15 'Frugal Improvements' + Practical Goal Setting: The Simple Dollar's Weekly Roundup

[AWeber Communications]( [pouring water]( Frugal Improvements: 15 Money-Saving Tactics I Ended Up Liking Better By Trent Hamm -- Sometimes I'll try a new strategy to save money, and realize I'd keep doing it that way even if money were no object: I actually like the cheaper method better. Here are 15 of these "frugal improvements" I've discovered, from convenient make-ahead meals to low-watt LED light bulbs I never have to bother changing. [Read More]( [writing in notebook]( Practical Goal Setting for Financial and Personal Success By Trent Hamm -- If a goal isn't intrinsically tied to something you truly care about on a deep level, it’s probably not going to succeed. Here's a step-by-step look at how to set meaningful goals you're more likely to achieve. [Read more]( [college]( Five Money Conversations to Have With Kids Before They Go Off to College By Mia Taylor -- It’s never too early to talk about money with your child, but it’s especially critical to discuss effective personal finance management as they're preparing to leave for college--encountering credit card offers, taking out student loans, and often living on their own for the first time. [Read more]( [notebook]( Seven Real Strategies for Back to School Shopping from a Parent of Three Schoolkids By Trent Hamm -- Our kids don't love plain notebooks, but they're a lot cheaper - so we get each kid some stickers to decorate their stuff with, plus an "upgrade allowance" they can use to splurge on certain items, like a superhero notebook or fancy pens. [Read more]( [mom and daughter walking to school]( 529 Plans vs. Brokerage Accounts for College Savings By Matt Becker -- Does it ever make sense to use a regular brokerage account to invest for college, rather than a 529 plan? Here's how the two differ - and when one makes more sense than the other. [Read more]( More from The Simple Dollar Reader Mailbag: - [Fast Food, Difficult Workplaces, Smoking, Refurbished Items, and More!]( More from Trent: - ['I'll Never Catch Up']( - [Helping a Child]( Other popular TSD articles: - [Four Ways You Could Be Wrecking Your Credit Without Realizing It]( - [Does It Ever Make Sense to Get a 401(k) Loan?]( - [Kids or Not, It Can Pay to Do Some Back to School Shopping for Yourself]( - [Can You Score Better Travel Deals With a VPN?]( What we're reading around the web: - [Apple, Google, IBM No Longer Require a College Degree]( (Quartz) - [Seven Stovetop Dinners from a Single Grocery List]( (Self) - [Put More Thought Into Your Out-of-Office Message]( (Harvard Business Review) - [Aretha Franklin Didn't Have a Will - and You Probably Don't Either]( (Washington Post) $mart Money Move of the Week: Bundling your car and [homeowners insurance]( with the same company can save you 20% to 25% on the latter -- that's hundreds of dollars a year. - Effort: $$$$ - Savings: $$$$ As a reminder, you're receiving this email because you subscribed to our weekly mailing list. If you no longer wish to receive our emails, you can unsubscribe here at any time. Thanks for reading! ​​​​​​​ --The Simple Dollar team 1525 4th Ave. #500 Seattle WA 98101 USA [Unsubscribe]( | [Change Subscriber Options](