Get more out of your grocery budget — Grocery prices are nuts, and it tends to bring out our penny pinching habits. You won’t save much money by reusing pickle juice. But, it’s still satisfying to find an extra ingredient where others see something that’s thrown away. Plus, if you are making your own lactofermented pickles at home…

Some nutritional claims tell us things we need to know. Others are pure marketing. Learn which is which. — As more people get interested in their health, more and more food producers are adding nutritional claims to their labels. The problem? A lot of these claims don’t mean anything at all. They’re just buzzwords geared more toward making you buy than toward protecting your health. A few to view…

Learn how these funds can help spread out your risk and increase your earnings. — When you are trying to ride out a crazy market like this one, a good tool to have at your disposal is the ETF. An ETF is an exchange traded fund; these funds are basically like mutual funds, but you can buy them on the stock market. …

After a one-month road trip, I’m refreshed and… —

An investing option to check out for passive income. — Investing in dividend stocks is a sure way to passive income. But, most companies pay only a little per share. It takes a while before you see anything substantial. One exception to that is real estate investment trusts (REITs). It’s not unusual to see funds that pay 5% or more. …

Get face to face with you finances. — Thinking about money is intimidating. It can be scary to track how much is coming in versus going out. And, keeping track of all your expenses can feel overwhelming. I read the other day 55% of Americans don’t have a budget. …

Which paid or free background remover is best? — My digital drawing skills are still pretty primitive, so I hand draw and upload my assets. Often, I’m removing the physical background and dropping in a digital one. Other times, like today, I’m removing a background because I’m making something: stickers! This sticker with Mango (Penny’s cat) is one of…

Not sure how much to spend on groceries? A capsule list makes costs more predictable. — Inflation and supply chain issues aren’t ending soon, and we’re seeing their effects big time at the supermarket. Some days, it’s hard to know what you’ll find and how much you should be spending. If you are having difficulty regulating what you spend, or if grocery shopping is taking up…