We are faced with this question almost on a daily basis – Should I use paper or plastic to manage my money? Credit cards and debit cards are an incredible source of convenience. Having those items in our wallet probably saves us a few hours each week but they also cost us a lot more than we even realize because of a number of reasons. Are you are still trying to decide what’s better for you? There are pros and cons to both.

 SAFETY:   I’d have to say that cash is almost perfectly safe when compared to credit or debit cards.

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There are many things you should always buy used if you want to save your money. Sure we all love the excitement of going to a store and buying something brand new. It’s nice to tear off the packaging, read through the instruction manual and know that we are the first to use it. In some cases even the smell can be a bit of a rush or listening to the bindings crinkle into place for the first time has a certain allure. Is paying 3 or 4 times as much really worth it?

Here is a list of 4 things you should buy used to save thousands of dollars in your lifetime:

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We are still in the midst of the deepest recession in more than sixty years. Many American’s have lost their jobs, have been forced to sell their homes at a loss and are left wondering if we are ever going to get out of this mess. I decided to do a little research that may be useful in these troubled times and discovered some great do’s and don’ts that may be very helpful.

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The year is 2029. The Chicago Cubs finally ended their 120 year World Series drought with a stunning game 7 victory over the Red Sox, who were trying to win the Fall Classic for the 12^th straight year. The first Hydrogen-Flying Vehicle hit the skies in March of this year, Will Ferrell recently won an Oscar for Best Actor and your first child is graduating from high school and hopes to attend college in September.

 Life is great. You are less than 5 years from retirement but suddenly realize that little Billy needs some money for his degree. The personal finance basics you wished you followed years ago are leaving you with one question: How am I going to afford that? You could sell your home and move to something smaller, take out a line of credit or tap into your retirement nest egg and put in a few more years at the office. Don’t you wish you started thinking about this a little sooner? Like 18 years ago?

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Written by: Gary Foreman

 Brad Tuttle, a blogger with Time.com, asked a number of people involved with frugal living what things they would and would not spend money on. It’s an interesting question. He’s running the answers on his blog

<http://cheapskate.blogs.time.com/2009/07/20/what-will-a-cheapskate-spend-good-money-on-part-i/>.

  I like the question. Being frugal, at least to me, doesn’t always mean getting the cheapest item possible. It’s a matter of balancing the cost of the item, the quality of the item, and the level of quality you need for your use. So here are the answers that I came up with.

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  In my last post I talked about how college was one of the most rewarding experiences in my life but it also left me with a fair amount of debt. I realized that it doesn’t take much to accumulate debt, especially when your income is next to nothing. It also doesn’t take long to become despondent when you see your personal finances dip further and further into the red. There is hope! I have created a list of four tips can be useful in helping you start to erase your college debt!

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