Sharing insights since 2007 on carefully saving money, investing, frugal living, coupons, promo codes because the little things matter in achieving financial freedom!
Now that the most shocking presidential election of my lifetime is over, I’m getting an increase in questions about money. Many people want to know how to change their money management strategy after the end of an extremely controversial campaign.
How should you change your money management approach after an election like this one? The short answer is this:
You shouldn’t.
Yes, your financial situation can be impacted by the policies put in place during any given presidential administration. But, first of all, it’s important to understand that most of those policies aren’t unilaterally put into place by the president. Congress makes laws. So before you get too into who the president is, and what he says he wants to do, take a look at the make-up of Congress and try to figure out if you could be at financial risk.
Even if the president could suddenly make wholesale changes that would impact your finances, none of this changes the fact that you shouldn’t completely upend your money management strategy in response to a presidential election.
No matter who’s “in charge,” you’re better off following some of the basics of financial management: [ continue reading… ]
My husband and I have been saving every extra bit of income for a specific item over the last few months. We didn’t want to just charge the credit card, so we deliberately said ‘no’ to some smaller things along the way and, quicker than I anticipated, saved the amount we needed. Now I can’t wait to do it again, for something else: I’ve caught the ‘savings bug.’
Whether many-legged creatures, colds or computer viruses, things that have the word “bug” attached to them aren’t things we want to catch. But if there’s one bug everyone should make a point to catch, it’s the savings bug. Unlike the bugs you catch passively, however, this one has to be pursued.
No matter how aware we are of the need to save money, many of us still struggle to do it. We can blame so many things – the cost of living, stagnant wages, the price of college tuition, even our children’s voracious appetites. What it really boils down to is usually either: [ continue reading… ]
Retirement is one of the most important goals in anyone’s life. It’s the time when all your hard work has paid off and you can now relax and do everything you’ve ever wanted. Preparing for retirement can be difficult and sometimes stressful, but there are many different paths that all lead to the end goal of saving for retirement. Today, there are many accounts from traditional 401k’s where your company may match your contributions up to a certain dollar amount, to traditional and Roth IRA’s. A common question is which better and provides greater returns. Comparing the three common retirement saving vessels, we’ll look at each of their benefits. [ continue reading… ]
The mortgage crisis of 2008 was a period of time that will forever be remembered. It affected thousands upon thousands of people and threw not only the United States, but the whole world into a sever recession. Behind the great depression, this is arguably the worst financial disaster to happen in modern times. More recently, the subprime auto lending industry has been noted as having the same ingredients as the subprime mortgage and that a so-called bubble is due to pop.
Lenders are lending to people with below average credit and the effects of this have elevated the number of delinquent loans. Although the subprime lending industry has hit an alarming number, it is only about 1/10th of the mortgage crises in dollar size. It won’t be slowing the world economy but it’s large enough to make waves and turn peoples heads. There are three major reasons why the auto industry is headed for trouble. The promotion of lending to unqualified applicants, the push to sell cars, and the lack of knowledge by the consumer to know they are unable to afford the purchase. [ continue reading… ]
Everyone knows by now to look for a coupon code online before you ring up the register, but when was the last time you actually took the time to look for one? An internet coupon code can save you a great deal of money on back-to-school clothes, cleaning supplies, and almost anything else you can buy on the internet. There are even toolbars you can install in your browser to ensure you’re getting the best deal during checkout. Are you really doing everything you can to save? Maybe it’s time to look at what else we can use an internet coupon code for.
Most people assume their internet provider can be lumped in with the gas and the electric bills. “Sure, they’re high, but they’re the only provider in our area.” That’s just not the case. Don’t settle on your cable company, since there are now many technologies that can feed data into your home. Look for satellite, DSL, and even wireless offerings from competing companies. And since you are a new customer to these other companies, you will be able to grab the new customer deals that almost every provider advertises on the internet. [ continue reading… ]
Whole Foods is commonly joked as the “Whole Paycheck Store,” and if you’ve ever shopped there, it’s easy to see why. The cost is so high that some people don’t even bother stepping into the store since Whole Foods seems to have higher prices than regular grocery stores.
Still, there are many different ways to stack coupons at Whole Foods to get popular and organic food items inexpensively, or even for free. Here are my tricks to save the most at Whole Foods.
Download the Whole Food’s Coupon App
Two months in a row I have gotten a $5 off of $20 produce coupon. I’ve used that coupon to stock up on whatever produce was the cheapest at the time. One time I only bought the two cheapest deals I could find – corn and mandarin oranges. My kids were a little sick of both after two weeks though!
Along with the Whole Food’s app, don’t forget to print coupons from their site and to grab their coupon books near the register. [ continue reading… ]
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