The Sun's Financial Diary

It’s true, knowledge is power, including the power to save money. The more you know and the more skills you have, the less likely you are to have to shell out cash to someone else. A sure-fire way to save money is to invest in yourself. So, get ready and get set to create a [...]

If you have children, then you’ve likely got a hefty turnover of clothing, too. Whether due to those growing spurts that seem to happen overnight, the many, many stains that magically find their way onto your children’s clothing never to leave or due to just plain normal wear and tear, keeping up with a child’s [...]

No joke, my kitchen is only 5 feet long by 2.5 feet wide. It’s well-equipped with a stove, fridge, dishwasher and over-the-range microwave, but it only features 8 small cabinets and 6 small drawers. Yep, I’ve got a small kitchen, but I wouldn’t trade it for the world because I’ve learned how to master every [...]

Right as the housing market began to take a nose-dive, we decided to give unloading our smallish condo one last shot. Suffice to say, it didn’t work. For awhile I was distraught and downright depressed. Now though, even as we sit nearly $100K upside down in a mortgage, I’m glad we weren’t able to sell. [...]

I was at a local hardware store the other day, once again rummaging through the scrap pile of lumber. Actually, I’m there quite a lot and might as well be referred to as a “regular.” As soon as the gentlemen there see me, they’re always curious as to what I’m up to and what I’m [...]

Ever sit down to do your taxes or hand everything over to your tax preparer only to wish you’d done a better job of tracking all of those potential deductions that could have whittled down your tax liability? Stop wishing it and stop wondering how much you could have saved this very instant by taking [...]

If the holidays have left your pocketbook feeling a little less full than your stomach, you’re not alone. At the top of nearly everyone’s New Year’s resolution list is the wide-reaching goal to simply save more money. If saving money happens to be one of your goals for 2011, you’re in luck because there’s much [...]

Could your wardrobe use an overhaul or a few new items to spice it up? Have your children outgrown or worn out some of those once-new “back to school” clothes? Craving a change around the house furniture or decor wise? You’re in luck because now’s the prime time to start hitting the secondhand shops in [...]