The average wedding in the US cost nearly $28,000 in 2012, according a survey conducted by The Knot. I’ll give you a minute to pick yourself up off of the floor after reading that figure. Just to give you some perspective, $28,000 is about the same as a year of college at some schools or...  Read more

Loss of employment can be a very emotionally difficult time. Fears about finding a new job and anxieties over how to make ends meet have the potential to rob you of sleep and hurt your self-esteem. However, you’re not completely without options. There are a few simple things you can do, some wise decisions you...  Read more

Summer heat and parties don’t always mix well. The combination can be a recipe for foodborne illness. Earlier this spring, the Centers for Disease Control reported a 43% increase in Vibrio cases during 2012, and a 14% increase in Campylobacter. The former often stems from eating raw oysters, the latter, from undercooked poultry and produce....  Read more

Walter Mischel, a psychologist and professor at Stanford University, led an experiment in 1970 that offered a choice to small children: eat one marshmallow instantly or wait 15 minutes and receive another. Follow-up studies of the same children after 15 years showed that 100% of those who could resist temptation were wholly more successful; they...  Read more

June 18th is National Splurge Day, a day dedicated to throwing caution to the wind and getting yourself something nice. After all, what good is all the financial restraint in the world if you never get to enjoy the fruits of your labor? National Splurge Day is a day for you to give yourself something...  Read more

Lately, everyone seems to be talking about a million dollars. For example: “A million dollars isn’t what it used to be,” the New York Times reports. For now, let’s sidestep the debate about whether a million dollars is a lot of money or not and focus on a question we’ll all face at some point, if...  Read more

We like to think the Mint team has thought of pretty much everything when it comes to budgeting and spending money. But occasionally a question comes up that needs clarification – like how to track spending that is unbudgeted. By unbudgeted, I mean spending that doesn’t fall into a category you’ve designated, like your car...  Read more

Caring for a dog is by no means cheap. Annual costs can exceed $800, according to one survey by The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, with a year’s worth of food and treats for a large dog setting owners back more than $300 on average. But spoiling rewarding your dog with...  Read more

Credit cards are evil, credit cards entice you to get into debt, and credit cards are just plain bad news. This is the message a small, but very vocal, minority of rabid consumer advocates would have you believe. Thankfully they’re all wrong, as credit cards are a very safe and efficient way of transacting commerce...  Read more

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) recently introduced the Federal Student Loan Refinancing Act, a piece of legislation that calls for the refinancing of all higher-rate Federal Direct and Federal Family Education (FFEL) student loans at 4% interest. She estimates that her plan will assist nine out of 10 students who borrowed under the various federal education loan programs. The...  Read more