Raise your hand if you know you could be doing something to save a nice bit of cash each week but for some reason or another, you just don’t. Maybe you have a hard time getting your act together to pack a lunch each week or somehow you never find the time to look for a cheaper auto insurance plan. Don’t be embarrassed if this is true for you, as almost everyone I know has these little, seemingly easy things that somehow just don’t wind up happening. If you’d like to conquer one of these items on your list, try my three step method for making a change in your habits.
[ continue reading… ]
The American dream is a goal we’ve all heard of at some point in our lives. This dream involves raising a family, building a successful career, and (most importantly some would have us believe) owning a home. Everybody dreams about owning a home and it’s marketed as the biggest asset in life.
But is owning a home really the biggest asset in life? You start paying the mortgage and equity begins to build, but you have to remember that the typical mortgage spans 30 years. Who really stays in their homes long enough to reach that 30-year mark to have their house become a full asset nowadays? With house maintenance and the fluctuating value of the housing market coupled with how long someone stays in their home, a house can actually be a liability on the balance sheet and an expense on the income statement.
Think about it. The upkeep of a house is a constant. A good rule of thumb is to estimate maintenance at roughly 1% of the value of a home each year. Until the house is paid off, you have this huge debt called a mortgage along with sunken costs of maintaining a functioning home such as water heater replacement or kitchen appliance replacement. That’s money down the drain to increase the value of the home minimally if not downright just maintaining the value of your home.
[ continue reading… ]
Many people live their lives striving for a big house with nice cars and all the toys and gadgets they could imagine. Some work really hard to see these things come to fruition, while many never reach this level.
My fiancé and I are currently searching for an apartment to live in after our wedding. The plan is for a six month lease, but we have to choose between a nice place that is more expensive or one that is sufficient and cheap. This is a decision we need to make based on our current financial situation. The same decision needs to be made for our cars and other bigger ticket items, which could make a big difference in our finances down the road.
But First: Housing
My fiancé and I have the decision between keeping her apartment for another six months at $610 a month and moving into a newer place to spend our first half-year as newlyweds. Do we want to live in a nicer complex or townhome? Definitely. Can we afford to? This is something we have yet to answer. This is the first housing decision we will make in our adult lives. While it doesn’t have a huge impact on us, it will be a good indication of how we will make larger decisions (like buying a house) in the future.
[ continue reading… ]
Many singles with expensive leases in major cities, traveling retirees with empty homes, and couples with a spare room and a desperate need for cash are looking for ways to make the space they rent or own pay for themselves. Many budget-conscious vacationers, seasonal university-town students, and hotel-weary business travelers are looking for cheap, attractive, short-term accommodations. Where the two sets of people often meet is a growing marketplace of online communities that connect hosts with travelers – services like Airbnb, VRBO, and FlipKey.
Although I can’t rent out a room at the moment, the idea appeals to me. Not only is being a short-term rental host a way to earn extra cash; it presents the opportunity to ‘travel,’ learn, and widen your perspective as you meet all sorts of interesting people from different cultures and walks of life – without having to leave your home.
Before getting too caught up in the possibilities and contingencies (what it involves, the legalities, the material risks), the first question I’d need to answer is whether it would be profitable for me. Unfortunately, that requires a little math.
[ continue reading… ]
Credit cards are a wonderful tool to help you get more out of your spending, but they can also be a temptation that keeps you in debt. It all depends on how you choose to use them. However, even those who manage their credit cards wisely might be prone to these top three mistakes. Are you guilty of one?
1. Your Card Utilization is Too High
A major factor that affects your credit score is your credit card utilization. This percentage is based on the balances you have on each card compared to how much of a credit card line you have. For example, if you only have two cards with a $300 limit but you are at that limit, then your credit score will be penalized. On the other hand, if you have $5,000 of credit card debt but a $50,000 credit line on the card, your score will fare better.
[ continue reading… ]
Studies show you can get an effective workout in half the time by increasing the intensity: a 10-minute high-intensity circuit can potentially burn as many calories as a slow-paced 30-minute workout. As it turns out, we can apply this concept to finances as well. Few of us have hours to spend on money management (or working out), but we might have 15 minutes. What can you do to streamline and burn the fat off your financial physique in that short amount of time? Here are some ideas.
- Automate your bills
Setting up automatic payments (and reminders) through your bank or services like Mint Bills doesn’t take much time. You will end up saving time by not needing to manually pay bills. You will also waste less money on late fees every month.
[ continue reading… ]
