My wife and I recently got back from our honeymoon in the Dominican Republic. We stayed at an all-inclusive resort, where all of our food and drinks were covered in the price of the room. Of course, this luxury came at a cost, as the nightly rate was quite high. If you stay at a resort or a hotel on vacation, how do you choose where you stay? Is the all-inclusive option a large factor?
Our family sometimes comes up with some pretty crazy ideas to reduce spending. It’s fun to make a game of saving and talk about crazy ideas for saving money.
Some of the best ideas come from my middle-school child — and even the youngest has quite a few ideas that add up over time.
Here are a few of our favorite crazy (and creative!) ways to save money: [ continue reading… ]
We often get caught up in the idea of making more money. While almost no one will mind having a little extra cash each month, the reality is that earning money costs us in other parts of our lives. Time, for instance, is an finite resource we often give up just to get more into our wallets.
Is more money always worth having less time for everything else? What about the freedom and flexibility that having more time will offer? How do you value those?
I know for certain that I value freedom and flexibility more than I value money. I’m willing to make less money if I can improve my quality of life.
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Advertising through commercials, billboards and magazines have been influencing our purchases for decades, so much that conspiracy theorists claim they contain ‘subliminal messages’ which trick us into buying products against our better judgment. In spite of this legacy, a powerful new king of advertising is taking their place: social media.
Social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, or Instagram are no longer just places to share pictures, ‘like’ or ‘follow’ people and trending topics, or collect your ‘favorite things’ onto virtual pegboards. Businesses are truly beginning to grasp the influence these social gathering places have on nearly every aspect of our life, including our finances.
How many business or product pages do you ‘follow’? Do you rely on social media to inform you of the latest trends, the greatest new gadgets, and what products your friends and family are using and buying?
If so, you’re not alone. Socialmediatoday.com gathered statistics that show exactly how powerful social media is on our purchases:
- 71% of consumers are likely to purchase an item based on referrals from social media
- 81% admit being influenced based on recommendations/posts from friends
- 78% of us admit to being influenced directly by businesses’ posts
- 74% of us rely on social media to make a purchase decision
Allowing your financial decisions to be influenced by social media can be either positive or negative. Awareness of the pitfalls while using the advantages is the best way to approach this unavoidable blending of your social and consumer life.
Here are the sneaky ways social media affects your spending:
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As a woman, you definitely understand what I mean when I say that beauty doesn’t come cheap. From makeup to manicures to haircuts, maintaining your appearance can really put a dent in your budget.
In a 2013 report, it was found that a woman will spend approximately $15,000 on beauty products in her lifetime. That’s a staggering number considering beauty products and services aren’t something we necessarily need to survive (although I might disagree).
Even so, beauty is fun! Plus, it’s hard not to splurge on it every now and then. If you’re on a tight budget, here are five beauty tips to help you stay beautiful without breaking the bank.
Normally I’m not one who’s up for traveling. However, here in southern Ohio it has snowed nearly every day for the past three weeks, the temperature has remained in the single digits on most days, and the roads are too bad to drive on. Saying that I’m suffering from cabin fever is a bit of an understatement.
While I’m stuck in the house crossing my fingers that winter will soon come to an end, I’m also dreaming about warm places. And, since I don’t have much of a vacation budget, I’ve been scheming up ways I can score a little getaway on the cheap.
If you’re in a position similar to mine, here are six painless ways to save money for a vacation. [ continue reading… ]
