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Five Minute Finances

Five Minute FinancesFive Minute Finances is a series of tips on how you can save significant money or reorganize your financial life in just five minutes. These tips appear Monday, Wednesday, and Friday on The Simple Dollar. The series is currently on hiatus.

Here’s the complete list of Five Minute Finances:
21. Look At Your Community Calendar
20. Drive A Different Route
19. Adjust Your Auto Insurance
18. Freeze Your Credit Cards – Literally
17. Check Your Cell Phone Minutes
16. Cancel The Channels You Don’t Watch
15. Wash Your Hands
14. Set A Tangible Savings Goal – And A Reminder Of That Goal
13. Sign Up For A Free Customer Rewards Program
12. Contact Customer Service
11. Open All Your Vents In The Winter
10. Buy Some Clothespins And A Rope
9. Make A Sandwich (Or Something Else)
8. Replace All Of Your Light Bulbs
7. Air Up Your Tires
6. Drink Lots Of Water
5. Get Started On Your 401(k)
4. Get A New High-Yield Savings Account
3. Make A Grocery List
2. Call Your Credit Card Company
1. Clean Your Car’s Air Filter

books worth budgeting for

My new book, The Simple Dollar: How One Man Wiped Out His Debts and Achieved the Life of His Dreams, is available in bookstores now. Check out some of the life-changing experiences the book has given readers!

Check out my book, 365 Ways to Live Cheap, available in bookstores everywhere! It's filled with 365 great tactics you can apply to your personal finances, from frugal tips to great ideas for managing your money.

The Simple Dollar cover image Buy the Book Amazon Barnes & Noble
365 Ways to Live Cheap Cover Image Buy the Book Amazon Barnes & Noble

Downloadables

Short, downloadable books written by me that you can save to your computer, print out, and share with others. Just $2 each.

31 Days to Fix Your Finances

31 Days to Fix Your Finances

A series of exercises helping you center your financial life around your own core values.

the one hour project

The One Hour Project

Thirty one-hour projects you can do to improve your financial situation.

twenty big ideas

Twenty Great Ideas

Twenty personal finance and development books, boiled down to three to five pages each.

building a better blog

Building a Better Blog

A collection of all of my blogging techniques - great reading if you're thinking of starting a blog of your own.

Free eBook!

Download my free 49 page personal finance book, Everything You Ever Really Needed to Know About Personal Finance On Just One Page!

Trent’s 14 Money Rules

  1. Spend Less Than You Earn
  2. Don't Over-Think Your Investments
  3. Stop Wasting Time
  4. Eliminate (and Avoid) High-Interest Debt
  5. Talk About Money (And Be Honest)
  6. Stop Trying to Impress Other People
  7. Watch Your Progress (But Make It Fun)
  8. Take Care of Your Things
  9. Do It Yourself
  10. Plan Ahead Every Time You Spend
  11. Find and Work Toward Your True Passions
  12. Build Real Friendships and Relationships
  13. Improve Yourself Every Chance You Get
  14. Give Without Strings or Regrets

Popular Discussions

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  • 446commentsFrugality and the Impression of Poverty
  • 344commentsDeconstructing Robert Kiyosaki
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  • 323commentsAsk Me Anything You Want!
  • 300commentsMaking Your Own Laundry Detergent: A Detailed Visual Guide
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  • 285commentsMeet Matthew
  • 275commentsHand-Me-Down Clothes in the Post Hand-Me-Down Era: Consumer Protectionism Gone Too Far?
  • 261commentsSix Ideas for Future Directions for The Simple Dollar – Your Thoughts?
  • 248commentsTen Dollars, Twenty Minutes
  • 242commentsYour Single Best Action For Saving Money

Recent Articles

  • Looking at Frugality as an Investment
  • When Personal Finance Advice (or Other Advice) Conflicts
  • Breaking Even on Rechargeable Batteries
  • Reader Mailbag: Fresh Salad Greens
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  • Cost-Effective Alternatives to Cable and Satellite Television
  • The Teenager's Car Conundrum
  • Ten Pieces of Inspiration #130
  • Frugality and Children
  • The Frugal Shave
  • Hobbies That Retain or Create Value
  • Reader Mailbag: Board Games with Children

Categories

  • 10 Books That Changed My Life (11)
  • 14 Money Rules (14)
  • 25 Rules To Grow Rich By (27)
  • 31 Days to Fix Your Finances (36)
  • 365 Ways to Live Cheap (362)
  • Advice (45)
  • Automobile (73)
  • Bad Spending Habits (33)
  • Banking (31)
  • Blogging (43)
  • Book Club (141)
  • Books (624)
  • Born to Buy (20)
  • Building A Better Blog (32)
  • Careers (198)
  • Charity (19)
  • Christmas (37)
  • Communication (32)
  • Community (10)
  • Computers (18)
  • Consumer Reports (1)
  • Cost Comparison (14)
  • Coupons (15)
  • Credit Cards (57)
  • Credit Reports (17)

Blogs I Read

  • Bargaineering
  • ChristianPF
  • Clever Dude
  • Consumerism Commentary
  • Deal Seeking Mom
  • Dumb Little Man
  • Five Cent Nickel
  • Freelance Switch
  • Free Money Finance
  • Frugal Dad
  • Get Rich Slowly
  • I Will Teach You To Be Rich
  • Len Penzo
  • Lifehacker
  • Man Vs. Debt
  • Money Saving Mom
  • PF Advice
  • Pick the Brain
  • Red Tape Chronicles
  • The Digerati Life
  • The Happiness Project
  • Unclutterer
  • Wise Bread
  • Zen Habits
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This website is for entertainment and educational purposes only. Material shared on this blog does not constitute financial advice nor is it offered as such. Therefore, The Simple Dollar assumes no legal liability for the completeness, accuracy, or suitability of the information provided by its authors.

Readers will also note that The Simple Dollar maintains financial relationships with certain third party merchants. If readers access and utilize the services of one of these affiliates through a link on the blog, The Simple Dollar may be compensated for the referral.

Please read the blog’s policies on privacy and image-use.

And always consult a locally licensed insurance agent, financial adviser or certified attorney before making any financial decisions.