Sharing insights since 2007 on carefully saving money, investing, frugal living, coupons, promo codes because the little things matter in achieving financial freedom!
Though stores have had their back-to-school supplies out for months, I’ve been ignoring them. But seeing a day labeled “Schedule pick up” on our giant white board calendar reminded us it was time to print off the list from the school district website — and make sure the kids were ready to go for a brand new school year.
The idea to complete our shopping popped into my wife’s head well into a Wednesday evening, so we headed off to Shopko to pick up the supplies. Shopko wouldn’t have been my first choice, but she insisted they had some good sales. We had to hustle to complete our list before walking out the doors right at closing time.
“That’s the last time we buy our supplies there,” she remarked.[ continue reading… ]
It’s hard to believe, but summer is quickly coming to a close.
The days of lounging by the pool, enjoying little league baseball games, and soaking up the sun will soon be over. Instead, you’ll be raking leaves and putting kids on the school bus.
If you’re a new college student, moving into the dorm probably marks the first time you’ll truly feel like an adult.
Unfortunately, this is also a time rife with bad financial decisions.
Even if you’re just the parent of a college student, it’s good to know common ways they stumble financially — so you can help prevent unnecessary financial hardship.
Here are four of the most common money mistakes college students make, along with my tips on avoiding them: [ continue reading… ]
If you are one of the millions of Americans who has cell phone service from Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile or Sprint you should be able to reduce your rates by up to 30% without compromising your coverage. The suggestions below will show you easy and effortless ways to accomplish this goal.
Get Wireless Service From an MVNO, Without Switching Networks or Replacing Your Phone
Mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs) have a very simple business model. They buy wholesale wireless service in bulk from Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile or Sprint, and then sell it at discounted prices under their own brand names. In return for helping consumers get lower rates they make a small profit margin for acting as middle men.
Most MVNOs do not require service contracts and allow you to bring your phone number with you. In addition, as long as you are not changing networks you typically will not need to buy a new cell phone. There are downsides to getting wireless service from MVNOs, but they are minimal. The main drawback is that most MVNOs tend to employ a skeleton staff to keep their rates as low as possible. This can lead to longer than usual hold times when you call their helplines. Also, MVNOs that use Verizon’s network do not presently have access to their 4G LTE services. However, this is likely to change in the near future. [ continue reading… ]
Debt is a bad word in financial circles: People are constantly talking about eliminating it, tackling it, consolidating it, and avoiding it. While I can’t argue the wisdom of these aggressive (or evasive) actions toward debt, there are times when debt isn’t a bad thing.
Personally, I’ve been debt-free a few times in the past, and I plan to be again. I am in debt right now, but I don’t feel bad about it. I used to view debt of any kind as taboo and unacceptable, but I’ve realized that sometimes loans are a tool that can be used to benefit your finances and position in life. From what I can see, my debt follows a healthy pattern — and as long as it can pass the following questions, I have no reason to regret it. [ continue reading… ]
I’d wanted one for years. Let me rephrase that: I’d craved one for years.
It seemed like all my running friends owned a fancy GPS watch used to collect statistics about each and every run. At races, I’d notice countless runners poised to hit the start button on their GPS watches when the gun went off. I convinced myself that owning one would add a formality to how serious I was about my running.
So I walked into a sporting goods store and dropped $150 on my very own GPS watch.
I loved my new toy. After each run, I connected it to my computer and downloaded my info. I’d be shown a map of my route and given statistics that helped me gauge my training progress, as well as show me what I needed to work on. I felt like I finally had the tools to help me reach my full potential as a runner. [ continue reading… ]
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