Financial advice
The ways people handle finances are so interesting. They tie into our habits, assumptions, and attitudes. The basics are simple, but for the lovers of the complex, that doesn't mean they aren't extremely interesting.
Three words that can save you big money: "Is that negotiable?" 
The sign of a good vineyard: the footprints of the owner all over the property.
I had an interesting experience of this while renting out rooms in a house. There were a lot of people, and a lot of variety in how happy I was to be renting to them. I got into the habit of taking a walk through the house regularly.
The things that needed attention varied from simple, like a light left on or a door left unlocked, to a bit more serious, like a door left wide open in the middle of the winter, or a gunfight going on in the kitchen...
But it was always clear that the walk was a good idea.
You get what you pay for. This one pops up regularly. In forums lately I've been responding: "You're kidding! How much do you spend on oxygen?"
I read that so often, spoken like when the 10 commandments were handed down, this is what was chiseled on the back of them. In my experience, no, it wasn't. At least it might be worth thinking about other possibilities.
I frequently find better quality items at a lower price than the highest priced in the same category. The key is to understand what you are looking for, and what you need it to do.
There are times when the highest priced item will be the best, but the old wallet will take the kind of beating given to LA freeway pavement if you blindly treat that as a rule. When something clearly is the best and it is the most expensive, I am happy to pay the money if it appropriate for my situation.
It might be worth following if you are don't have time to research a purchase. If you do buy the most expensive then, at least there isn't much chance of winding up with a complete dud.
It's a game. This financial world isn't quite reality. It's a game that is played and the more you realize it is a game, the better you can play it.
What drives the economy? I found out by accident when I overheard one contractor explain something to another on a construction site. "As long as the hookers keep putting up their prices, I have to keep putting up mine."
