Miranda Marquit

When people talk about saving money, DIY is one of the first things that comes to mind.

• Learn how to fix things around the house!
• Change the oil in your Prius!
• Make your own cleaning supplies!

Do all of this (and more) and you could save hundreds of dollars a year.

And that’s great. I know lots of folks that enjoy growing a lush garden resulting in delicious produce (that can be canned or frozen) in due season. There are people in my life that find doing laundry calming, and others that will happily take on any domestic project that comes their way. Personally, I enjoy doing the dishes. Continue reading...

When you run a business, one of the best things you can do is connect with other business owners. Meeting other business owners can allow you to find partners and mentors. At the very least, you can connect with people who might be able to provide you with ideas and join with you in a mastermind situation.

Not only that, joining an association of business owners can also help you influence policies, strengthen your bargaining position and effect change in your community.

As an entrepreneur, there is a good chance that you work from home at least part of the time. You might even have a home office area dedicated to work so that you can work anytime -- without going into a formal office. If you work from home, you might be eligible for the home office tax deduction. If you think you might want to take advantage of this tax break, here is what you need to know:

You Have Two Options for Taking the Home Office Deduction

First of all, understand that you have two options when it comes to taking the home office tax deduction. The first method is the “traditional” way that entrepreneurs have used for years. You figure out how much space your home office occupies as a percentage of the available space in your home. If your home has 2,000 square feet, and your home office space is 200 square feet, you figure your tax deduction based on that 10%. (If more of your home is used, percentage-wise, you can take a bigger chunk. But you need to be careful about what you consider a home office.)

So if you pay $1,000 per month in rent or mortgage, then you can deduct 10% of that for your home office. That amounts to $100. However, you can also deduct the portion of your utilities that your home office takes up. If you pay $200 in utilities each month, you can deduct another $20 per month (or $240 per year), since that is 10%. You can also deduct a portion of your homeowners insurance. This can be one way to deduct your home office costs when you have a larger space.

I'm not known for penny-pinching. However, in the last couple of years, I've seen the value in looking for ways to save money -- as long as they don't take up a lot of my time and energy. If I can go to a site and quickly see if I can save money on something, I've started doing so.

Some of this effort has paid off recently. Last year, my son and I enjoyed a great San Diego-based spring break for more than "half off." Last November, I saved more than $100 just by searching out a promo code before completing the purchase of our new Christmas tree. When I can spend a couple extra seconds to save that kind of money, I'm happy to. And this is why Groupon Coupons might not be a bad idea.

We often think about "being middle class" as living with enough. If you're middle class, you might not be "rich," but you usually have enough to cover your needs and some of your wants. We often think of being middle class as being able to handle what you need, as well as maybe take a vacation every couple of years, or enjoy some small luxuries in life.

An article from USA Today, though, suggests that not everyone in the middle class can afford some of the things we used to think about as a matter of course.

As health care costs continue to rise, it can be discouraging to know that you are going to have to go in for a procedure. This is especially true when a hospital stay is involved. Once you see that total bill, your stomach will probably sink right to your toes. And that's for people who have health insurance to help take care of costs.

Before you pay the bill, though, it makes sense to take a step back and evaluate the situation. It's long been known that medical billing errors are fairly common, with somewhere between 30 percent and 40 percent of bills likely to contain errors. In truth, some estimates say that up to 80 percent of medical bills contain errors.

Retirement planning is an important part of your long-term financial health. However, as you try to estimate your retirement needs, it makes sense to also remember the health care portion of the equation. Many Americans are worried about health care costs during retirement, but, as a Fidelity survey indicates, they may not be worried nearly enough.

How Much Will You Spend on Health Care During Retirement?

According to the Fidelity study, 84 percent of Americans are worried about their retirement health care costs. However, part of the worry is misplaced. Those aged 55 to 64 think that they will need about $50,000 during retirement -- when the average couple is expected to spend more than $220,000 during retirement.

One of the interesting articles I read on CNN recently is one written by Jean Chatzky about paying off your auto loan as quickly as possible.

When you have a loan with relatively high interest, the savings from paying it off can be substantial. However, even if you have a low interest rate, the article suggests tackling your car loan for the purpose of freeing up cash flow each month.

According to an article I recently read on the Forbes web site, charitable giving in the United States grew 4.9 percent in 2013. This represents the largest year-to-year increase in charitable giving since 2008.

Online giving grew at an especially rapid pace. The Internet makes it easier than ever to give money to causes that you believe in. I even gave, via Facebook, to the Red Cross in 2013. It's much easier to give when all it takes is a couple of clicks. And, of course, social media also makes it easy to see who needs your help, and it raises awareness of different causes and events.

As more people get back into a giving spirit, it is a good time for you to review your own charitable giving habits. If you aren't sure about giving to charity, here are 3 reasons to consider giving your money away:

Many of us are looking for ways to enhance our careers. Whether it's trying to get a new job with a new company, or whether you are angling for a raise or a promotion at your current job, it makes sense to develop the career skills that are most in demand.

While this sometimes means that you have to gain the hard skills that are required in your specific field, you might be even better served by developing the soft skills that can be valuable in almost any career. As you prepare for the next phase of your career, here are the most valuable skills to develop:

Top Three Characteristics

In a recent story published on Forbes, executive search firm Harris Allied pointed out that the top three traits employers look for are professionalism, high energy, and confidence.