Sharing insights since 2007 on carefully saving money, investing, frugal living, coupons, promo codes because the little things matter in achieving financial freedom!
We don’t always know when the unexpected will happen. That doesn’t mean we can’t plan for it though.
In fact, one of the best things you can do for your finances is to look ahead and prepare for the inevitable emergency. Here are four tips you can use for your plan:
Get started even if you feel like you can’t set aside a ton. Every little bit helps. Set aside money each week that can be used for a rainy day.
This also includes paying attention to what’s happening with your expenses. While things do happen unexpectedly, the truth is that we often get clues that something is about to break down. The washing machine behaves erratically, or you notice something about the fridge. Once those signs appear, start setting money aside. [ continue reading… ]
I’m obsessed with organization. You know — one of those people who writes something down just so they can cross it off. While I’m overly organized in most areas of life, one area I could stand to improve in is financial planning, and one practical way I could do this is to create a proactive financial calendar. After all, I have a daily/monthly/yearly planner and smartphone calendar for everything else… why not apply this to finances? Here are four key purposes this kind of calendar could serve in not only getting more organized, but getting ahead.
Help Remembering Time-Sensitive Tasks
This is perhaps the most obvious benefit of a financial calendar. Sure, you may pay the bills on time without reminders, but it’s easier to lose track of less frequent tasks like paying quarterly taxes, filing a yearly FAFSA, scheduling the appointment to have your taxes prepared, or signing up for medical benefits during open enrollment. All of these are time-sensitive, so plugging them into a calendar with built-in reminders will ensure you meet and beat deadlines without overtaxing your brain. [ continue reading… ]
Many people tend to focus too much on upfront costs, and not enough on the long term costs sometimes. Cheaping out right now could actually end up costing you quite a bit. Sure, you want to save money and look for the best value for your dollar. But if you are too cheap, you could end up paying more in the long run. Here are 4 ways being too cheap could cost you big:
Have you ever had a week (or maybe two) when your spending got out of hand? My last two weeks have been like that.
I had major family obligations to deal with, I started helping more at my dad’s business, and I took on another small freelance job — all within the same week. Life got crazy.
Needless to say, I let overwhelm take over, and my money pretty much flew out the window.
When it comes to budgeting, falling off track is a common problem. Here’s how I’ve recovered from my overspend, and how you can do the same: [ continue reading… ]
You look out the window of your home each night after dinner, staring across the street at your neighbors. You long for their fancy cars, their manicured lawns, and even the vacations they seem to take several times a year. You’re not alone.
I often look out my window, too — staring at the gorgeous homes and cars — wondering how they manage to pay for them. After all, we live in the same neighborhood, our kids go to the same schools, and their salaries aren’t that much more than ours.
There are several reasons that our neighbors can afford so many of the things we would love to have,but could never fathom splurging on: [ continue reading… ]
(Sorry guys, this post isn’t likely to be directly useful to you, but you can share these tips with the girls in your life and look really knowledgeable and respectful about girlie things.)
Makeup is one of those items that I have a love/hate relationship with. I love trying new colors, dolling up my best friend’s teenage daughter for prom, and goofing around with the girls for a spa night at home.
Now, don’t get me wrong, I can go weeks without wearing makeup and be perfectly happy; it’s not essential to my life. But it’s fun to be creative and play with color combinations and application techniques.
Makeup also holds great potential for a shopping addiction. Before I had kids (when I had considerably more spending money), I used to shop for makeup on a regular basis. I stopped shopping at the drugstore and began venturing into the department store’s line of more pricey products. The products were nice, but the price tag was outrageous. When my kids came along, I simply couldn’t afford to keep up. I learned how to make what I had last longer and how to spend significantly less on my makeup.
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