Consumer Spending Successes or Excesses?

Although it’s hard for Mr. Tough Money Love to concede that any spending is a financial “success”, I’ve decided to go for it regarding two events that occurred over the weekend. You can jump my case after you read if you think I deserve it. Read more

Please Send Sezmi to Save Me Money

Another competitor to the Comcast Cable monster has launched. If it works – I want it. The service is Sezmi and it has officially launched in Los Angeles with Best Buy as its retail partner. It claims to be a $20/month alternative to cable and satellite TV. This does not include the cost of broadband Internet, which you must have to use the Sezmi service. Also needed – a Sezmi DVR box to download and record your desired programs. Read more

Bargain Babe Anniversary Giveaway

Mr. ToughMoneyLove is not big into the giveaway scene beyond giving away my version of the hard truth.  However, I do appreciate bloggers who provide value to their readers in short and to-the-point posts.  Bargain Babe is one of those.  So I’ve decided to help her celebrate her first blogoversary by promoting her giveaway. Read more

Compare Spending with Your Peers

I just learned about the launch of a new site that allows visitors to compare their spending habits with their peers. The exact sources of the spending data are unknown but it is broken down by age group, marital/kid status, income, and geography. Read more

Hard Truth Week in Review – Bad Knee Edition

It’s been a little quiet here at ToughMoneyLove. I had some outpatient surgery on my knee last Friday and have been groggy since then from the pain medication. Read more

‘Tis the Season to be Saving

The retailers are nervous about the final outcome of the Christmas selling season. Do they have reason to be concerned? It seems that they do. Read more

Black Friday Spenders: Wasting Away in Hamsterville

I ignored Black Friday – and shopping altogether – this year. Instead, I enjoyed time with family. Mr. ToughMoneyLove shopped on Black Friday once. My oldest son and I decided a few years ago to snap up some needed tech bargains at Best Buy. We arrived early (but not before hundreds of others looking to score bigger deals), bought a few things on our list, went home, and fell back asleep by 7:00 AM. I won’t be doing that again anytime soon, if ever. It’s rare these days that I would want or need to buy something that would be deeply discounted on Black Friday. Read more

Lifestyle Changes by Design

Tomorrow Mrs. ToughMoneyLove and I are joining two of our sons (and a wonderful significant other) in a 600 mile one-day car trip to a Thanksgiving get-together with extended family. Read more

Making Small Sacrifices Count

You hear and read a lot of debate about the value in making small sacrifices in your spending. Many habitual spenders resist the call to cut out their discretionary purchases of small items, e.g., that morning latte’ or lunchtime meal out. It’s part of their enjoyment of life, they say, and the costs are insignificant compared to their finances as a whole. To them, not having that daily treat is more than saving money – it’s sacrificing something of value. Read more

Holiday Spending Guide for a New Economy

If you are watching the stock market, listening to the politicians in charge, and reading the popular press, maybe you are starting to build some confidence in our economy. After all, there is nothing wrong with having some optimism during difficult times. The important question is what you do with that optimism. The politicians in charge and retailers want you to convert that optimism into spending. Mr. ToughMoneyLove has different ideas. Read more

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