Smart Money

Does the question “What’s for dinner?” stress you out, even when you’re the one asking it? Feeding lots of hungry mouths, trying to coordinate schedules, and just working up the motivation to cook something from scratch each night make dinner a chore. Meal delivery kits were created to solve these problems. They not only eliminate…

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, the typical American family spends over $1,600.00 a year on utilities. We all could probably save significant amounts on our utilities by buying the newest and most efficient appliances, heaters and boilers. But the amount of money we’d have to pay upfront is sometimes prohibitive, and it’s difficult…

Sometimes in life, you get lucky. The person in front of you buys your coffee, you are gifted tickets for your favorite team, or you make every green light on the way to work. Of course, sometimes this luck involves money, and it has the potential to change your life. Sudden windfalls can take many…

Here at Dough Roller, we talk a lot about getting into the habit of spending less than you make. You may be looking at your budgeting and thinking, That’s impossible! But the fact is that even the savviest spenders can often find unexpected ways to save. And here’s the deal: this doesn’t have to hurt….

When it comes to saving at the pump, it seems like there’s only so much you can do. You can drive less, sure. But you still have to get to work or run errands. You can shop around for lower prices but gas stations tend to swing up or down together. One excellent way to…

The one thing I remember most about working at Kroger 30 years ago was double-coupon days. Oh, the crowds. Oh, the coupons. And Oh, the carts overflowing with groceries. My experience as a cashier explains my aversion to coupons. Still, there’s no denying that a penny saved is a penny earned. And what about $2…

If your normal weeknight dinner plans involve dining out or scrounging around the fridge for leftovers, meal planning could be exactly what you need. A great meal plan can help you eat well while saving money. With so many meal plans to choose from, which are the best meal plans? And which one is best…

My family and I were in Florida this past weekend visiting colleges for my son and daughter. We rented a car from Thrifty in Orlando for four days. While I thought I did everything possible to get the best possible deal, it turns out I made three critical mistakes that cost me about $100. So…

Over the past year or so “daily deal” sites have proliferated. Perhaps the most newsworthy daily deal site is Groupon, which Google tried to purchase last year for $6 billion. Groupon declined. These deal sites typically fall into one of four categories: Local Deals: Sites like Groupon and Living Social offer daily deals from local…