ArcaMax

Their budgets strained, Miami metro residents are distressed about life in their increasingly unaffordable community.

More than three-quarters of South Floridians report difficulty paying for usual household expenses, according to the Census Bureau’s newest Household Pulse Survey released on Thursday.

That makes greater Miami — which ...Read more

Dear Cheapskate: With all the suggestions you have made for the "best inexpensive" products in your blog EverydayCheapskate.com (which I get in my email box every weekday and love it), I don't believe I have ever seen a recommendation for dry cat food, canned cat food or cat litter. Or even pet products, for that matter. That's where I really ...Read more

Experts tell us, and I can concur wholeheartedly from my own experience, that when people admit to the worst financial decisions they've made in their lives, they often recall choices made in the grip of visceral emotions like anger, lust, anxiety and greed.

Imagine how our lives might be different if we had a couple dozen "undo" buttons to use...Read more

I won't try to kid you into thinking I'm some kind of organizational expert. I am the most disorganized person ever. My professional office is a mess. My home, remarkably, appears to be orderly, as long as you don't open a cupboard, drawer or closet.

Being disorganized steals my time, energy and money. I buy things I have already because I can'...Read more

Annuities have long been touted as a reliable way to generate income in retirement. But the upfront cost of an annuity can deter some people who believe they need a substantial net worth to make purchasing one worthwhile.

While it’s true that some annuities, especially those offering guaranteed lifetime income, require significant capital, ...Read more

Money advice -- it's available everywhere. But that doesn't mean you should take it. The wise person knows how to separate the good from the bad. Here are a few timely examples:

Bad advice: Do not save money for yourself until you have paid off your credit cards. Direct every cent you can scrape together to pay down your credit card debt as ...Read more

Q: My wife recently inherited an apartment. My wife was added to the deed some years ago to get the property as part of her mother’s estate plan. We already have a home and do not want to deal with tenants, so we decided to sell it. The closing agent tells us that the original deed to my mother-in-law from a couple of decades ago is defective ...Read more

Dear Cheapskate: I have become more thrifty and aware now that I read this column. Thank you! I wanted to return the favor by sharing a recent experience:

My family of six wanted me to make chili. I didn't have ground turkey or beef in the freezer, and I only buy meat on sale. I couldn't find either on sale in my area. I was just about to cave ...Read more

Imagine paying outrageous amounts of interest to a greedy finance company and loving every minute of it. Or how about making off-the-record, back-alley deals with a loan shark so you can skip all the credit checks and paperwork?

Impossible? Not if that loan shark is you. You'll be borrowing from yourself, making payments to yourself and ...Read more

One day as I was hurriedly putting groceries away, the fruit bowl was not within reach, so I put the fruit into the colander. It worked so well that I've been using the colander in that way ever since. And when I need a colander, no problem. I turn the fruit onto the counter, drain whatever I need to drain, then replace the fruit. Giving one ...Read more