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A Sad Announcement

Dear Readers,

This is Gary’s wife, Suzanne. I have some sad news to share. Gary passed away Sunday morning at the age of 73. Although he was not in good health, it was an unexpected shock. We will miss him terribly.

Gary Weiner

Gary loved writing this blog for you and hoped you enjoyed reading it. I know it would please him greatly if you were to still find some helpful knowledge in his 780+ existing posts.

I will be leaving the blog live for some time to come. At this point, I do not know if I will be adding to the posts, but I’m sure the existing posts will help you to save money, make money, and invest money.

Thank you.

Food

Inflation Has Peaked (Maybe)? But What About Prices on Food?

Some pretty good news hit the books this week. The inflation numbers we’ve been dreading to hear every month seem to have peaked for the first time in over a year. We can’t be sure, but it seems that fuel prices are downward trending, going under $4.00 a gallon for gasoline on average in the U.S. and used car prices are down as well.

Frozen foods in supermarket representing prices on food

Airfares are also finally declining and then there’s the new jobs report that shows they are growing. All these are indicators that better times may be around the corner. But what about prices on food? Where are we now and is that good news too?

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Budgeting, Credit, Debt, Personal Finance

OMG I Can’t Pay My Bills: Getting Help When You’re In Trouble

The subject of financial need and the stress it brings may be a topic that some personal finance blogs shy away from. It seems that many PF bloggers are concerned more about the folks that have money now and want even more of it (doesn’t everyone really?). The idea is that if you take some specific action(s), you can get rich fairly quickly and retire at age 30 or 40…and maybe you can do that. But what about the other side of life? What if you’re thinking “I can’t pay my bills!”? So you can’t pay your bills…what can you do?

Man with empty pockets thinking of money representing I can’t pay my bills

Many people have been financially crushed and even more so during and after the pandemic. What about those who just need help when they can’t pay their basic bills?

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Food

Becoming a Vegetarian Has Many Benefits and Could Actually Save You Money

Over the years, we’ve heard a lot about trying to eat healthier, and eating veggies and fruit is often touted as one surefire way to do that. But let’s be honest here. Living in the good old U.S.A, eating meat is the primary way that we dine and that starts when you are just a child. Perhaps you remember the old commercials…“Beef, it’s what’s for dinner”. Hamburgers and hot dogs are our go-to foods and red meat is our primary preferred way to dine. At least that has been my observation over the last 70 years.

Spring salad representing becoming a vegetarian

But these days, during high inflation, vegetarianism is growing particularly among non-whites, and there may be some good reasons for everyone to at least consider it. One of those reasons is this: becoming a vegetarian can actually save you money!

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More, Personal Finance

5 Pet Peeves About Finance & Money: Do They Annoy You Too?

Sometimes I just get stuck on a subject and can’t get it out of my head. My wife often says that when I get like that I over-react; I grumble, mumble, and repeat my source of aggravation over and over again. I admit that it is true. But all of us have some pet peeves that bother us from time to time. When it does happen it’s bad, but when it happens repeatedly, it’s even worse.

Frustrated man representing pet peeves

Since this blog is in effect my financial journal, the subject of discomfort and annoyance that are relevant here are those financial pet peeves in my life that actually warrant a post. So here goes, and please don’t agree with my wife after you read them!

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More, Personal Finance

Corporate Greed Is Now a Big Part of Inflation and You’re Paying for It

Last November, while I was having a Thanksgiving meal with my family, a discussion came up about inflation and what the reasons were that it has run wild for months. I have been talking about inflation now for over 18 months and that was long before the Fed or most people gave it a second thought, but last November it was a big topic. My opinion then (as it is now) is that inflation has several causes but that price gouging and corporate greed (profiteering) is a real part of it. I was met with skepticism, denial, and an actual argument over it.

Vulture with money, gold, and coins representing corporate greed

It’s Not a Pretty Thought…

…but corporate greed is now driving inflation way more than you ever dreamed. Perhaps you still doubt it or want to doubt it because you think “hey, this is America and they wouldn’t ever do that” or “gee, we live in a country where business is free to charge whatever they want and make money, right?”

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Health

A Spoonful of Savings Helps the Medicine Go Down: How to Save Money on Medications

When you don’t feel well, whether it’s a random headache, a temporary infection, or a chronic illness getting you down, the last thing you want is to spend more and more money to feel better. The cost of medicines and prescriptions has been going through the roof, but what choice do you have but to spend on them? Here’s how to save money on medications you need.

Pile of pills representing how to save money on medications

The Good News

The good news is that there are several ways to help save money on medications. As I’ve gotten older and accumulated more health issues, taking medications has become a daily routine for me. It can really eat up a lot of your budget even when you are being careful. In my case, I spend about triple what the average person spends a year, running into several thousands. Here are some of the ways you and I both can help control costs, even if you need meds every day.

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Personal Finance

True or False? Your Best Financial Decisions Are Still Ahead of You

You constantly make financial decisions. That’s just a fact. Some of them are seemingly simple and unimportant like where you’re having lunch today when you are out and about. Or whether you should buy that new pair of shoes you saw online today or just wait until the next big sale.

Two college students studying representing your best financial decisions

But then there are the other decisions you make: the really significant ones like taking on a new job or buying an expensive car. Those decisions can have a major impact on your financial future.

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