I visited the vet's office this week to pick up the flea & heart worm medication my dog takes on a monthly basis. As always, I was given the option of getting a 6 or 12-month supply. This particular  brand, which comes in the form of a pill, is both effective and expensive. It's the only … Continue reading Spending More to Save More →

With reports of international trade beginning to rebound as the world shakes off its isolationist tendency following the financial downturn of half-a-decade ago, reports that shopping in the Middle East is about to enter a new expansive phase is another indicator of good times ahead. There's no country better equipped to lead the nascent recovery … Continue reading Shock and Awe as Dubai Looks to Take Shop Until You Drop to Another Level →

In a world where it's so easy to lose yourself in the minutiae of personal finance, one very useful exercise is to see where most of your money is going. I've decided to share this publicly for 2012 and show you where our family spends the big bucks. There are three big areas for us: … Continue reading My Biggest Expenses of 2012 →

Reimbursable expenses (expenses for which you expect to be paid back by someone else) are a double-edged sword. In theory, expenses that are reimbursable should cost you nothing--a check deposited into the bank equal to whatever burden you took on in the first place. In practice, these expenses can get tricky, cumbersome and downright frustrating to … Continue reading Smart Strategies for Handling Reimbursable Expenses →

I had an experience last week that rattled me a bit. I was getting major repair work done on our beloved rental car for the first time since we bought it two years ago, and a dealer error almost cost me $106 in erroneous charges. I’ll walk you through what happened and share some tips … Continue reading How to Fight to Get Your Invoice Corrected →

Shopping at warehouse clubs is something that comes up a lot in the personal finance community. Readers pose questions like these often: Are the items actually cheaper? Is the membership cost worth it? What do I buy and what do I avoid? Which is better--Sam’s, Costco, BJ’s or (insert yours here)? I’d like to share … Continue reading The Complete Guide to Warehouse Club Shopping →