The days are getting shorter and colder, which means you’ve probably noticed your energy utility bills slowly creeping upward. Though you probably expect to pay more in energy costs during the winter season since you now have to heat your house, you may be surprised to learn that you’re also shelling out more cash because energy itself has become more expensive.

Every year, the Congressional Research Service forecasts how much residents in the U.S. can expect to pay to stay warm. This year, you’re looking at an average of just under $1,000. This means when you’re planning your budget, you’ll have to account for this added expense (especially if you live in the Northeast).

This is a guest post by Jason D. Steele, who has been a personal finance writer for Ask Mr Credit Card’s Blog since 2008. He also hosts his personal blog, Steele Street, where he writes about travel, aviation and consumer issues. You could also follow him on Ask Mr Credit Card’s Twitter.

It is a common question among those who write for travelers: Are frequent flier miles worth the hassle? Like most broad questions, the answer depends on who is doing the asking. Certainly if you have unlimited money, the answer is no, they are not worth the hassle–don’t bother to give out your frequent flier number, don’t track your points and don’t jump through hoops to redeem frequent flier tickets.

While most people talk about budgeting for Christmas gifts when planning for the holidays, few really discuss the financial strategy behind shopping for Hanukkah. After all, managing expenses for eight nights of gifts during the Festival of Lights requires an entirely different approach than that of buying one large present, especially when it comes to shopping for multiple people.

Though eight gifts certainly sound better to the person receiving them than just one, most Hanukkah presents aren’t major purchases like the ones people are accustomed to during Christmas. The tricky part here is that you can’t just throw money at this year’s hottest toy and mark it off your checklist. A successful strategy will require more thought and better budgeting skills, because as we all know, it’s the little purchases adding up that get you in the end.

Travis writes under My Journey Out of Debt and is currently enrolled in a CareOne Debt Management Plan. He is a father and husband sharing his family’s story as they journey through paying off their debt.

I am a married man with two children, as well as a software engineer with a large IT company and an excellent salary. As of July 2009, I had also accumulated over $109,000 in credit card debt. You may ask yourself, “How does someone with a career and a good income rack up that much credit card debt?”

Photo by David Shankbone @ Flickr

If they didn’t know by now, the recent release and immediate termination of the Kardashian Kard reminded consumers that their children aren’t safe when it comes to money. No matter how diligent you may be in personal finance, retail businesses will find a way into your wallet, even if it means going through your kids.

When it comes to investing, many people are looking for alternatives to the stock market. One of the options is to engage in peer-to-peer (P2P) lending. There are a number of different ways for you to get involved with P2P lending, but quite possibly one of the most intriguing is by making microloans to entrepreneurs. This option appeals to many people because it allows them to help others while at the same time providing an opportunity to earn money.

Microlending to Businesses

College tuition is rising at an alarming rate–faster than inflation, and faster than most people’s ability to save for college. It is becoming more difficult for the average student to make it through college without some form of financial aid, but that doesn’t mean it is impossible. In fact, if you are willing to do a little legwork, you may be able to graduate college without owing any student loans, which is essential if you are working toward one of the lowest paying college degrees.

Here are some tips to help you make it through college without student loans:

This month we’ve been hosting a writing project on the topic of Holidays & Money, where we’ve called on personal finance (PF) bloggers and writers to submit their thoughts on the subject. I figured we could pull some quotes from the pool of entries to showcase what’s been stirring the discussions around the topic.

Here are some words of wisdom from the PF blog community on this year’s holiday season.

When most people think of depositing money at a financial institution, banks usually come to mind far more often than credit unions. This is mainly because many people consider credit unions to be exclusive clubs that only a select few can join.

However, times have changed and now just about anyone can join a credit union in their city. Plus, the really good news is that joining one often offers perks that banks just can’t compete with–so much so that they help you save more than what is already in your account.

Finance.Yahoo.com

If you’ve ever wanted to learn about the stock market but didn’t know where to begin, one of the best tools to use is Yahoo! Finance. It may be a bit overwhelming at first, given that the plethora of financial information available can make your brain hurt. Yet, after a few visits, you should be able to work your way around the site to look up stock information and financial news with relative ease.