High home prices and borrowing costs are making some aspiring buyers question whether years of down payment savings are still worth the sacrifice. Spending the money today, however, could leave them unprepared if buying conditions improve later.(Pexels). For years, aspiring homeowners were given a familiar formula: build your down payment savings, cut unnecessary expenses, and eventually buy a house. But when home prices and borrowing costs remain high, saving for years can start to feel […]

Buy now, pay later (BNPL) plans are loans, and when they’re spread across several apps, no one app shows everything you owe. Before you split another purchase, open every BNPL app you use, total what’s due in the next month, and budget that number like any other debt payment. Source

For years, store-brand groceries were often treated as the cheaper alternative shoppers bought when name brands cost too much. That perception is changing as more households discover products they enjoy just as much as their familiar national brands. According to the Food Industry Association’s 2026 Power of Private Brands report, 92% of U.S. grocery shoppers have store-brand products at home, up from 89% in 2025. Nearly half of surveyed shoppers increased their store-brand purchases over […]

“I’m sick of the scaring, the terror, the fright. I’m tired of being something that goes bump in the night. … Read more

A woman reaches inside an open refrigerator to grab a container from the middle shelf. Reorganizing produce storage by moving items like leafy greens away from crowded main shelves into designated crisper drawers ensures maximum freshness and longevity. Pexels. You bring groceries home, put everything away, and assume your refrigerator is doing its job. But where you place certain foods can affect how long they stay fresh, how quickly they spoil, and whether their juices […]

Save, invest, prosper with My Own Advisor. The shift from saving to spending – fall 2026 update Back in January 2026, I wrote this when it came to our shift from saving to (retirement) spending: My last paycheque from a decades-long career at my current employer will be arriving in a few months for me – so there is a real need… Early retiree thanks to DIY investing in stocks and ETFs. The article The […]

Some money-saving habits get called outdated. Hanging laundry on a rack, borrowing books instead of buying them, wearing hand-me-downs, cooking dinner from whatever was on sale. Plenty of people have written them off as too much work or too old-school. But with grocery bills, utility bills, and just about everything else costing more, these habits are looking pretty smart again. They’re simple, they’re cheap, and they work whether you live frugally by choice or because you have to. Here are 11 old-fashioned frugal habits that are quietly making a comeback. Some will fit your life right away. Others may feel out of touch, and that’s okay. The best frugal tips are the ones that work for you. Hang Your Clothes To Dry Using a drying rack to hang your clothes will save you money on your electric bill. It also makes your clothes last longer, so you need to replace them less often. That’s a lot of reasons to make the switch. If a full rack in the living room isn’t your thing, start with just the heavier items like towels and jeans, which cost the most to dry. Use the Library (For More Than Books) Having a library card is one of the biggest ways you can live cheaply. I don’t buy books anymore. If you have a Kindle or another e-reader, you can download free books from your library’s Libby app any time of day. And books are just the start. Many libraries also offer games you can borrow, discounted passes to museums, and plenty of other free or cheaper perks. If you don’t have a card yet, get one. Wear Hand-Me-Downs My kids and I wear really lovely hand-me-downs. You can trade clothes with other families or shop at thrift stores to find nice things for you and your kids. One trick that helped me: before each season, I decide how many of each clothing item my kids need and only buy that amount. Sales were causing me to overbuy until I set it up this way. Eat at Home and Get Creative We experiment at home. We don’t go to bakeries; we figure out something fun to make with the kids instead. You can make so many meals and treats at home with a little planning and creativity. It costs far less than takeout or the bakery counter, and it turns into a family activity. Stock Your Freezer Keep your freezer full of meals so you don’t reach for takeout when you’re stressed or overwhelmed. When you cook, double the recipe and freeze the extra. Soups freeze well and are perfect for this. Freezer meals are especially helpful before a major holiday or when you’re having a baby. And if you have the space, a large freezer can pay for itself in six months or less. A garage or covered patio works if you have an outlet nearby. Don’t toss those slightly browning bananas, either. Freeze them for cheap smoothies and snacks.

Get the Fidelity® Rewards Visa Signature® Credit Card if you’re already a Fidelity customer. Its 2% back comes only as a deposit to an eligible Fidelity account, such as a brokerage account or IRA, and it can make those deposits automatically each month. Without a Fidelity account, choose a 2% card that pays cash. Source