Clever Dude founded CleverDude.com in June 2006 while working as a technical analyst in the Washington, D.C. area. A Penn State graduate, he built the site as a side project alongside a white-collar career that included earning a master’s degree and multiple promotions.
In five years he wrote nearly 1,300 articles on personal finance and life lessons drawn from his own experience. The blog grew from a hobby into a recognized early voice in the personal-finance community and generated meaningful revenue. He sold the site in 2010, continued as a guest contributor through 2015, and returned in 2023 after further career advances, paying off his home, and extensive travel.
I found this deal with Buy.com: Free Shipping on all Tax Software Includes TurboTax and TaxCut Offer ends April 15, 2009 at midnight. If you're waiting that long to do your taxes, then you're probably screwed, so order now! … [Read more...] about Buy.com: Free Shipping on all Tax Software [Ends 4/15/09]
Family or Marriage • Finances & Money • Frugality
By a Clever Female Friend The following article is a guest post by my best friend's wife, who wishes to remain anonymous. You know my friend Shawn from his various guest articles on this site. I have always heard that there are a few things … [Read more...] about Lunch is on Me
In the last 31 days, people have found my site using 9,424 different search terms. 7,000 of them are variations of "how do I get rid of this rash?", but the other 2,424 are some very poignant and/or odd questions that I would like to take the time to … [Read more...] about Q&A with Clever Dude #1
Recently I've been writing a lot about frugality. I've been posting frugal tips like turning off your water and even showing you how to mass-produce PB&J sandwiches. But while it's easy to tell people to turn down the heat or wear a hat in the … [Read more...] about How are we not frugal [Personal Account]
Growing up, I liked to take long showers. I would just stand there in the hot water, oblivious to the mounting gas bill, wishing I could just go back to bed. I mean, who doesn't like to be enveloped in warmth, and who likes standing in that cold air … [Read more...] about Turn off the water!
ISO Quality Planning of San Francisco issued a report (seen at Newsday) that shows Hummer drivers get the most traffic tickets per 100,000 miles driven, based on insurance company records. And the Corvette and Mustang aren't even in the top … [Read more...] about Hummer drivers get the most traffic tickets
A week ago, I responded to a Freecycle ad that was giving away a 37" Sony Trinitron XBR TV. It needed a new circuit board, which should only cost a couple hundred dollars to replace. Since I'm constantly wanting a bigger TV, I saw this as a good … [Read more...] about When free stuff is a bit too much
Family or Marriage • Finances & Money
We have two water heaters at home. The last owners decided that when they built on another bathroom, they wanted dedicated hot water for that new shower. It's not an efficient plan as now we have two tanks of water to heat, if we so choose. Well, … [Read more...] about Are you “paying for peace” at home?
