Let’s face it – financial status or habits rarely determine who you’d ask out (or who to accept) on a date. But should you continue onto the second date if the potential partner is a spendrift? There will be many clues about a person’s financial situation and how they handle money as early as the first date. Your reaction to these clues will depend on your financial beliefs and habits, but early consideration of what they might imply will help you determine if a date is financially compatible before you get entangled in a relationship. How you react to the following financial clues could determine your financial future, so pay attention.
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We live in a consumer-driven society.
Everywhere you turn, there are ads for products that claim to make you smarter, thinner, or happier.
To say it’s challenging to avoid going into debt for material items is a bit of an understatement.
However, if you can successfully avoid going into consumer debt or succumbing to hefty lifestyle inflation, you’ll find the benefits of having a low-cost lifestyle are huge. Here’s why:
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Survey after survey indicates that Americans aren’t saving enough for retirement. While retirement is one of the biggest fears that Americans have, they aren’t confident in their ability to enjoy life.
A Wells Fargo survey recently indicated that 22% of middle class Americans would rather die early than be unable to have a comfortable retirement. This is very alarming information!
Americans say that saving for retirement is harder than expected, and many think that they will be able save later, to make up for a lack of savings now. However, this could backfire in the future as many Baby Boomers are finding out right now.
So, what can you do if you want to have a comfortable retirement without breaking the bank? Joshua Kadish from RPG Life Transition Specialists offers three interesting tips for helping your retirement budget stretch a little further.
I’m constantly asked to describe how I budget my money. When I talk about my budget, though, I refer to it as my “no budget” budget plan, or just a spending plan. This is because I don’t budget my money in what we often think of as the traditional way. I don’t have a list of categories, and I don’t start out my month by giving each dollar a job.
So how do I manage my money if I don’t practice traditional budgeting? Here is a quick peek at how I create a “no budget” spending plan.
Do you understand your overall financial health? Are you ready to handle unexpected financial situations? Your overall financial success depends on your readiness, so be prepared and you will prosper.
Start by evaluating your situation. Recently, USAA released a tool called the Financial Readiness.
While you can’t use the tool if you aren’t a USAA member, you can still use the methodology of the tool to figure out your financial readiness by using the four categories used to determine your score in your own personal evaluation.
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I visited an antique shop with my cousin recently, as we sought inspiration for an apartment she will be moving into in a few months. I wasn’t planning on buying anything, but I saw a piano bench that looked perfect for our piano. My son had been complaining about our bench and the hinged top of this bench appealed to me, as the current bench didn’t have a place to store music.
On impulse, I bought the bench for $65. I don’t regret the purchase. It’s a nicer bench than what we had before, and now my son has a place to store his sheet music and lesson books instead of just tossing them on the floor.
