They say variety is the spice of life, but I live my life literally, and I get my diverse kicks from actual spices, seasonings, and condiments. This is why various jars and squeeze bottles take up half my fridge, but it’s also why I eat at home almost every night.

I haven’t paid for a haircut since January.

When you read a lot of personal finance articles, you inevitably reach a point where you can’t buy a water bottle at the corner deli or buy gas without driving around to find something that’s two cents cheaper a gallon without feeling some sense of shame. Those are unnecessary purchases after all, and everyone knows that spending a few bucks you don’t have to is what leads people to unfulfilled, un-wealthy lives. Or something.

Stews are a frugal person's best friend. There's nothing more satisfying to a penny-pincher than scores of single-bowl meals made with the cheapest cuts of meat. Stew is easy, but to get the best flavours, stew meat needs a little extra care. Here are some tips.

This month, we challenged you to cut back on an expense many people overpay for: Mobile phone service. Before you make the switch, though, there are factors to consider beyond cost.

If you're on a budget and you're looking for some great ways to relax and unwind beyond just going for a walk or taking a nap, this graphic has about fifty of them, all of which may take a little time, but never any money. Best of all, it's organised chronologically, so you can try them at different parts of the day.

Last week, personal finance site Financial Samurai posted a blog that went viral: Scraping By On $500,000 A Year: Why It's So Hard For High Income Earners To Escape The Rat Race. If $500,000 is "scraping by", it's time for some serious financial literacy.

We all know that brick-and-mortar stores use all sorts of tricks to get you to spend more, but online stores are guilty of many of the same techniques. This video and graphic are a rundown of them, and how you can fight back.

Sometimes it makes sense to spend a little more money on something if it will make your life easier, save time, or last for years. And sometimes buying quality or splurging on an "investment piece" is just a waste of money. What items have you purchased for quality that you regret?

It's not too hard to find stories in the media about seemingly ordinary people finding great financial success. You hear about what seems like an ordinary guy or gal who worked in what seemed like an ordinary career path and somehow they have got a million dollars in the bank. How did they do it?

You might think it's too late to save a buck or two for those last minute gifts, or maybe that it's too late to find cash to treat yourself while you're buying for everyone else. Well, here are some ways to find some extra scratch to make the yuletide that much brighter.

Around this time of the year, I get messages and emails from folks who are struggling to figure out gifts for the frugal person in their life. What do they get for the person who is very careful with their money and doesn't seem to want anything?

Like many people who suddenly realise how bad their financial situation is, we dove hard into frugality during the first few months of our financial turnaround. It makes sense, really. Frugality is the best personal finance tactic there is for seeing immediate results.

Frugality isn't just about saving money, it's about being efficient with your money, using it in the best way possible. It also means not wasting your time. For maximum efficiency, focus on being frugal with expensive purchases, not cheap ones.

Anyone with an opinion about your budget will probably leap at the chance to tell you that cutting stuff is the only way to save. While it's true that reducing expenses is an essential part of balancing your budget, that doesn't mean that depriving yourself constantly is necessary.

It pays to focus your frugality on your biggest expenses. For most of us, that includes groceries. Some stores have better prices on certain items, but it can be a waste of time to hop from one store to another. Instead, pick the store with the best deals on food staples, then stick to it.

You can typically get a discount on big purchases like appliances or electronics, even at large retailers, just by haggling with the sales associate. And if you're making that purchase online, expert deal hunter Kyle James suggests haggling via live chat instead.

If you're planning a holiday this winter, it's time to start planning. In their new report, TripAdvisor reveals the best time to book lodging in 25 popular destinations.

We tend to think of budgeting and frugality as depriving ourselves. It may be more helpful to reframe the way we think about cutting back on stuff. I like the way author Joshua Becker puts it: "Your biggest expense is your greatest opportunity."