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For most Americans, the dream is to ultimately own a home. Purchasing property is a right of passage of sorts. It’s a big step into adulthood and probably one of the biggest purchases you’ll make in your life. That’s all the more reason why you should thoroughly do your research and ask plenty of questions before you take this big step.
Before making a formal offer, it’s crucial to ask all the possible questions you can. Purchasing a home is a big investment and you don’t want to see your investment tank after you’ve already put your life savings into it. If you’re planning on buying a house, take a look at these questions you need to ask:
How Long Has This Property Been on the Market?
You’ve found the perfect home and you want to put in a offer as soon as possible. But not so fast. How long has this property been on the market? This is a question you should always ask the sales agent. You can also easily find out online just to double check that the agent is telling the truth. While this can be dependent on the housing market in your location in general, a home that has been on a market for months can indicate that something is undesirable about the property. [ continue reading… ]
Not all of us need a budget for cars. Not all of us need a budget for pets. Not all of us need a budget for haircuts even. But without a doubt, we all need a budget for clothing.
We all know how to shrink our clothes, but what many of us don’t know how to do is shrink our clothing budget. That’s what this post will help you do. Let’s turn the water to hot and begin shrinking our clothing budget.
Return Items
This is hard for me because I can be shy. But it’s really important. When you buy something and then dislike it when you get home – return the item. It’s okay.
I used to never do this. I’d just let the article of clothing sit forgotten in a drawer and then donate it years later. Mistake.
What helped me get over the fear of returning things was to realize that the store wants me to be happy. Because a happy customer is a repeat customer. It’s why stores like Zappos, Kohl’s, and others have such amazing return policies. They want you to be satisfied. Let them have their wish.
To keep from buying things you’ll later realize you dislike, there’s a rule you can follow. If you wouldn’t wear it out of the store that day – don’t buy it. I don’t remember who told me this but I’ve been using it for a few years. And I haven’t had to return anything out of dislike for the item since. [ continue reading… ]
The beauty of personal finance is that it’s personal. We all have our preferences on how we save money, what we spend money on, and even what we spend money with.
Everyone has a strong preference from cash to credit to debit. Some people swear by cash, while others never carry the stuff. So, what type of payment method should you use? Well, the correct answer depends. I’m breaking down the good, bad, and ugly of cash, credit, and debit.
Have you ever put a label on yourself and then had a hard time removing it? My son is very good with the soccer ball but he hesitates whenever he goes up against bigger and stronger boys because he’s not confident. He often thinks he’s bad and that leads him to not play as well as he could out on the field.
A lot of people do this and it affects all facets of their life. This is especially disastrous when it comes to money. It’s understandable though.
This is because: a) money is a taboo topic, and b) it’s the easy way out. It’s so much easier to say “I’m bad with money” than it is to actually improve the underlying issue.
If you’re constantly thinking you have bad luck with finances or are generally bad with money, you have to first realize that “no, you’re not bad with money.” It’s probably just because of one of these reasons.
When we think of skills that set us up for career success, things like efficiency, the ability to multi-task, and proficiency in technical or specialized equipment might come to mind. But, based on the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ list of occupations expected to add the most jobs over the next 10 years – home health care, nursing, retail, and service – a very different set of skills will be in high demand. Can you guess the common denominator for these occupations? If you said social skills, you’re right.
Even if you’re not employed in one of these fields, social skills are becoming an in-demand qualification. Employers in STEM fields are showing an increasing preference for applicants with “high social skills,” not just technical skills. Even business professionals need to be able to communicate with other departments, anticipate customers’ desires, needs, and reactions to formulate effective marketing strategies, interact with suppliers, and secure funding by building rapport with investors. Finally, if you’re an entrepreneur, financial success hinges strongly on the social skills needed for building a network of investors and customers. [ continue reading… ]
As someone who has rented an apartment for a long time, I didn’t think I needed renters insurance. It seemed like an unnecessary expense to add to my budget. After all, as a self-proclaimed minimalist, I don’t have a lot of “stuff” so I never saw the value in it.
It wasn’t until a few months ago that I finally woke up from my ignorance. A friend had her computer stolen and the first thing people asked her was, “Do you have renters insurance?”. She didn’t.
To make matters worse, she was still making payments on it! My heart went into the pit of my stomach hearing her tell me that story.
I thought if something happened to my computer – whether it be theft or damage – I’d be in pretty bad shape. I currently work as a full-time writer and speaker, and my computer is a major source of my income. Not having my laptop would put my livelihood is serious jeopardy until I can replace my machine. [ continue reading… ]
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For most Americans, the dream is to ultimately own a home. Purchasing property is a right of passage of sorts. It’s a big step into adulthood and probably one of the biggest purchases you’ll make in your life. That’s all the more reason why you should thoroughly do your research and ask plenty of questions before you take this big step.
