was signed. Some parts of the law went into effect last week, but most will go into effect in 2010. This act introduced…

We've all seen it before: a husband or wife buys something huge or spends an outrageous amount on something and tries to hide it from their spouse. I think sitcom writers would be at a total loss if the spouses had t…

Your Dollarish author in Hawaii! It's such a good feeling when something unexpected happens. You might find a dollar on the floor and feel lucky. Or maybe you'll wash a pair of jeans you wore last week and find an extra…

With the summer heat at its full intensity, its essential to keep hydrated. The best way to keep your thirst at bay is to of course, drink water! There is nothing like an iced cold bottle of water after a nice stroll i…

The travel industry is complex and full of insider secrets. Never before has it been faced with the challenges of today. With the endless increase in fuel prices and the constant threat of terrorism the travel industr…

I just got home from buying a brand new couch and, as always, I struggled with whether or not to get the warranties and insurance. I've always gone back and forth about whether warranties are worth the money. I reali…

Imagine what it would be like if money trees existed. If we could turn Monopoly money into real dollars. I remember being a kid and drawing fake dollar bills and going to my mom and asking her if I could go to the cor…

It's getting to the time of going back to school. For me, it's about to be my last year in college. I'm fortunate enough this year to have a job on campus, and I finally feel like I'm ready to manage school work and a jo…

Image Source After coming back from vacation, all I want to do this weekend is stay in and be cheap! Most of you might say "Don't you want to be cheap every day?" Good point. I wrote a previous post about Overspending…

Image SourceI recently got into a discussion with my friends about doing household chores. We were talking about someone we know whose mother still makes them do household chores when he's home from college-- and not jus…

Image SourceMy dad's kitchen sink recently got clogged, so he disconnected the pipes and has been using a bucket to catch the water until he gets it fixed. By using this temporary fix, he's come to a revelation. He's fin…

Apparently, if you want to be a billionaire, your best bet is to get at least one degree from Harvard. Forbes Magazine looked at its most recent list of the world's billionaires and analyzed the 469 Americans on the l…

Image Source Having your home foreclosed on and put up for auction is a terrible thing. But can you imagine being kicked out and having your house sold for no reason?!That's just want happened to a Florida woman. She…

It's nice to be in a relationship and to have money. Whether you are spoiling your girlfriend with gifts or just being able to help them out when they need it, it's something one can appreciate. I am the kind of woman…

With our economy the way it is, more and more people are out of work and homeless. While there are dozens of ways for them to receive food and shelter, many still take to the streets to ask for handouts. My husband i…

With how crazy everything is, most people feel lucky to have a job at all. But sometimes that can be stress of its own. I've read articles that implied that it's harder to be among those left behind after a round of l…

Back to school time is coming! I remember when I was younger, I would always know the end of summer was coming when the September issues of magazines would be released in stores. This would be in early August, but it s…

We all know the job market is scary out there. I know so many people who are job hunting and can't even get an interview, despite being completely qualified. Everyone is after that elusive goal- the job offer. Gettin…

Image Source I was reading this article on CNN Money about how to cut $500 from your budget every month. The first page on saving at the grocery store made me hopeful- it had some useful tips and broke down the saving…

Image SourceDo you need to rant about a co-worker? Classmate? Anyone?Unfortunately, the worlds of work and school involve the occasional annoying person-- those people you just can't stand to go to work or class with. I'…

Awhile ago, I picked up a copy of Benjamin Graham's classic "The Intelligent Investor" for my boyfriend. It's a book everyone in the financial industry seems to swear by. Even Warren Buffett, the richest man in the…

I came across this article on bakery outlet stores in the Seattle Times and thought about the concept of a bakery outlet. I've always passed these types of stores in random places and thought how sketchy they sounded. Ho…

Last week I was at JFK airport, returning from a trip. Coming off the plane, I ran into my first boss ever- 600 miles from my hometown! It was the strangest thing to randomly see him in NY. And it got me thinking ab…

I confess. This post comes with a heavy dose of bias because I am the proud owner of Sam, the handsomest cat in the world. But, in the current delightful state of the American economy...is being a pet owner worth the…

Image sourceFor those of you who think you're doing poorly in this economy-- can't find a job, etc. Read this article and maybe you'll feel a little bit better about your ability to deal with your problems. Basically, a…

The post on interview Dos and Don'ts advised preparing yourself for the common questions you can expect at an interview. One of the most popular job interview questions is "What are some of your strengths?" Most people g…

I'm young and jobless, so I'm living at home right now. I love my family and all, but living at home is, well, living at home. I have food and a place to stay, but I'm living in someone else's house under someone else's…

Today is my friend's last day of work at the same firm I left two weeks ago (we both left voluntarily- we're going back to school). As my last day approached, everyone was telling me what I should take before I left.…

