Debt

Avoid Debt, the Enemy That Can Drag Down Your Finances

Personal finance blogs are filled with stories about people who have overcome big personal debt over the years and then write about it to try to help you defeat your own debt. Debt is such a major problem! I get messages from regular folks who need help dealing with debt all the time. Of course the best way to deal with it is to avoid debt in the first place, but that’s easier said than done.

Cartoon of man trying to avoid debt with debt weight falling down on him

About 15 years ago, after my divorce, I too had racked up thousands of dollars in debt and when I remarried, my wife and I had a combination of over $25,000 in debt on our books (not including my mortgage). That isn’t a real good way to begin a new relationship and frankly, much of it was divorce-related expense, so that there wasn’t really even any shiny, fun stuff to look at and play with despite that debt.

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Family & Relationships, Shopping

What Dad Really Wants for Father’s Day

If I tried to write a new post for Father’s Day, I wouldn’t really be able to say it better than this one which I first published years ago. It’s how I felt then and it’s how I feel now. It may not be my best work, but it comes from the heart.

In 2016, I wrote a post about my thoughts on Father’s Day and I haven’t changed my mind yet. It really did come from my heart. I think the message in it says what every dad (and mom too) thinks and feels about a day like this. Even though the environment we live in makes us feel like honoring our dads and moms is all about buying gifts and making a big deal out of just the one single day a year, I can tell you from personal experience, that’s not what dads (and moms) really want from their kids.

Father's Day is coming on June 20th. I'll share with you the secret of what Dad really wants for his special day and you won't need to spend the big bucks.

I hope you won’t mind if I repeat my real feelings today about Father’s Day, in anticipation of this Sunday, June 20, 2021. I am republishing this old post so if you didn’t see it then, I hope you will read it now. I also hope that it says what you are feeling the same way it does for me. Here’s hoping all the “kids” of any age out there read and get the message I am conveying. Have a great Father’s Day and make it last all year long!

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Saving & Investing

Series I Savings Bonds: Save Money and Guard Against Inflation

On Thursday, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics announced that the Consumer Price Index (CPI), a market basket of item prices including food, energy, and housing costs, rose by 5% over the past year. The report showed the biggest CPI gain since August 2008. Here is the inflation I’ve been talking about since October! And with the Fed describing the inflation as only transitory, that means that the interest on money you’re stowing away in savings accounts won’t keep up with inflation. Enter the Series I Savings Bond.

Considering the low interest rates on most savings vehicles, Series I Savings Bonds are a great way to save money while guarding against inflation.

Often flying under the radar these days and almost forgotten about in the 21st century is a really good old friend that I grew up with as a child: the U.S. Savings Bond. They were originally developed as encouragement to save (called the “baby bonds”) in 1935 during FDR’s first term during the Great Depression. And they eventually evolved into the E bonds that helped finance and pay for World War II back in the 1940’s (War Bonds).

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Credit, Debt

Paying Off Your High Interest Credit Card Debt Takes a Real Plan

I have always been a good manager of credit. A big part of that was learning from my mom and pop about spending within my income, but another part of that was that back when I was a kid, credit cards were not the way people paid for what they bought. Today it’s a totally different world and using your credit card is not only popular, it’s almost a requirement and the result is credit card debt.

Hand holding credit card, ready to get out of credit card debt

While Visa and MasterCard didn’t even exist until the 1960s and 1970s, everyone today seems to have one, two, or even more of them, and uses them constantly. That has led to massive overuse and huge debt run up for many people.

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Travel

The Soaring Cost of Post-Pandemic Life and Vacation Travel

It’s starting to look like we can make some kind of real plans again to get away from home and enjoy traveling as we always did before COVID-19. But when you do go back to life as you knew it, how are you going to feel? If you haven’t yet ventured out of your home, or even more daringly gone away on a vacation yet, you are not alone. For most of us, just getting back to work or any kind of “normal” routine is still the adventure we are experiencing. There are lots of questions about what we should know and do when it comes to “post-pandemic” life and vacation travel. But as you do it, beware.

The number of people getting out and traveling is on the rise and so are all of the prices!

Family checking in to resort despite high cost of vacation travel

Caution Has Been My Middle Name

Just yesterday, I went shopping in an actual store for the first time since March of 2020 (yes, I am a highly at-risk person for COVID-19) and I still found myself being very wary despite now being fully vaccinated.

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Shopping

Things You Should Never Buy If They’re Not On Sale

We all have to admit it: we love a great bargain and sale! And why not? We save money and we get something we really want (and hopefully really need) at what we know is a good price. Well, that’s subject to some scrutiny, but the big news is this: if you are buying something that isn’t “on sale”, you’d better have a pretty good reason as to why.

Close up of kitchen range, an item you shouldn't buy if it's not on sale

Sale shopping and pricing has become so prevalent and common that there is now a cardinal rule in place about it. But believe it or not, some folks just shop without planning and thought, and that is costing them a small fortune in missed opportunities!

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Budgeting, Personal Finance

What Are Sinking Funds and How Can They Keep You Afloat?

Have you ever heard of the term “sinking funds”? What are sinking funds? It sounds like something pretty complicated on the surface, doesn’t it? There is the ring of danger to it and it almost sounds like it’s high finance or big business.

Sinking funds are important tools in planning your finances. Here's how they differ from emergency funds and why you'll want to set them up.

It is, and it does sound scary to some perhaps because it’s a phrase not often found in everyday at-home use. But it is something you need to be aware of, because every one of us at some point needs to have one! Let me tell you about it and how sinking funds can keep your finances afloat.

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Food

25 Grocery Shopping Tips to Save Money

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It’s been awhile since I’ve talked specifically about grocery shopping here on Super Saving Tips. With inflation rearing its ugly head, it’s more important than ever to shop smart and save money. I know many of us relaxed our control over our budgets during the pandemic and it’s about time to get back to those better habits.

In this era of rising prices, it's important to use these grocery shopping tips to save money. Here are 25 ways to control your spending.

Why It Matters

On average, Americans spend over 10% of their income on groceries. Of course the amounts vary with your family size, but no matter how big or small your family is, that’s a lot of money. If you save even $20 a week, that turns into over $1,000 a year you could be saving!

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