All The Simple Dollar

Buying your children school supplies can quickly get expensive. Hamm offers six essential tips for saving money through the process.

Cheaper isn't always better. Hamm advises buying things 'for life' by looking for long-lasting items with extensive warranties and guarantees.

Don't let empty rooms in your house go to waste. If your children have moved out of your home, you can recoup the cost of unused rooms by moving, sealing off the room, or converting the room into a home office, Hamm says.

For most people, attending college is one of the most expensive investments they'll make in their lives. Hamm offers students advice on how to save money while making the most of their college experience.

Use your fear of running out of money to motivate yourself to spend wisely, make goals, and stay on track for the future, Hamm advises.

The National Park Service provides tremendous value for US travelers. If you’re planning a family summer vacation, keep our national parks and national forests in mind.

Hamm says he views a day as a big success when he spends as little as possible. Keeping your expenses under control on a day-to-day basis will help you be able to afford big, memorable experiences in the future.

No matter how lucrative a deal might seem, if an item isn't be useful for you, it's not worth buying, Hamm says.

Convenience foods like vendor sandwiches and pre-made salads can save a minute or two of your time, but the financial costs far outweigh the time saved. 

It's essential you allow yourself to be flexible with your budget, Hamm says. Recognizing that some portions of your budget (like mortgage payments) should be fixed while others (like food) change from month to month can save you from the stress of trying to stick to a rigid budget.

It's tempting to go on a big buying spree when you move into a new house, but you don't have to break the bank to furnish the place. Decorating according to your tastes (not a professional's), asking friends if they have old items they'd like to donate, and visiting Goodwill can help cut costs when you're furnishing your new home.

Shampoo bottles often force you to waste product by squeezing out too much shampoo. Here's how to save at least $13 a year and make that bottle last longer.

While Hamm has a built up a reputation for offering readers advice on living the frugal life, he says it's important to remember that frugality is not the only virtue you can try to stand by. 

It is easier to earn more money than it is to accumulate wealth. The only way to build up wealth is to make sure that, regardless of your income, you keep spending less and trying to earn more, Hamm says.

Using a mulching lawnmower, maintaining a compost bin, and planting shade trees can help cut your lawn maintenance costs and even energy bills over time. Hamm offers nine ways to save money while caring for your lawn.

We've all heard of 'keeping up with the Joneses.' But maybe its time for a new, more frugal family to enter the lexicon. 

Hamm says he was sucked into accruing debt by the sense that he needed to overspend for his education, car, and home. Hamm says the belief that debt is simply a fact of life for those in their twenties is misleading, though; he offers his advice for how to spend and save wisely.

The thought of completing financial tasks like updating life insurance policies, writing a will, or searching for health insurance may be daunting when you're busy. Hamm offers his advice on how to get things done.

Simply giving your children money on a weekly basis does not teach them anything about how to exchange effort for money. Hamm suggests giving your children a list of chores they can do around the house to earn money so they begin to appreciate their allowances.

Remembering his own wedding from ten years ago, Hamm says the little details — how expensive the cake was, or how much food you had catered — didn't matter. The people did. Hamm offers his perspective on saving money when you're planning a wedding.