Using coupons is one of the first tips offered to help save money. Back in the day, that used to mean just clipping the coupons from your Sunday paper or the grocery store's circular. But more and more, coupons are ava…

I was part of an interviewing panel recently and the whole process was an eye opening experience. From interviewing several persons in the first round to interviewing the finalists, to making two choices- it was qui…

The other day I was at the store and was in my typical NYC rush. And of course, I got stuck behind someone writing a check for their purchases and had to wait through the whole, drawn out process. All I could think wa…

Soda. Pop. Whatever you wanna call it, it can be a really easy way to "waste" money. As a disclaimer, I should say that I'm the type of person that will deprive themselves of simple pleasures in order to save a co…

My boyfriend received a notice over the weekend that his credit card company will be increasing the interest rates on accounts with late payments. If he misses even one payment, his interest will increase by nearly 2…

I know we usually concentrate on the financial side of things here at Dollarish, but since this is also a space to discuss jobs and careers, let's switch into that mode for bit and talk about co-workers. Depending on…

They say that money is the root of all evil, correct? Its one of those enticing things you can't get enough of. Especially when you are broke and looking for an extra dollar here and there. Maybe you need some extra cas…

Okay, maybe I'm exaggerating a little bit, but not really! I just know that there are certain types of discounts that enforce the wrong shopping behavior.The most dangerous discount out there is the X percent off cou…

When I was a kid, pre-kindergarten age, I fancied myself something of an entrepreneur. On top of being a normal kid and playing with my neighborhood friends, I created so many little mini "businesses". They were usua…

Hey all you Budget-savvy people! We're always on the lookout for great posts, and we especially love to hear from you. If you haven't already, please submit posts and vote on your favorite posts for the Dollarish fr…

....especially the recent past, will be doomed to repeat it. Starting about mid July, Dow surged up over 1000 points along with the rest of the markets, making it the best July performance in 20 years. Everyone is t…

In these times, a nice clean house can really strengthen morale. That is, if you can afford all of the cleaning products necessary. At the store about a week ago, I realized that if I bought all of the cleaning products…

The average person has more stuff than they need. In my house, there are way too many things that have accumulated over time and now go unused (100 beanie babies, shoes that haven't been worn enough, old clothes, stuffe…

Julia_h recently posted about defining others by their money, and a comment about defining others by their control of money caught my eye. I confess - I do that. I've been a bank teller and a loan processor and have s…

Just being in a huge metropolitan city like New York can feel like one of the hardest things to do sometimes. Especially when the rising costs of everything from transportation fares to a bottle of water crunch my wall…

We all know there are a lot of challenges faced when trying to be responsible with your money. A number of these challenges can influence you to spend money you know you shouldn't or wouldn't have spent otherwise. W…

Image Source The other day, my dad was talking about possibly getting into golfing, a sport he has no experience with. He initially thought he'd only have to worry about club fees and renting some golf clubs. But as w…

School starts in about two weeks. I will be starting my third year of college and all I can think about right now is money and a job. I do know my tuition will be paid for and I will have money for my books, but I wor…

Image Source It's seems like it's getting to be more and more common for banks to charge fees for any incidental services or charges that they can. Everyone knows it's tough out there, so this isn't much of a surprise,…

My dad is not a big spender. He's pretty much as frugal as one can get. But when he does do his shopping, he is very particular about spending his money at the right places. He prefers to buy something at a local shop w…

Usually when you describe a person, you describe them by their features: short, tall, old, young, fat, skinny, friendly, unfriendly... rich, or poor. I know that I've described people by these features, but I recently…

Money is all around us; its on television, its in the news, hopefully in our wallets and of course, in the movies! There are tons of films that focus on the idea of cash, money, banking, robberies and other money rela…

Unfortunately, I do not get to travel as often as I would like. Upon accompanying my best friend's mother at JFK International Airport, I watched the familiar check in process. I'm familiar with the new baggage rules…

I do not understand people who love to spend money. I am the best at talking myself out of buying stuff. In fact I usually walk into a store and buy exactly what I came for. I never buy extra items.Two of my friends…

It's always fun to stay over at a friends house. You get to raid their fridge, use their cool stuff and get a free roof over your head. Wouldn't it be interesting to travel like this over a long period of time? Imagin…

Image Source Learning the value of a dollar. It's a phrase echoed by experts across multiple fields such as finance and parenting. They all stress the importance of children and teens learning the value of money... and…

I love going out to dinner with a bunch of friends, but I always hate it when the bill comes. It's such a hassle figuring out how to pay. More often than not, you won't have the change needed to properly split the bi…

Target. Walmart. Kmart. Meijer (yeah Midwest!). Whether you love them or hate them, you have to agree that these stores define the concept of one-stop shopping. I'm personally a fan because I love being able to buy g…

Image Source I just turned 24 on Wednesday and realized that it’s been exactly 10 years since I got my very first bank account. When I turned 14, my mother insisted I start an account so I could learn how to manage m…