We all love saving money on items we buy – but getting stuff for free is even better. Thanks to the Freecycle Network, finding freebies is now easier than ever. Plus, using the site is a great way to get rid of clutter in your home, and it costs nothing. The concept of Freecycle is [...]

What Is the Freecycle Network – Give & Get Free Stuff is a post from the Money Crashers personal finance blog.

Even when it’s not the holiday shopping season, many people still find themselves in a quandary looking for that perfect gift for the ones they love. Whether it’s for a birthday, an anniversary, or “just because,” you can never go wrong giving an electronic gadget. Though you may think that investing in an electronic device may [...]

10 Cool Electronic Gadget Gift Ideas for Around $50 is a post from the Money Crashers personal finance blog.

As my children grow older, more people are becoming involved in their lives through school and extracurricular activities. These teachers and coaches have had quite an impact on my children, and I want them to feel appreciated during the holidays and at the end of the year. But as the list grows, the financial impact [...]

10 Unique & Inexpensive Holiday Gift Ideas for Teachers is a post from the Money Crashers personal finance blog.

The unemployment rate numbers are still startling, even after so many months of recession. A reported 9.1% of Americans are out of work, and this percentage does not include those who have given up looking for a job. Look more closely at the Hispanic and African-American populations, and the unemployment numbers rise even more: 11.3% [...]

Starbucks’ Create Jobs for USA – Can It Help Small Businesses? is a post from the Money Crashers personal finance blog.

If you know someone living in a nursing home, give them a gift this holiday season that they’ll treasure. Most items appropriate for retirement home residents are inexpensive gifts, and they’re easy to select if you know a little about the recipient’s hobbies and preferences. Do they enjoy games, reading, or music? Do they enjoy watching [...]

10 Holiday Gift Ideas for Nursing Home Residents & Elderly Seniors is a post from the Money Crashers personal finance blog.

Every family seems to have a member who either has everything, or desires nothing – yet we still feel obligated to give them a gift during the holidays. Oftentimes, too much money is spent on a gift they barely use. This year, give up on buying expensive gifts. If you have children, make something that [...]

7 Homemade Photo Crafts That Make Great Gifts is a post from the Money Crashers personal finance blog.

I have a bad habit of buying clothes and never wearing them, or buying something specifically for one occasion and never wearing it again. As a result, I always seem to have a closet stuffed with clothing in great condition that I know I’ll never wear. While I could sell on eBay or sell on [...]

Where to Donate Used or Old Clothes to Charity is a post from the Money Crashers personal finance blog.

A few months ago, I decided that buying furniture online would be an ideal way to refurnish my house. However, when the pieces started to arrive, I quickly realized that much of my older furniture had to go. At first, I planned to sell on Craigslist or run some eBay auctions, but in the end, I [...]

Where to Donate Used Furniture to Charity is a post from the Money Crashers personal finance blog.

I love books. I stop at every bookstore I pass and usually pick up at least one new book, if not more. My love of books is no secret, and friends and family always know what to get me for Christmas and for my birthday. The result is that I have an enormous collection! Though [...]

Where to Donate Used Books – 10 Places to Start is a post from the Money Crashers personal finance blog.

Gift cards, both cash cards and store specific ones, have become popular for birthdays, graduations, and all other “gift giving” occasions. They present a handy way to personalize an individual gift, while still allowing the recipient to pick out what they like. In this article, we’ll go over the different types of gift cards, why retailers [...]

Gift Cards 101: How to Buy, Sell & Redeem Different Types of Gift Cards is a post from the Money Crashers personal finance blog.

Once you’ve decided to make your own gift baskets, it’s easy to get stuck in the trap of spending more on them than you expected to. The last thing you want is for your crafty endeavor to cost more than a store-bought gift. After all, you’re doing it to save some dough, right? Having made [...]

How to Make a Gift Basket at Home with Cheap Supplies is a post from the Money Crashers personal finance blog.

As everyone knows, you can deduct charitable contributions on your taxes. That’s why December is such a great month for charities, as everyone  is in the holiday spirit and gets ready for tax season! But even beyond writing a check, there are many ways to help the less fortunate while lowering your tax bill. The [...]

Tax Deductions for Charitable Contributions & Donations is a post from the Money Crashers personal finance blog.

“We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.” -Sir Winston Churchill Did you know that there are 13 human behaviors that, when we engage in them regularly, can engender happiness with 92% probability? According to the Human Thriving Foundation, a non-profit group of doctors and scientists who [...]

The Power of Random Acts of Kindness and 18 Ways & Ideas for How to Change the World is a post from the Money Crashers personal finance blog.

When I moved to Atlanta and started going to my current church, I wanted to get involved by joining a ministry. As it so happened, they were holding a ministry fair, and I decided to check it out. I walked around and looked at all the booths to see where I would best fit. I [...]

What is Stewardship? – How To Live A Lifestyle of Charitable Giving is a post from the Money Crashers personal finance blog.

The reason why Christmas is a national holiday, whether you celebrate it or not, is because it symbolically represents the season of giving. Many of the other religious holidays in December including Hanukkah and Kwanzaa are the same way. Personally, I’m a giver. It’s more fun for me to figure out unique ways to bless [...]

4 Creative Ways to Give Back to the Community This Holiday Season is a post from the Money Crashers personal finance blog.

Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and the surrounding months are all about shopping for cheap holiday gifts. But this year, instead of just looking out for ways to save money this holiday season for yourself, why not give gifts that actually help your loved ones save money on gifts as well? Here are 5 of my favorite [...]

5 Unique & Frugal Christmas Holiday Gift Ideas That Help Save Money is a post from the Money Crashers personal finance blog.

There’s no doubt regifting is a contentious issue. Some people wholeheartedly embrace regifting. Others think it’s tacky, and they’d never consider doing it. According to a survey done by Consumer Reports, 36% of people regifted last holiday season. And surprisingly, the higher your income, the likelier you are to have engaged in regifting. Personally, I’m [...]

5 Tips On Proper Unwanted Gifts Regifting Etiquette is a post from the Money Crashers personal finance blog.

I love buying presents for other people. It’s essentially an excuse to shop but with a legitimate purpose. However, indiscriminate gift shopping doesn’t get me very far unless I am targeted and organized. Given that now is the perfect time to start so that you’re well-prepared for the holidays, I’m going to give you an [...]

Stress Free Holiday Shopping: Make A List, Shop All Year, Start Now is a post from the Money Crashers personal finance blog.

My pastor has been doing a mini-series on stewardship and personal finance the past couple of weeks, and a lot of it was very practical, but the final week was more about how our hearts and personal tastes dictate how generous we are and how that affects the choices we make with our money. When [...]

The Difference Between Needs and Wants is a post from the Money Crashers personal finance blog.

My oldest daughter had many milestones this year. She got her drivers license, got her first car, got her first job and turned 18 just this week. Besides being a festive day full of the usual celebrations, we went to get her first bank account. Out of all the huge life-changing events she went through [...]

What I Wish I Had Taught My Daughter About Money is a post from the Money Crashers personal finance blog.