So I'm a newer mom of two; oldest is 5 and just started school, the youngest is 5 months old. When youngest was born, I was really looking forward to going back to work and contributing to our income in some way. I was hoping to work from home (I will literally consider anything) but send the youngest off to daycare a few hours a day. Not only would that give me a bit of a mom break and sense of accomplishment, but it would give us some extra income to boost debt pay off and savings. Hubby...Read More...

Last week, I asked what's the most important thing to look for in a checking account . I loved the responses — it's always interesting to hear what others are prioritizing when selecting a place to put their money in. Now I am wondering, what's i mportant to you to have when selecting a SAVINGS account ? Whether it's attentive customer service reps, no minimum required accounts or high interest, I'd love to hear what you value in a savings account. For me, I appreciate a savings account that...Read More...

This week's Community Update We have a new Community survey! Last week, we launched a new survey: How many credit cards do you have ? It's been about a week since the survey went live, but it looks like majority of us have 4+ credit cards. I'm curious how these numbers shake out as more members take the survey. It's only one question, so head on over and take the survey! This week's Community tip: how to use emojis! To add an emoticon to your post or reply, click the emoticons icon (or the...Read More...

Has anyone else ever paid off debt only to find that their credit score actually dropped instead of going up?!?! This happened to me recently. I finished paying off $12K of debt at the end of 2020. I paid off my credit cards in early December, but I've kept all the accounts open and have made sure to use each at least once a month. Then on Dec. 30, I paid off the last $800 on my car. My credit score was 778. Then in late February, it dropped to 739. Admittedly, I knew this was likely to...Read More...

I have never had a brand new car, one the color inside and outside that I want. I settle for a car I like, used. I try to get gently used, 1 to 4 years old, low miles, but still, usually those are not the color inside or out that I would choose but can deal with. I am considering ordering a car exactly how I want it, inside and out. I know financially this is stupid. But I would for the first time have a car exactly how I want it. So, should I order my first brand new car exactly how I want...Read More...

Is it better to have several companies compete for your business or should I just go to Home Depot or Lowes and order system and have a recommended contractor install the water system to save money. Which one is best for Seniors that cant be carrying heavy bags of salt? Thank you for your feedback.Read More...

What's the #1 feature that's important to you to have when selecting a checking account? Whether it's attentive customer service reps, fee-free accounts or high interest, I'd love to hear what you value in a checking account. Bonus points if you can share some checking account recs with the community. 🔥 For me, no fees and being able to reach a customer rep is huge. There's nothing more frustrating to me than waiting on the line for hours for a rep to take my call.Read More...

Sooo, selling online is not going well for me........ I took some things to Platos Closet and walked away with $28.xx cash, not bad for what Ive had sitting around not being worn. Ill be giving away and donating what they didnt accept because of style/season or condition.Read More...

This week's community announcements Introducing the new resources pages Can I get a drum roll please? 😀 Last week, we launched the new resources page . Resources are any media type, including images, videos, audio and files. We’ll use the page to populate financial tips and how to’s in these media formats. I published the first resource, which was a graphic about 10 places for car-free vacation . Be sure to check out the page. Some of the best information is in the comments! New topics to...Read More...

Everyday we make decisions on what we think is just right to purchase, no matter how much it costs. Have you regretted spending your money on something that did just not work out?Read More...

I'm retired, debt-free, and have a positive cash flow. I want to leave the majority of my savings to a charity I support. Right now I have the cash in CD's, with the POD as being the charity. Is there a better way of doing this?Read More...

Do you care when other people call you cheap? Or do you wear it like a badge of honor? I recently got this letter from a woman whose aunt died. She hadn't seen her aunt in 30 years, yet she was being asked to chip in $500 for the funeral. https://www.thepennyhoarder.com/budgeting/should-i-have-contributed-for-aunt-funeral/ She's always been frugal, so she refused. Now she's worried that her family is mad at her. I agree that $500 is a lot of money for someone you haven't seen in a long time.Read More...

I am working on becoming debt-free. I want to make sure that I pay all my debtors because this is the right thing to do. However, I must admit it is also very important that I give my tithes to the church. I pay my tithes first and the rest will definitely take care of itself. I believe that it is so important to write down your goals because you are more apt to achieve the desired results when you write them down. Thanks for this opportunity to place my goal on this website. I hope that...Read More...

Hey everyone! I'm Molly, an editor here at The Penny Hoarder. I recently started selling on Mercari and thought I would share my experience. I had only ever bought second-hand items on sites like ThredUp and Poshmark. (My most recent purchase is a Dooney & Bourke handbag I got on Poshmark for $99 that would have cost a few hundred new. I love it so much and love that I got it for a bargain!) I really never thought much about selling because it seemed like work, especially having to deal...Read More...

I've found that one key to financial freedom is just being comfortable making an ask. With that said, does anyone have a successful negotiation story to share Whether you negotiated a major purchase, salary, rent, or a bill, I'd love to hear about it! What did you negotiate? How did you go about the negotiation? And if you haven't negotiated successfully, I'd still love to hear about a time when you tried and what you learned from it. Hoping these success (or learning) stories will help us...Read More...

This week's Community Update We have a new Community survey! Last week, we launched a new survey: How many credit cards do you have ? It's been about a week since the survey went live, but it looks like majority of us have 4+ credit cards. I'm curious how these numbers shake out as more members take the survey. It's only one question, so head on over and take the survey! This week's Community tip: how to use emojis! To add an emoticon to your post or reply, click the emoticons icon (or the...Read More...