Sunday, November 08, 2009
The Grand Experiment
Personal finance columnist Brian O'Connor is conducting a 10-week experiment, trying to lop $1,000 from his family's budget. In addition to weekly columns, find more updates here from Brian's blog and Twitter posts.
Your Money blog
Reader tips: Spreadsheets, coupons and Walmart, oh my!
Despite this week's miss on the savings goa in the auto/transportation category, Grand Experiment's first week of reader submissions is in, and includes some good ideas … Continued
Twitter posts from Brian O'Connor
- SaveAGrand: Pinch pennies or slash dollars? Good Bankrate.com story on the pros and cons, but penny pinchers lose. http://bit.ly/3oFDE8
- SaveAGrand: I did it! Saved even more than $100 in this week's Grand Experiment! http://bit.ly/2cdknF
- SaveAGrand: New on the blog: Contest winners and need your tips on cutting my 'Misc.' spending. What do you do? http://bit.ly/1EDhhu
- SaveAGrand: Auto costs are a pothole on the road to savings. My goal was $100 for the week, but I only hit $41.61. The shame! http://bit.ly/19D73x
- SaveAGrand: Uh-oh -- this cost-cutting thing may not be as easy as I thought. Hit a pothole in my auto costs. Advice? http://bit.ly/1EDhhu
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- Investors look to consumer for clues to recovery - 04:11 PM
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What you need to know if your bank fails
More institutions are likely to collapse because of bad loans
New York -- Dozens of banks have failed this year. What do you need to know if yours is next? - 11/05/2009
Lose your job? Rebuild your career
As the U.S. unemployment rate climbs to almost 10 percent, and Michigan sits at 15.3 percent, no industry or profession has been spared when employers needed to cut jobs. That includes fields once considered untouchable. - 11/02/2009
Brian J. O'Connor
Cutting some junk from financial trunk is slam dunk
This week's foray into frugality takes aim at the "Misc." category of my budget, the metaphorical junk drawer of family finances where old expenses go to be forgotten even though they still put a drain on the pocketbook. - 11/02/2009
7 rules for working at home
Amid high unemployment, many people are moving from employee to entrepreneur, says business etiquette expert Barbara Pachter, author of "When the Little Things Count ... And They Always Count." - 11/02/2009
Brian J. O'Connor
$1,000 savings goal hits pothole of reality
After 10,000 flops in his attempt to invent the light bulb, Thomas Edison famously said, "I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work." In that spirit, let me say that in my first week of trying to cut $1,000 from my family's monthly budget -- an even grand -- that I also did not fail. I just found four ways that won't work. - 10/26/2009
New FHA condo rules may hinder mortgages
The Federal Housing Administration is ready to implement new rules that could, in some cases, make it harder to get a mortgage to buy a condominium unit. - 10/26/2009
5 ways to protect a child's ID
Children have become especially attractive targets for identity thieves, because youngsters have unblemished credit records, making it easier for thieves to take out loans in a child's name. - 10/26/2009
Brian J. O'Connor
Follow Metro family's effort to cut monthly budget
Starting today and for the next 10 weeks, I'll devote this column to taking my own family budget apart, line-by-line, in a project called the Grand Experiment. Each week, I'll sift through one of our 10 largest spending categories, looking to lop $100 off of each one until we've cut our monthly spending by $1,000 -- an even grand. - 10/19/2009
Your budget buddy: How to track your own spending
Whether you're using a computer program, online budgeting service such as Mint.com, or just a legal pad and a pencil, money expert Robin Thompson says a budget system needs to include your monthly spending, your big annual bills and monthly savings for your financial goals. It also needs to help you adjust your spending from day to day to keep on track. Here's how to start: - 10/19/2009
Economy watch: 10 college majors with job openings
It's just the beginning of the school year, but students may fret over their college-to-career transition. The key is to choose an academic major connected to stable jobs, or those considered necessary despite fluctuations in the economy. - 10/19/2009
Lucrative mortgage deals are likely to last a few more months, experts say
If you've been waiting to see how low mortgage rates can go, you can stop. This is it. The latest surveys show the national average rate on 30-year mortgages stayed below 5 percent for the second or third week in a row, depending on which surveys you choose. While these ultra-low rates aren't likely to last for long, experts say rates will hover around 5.5 percent for at least a few months more. - 10/12/2009
Brian O'Connor
Need some job luck? Be a suck-up
If you're out of a job, it could be a long while until you find someone willing to give you a new one. And if you've got a job, chances are you want to keep your boss completely happy. - 10/12/2009
Job hunters must match dress, image with credentials
To land a job these days, prospective job seekers need more than an impressive resume. Their dress and image need to mirror their credentials. Dick Lerner, a certified wardrobe consultant and certified custom clothier, points out, "An investment in an appropriate wardrobe is an investment in career success." - 10/12/2009
Economy watch
3 proven tactics to land a job
The "Job-Hunter's Survival Guide" is a slim, paperback manual of little more than 100 pages, chock-a-block with bullet points and tips. - 10/12/2009
Choices available as heat costs fall
As experts predict lower home heating bills this winter, alternative gas suppliers in Michigan are attempting to lure customers with competitive fixed rates. - 10/07/2009




Award-winning Your Money columnist Brian J. O'Connor of The Detroit News offers news and practical personal finance advice.


