Remember the Seinfeld episode when George complains of back pain only to learn it’s his brick-size wallet in his back pocket causing the problem? Someday, I hope to have the ultimate simple wallet. What would be in there? Continued

While frugal air travel tips abound, info on saving money on car rentals is scarce. That’s too bad, as car rental can be the most confusing part of traveling.

Photo by TranceMist.

Online quotes do not include multiple taxes, fees, and surcharges, and the rental agency will try to sell you upgrades, add-ons and all kinds of insurance when you pick up your car.

Often, you have no idea how much the car rental is actually going to cost until you return the car and it’s too late.

How do all the fees stack up – and what can you do about it? Here are five tips to save you big bucks the next time you rent a car. Continued

This guest post on frugal European travel is written by my friend Rick, who has been living in Italy for over a year on a shoestring budget. You can read more about his adventures at his blog: Over a Bottle.

Photo by dachalan.

The falling dollar can make overseas travel seem rather daunting these days.

But with careful planning, flexibility and doing some research, you can still have that great cultural European vacation on the cheap.

Plan your vacation carefully. Research what you want to see and plan daily schedules.

Try to plan your vacation during
the off-season for tourism, typically from October until March in Europe. Use sites such as TripAdvisor, Venere, and Eurocheapo to plan your sightseeing carefully. Continued

It’s been quiet around the blog this week because I’ve been traveling. I’m becoming a pretty seasoned business traveler. I rarely check my bags, I know how to get free first class upgrades, and I have no sympathy for you if you don’t have your belt, shoes, laptop, and plastic baggie of liquids in your hand before you get to the metal detectors. But last week I made an embarrassing – and expensive – mistake: I overslept and missed my flight. Continued

The following is a guest post by Heather Johnson, a freelance writer and contributor to Credit Card Lowdown. Heather invites your comments and freelancing job opportunities at her email address: heatherjohnson2323@gmail.com. Want to write for Money Under 30? Let me know!

Being money-wise at a young age doesn’t mean you have to sit around and do nothing while you wait to retire. No, it isn’t shrewd to blow a week’s wages on Saturday night, but there are plenty of things to do when you are bored while trying to build your savings. Here are 15 recommended activities: Continued

My friend Dan has always been an animal lover. He grew up with two dogs and three cats, and he always talked about owning his own pets.

When he bought a condo last year, Dan immediately went out and adopted two kittens.

The other day, Dan remarked to me how expensive his cats are. Dan can afford the costs of pet ownership, but he was still surprised at how much owning cats costs.

Before bringing a furry friend into your home, you might want to ask: Can you afford to be a pet owner? Continued

Photo by Boston.com.

A bus rolls over.

An axel falls off.

A bus catches fire.

Scary as hell? Or just par for the course when you get a New York to Boston fare for just $10?

How much are you willing to risk to get a really, really cheap ticket? Continued

Come Friday night, whether you hit the town with friends or do dinner and a movie with your sweetie, weekends take a toll on your wallet. Here are 10 major money-sucks and what you can do about them. Continued

Yesterday I saw a holiday catalog from Hammacher-Schlemmer, which would more appropriately be titled: “Overpriced crap you will never, ever, ever need.” So today I went looking for ways to partake in the spirit of giving without wasting dollars on more made-in-China kitsch. Continued

I am working on a post about having a low- or no-cost holiday and I stumbled upon a brilliant little tool from NewDream.org called the Wallet Buddy. What gives? Continued