budget

Your Dry Cleaning Bill's About to Get Worse

If your weekly dry cleaning bill already has you cringing, brace yourself for more pain. As soon as your next pickup, prices may be higher -- and it's all because of wire hangers.

Perfect Prom on a Budget: 13 Ways to Spend Less, Still Shine

Prom has gotten almost absurdly pricy: The average teen this year will spend $1,078 on the spring formal. Be smarter than average, and try these tips from consumer expert Andrea Woroch that could save you and your teen a ton, without making the night any less special.

All the Heart, Half the Cost: Your Budget Valentine Ideas

In search of gifts that say more about the heart than the wallet, we asked our readers for inexpensive but meaningful ideas for Valentine's Day. They came through with a number of fine ways to demonstrate your love without busting your budget.

How to Fire Your Boss Within 10 Years

Imagine how empowering it would feel to spend your working hours doing a job that truly invigorates your mind, body and soul. To get there, you may well need to be willing to fire your boss -- But you can get there.

Free Retirement Help You're Probably Ignoring

More workers now have access to professional retirement planning advice through their employers' 401(k) providers, but three-quarters of them aren't taking it. Here's a guide to making the best use of that free, unbiased advice and tips on what to ask the financial planners.

A 4-Step Plan to Start Climbing Out of Debt Today

It can happen anytime after you get your first credit card. One day you look at the bill, and even the minimum payment is almost out of reach. Years of purchases spell out what seems to be a lifetime of repayments and a fortune in interest. Don't despair. You can climb out. Here's how.

Junk Mailers Get a Break on Postage. You Don't.

Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe has announced his latest initiative to save the post office from bankruptcy. (Hint: Improving customer service isn't a part of it.) His master plan: Hike the cost of mailing a letter for real people, and cut prices for junk mail.

Money-Life Balance: What It Is and How to Get It

We're all know about work-life balance -- the idea of hitting that sweet spot where one's home life is rich and full, and doesn't collide with one's career. But how about money-life balance, when you can enjoy your earnings without racking up uncomfortable debt? Too few of us have that: Here are some tips on how to get it.

Would You Do Your Banking at the Post Office?

Could your bank teller could go postal? Offering basic consumer banking services in the form of prepaid debit cards is just one of many ideas the U.S. Post Office is considering to boost its bottom line. And even with stamp costs going up to 45 cents, the USPS is in dire need of outside-the-box solutions to its budget woes.

Balancing Student Loans With Saving for Retirement

A 52-year-old single mom needs to save for retirement, but her cash flow is strangled by rising student loan payments for herself and her sons. How can she minimize her loan payments and free up cash for retirement savings? DailyFinance's Laura Rowley offers some tips.

Are You Photoshopping Your Finances?

It's one thing to use Photoshop to make your waistline look slimmer in your snapshots. Many people also take a distorted view of their finances, fooling themselves about the health of their balance sheets. Here are some common self-deceptions.

How to Dig Yourself Out of Credit Card Debt

U.S. credit card debt shrank 5% in the second quarter from a year ago, approaching 10-year lows. It's not just due to banks, which have written off uncollectible debts. Learn how consumers are taking control of their finances and how you can too.

Medicare's Next Patient: The Federal Budget Deficit

As the federal super committee looks for $1.5 trillion in cuts, it's clear that fixing the federal budget will mean tackling big items -- including Medicare, America's most popular social program and one of its most expensive.

Millionaire Matchmaker: Tips for Budget Dating

She may specialize in dating for millionaires, but The Millionaire Matchmaker's Patti Stanger also knows how to have a good time on the cheap. Here's her advice for planning fun dates on a budget.