cheapskate
Jeff Yeager - aka "the Ultimate Cheapskate" - is AARP's savings expert and host of the weekly Web show The Cheap Life, produced by AARP and airing on YouTube. He's also the author of four popular books about frugal living, including his most recent, How to Retire the Cheapskate Way. Jeff will be a guest on AARP Live on Thursday, June 19, so we sat down with him in advance to chat about retirement planning and living, cheapskate-style.
It's the kind of news story that makes national headlines every year or two: A person of seemingly modest means secretly amasses a small (or not so small) fortune while leading a frugal lifestyle, only to reveal that wealth by giving it all away to charity.
With plenty of sunny days still ahead - but with summer vacation nearing its sunset for kids and grandkids - here's a fun, inexpensive and educational project to do with the young people in your life during the dog days of summer. Build a simple solar oven (aka a "solar cooker") from repurposed household items. It will not only amaze and amuse kids of all ages, but it really works. And it will save you money and keep the heat out of the kitchen, unlike a conventional oven.
With summer nearly half over, your outdoor living areas and accessories probably need some halftime sprucing up. Here are some inexpensive ways to refresh your patio and deck areas so that you can really enjoy the final weeks of summer.
Summertime is family reunion time! Seeing the entire clan at a family reunion can be a lot of fun, but it can also get pretty pricey. And you definitely don't want anyone in the family to feel uncomfortable or not attend because of the cost. Here are some tips for keeping it cheap, and keeping it fun.
You may have noticed that I love to celebrate special days and months throughout the year, having used this space before to call your attention to everything from National Adopt a Cat Month to National Tapioca Pudding Day.
Did you know that June 18 is National Splurge Day? I kid you not. It's the one day of the year when it's officially OK to pull out all the stops and indulge yourself, assuming that that's not already your standard operating procedure when it comes to spending money the other 364 days of the year.
Check out this week's episode of my weekly AARP web show on YouTube for some money-saving gardening tips and a chance to win a $50 gift card. Be sure to subscribe to the show (it's FREE and easy - just click on the "subscribe" icon and follow the prompts), that way you'll be eligible for a shot at the prizes if you leave me your tips.
Dollar stores: Love 'em or hate 'em? This week's episode of "The Cheap Life" looks at the deals/no deals of shopping at dollar stores. Leave me a comment telling me what you think (on the YouTube page, not here) for a chance to win a $50 gift card ... and see Little Jeff scrubbing up in the bathtub!
More Americans are apparently going to be saying amore for a-lesse this Valentine's Day.