Partying, though usually considered synonymous with extravagance, need not necessarily be an event that burns a hole in your pocket. Another myth that many of us have to remove from our minds is that economical partying is devoid of all fun. It is not so. Partying can be great fun even at modest expenditure. A party is more about innovative ideas rather than spending. So exercise your grey cells and get set for a great party at low cost. Here are some ideas that might help you to have a wonderful New Year bash on a budget: Want to go out for a movie? Just wait! I have a better idea! Why don’t you bring in the movie DVD and call in your gang? Your home is a better venue in comparison to the movie theatre when with friends. You don’t have to sit glued to a chair for two hours! Just make  [...] 

ATM service has really made life a song for me! Since the time banks started offering it to this day, there are very few situations when I’ve had to stay for long hours in a bank customer queue to withdraw money or to find out my account balance. I simply visit an ATM counter of my bank and withdraw money or take a printed statement of the amount of money in my account. When I am out of town, I have absolutely no hassles in withdrawing money because there are ATM counters everywhere, even though some of them may belong to different banks. But all this convenience comes at a cost you know, and the point to be considered is whether you can afford it. I was taken aback when I came to know from a Billshrink infographic that the ATM fee business amounts to a whopping $2 billion industry! You are  [...] 

Not so long ago, the US dollar ruled the currency world with utmost elegance, but now like an injured monarch on the battlefield, it is valiantly trying to regain its initial status. The recession has damaged the value of the dollar and reestablishing its past glory looks quite uncertain now. But some optimists feel that the dollar can rule the world once more if it is redesigned and rebranded. Better social acceptance and mental connectivity are the motives, according to marketing psychologists, which have driven dollar architects such as Richard Smith into giving the dollar a new look. While on the subject of the dollar design, you can take a look at these snaps of the dollar in earlier times as presented on Mintblog. Richard Smith feels that the devaluation of the dollar has not got as much  [...] 

Come holidays and almost every store, big or small, has some sale or the other to attract shoppers. The words such as “Sale”, “Discount”, “50 % Off” on a shop window invariably pull you into the shop and make you buy things. Now you should put a stop to this. Holiday sales are always not worth your time and effort. Just check out why: The quoted sale prices are most often ridiculous! Be careful of the wording used to bait customers. What is the difference between selling 1 pack of potato fries for $2.50 and 2 packets for a bargain sale price of $5.00? If you are alert to these subtle tactics, you’ll save yourself a lot of money. If you want to know about more sales tactics visit a good website like This Is Money. The shopping crowd is maddening and sometimes fatal! Most often  [...] 

Going to watch a movie at an entertainment plaza is a fun event! More than the movie, I enjoy the French fries, ice cream and popcorn that I get to eat while watching the movie. I’m sure even you love that too! I and my friends usually pick up snacks from our favorite fast food outlets in the city and hurry to the theatre. But now, it seems all that is going to come to end because entertainment centers are banning outside food. You’ve got to eat from their concession counters. Well, that’s not a big deal! The food at cinema houses is pretty delicious, but don’t you think your choice gets limited by this? Also during the recession, you might have planned to save up on your food expenditure by carrying homemade snacks to the theatre. But now, you are left with no option but to satisfy  [...] 

Of all human idiosyncrasies, reluctance to part with household crap is one of the less rarely seen phenomenons. We have our own reasons. Some of us never seem to cease finding an obsolete article “very useful” in future, while some of us are simply attached to them as though they are priceless mementos that need to be securely kept and maintained for a life time! Apart from this, the third reason is that we are pretty lazy and/or don’t find time to clean up our houses. Whatever the reason accumulating household crap results in your spending money on it, which you could have put to better use. Waste Furniture and Appliances Occupy Greater Space In my house, there’s some old furniture that hardly finds any use. I have hired a huge apartment to accommodate that furniture and am paying  [...] 

There are two kinds of people in this world …one who let destiny rule them and another who rule their destinies. If you thought that all the rich and successful people of the world started off with oodles of money, and reaching the pinnacle of success was a cake walk for them, here are the stories of 10 entrepreneurs who made it to the top from scratch. When I read about them on Mintblog, my morale got boosted very much. It’s true that the tough economic times have made thinking big less practical these days. But never lose heart. Just see how these exemplary persons have made it to the top in their lives despite hardships and try to follow them. Can you imagine that Ross Perot, one of the most successful business persons of the 1900s was the son of a horse trader? He was put to work  [...] 

Generally, Americans are known for their habit of excessive spending. But the recent recession has taught them the lesson of frugality, though in the harsh way. Recession or not, Americans should learn to increase their bank balances. Their financial literacy quotient should increase and their money management skills should improve. Whether you are a homemaker or a busy professional, making the most of your assets should be topmost on your mind. Here are some ways in which you could do that. Go ahead and claim your tax refunds. Every year, it seems the IRS has some millions of money from unclaimed tax refunds. Now, the IRS is not to be blamed for that. Isn’t it your duty to provide a forwarding address to the IRS once you change your address?   [...] 

I wonder how many charitable donors could continue with their donations during and post recession. According to Charity Navigator most donors are recipients. Now, that is understandable because the economical epidemic has depleted the financial resources of most of us. Of the few donations that are being received, most are not being used for the purpose they are meant for. So many, like me, have stopped donating money. What’s the use of parting with your hard earned money, if it is not begin used for the intended noble cause ? But genuine organizations that are in need of charity funds to power their survival and operations, are suffering due to lack of money and it is our responsibility to see that we continue donating for their cause. But this time, we need to exercise some caution in making  [...] 

First the media made us believe that we were buried deep in debts till our nose and the economy was shrinking by leaps and bounds every month. The giants fell quicker than the sand leaving thousands of dejected and misfortunate faces on the street to search some other working shelter. Then the same media represented glittering faces of murky politicians that declared our laudable comeback with healthier statistics of economy and new jobs. We contently fell for such pranks and kept believing in the fidelity of our hypocrite society. Now let’s check the ability veracity updates to hoodwink us on unemployment status. Recently, a sum of $15 billion was provided (as a loan) to 24 states that were unable to grant unemployment benefits to the jobless population.   [...]