Do you crave a life without financial constraints? Too often our ability to make progress towards our passions has been limited by the “rat race.” In the rat race, we work for our employers, the government by paying taxes, and the lenders (ie, of our mortgages, credit cards, car loans, and student loans). Usually, our own…

Every person or organization engaging in business activities has the goal of earning income or profit. They provide products and/or services in exchange for a price that will gain them some sort of profit. The existence and continuity of every business relies heavily on how well a person or company sells their products and/or services…

Who wants to end 2012 even better financially? You need more than just a “that sounds like a good idea” attitude to make that happen. So let’s not waste anymore time, shall we? Here are three actions you can take now — before we even hit 2012 — to end next year with a better balance…

Many people will suggest that the best thing to do with your credit cards during these tough economic times is to cut them up with a pair of scissors. Indeed, if you are already in huge debt, you probably should stop using them and begin a payback strategy immediately. However, if you are not currently…

Ask your children to list down all the things they could do if they get a $50 or $100 bill for a day. You will be amazed by the answers. Even though you might have never talked to your kids about smart spending, kids figure out a way to set their priorities when it…

If you’re like me, there isn’t one giant, glaring unnecessary expense in your budget that you can simply eliminate and save big bucks each month. Rather, saving money comes from chipping away at lower dollar amounts that have managed to increase over time. Admittedly, it’s much less satisfying to dock yourself $10 for eating out…

It’s been just over two years since I got my first credit card. I now have three and I’m never looking back. Ah, credit cards. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways: ·         Credit cards track my spending. The problem with withdrawing money from an ATM and paying for everything in cash…

Unless you’ve got an unlimited amount of cash and a limitless line of credit, saving money is probably something that you could benefit from.  There are countless ways to save money, from coupon clipping to budgeting and shopping at discount stores, but did you know that your Android smartphone could help?  I’ve waded through the…

Another year is winding down, and that means it’s time to take a look back at what we’ve done here at Lifehack over the last 12 months. 2009 was a scary year for a lot of people – corporate layoffs, a shaky global economy, stunningly vicious politics, old wars grinding on…

CNet’s Webware 100 singles out 100 web-based applications for excellence in 10 categories. Unlike some other awards which recognize new services, the  Webware 100 are selected as “best-of-breed” from among all the applications currently available. The upshot is, there’s some pretty good apps on the list! Here, then, are my thoughts on the 10 selected…

For years now, the folks at Wisebread have been giving out great advice on living well for less. Now they’ve gathered all their wisdom together between two covers in 10,001 Ways to Live Large on a Small Budget, a new book featuring hundreds of great ideas from all their…

The global economy is plummeting and people are starting to lose hope, faith in our government practices and in their ability to be successful during these challenging times.  With millions of job losses and the media poisoning our minds with information that may be only half accurate, we need to start taking the time to…

Patrick Ritchie is the author of The Credit Road Map, an in-depth look into how the credit world works. He is a certified instructor with the Arizona Department of Real Estate. Patrick is a guest lecturer for The Ohio State University and Arizona State University MBA programs. His book…

Chances are at least one of your New Year’s resolutions had to do with money. So how are you doing on your budget? I can’t count the number the times I’ve created budgets only to throw in the towel and decide that they just don’t work. Usually my frustration is due to any of the…

At the base of almost every ethical system in the world is the idea that the pursuit and worship of unrighteous mammon is unfulfilling, and there is much truth to this.  While idolizing material wealth is likely to be a path to spiritual and moral poverty, it is important to remember some of the reasons…