When times are tough and money’s tight, decorating your home may be put on the back burner. But if you’re anything like me, not decorating your home may drive you up your un-painted walls. I mean, really, the beauty that exists in your home can be a catalyst for creativity, peace and calm. So what do you do if you want to decorate but have a limited budget? Let’s take a look at a few ways to stretch the dollar while beautifying your home, including painting, purchasing on the cheap and using some tried-and-true decorating tips.

Paint It!

Join our guest blogger Mitchell Pauly for a serious topic with some hilarious twists: The Purpose of College.

“There is a time and place for everything…and it’s called college.” -Chef (South Park)

Today is cold and windy, and as I stare out my window into the dreary November chill, I know that winter is not far off. Sigh. I suppose it comes every year, so I shouldn’t be surprised that it’s on its way again. Yet I am.

I’m surprised at how quickly the year went. It flew by, seemingly faster than before, and I’m left dreading the next six months of cold, wind, snow and sleet (I guess I’m not cut out to be a mailman, huh?).

For many reasons – jobs, education, economy, etc. – many of us find ourselves needing or wanting to move from our native soil into areas where we might not know a lot of people. Going this route alone is hard, but what are parents to do when this move involves children?

America is a nation where everything is bigger. We super-size meals, cars and even houses. We are the proud nation that invented McMansions after all, and many of us expect to one day advance on our property ladder to the seven bedroom monstrosity that seems to have become a large part of the American dream. Really, who wouldn’t want more space in which to truly live?

Since I've started really using coupons combined with sales to help save money on stuff I was buying already, I've also started connecting with friends across the country who are of a like mind.

It's been pretty eye-opening; prices differ on staples across the country and stores can vary a lot in their coupon policies. So today I'm tackling a problem posed by some of my friends outside of my neck of the woods.

Q: My local store does not double the value of my coupons; how am I supposed to super-coupon when they won't even double?

When first investing in the stock market, there are many new financial terms. So many, in fact, that sorting through all of the new-to-you definitions can seem more than a little daunting. However, with a little time and determination, you can begin to discover exactly what some of these terms mean and how they can apply to your stock research and purchase plans. Let’s look at one of these definitions: the Interest Coverage Ratio.

What is Interest Coverage Ratio?

While I was laid up over the weekend with a torturous toothache, I watched a lot of movies. Some were cute, others thrilling, but only one of the four was really memorable: “Soul Surfer”. This flick was recommended by a friend, and I put off renting it for a while because it didn’t really appeal to me. Big mistake on my part; “Soul Surfer” was beautiful and inspiring at the same time.

First off, let me tell you what a vested balance is not. It isn't coordinating an outfit so that a vest and shoulder pads are balanced and symmetrical. It also isn't a phase of my life during middle school in which vests made up a large balance of my wardrobe (come on, it was the late '80s!). In fact, as disappointing as it might sound, a vested balance really has nothing to do at all with any kind of a vest that you wear (insert disappointed sigh here).

Simply Put: Vesting Defined

Last week I tried to avoid health care costs. Twice. Yes, twice. The first time, I had an earache that I didn’t think I really needed to have checked out, and the second time was a (related) toothache that didn’t present itself in time for treatment before the weekend. But by trying to avoid these costs, I spent more money than I would have had I treated them right away. Why? Well, I self-treated. Let’s take a look.

Healthcare: The Expensive Route