The True Cost of Putting Holiday Gifts on Your Credit Card

What to do when you actually love giving holiday gifts, but you hate the idea of racking up credit card debt? Can buying holiday gifts and staying out of debt actually coexist? I have a huge family – more than a dozen, and growing even larger as my sibs get married.  Believe it or not, I love the whole gift giving exchange at holidays. It’s so much fun to hunt for something special for each loved one; something they will enjoy or use to personalize their home or workspace.  But I also love not racking up credit card debt. So I created a holiday spending plan for myself: I spread out my spending, and start buying gifts as early as October each year. Other times, I might start buying even earlier in the year if I happen to see just the perfect gift for someone.  What about you? I did a little research […]

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How can I minimize my wardrobe?

Q. How can I minimize my wardrobe and still look professional and comfortable? A. Hello Simple Living blog readers! I’m Janet’s daughter Jessica, and I’m filling in for my mom today to answer the wardrobe question. In the past, I spent way too much time and money building a professional wardrobe, only to wake up every morning thinking I had nothing to wear. Once I stopped caring so much about the latest trends and started investing in solid basics, I was able to put together a polished wardrobe that didn’t require a lot of thought. Below are my suggestions for building a professional wardrobe that will take you from the office to the weekend. 1) Buy Office Basics In Boring Colors No one will notice if you wear the same black slacks three times a week, but they sure as heck will if you wear plaid capris. Depending on your […]

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Share Your Tips for Off-the-Grid Living

Q. I have become interested in simple living within the last two or so years. I don’t think it was so much the decline in the economy but more getting all the clutter out of my life and becoming totally free of institutions and businesses alike. My question is, I am looking to jump toward taking more advanced steps in becoming independent, so if I were to look at building, let’s say, a water filtration system to consume rain water to use for things such as laundry and showering, how would I go about doing that? I’m not sure if you have written about this in the past but the topic sure is interesting. Hope all is well. Take care! A.  Hooboy! This is a big question, and one we haven’t dealt with for awhile. So right now, I’m going to put this question out to our readers to see if […]

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Tips to Cure the Shopaholic Inside YOU and De-clutter Your Life

Is shopping something you do compulsively? Do you spend money you don’t yet have (i.e. put the bill on a credit card)? Is ‘retail therapy’ something you regularly engage in when you’re feeling low? You may be a ‘shopaholic’. There are seven primary signs that you may be addicted to shopping. Researchers have found that up to 6% of Americans struggle with a shopping addiction, or Compulsive Buying Disorder according to psychologists. If you do find it hard not to buy compulsively, there are some ways you can cure the shopaholic inside you, save yourself from debt and financial trouble, and de-clutter your life for more simplicity. 1. Take scissors to your credit cards. Rewards, cash back, whatever – if you have a problem buying things with money you don’t have, the fastest way to nip your spending in the bud is to cut up your credit cards. Then, only […]

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