Todd Craig
Todd Craig is a freelance writer, teacher, husband, and father to his five year old son, Joshua. He enjoys making ends meet, golfing poorly, and writing about life's experiences from his home in Colorado Springs.
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- 2,221,273
- Content
- 56
- Fans
- 22
- Contributor since
- 6/26/2011
Education/Experience
M.A. in Leadership from the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs. B.A. in English Education from South Dakota State University.
Displaying Results 1 - 56 (of 56) for All Content
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First Person: My Parents' 3 Rules for a Successful RetirementAs the author's parents have progressed through their retirement, they've done three things to insure their continued independence and long term happiness.
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First Person: 4 Financial Lessons for Tough TimesWith the country slowly crawling its way out of the recession, the author reflects on the financial lessons his parents taught him while growing up and how they can help his family succeed today.Also published on:
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First Person: Shopping the Dollar Store for Road Trip SavingsBy stopping at the dollar store for these five products before the author and his family hit the road, they are able to save money throughout the road trip.Also published on:
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Three Photos of the Waldo Canyon Fire Near Colorado SpringsThese photos show the dramatic smoke plume and the fire's progression from the raging forest fires west of Colorado Springs, CO on Saturday, June 23, Sunday, June 24, and Monday . -
First Person: Is the Three Grand We've Spent on Our Home Security System Worth It?After a false alarm, the author and his family evaluated whether or not the money that they've spent on their home security system over the past two years has been worth it. The value, it turns out, has been there for three main reasons.
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First Person: Three Ways We Reap Maximum Value from Our Gym MembershipGym memberships, if left unused, can be a huge drain on your monthly budget. The author and his family discovered multiple ways to get maximum value from out of their monthly membership dues.
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First Person: The 5 Added Costs of Your First HouseThe author and his spouse have discovered five specific areas of home expenditures that have hit their budget the hardest since they purchased their house eight years ago.Also published on:
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First Person: 3 Smart Times to Use Automatic Bill PayThirty years ago, paying the bills every month was a stress-filled exercise that made us kids run and hide from mom and dad. By following these three ideas, using internet banking and automatic bill pay takes the worry and waste out of paying your bills.Also published on:
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First Person: 6 Great Money Saving Warehouse Club Food ProductsAfter losing money on a purchase of baked beans, the author compared a number of food products that he and his family regularly bought at the warehouse club with the prices at his local grocery store to find out just how big his savings really were.Also published on:
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First Person: A Jeweler's Advice on Getting the Most for Your GoldAs the price of gold and silver have climbed higher and higher in recent years, recycling your old jewelry has become a green way to put some extra green in your wallet.Also published on:
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First Person: Take the Misery Out of Used Car ShoppingUsed car shopping can be a hassle, but the author and his family discovered that suffering strong-arm sales tactics at the dealership lot wasn't necessary if you followed these three steps.Also published on:
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First Person: 6 Kid-Approved Summer Activities for Under $10By keeping things simple and using local resources like the public library, the author's family has found six summertime activities to keep their five-year old son active and happy for little or no cost.Also published on:
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First Person: Refinancing Our Mortgage Saved My Family's FutureWhile refinancing their house meant taking a painful financial step backwards, it proved to be a decision that redefined the author and his family's future.Also published on:
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First Person: I Built My Brand-Name Wardrobe With Thrift Store FindsThe author shares how he built his wardrobe of brand-names like Abercrombie and Fitch, Nautica, and Gap by regularly shopping his local thrift stores.Also published on:
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First Person: For Personal Care Products, the Dollar Store WinsThe author and his family discover great savings on five personal care items at the dollar store over big-box store brands.Also published on:
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First Person: Save Your Finances, Save Your MarriageAfter making some common mistakes early in their relationship, the author and his spouse found that the same lessons that made their finances work were key in making their marriage work as well.Also published on:
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First Person: Lessons From the RecessionAfter struggling through a job loss and the recent recession, a new job means now is the time to resist the temptation to splurge by keeping these three financial goals in mind.
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First Person: Why We Stopped One-Stop ShoppingThe author and his family learned to save hundreds by making separate trips to the grocery store, the big box retailer, and the dollar store for specific everyday consumables at each one.
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First Person: The Public Library Still Has Value in the Digital AgeOur family learned that the public library is a valuable and free resource for digital books, free music downloads, and movie rentals.Also published on:
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NFL Playoffs: Is Tebow's Time Up?After an amazing 6-0 run, Tim Tebow took the NFL by storm. But an 0-3 collapse at the end of the season raises the question: Is Tim Tebow a phenom or failure?
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First Person: When Hiring a Maid Makes Good Financial SenseAfter hiring a maid to clean their kitchen, the author and his family learned that sometimes paying someone else to do a job you can do yourself can have more value than pocketing that extra cash.
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First Person: The Dollar Value of Doing Our Own Auto RepairsEven the most mechanically challenged individual can follow these steps to save money on car repairs.
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The Bench is Where Tim Tebow BelongsThe Denver Broncos are doing the exact right thing with Tim Tebow by keeping him on the sidelines.
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First Person: A Weekend's Worth of Spending and SavingWhile weekends offer sales, time for do-it yourself projects, and smart shopping, they can also feature expensive indulgences like fast food and nights out.
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First Person: Kids' Birthday Bashes That Don't Break the BankKids' birthday parties don't have to bust your budget for the month. By keeping it simple, avoiding elaborate themes, and personalizing the day, we created a memorable birthday for minimal cash.
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First Person: How Eating Out Is Taking a $3,000 Bite Out of Our SavingsFour months into our big savings plan, we're finding that fast food and restaurants are a tough habit to break.
