Author archives: Laura McMullen

You probably know to plan and save for the big and boring expenses, aka financial needs. But what about the fun stuff? Expenses that don’t put a roof over your…

You’re likely planning to give some extra love to family and friends this time of year. But what about your dog walker or babysitter? If you haven’t already, consider showing…

Wouldn’t it be convenient to wrap up the year with straightforward shopping advice? Alas, the retail landscape is still chaotic. So it’s hard to tell which products (if any) will…

It’s that time of year when retailers seem to join forces to plant a message in shoppers’ minds: “Buy Stuff on Black Friday, or You Are a Fool.” They transmit…

Black Friday is the day after Thanksgiving, making this year’s shopping holiday Nov. 26. But you can already find Black Friday deals out in the wild from several retailers where…

Nope, sorry, you don’t have time to catch your breath from Halloween before careening into the next holiday — well, shopping holiday. Black Friday is upon us. Walmart, Best Buy…

Are your mailbox, inbox and social media feed suddenly stuffed with holiday shopping promotions? Welcome to November! This month, expect plenty of deals — and a complication. That big, fat…

Retail seasons can be as predictable as the pumpkin-spice lattes now available at most cafes. But, like much of the last year and a half, shopping thi…

When was the last time you made a sound decision while wiping away tears? Or shaking in fury? Or sweating with stress? Your judgment was probably off…

In this series, NerdWallet interviews people about their journey to tame debt. Responses have been edited for length and clarity. Karen Akpan lost her…