My wife and I stay on track with our finances through constant communication. We go over our budget twice a week to ensure we’re in sync with every aspect of our finances including:

  • Income amounts to be received in the current two week budget period
  • Bills due during the current two week budget period
  • Amount to be put into savings
  • Spending plan for discretionary funds

We are both fully aware of how much money we have at all times, and what it’s going to be used for. Unfortunately there’s one thing that’s very difficult to do within the parameters of our system.

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mortgage-loan
California Housing Financing Agency (CalHFA) wants to spread the word out on its new assistance program to help first time homebuyers. I’m compensated for this piece, though the opinions are completely mine.

Living in Southern California, I am under no illusion that the cost of owning a home here is anywhere close to average house prices of our country. My cousin is actually considering his first home purchase, so I’m using this opportunity to evaluate whether the CalPLUS Conventional Loan with ZIP Extra through CalHFA could be a right option for him. With this loan, you get a standard 30 year fixed loan but the kicker is a zero interest loan payment program called ZIP Extra (Zero Interest Program) to help with the downpayment.
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I’m one of the most boring investors ever. My Roth IRA is composed of index exchange-traded funds (ETFs), and I automatically invest a set amount each month and let it grow. I don’t fiddle with it; I just let it ride.

Turns out, indexing in your retirement portfolio is probably one of the best things you can do for your long-term savings attempt.

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I shook my head in shame when I saw the charge on my credit card statement. This was the third month I had been charged $14.99 for a credit monitoring service that I didn’t mean to keep past a free trial period. I knew it was exactly what the company who created the service hoped would happen.

Services that operate through recurring charges thrive on people who don’t review their bills regularly, or those who get deterred when faced with a small obstacle for cancelling.

Here are some of the business practices that such services use, so you can stop paying for recurring charges.

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There are many of us who still refuse to break ties with our cable company because of our kids. However, you don’t have to fear that your kids will cause an uproar if you kick your cable provider to the curb. There are many affordable choices available for them.

An added bonus is that by cutting cable TV, and using a few of the services below, I feel that my family watches television less. I am better able to control how much my little one is watching, and she doesn’t watch any commercials.

Here are some of the best cable TV alternatives that your kids will enjoy.

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Yard sale season is gearing up and before all you minimalists cringe, keep in mind that yard sales aren’t just for hoarders.

Garage sales hold tremendous savings potential for anyone who’s willing to take the time and effort to shop for items properly. With that in mind, here are a few tips I’ve learned and picked up from hard-core yard sale shoppers.

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