Sharing insights since 2007 on carefully saving money, investing, frugal living, coupons, promo codes because the little things matter in achieving financial freedom!
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… ]
We all make money mistakes. And even if we don’t make many financial missteps, the reality is that a disaster can unexpectedly set you back.
When you are suffering from a financial setback, it can seem as though everything is out of your control. How can you take charge of the situation?
Having gone through several financial setbacks myself as well as counseled dozens of clients through it, I get how tough it is. I know there were times when I wanted to quit. I even convinced myself that trying was pointless at times. Deep down though, I believed that things would eventually work out.
If you’re in the midst of a money struggle, you might be asking yourself if there is a way to get back control of your financial life.
Luckily, the answer is yes. The solution isn’t always easy, but it’s workable. Here are seven tips for taking charge of your finances after a setback: [ continue reading… ]
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