Unless you're a vegetarian, the meat bill will eat up your grocery total more than anything else. Forget about trying to afford a nice cut of beef, if you need to pinch pennies. And the organic stuff? May as well book a table at your local steak joint for that price...

Creating a budget for your Christmas gift shopping isn't as difficult as it sounds. The hard part is actually sitting down and doing the work.Some tips before we look at the actual process. First, don't be afraid to make changes to the budget as you go...

It never fails. The cashier zips those bar coded labels at light speed while we make small talk. She gives me a grand total, I swipe a piece of plastic through a gray box, then sign away a large sum. The total seems a bit off but with five people behind me, I succumb to "move along" pressure...

As the holidays start to roll in and you craft a list of gifts to buy, the thought of a fuzzy hairball with warm puppy breath jumping out of a red box may capture your sensibilities. That animals make a fun addition to a family is no surprise. But think twice before gifting a pet--for yourself or a family member...

Who decided November 4 should be National Candy Day when everyone knows America's true candy rush comes on Halloween? Perhaps, however, the people who designate these days figured Halloween bags would be empty within four days and we'd be ready to shop for more.

Whether your trick-o-treating crowd was sparse this year or you intentionally stocked the candy dish beyond overflowing, you’re probably still staring at a mound of insulin, snacking it away.

No one desires to plunk down hundreds for a vacuum cleaner. It's a boring purchase. But when the old clunker just doesn't suck anymore, it's time for a new model--and fast. Having bought four vacuums in the past seven years I have a decent idea of which dirt demolishing sidekicks make the best appliances and which ones don't make the grade.

I bet you think you're immune to commercials. In-store marketing ropes in the weak-minded shopper, not you. Right? When the advertising revolution began several decades ago, multiple neurologists were confident that the human brain would essentially shut down when exposed to so many hundreds of marketing messages in one day.

So you love the idea of bulk buying, but can't fathom storing 30 pounds of flour at a time. Or you'd like to buy organic products but don't want to pay the 40% higher price for produce...

'Tis the season to be haunting! But have you looked at the price of costumes and candy lately? This modern medieval throw-back to All Soul's Day can really put a crimp in the holiday spending...