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It seems like everyone wants to be a minimalist these days. In the past few years, the “hot” New Year’s resolution is not to get fit but to live with less. The Tiny House movement has inspired many of us to appreciate what we have, and be happy with less.
When this trend first started catching on, I was skeptical. Being a minimalist made me think of the “extreme cheapskate” style of living. Sure, I would love to learn to be happy with less stuff but I wasn’t ready to go cold turkey.
However, the more and more I’ve learned about minimalism, the more I’ve embraced it. The idea of letting go of material needs, being more productive and, best of all, spending less money appeals to almost everyone.
Up until our late 20’s, my husband and I didn’t think much about retirement at all. We were far too busy being 20-somethings – too busy hosting dinner parties with our friends and planning weekend getaways and pool parties. We never looked much further into the future than a month or two, or past whenever our next vacation or relaxing weekend was on the agenda. And why should we? We were in our 20’s, after all, and middle age and retirement seemed like a lifetime away.
But then we had our first daughter, Lydia Rose, and our entire world changed. Almost overnight, we had something to plan for – something to protect. Out of love, we did what most parents do; we bought life insurance to make sure she would be okay if something were to happen and started a college fund for our tiny surgeon, lawyer, or day trader in the making.
We also got serious about retirement because we wanted to take care of our precious child – not the other way around. Fortunately, time was on our side, so we progressed slowly to the point where we could max out retirement accounts and save lump sums for college, all while prepaying our mortgage on a monthly basis.
And by the time our second child came along, we were painfully aware that we were responsible for the outcome of our lives, financially and otherwise. We knew that we needed to take control of our financial situation – because no one would do it for us. We also learned that we had the power to make a positive change for the future; we only needed to seize it. [ continue reading… ]
In an attempt to make college (which is an essential step for most young adults entering the career field) more affordable for everyone, President Obama recently announced his proposal of joint federal and state-funded community college tuition.
While the details are still under wraps, the program is loosely based on a current program in Tennessee that requires students to meet minimum GPAs and fulfill community involvement hours. While this could create better opportunities for students burdened with loan debt, it would also mean further government spending (read: more tax dollar spending).
Could paying for students’ tuition at a community college really help them graduate with a four-year degree and find well-paying, stable jobs?
While considering this question, let’s discuss the advantages and potential disadvantages of attending a community college versus a university.
Why do we find the act of saving money so hard? In a world where everything can be done online, it takes almost zero effort to type a few numbers, click the mouse a few times, and transfer money to your savings account.
It’s sad but true that some of us need the physical act of saving money to be even more effortless than that. One way to accomplish this goal is to use the round-up method. It isn’t new, maybe you’ve heard of it, or even tried it.
Anytime someone hears (or reads!) the word “budget” they usually cringe. Mostly because a budget requires you to stay within a certain spending limit in order to stay on track and reach financial goals. But this can feel very restricting, and often doesn’t line up to your priorities.
I’ve never been a big fan of the idea of budgeting as it’s traditionally understood. I don’t like the idea of rigidly assigning spending limits to certain categories, since our lives have to be flexible for unexpected plans and so do our budgets.
Because of this, my husband and I have figured out a way NOT to budget but still have plenty of money to spend on things we want.
Have you ever been in a hurry, in need of cash, and forced to use an out-of-bank ATM with exorbitant fees?
I, unfortunately, have experienced this recently. I found myself at a take-out restaurant that only accepted cash and the closest branch of my bank was over 10 blocks away. Instead of doing a mad sprint in that direction, I decided to use a ATM at a convenience store across the street. Much to my dismay, however, I realized I was charged a $4 transaction fee when I only needed 20 bucks.
According to a recent Bankrate.com survey, the average cost to U.S. consumers for using an ATM outside of their bank network is $4.13. While that may seem like only a few bucks, imagine spending it on a latte at Starbucks, or other little indulgence, instead of forking it over for ATM fees.
In 2015, I’m saying “NO” to ATM fees and you should too. Here are 4 easy ways to stop paying ATM fees this year.
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