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First Person: Dispelling 3 Myths About Dollar Store ShoppingA closer look at dollar store products might challenge shoppers' preconceived notions with good quality, American-made products that are environmentally friendly as well.Also published on:
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First Person: Scoring Free Music Downloads ... LegallyFinding free music online doesn't have to involve illegal downloads, file sharing, or breaking of copyright laws. Instead, follow these four suggestions to build an awesome digital music library for free.
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First Person: Our 3 Budget BustersDespite a vow to save $1000 a month and to keep a close eye on discretionary spending, one family discovered that always saying no to temptation was much harder than it looked.
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Broncos Fans: Why It's Time to Get Over Tim Tebow and Show Kyle Orton Some LoveBroncos fans are more divided than ever: Tebow or Orton. Here's why Orton deserves to be the Broncos starting quarterback.
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First Person: Our 3 Favorite Money Saving Family DinnersThree family-friendly meal ideas to save money, eat healthier, and increase your family time.
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First Person: Furnishing Our Home Without Busting the BudgetFollowing these three tips can help make your house a home without busting your budget.
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First Person: How We're Budgeting for Our Dream HouseAfter finding our dream house that's out of our price range, my husband and I have vowed to do everything we can financially to make our dream a reality in the next two years.
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First Person: Why I'm Ignoring Gold to Increase My Stock Market InvestmentsIf buy low, sell high is the way to make money in investing, then the time is right to buy stocks, not gold.
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Summer: a LoveA poem celebrating the little details about summer.
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First Person: 3 Steps to Secure Baby's Financial FutureWhen the dust settles from having a new baby, take the time to plan and review these three key areas for keeping your family's finances thriving.
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First Person: Going Beyond the Sales to Find the Best Retail BargainsWhile shopping the sales is a great way to save money, shopping with these three tips in mind can mean savings well over fifty percent.
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First Person: 5 Ways We Save by NegotiatingWith the slow economy, we've found that many businesses other than car dealerships are now willing to negotiate a better price for goods and services. The trick? You just have to ask.
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First Person: How We've Made Hundreds Via Online ClassifiedsBy following these five tips, you can use online want-ads to reduce clutter and pocket some extra cash.
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First Person: 5 Rules for Shopping Online Auction SitesWhen purchasing items on online auctions sites, it's never more important to remember the old axiom: buyer beware.
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Facebook Means Never Having to Say GoodbyeIn the age when social networking connects you to friends, family, and co-workers at home and around the world, websites like Facebook have unceremoniously ended one trait previously inherent in all relationships: saying goodbye.
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First Person: How We Took Full Financial Advantage of a Job LossWhen the author's family lost its second paycheck two years ago, they learned to use the new-found extra time to the financial and personal benefit of the entire family.
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First Person: Our 5 Favorite Thrift Store ValuesShopping thrift stores can sometimes feel like rummaging through other people's junk. But these five aisles of the thrift store can mean savings of up to 90% off retail store prices.
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First Person: 3 Budget Indulgences We Won't CutEven though times are tough and budgets are tight, we found three items in our family budget that we just couldn't cut because they were investments in our most important assets: ourselves.
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First Person: A Great Weekend for Less Than $25Just because it's the weekend doesn't mean that you have to empty your wallet. One family shares their favorite weekend ideas that are heavy on memories but light on spending money.
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Personal Financial Lessons We Can All Learn from America's Budget BattleAmerica's political battle over the budget crisis reveals important lessons we can all use in the quest for financial stability.
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First Person: Budgeting Kept Our Roadtrip on TrackThe author and his family used a careful budget to keep from going overboard on vacation spending during a road trip to the Black Hills of South Dakota. -
5 Parenting Tips for a Great Start to the School YearThe author, who's both a parent and a teacher with almost two decades of experience, offers up five easy tips for parents to help their students get off to a great start on the school year.
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First Person: Our 7 Favorite Dollar Store DealsOne family discovers seven great items at the local Dollar Tree store that deliver both performance and savings.
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How Big of a Cheapskate, Penny-pincher, and Tightwad Am I?The author shares and rates some of his more embarrassing, and perhaps shameful, behaviors done in the name of saving money.
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First Person: How We Saved $1,000 a Year at the Grocery StoreOne family discovered three swaps at the grocery store that were healthier for their bodies as well as their bank account, too.Also published on:
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Saying Goodbye to My 'Old Man Belly' and Starting My Journey to Mid-life FitnessAfter hitting 40 years of age and 230 pounds, the author, a self-described weenie since junior high, joined a gym and began a quest to lose weight, eat better and stop buying bigger pants.
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Shopping Organic Reveals Conflict Between What You Value and Getting Good ValueA quick trip to the local Super Target for some organic salad teaches one family how spending money can be a tricky balancing act between personal and economic values.
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First Person: My Love-Hate Relationship With the Warehouse ClubAre buying in bulk and warehouse shopping deals worth it when you factor in the membership fee? One family looked over their shopping receipts, and discovered that the big savings weren't so big after all.Also published on:
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First Person: We Unbundled and Saved $300 a MonthIt seems like every media company out there is scrambling to get consumers to sign up to for their latest service bundle. One family learned that they'd rather make a few sacrifices to have a bundle of cash than a bundle of expensive services.Also published on:
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First Person: Shopping for Exquisite Tastes on a Bargain BudgetAfter losing a paycheck, the author and his family learn that replacing malls and high end retail with dollar and thrift stores means finding amazing values and teaches the thrill of the bargain hunt.Also published on: