Sharing insights since 2007 on carefully saving money, investing, frugal living, coupons, promo codes because the little things matter in achieving financial freedom!
Things can get a little tense when it comes to money and relationships. I know that my partner and I sometimes have different financial priorities and that it affects our relationship.
We haven’t, however, had a lot of fights about money recently.
Some of that has to do with accepting what each of us cares about, while some of it is a result of our increasing income (there’s just more money to go around). We’re fortunate in that regard since it means we can reach our shared goals – and still have enough left over to spend on our individual priorities.
If you’re trying to avoid fighting about money with your significant other, there are some things you can try. Leo Willcocks, stress consultant and author of the book DeStress to Success, offers his suggestions for avoiding undue stress during financial discussions: [ continue reading… ]
Since you’re reading MoneyNing.com, I’ll assume you’d rather receive interest than pay interest. You’ll like this post.
I’m 26 and I’ve never paid a dime in credit card interest. Not paying interest is obviously ideal since I’m not spending money just for the privilege of borrowing money. But going further, this also means that I don’t need to be overly concerned with the interest rate when I shop for credit cards. Since I won’t be paying interest, the rate is really a moot point.
Whether you’ve paid interest before or not – this post will tell you how to keep from ever having to do it again. Let’s get going. [ continue reading… ]
All of us grew up playing games of some sort. Whether it was Tiddlywinks, Game of Life, Candy Land, or some good ol’ fashioned Monopoly, I’m sure we have fond memories of having some family fun around the card table. Now that we’re adults and have transitioned to “grown up things”, it doesn’t mean we have to forsake our inner child. Turning everyday chores into games can give us the motivation to complete our tasks. We may end up being more thorough in the process too. Plus, we can even bring some games into our financial lives to improve our finances. Try a few of these that I practice right now.
“The Plastic Fast”
The plastic rectangle in our pockets can be tamed. That’s the name of this game. Once a week/four times a month, give your debit and credit cards a fast and leave them at home. Commit to not using it at all for 24 hours and see if you can do it. Getting into the habit of leaving our money at home can help us from making unnecessary purchases. You will be surprised to see how much money was saved after a month. Added bonus: No online shopping that day will earn even extra savings. Like any game, you need to be strategic about the whole thing. For instance, you’ll need to train yourself to make sure to have gas and meals a day beforehand. Knowing that you’re about to do a 24 debit card fast will help your shop smart for those meals too. This game will save you some extra cash from extra purchases that you may otherwise spend on a whim. [ continue reading… ]
Doing your own taxes is a great way to save money, but let’s face it — some of us have pretty complicated taxes and prefer to avoid the stress of making sure everything’s accurate. Using the services of a professional who knows all the tax rules can be a load off your mind, but if you’re not careful, it can also be an unnecessary load off your wallet. This might sound surprising, but many tax professionals often make mistakes that can cost you dearly.
There are at least two ways your professional tax preparation can go wrong: (1) an inexperienced tax agent who fails to get you the credits you’re qualified for and inadvertently cheats you out of your maximum refund, or (2) a fee-based-on-return tax agent who encourages you to take credits you don’t qualify for, placing you at risk for an audit.
On the other hand, hundreds of thousands of people have their taxes prepared by a professional every year with no incident. What makes the difference? Consider these suggestions for choosing a tax professional you can trust to handle your return for years to come. [ continue reading… ]
How well do you know your own finances? If you want your financial machine to run as efficiently as possible, there are some critical pieces of information you absolutely must know. Without that knowledge you run the risk of overspending, your investments can’t possibly be working for you as hard as they should be, and you won’t even know how to improve the situation because of lack of information.
If you’re like me, lunchtime is a much enjoyed reprieve to “sandwich” in the busy work day. It also means that $10 to $15 is about to leave the wallet. This may not seem like much, but after grabbing a quick bite over the last month, I counted my receipts and realized I said goodbye to $188.07. Wowsers. That’s why I’ve set a goal to shave that in half. Here’s what I’ve found to be helpful.
Water Cups Can Save a Ton
Did you know drinks are the number one profit margins (percentage-wise) at restaurants? Every time a cup is sold, restaurants make around 800% profit. What really costs the eatery 30 cents or so is priced at $2.49 to the consumer. Add in taxes and you are basically paying 10 times the cost of having the same thing at home. Avoid being marked up by sticking to the free water cup. You’ll immediately see your $10 to $15 dollar meal reduced to $7 to $12. If you absolutely need that jolt of caffeine, keep a can in your purse or car and ask for a cup of ice. No one will care that you put your own drink into the cup of ice, but you can also enjoy the drink on your way back to work if you feel self conscious. [ continue reading… ]
Free signup to get a free ebook on How to Save Money on Everything! Constantly expanding, it will be the biggest money saving ebook available, and it's FREE! →
(I hate spam and promise that your information will never be shared.)
