Sharing insights since 2007 on carefully saving money, investing, frugal living, coupons, promo codes because the little things matter in achieving financial freedom!
Many of us look around and wonder how we ended up with so much stuff. Sometimes I wonder why I spend the money on things that don’t get used much. There is a lot to be said for a little more simplicity, as many people are discovering in this recession.
It is possible to spend less money, and still live a full life. And, of course, just because you can afford something doesn’t mean you have to buy it. If you are ready to downsize your lifestyle, you can do so, with a little thoughtful planning. [ continue reading… ]
Your wedding day is one of the most important days of your life, but it can also be one of the most expensive. You want your day to be perfect, but with the average cost of a wedding in America totaling $25,200, that price tag is hard to swallow. That’s a lot of money to pay for a few hours of celebration.
It’s tough to cut back on your wedding. After all, it’s a celebration of love in front of the most important people in your life. But at the same time, spending the bulk of your savings doesn’t make sense either.
Thankfully, don’t have to spend your life savings to have a fabulous wedding. You can still have a beautiful event on a tight budget. Before you spend thousands on a wedding, here are 5 tips to help you save on your special day.
My friend chose to sacrifice himself and stay behind for work reasons when his family immigrated to the States a few years ago. It was a difficult decision I’m sure, but one that was necessary (I’m told) due to financial constrains.
His son was 14 at the time but he was always upset. I remember one evening while we were over for dinner, he asked his mom out loud “Why can’t we be rich?”
That was then.
In a few short years, my friend’s son completely changed. He is now 17 and working part time at a local cafe. He told me that he realized how foolish it was to be upset. How blaming everyone else who was trying to keep the family close together did nothing to help the situation.
Instead of wasting his time being mad, he started thinking of ways he could change his situation. He started helping out around the house so his mom had more free time to find a part time job. When he was old enough, he started working part time as well.
The extra income helped his dad (my friend) come up with the courage to move here and look for a job. At long last, the family was together.
The Way We Look at the Problem IS the Problem
I saw the matured youngster at the café the other day and while speaking to him, he reminded me what everyone should know:
Every problem has a solution, but if we don’t create a solution, we become another problem.
I couldn’t believe that it was coming from a 17 year old, but what he said was absolutely true – even if we don’t create the problem, we can become a part of it.
The Bulb That Should Light Up
There is no doubt the economy is deteriorating right now. There is no question that people are losing jobs and it almost seemed like an understatement when I say that our investments lost significant value.
You might be upset but blaming everyone is easy and unproductive. Instead, ask yourself what you are doing about the situation:
How are you trying to secure your own job and helping the company you work for so further layoffs aren’t necessary?
What steps are you taking to make sure that even in this downturn, you are well on your way to financial prosperity?
What lessons are you teaching your kids about the financial crisis?
The Glow from Within
If you want to be heard, learn to listen. If you want to be helped, assist others. If you want to prosper, take action.
It really starts with you. Even in a dark tunnel, you can brighten it up by glowing from within.
I was talking with a friend about a few ways that he could start earning some more money the other day, and he said something that absolutely stopped me in my tracks: he told me that he didn’t want to earn too much money because it would bump him into the next tax bracket. He was absolutely adamant that he didn’t want to be paying more in taxes.
But, in my mind, a higher tax bracket is a good thing. It’s not something to be avoided. Don’t get me wrong: I’m not quite crazy enough to go out of my way to pay extra taxes, but higher tax brackets are beneficial to your bottom line. Here are five reasons for that simple fact. [ continue reading… ]
One of the best things you can do if you want to build wealth over time is to invest. Thanks to the power of compound interest, investing offers one of the most effective ways to grow your nest egg and prepare for financial freedom down the road.
Unfortunately, there is a good chance right now that you believe some of the myths circulating about investing. And since it’s easy to get bogged down with misinformation and do nothing to build your finances for the future, I want to talk to you about four of these investing myths so you can stop believing them now. [ continue reading… ]
Credit card debt is the worst. The super high interest rates make paying the debt off seem to take forever. When I got my first credit card, it took me more than a year to pay back the $1,500 I’d racked up.
Luckily, it’s extremely difficult but not impossible. I eventually dug myself out of a hole, and you can, too. This is true no matter the amount of debt you’re in. There are a few strategies that can help you pay down your credit card debt faster. But before we get to those, I need you to do one thing. [ continue reading… ]
Free signup to get a free ebook on How to Save Money on Everything! Constantly expanding, it will be the biggest money saving ebook available, and it's FREE! →
(I hate spam and promise that your information will never be shared.)
