I have never been a huge coffee drinker, but everyone in my family is. Growing up, there wasn’t a day that our single-cup coffee maker wasn’t working overtime to keep up with the demand each morning. My family wasn’t alone. Of course, this was before the days of a Starbucks on every corner, when we all decided that it was OK to drop $3 (or $4, or $5) on every cup of coffee. There definitely are benefits to the convenience of Starbucks, but it’s hard not to remember the old days as a simpler time.

Some tips for the next computer purchase When I was getting ready to head to college, my mom decided I needed my own computer. She always made sure we had what we needed, but she also knew the value of making us save money and buying the things we really wanted on our own. Now, I really wanted my own computer, so for her to buy it for me was a real coup. We spent one evening comparing machines, turning ourselves into experts in a couple of hours. In the end, I walked out with a gigantic desktop that felt like it was the most state-of-the-art machine ever made.

Cooler weather doesn’t mean cheap fun is over As the seasons change, outdoor activities for the kids may fall away. Colder weather starts picking away at the countless outdoor options of the summer. That’s unfortunate for many reasons, not the least of which is that many outdoor activities can be done on the cheap. There’s nothing quite as easy as having the kids play in the backyard or heading to the park to burn off some energy, without you having to spend any cash.

Time’s right to think about savings on heat Summer is beginning to fade. For some of us, the heat hasn’t fully dissipated, but a few rainy days and some cooler weather give the feeling that fall is truly approaching. It seems like a strange time to start thinking about winter and heating, because the last thing on your mind is making your house warmer. But now is the perfect time to consider ways to make your abode winter-friendly and save some money.

Think about what was happening on this date last year. We were in the most intense part of the presidential campaign. The economy had begun to wobble. A few days earlier, the government bailed out Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Tomorrow, Lehman Brothers will file for bankruptcy. The next day, the stock market will plummet, and a couple of days later the Federal Reserve bails out AIG.

Igot a flat tire last weekend. And it wasn’t one of those “I accidentally ran over a nail and now my tire is flat” flat tires—it was an “I took a curve too tight and hit a curb at 20 mph and blew out my tire “ flat tires. I consider myself a decent driver—I’m 30 years old, with plenty of driving experience, and I haven’t had a ticket or a wreck in almost 10 years. But I still made a boneheaded mistake: in this case, not paying attention to a median. It ended up being a $160 curb.

The talk around the DealTaker.com offices lately has been about my boss, Kevin Strawbridge, as he represents our company in the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer. It’s a 40-mile walk, spread out over two days, that raises money for breast-cancer research. He’s been walking every day (breaking the 10-mile barrier this week), and we’ve all been supporting him as he trains for this great cause.

My Great Aunt Doris used to tell me there were days of the week that were better for buying bread than others. You could tell the freshest loaf, she’d say, by the color of the twist tie on the bag. As an 8-year-old boy, it seemed like I was being initiated into a secret society that guarded the ancient twist-tie code and all its secrets. (I also was reading a lot of Hardy Boys books at the time.)

Ihave never been much of a nomad—I like to find a place to live and stay there for a few years. Having just exited my 20s, my housing expertise has been generally limited to apartments, and I’ve rarely known anyone who lived in one apartment for longer than five years. I’ve preferred apartments to buying a house because it’s easier to move if my life circumstances change. And in today’s economy, more and more people face the prospect of moving.

Right about now, recent high school graduates are feeling that nervous excitement in their stomachs. College starts in a month or so, and what once seemed far away is closer than ever. For some rising college freshmen, this means moving away from home for the first time. During such a seminal time, it’s easy to get swept up in the newfound sense of freedom, go a little crazy and end up making a few mistakes. I know I did.

With summer in full stride, my thoughts often turn to escape. It’s halfway through the year, and even if it feels as if time has flown by, the end of the year seems too far away. That’s why I often imagine the great places I could visit to get away from it all during this vacation season. I imagine myself playing in the surf of an exotic beach while sipping an umbrella drink or snapping photos of an ancient European cathedral.

We tend to spend a lot of money on technology, and for the most part, it’s a worthwhile expense. But over the past few years, an online trend has found its way to the world of services and software—free. It’s worth noting that with all things, you get what you pay for. There are some amazing free online solutions out there, but some have drawbacks compared with their pricier counterparts. That said, here are a few free options you may not have considered.

A common notion in the retail world is that summer months are “the slow season.“ The idea is that after Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day and Fourth of July sales, retailers take a break until they start pushing in earnest for the holidays. There’s no money to be saved right now, they’d have us believe. To them I say, nay! There are still ways to save money during the hot and muggy months, buying things you want and maybe a few you need.

As I write my weekly column, I try to find new ways to spend less or find reasons you may not have considered about tried-and-true methods you’ve heard before. Sometimes this means telling you about the times of year when you can find great deals or the biggest discounts. Other times it means considering ways you can cut your expenses—so you have more money to spend on great sales!

We all have bad habits. They run the gamut from harmless to dangerous. For some people, it’s biting their fingernails. For others, it’s eating too much. More destructive habits such as smoking or drinking too much are common. We all want to find ways to quit bad habits. For many people, one of the big reasons to quit is that habits can be expensive. Here are some habits you can cut out of your life that can help you save a significant amount of money.