The Sun's Financial Diary

If there were one phrase in life that sums up lessons learned the hard way, it would be the infamous “I told you so.”  At one point or another, you were informed by a friend, family member, or a professional, exactly what you should do, disregarded it, and paid the price.  So for your entertainment, [...]

When it comes to saving money (and even getting more for your money), the old saying is true: the squeaky wheel truly does get the oil. So speak up to make sure you’re getting your fair share and then some.
It’s amazing how simply being friendly and approachable can turn into real profits for your pocketbook. [...]

If your household finances have become a juggling act – or worse – have you upside down entirely, have no fear. There are many ways you can find money where there is seemingly none and, thankfully, none of them require you to get another job or give up any sleep!
The best place to begin is [...]

A few years ago, after a long bout of worrying about money, I came to the realization that it’s expensive to be poor. If you don’t have the money to pay bills on time or at all, you incur expensive late fees and higher interest rates. A lack of available funds to purchase items when [...]

An old adage might say that ignorance is bliss, but in actuality it rarely is. And when it comes to your money, it never is. The good news is that with a little effort it can be easy to educate yourself and truly become your own best advisor and your budget’s best advocate.
Start by seeking [...]

When you live in a fun state to visit, like I do, you are frequently barraged with incoming guests. It starts with a simple phone call, “Hey, we’re on vacation in March and we are coming down to visit you . Mind if we bunk in the guest room?” Not wishing to ruin anyone’s great [...]

One of the more intriguing stories coming out of Capitol Hill recently has been the struggle over whether or not Ben Bernanke will (or perhaps more importantly should) be nominated for a second term as Chairman of the Federal Reserve.
To briefly recap events, President Obama announced in late 2009 that he would nominate Bernanke for [...]

Listen to almost every politician and you’ll likely hear a similar theme coming from their mouths – lower taxes. And why not? Telling taxpayers that you’re going to lower their tax bill is how you win elections.
But there’s a stark reality that America is facing right now. The low tax rates that [...]

The reasons behind stockpiling items at home are clear: savings and convenience. Only problem is, finding where in the world to stash it all and how exactly to go about doing it.
Chances are if you could really benefit from the savings that stockpiling can offer, than storage space is likely an issue. It has been [...]

This winter season is barely one month old, but we already had 3 snows, including a huge snow store, so far in this southern state of Virginia. It definitely fells colder this year than before when we lived in the northern state of New Jersey. As the weather gets colder, we want to stay warm [...]