When it comes to major investments, buying a home definitely tops the list. There are many ways you can get a jump on preparing for your first home purchase, including starting a savings plan. But there are plenty of other smart strategies you can also implement to make your dream home a reality. Check out these seven tips from MyBanktracker.com founder and personal finance expert Alex Matjanec Read more

I'm sure everyone can do with a little more cash in their wallets. Here are some great suggestions by Wise Bread for you to make extra money. Even though I'm self-employed full-time, I'm always looking for new and exciting ways to make more money. Earlier this year, I wrote a Wise Bread post on websites that can help you earn extra cash. More recently, I came across a blog post on Zaarly titled, Read more

We recently caught up with design expert Kelly Edwards, who has been featured on HGTV's Design on a Dime and Style Network's Tacky House for her scrappy style and ability to transform ordinary rooms into incredible spaces, even on a budget. Kelly's decorating and design expertise apply to any room in the house, but we were eager to hear her ideas specifically for lil ones, and she didn't Read more

Do you have what it takes to buy a home? Consider this exhaustive guide from Kiplinger. Tired of renting? It could be a great time to buy your first home. In many cities, home prices have bottomed, and rents have risen. Mortgage rates are still superlow. In fact, homes haven't been as affordable since 1971. On the downside, in many cities, buyers have fewer homes from which to choose and more Read more

It's hard enough to remember to put on sunscreen when you leave the house, but now you also need to make sure your sunscreen is safe to use. The Environmental Working Group has just released its 2012 Sunscreen Guide, and in order to make the list, a sunscreen must be free of oxybenzone and retinyl palmitate, not have an SPF above 50, and must be broad spectrum (protects against both UVA and UVB Read more

For 44 years, kids have been racing Hot Wheels cars around their homes, on the sidewalks in front of their houses, and, if they're my kids, down the slides on the playground. Playground play aside, most die-cast car play has been strictly horizontal since that time. Now Hot Wheels is shaking things up — really up! — and moving car play vertical! Hot Wheels Wall Tracks, the company's new line Read more

Recently, I found myself with the prospect of being in Boulder, CO, for a long weekend. It was an opportunity that I seized faster than a dog would take leftovers. Aside from being home to the University of Colorado's flagship college campus, Boulder's also known for its food-centric, health-focused, and highly educated population — last year, it was even named America's Foodiest Town by Bon Read more

We all make mistakes — we're all human after all. LearnVest shares some of the common money mistakes that women often make so readers will learn not to make them, too. Some of us handle our money flawlessly, perfectly, brilliantly, all of the time. But most of us don't. Most of us make mistakes here and there. We make some mistakes more than others, because of our personalities, or our Read more