When it feels like everyone you know is getting married, it can be overwhelming on your budget. Whether you are invited to weddings of friends, family members, or co-workers, here are five ways to stay on budget.
I recently switched my cellphone service provider to Ting, and I imagine I would write a letter similar to the one below if my former cellphone carrier was a person.
Dear AT&T,
I’ve had my sights on you from the beginning. When I found out you run on the GSM network, I knew you were the one. But after 16 years, and countless attempts to make things work, I’m so sorry to say that I found someone else.
The bottom line is that you are just too high maintenance. I would love to keep our relationship going forever, but I just can’t handle the payments.
I’m sorry. Times are different now and I’ve moved on…
Best of luck,
David
I would feel really bad to break up such a long relationship. Luckily, AT&T isn’t a person and I feel absolutely no obligation to overpay for essentially the same service. In fact, switching over to Ting has been one of the best decisions I’ve made in recent times because cellphone bills come monthly and the new reduced bill always remind me how our family is saving $70 every single month.
What to find out more? Here’s my review of Ting so far after six months of switching over.
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We are all at different places when it comes to financial progress. Indeed, some of us may not even measure progress the same way. Just as being “rich” means different things to different people, the way you measure financial progress might vary from the way your neighbor measures it.
But it is important to understand how you feel about your finances, and be prepared to measure your progress in a way that works for you. Here are five suggestions of how to do it:
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Let’s say you’re craving a brand new car. Even though you just paid off Old Reliable and should be enjoying payment free months for the first time in what feels like forever.
Yet, seeing all the shiny new SUVs in your neighborhood is enough to keep you up at night dreaming of the day you’ll own one, too. Soon enough you find yourself sitting on the opposite side of a salesman’s desk, ready to sign on the dotted line for another deal with the devil.
Halt! Hasty Decisions Lead to Financial Losses
Living in the electronic age, we’ve grown used to, and now demand, instant gratification. This overindulgence is murdering our wallets. We want what we want and we want it now. And thanks to credit cards and life at the speed of text, we’ve forgotten how to be patient, or to hold out for what we need, rather than surrendering to our fleeting wants.
But buying just to buy will always dig you deeper into a hole you never want to be in. Unless you’re independently wealthy, you have responsibilities that you simply cannot ignore – your rent or mortgage, car payment, education, food, gas, shelter – all are essential to modern life, and none are free.
Often, the two nickels you have left over aren’t enough to rub together, let alone pay for the movie you want to see at the theater, or buy on DVD four months later.
But that doesn’t stop you, not when your credit cards make the purchase as simple as signing your name or pushing a button.
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Have you ever had the “more” mindset? You know, where it doesn’t matter what you’re doing or what you have — you always want more? Maybe you want to earn more money, have a nicer house, or buy a better car.
I used to be the same way.
I’d set financial goals, hit them, and then immediately set other, bigger goals. I was never satisfied. I felt like I deserved better. I wanted more.
After a year of struggling to keep my head above water, I had a mental shift. Things were tough for my two kids and me; we were on our own, living on a poverty wage. But I avoided debt, built up some savings, and made it work.
It was a year full of hard work and sacrifices. And during that year, I started practicing gratitude. It was the only way I could stay positive.
Being thankful for what I have started to become a daily routine, one which has stuck with me. And since then, my entire relationship with money has changed.
Here’s how being grateful has made me a better manager of money: [ continue reading… ]
Summer is a great time to get intentional about teaching your kids the value of a dollar. A good summer job can help fend off some of the laziness that June, July, and August tends to bring.
Not only do small summer jobs keep kids busy during the summer months, but they provide them with some of their own pocket cash. There’s no better way to learn about personal finance than to experience making money firsthand.
Alas, there are many jobs available to kids that don’t involve a lemonade stand. Here are 20 of our favorites:
