Sharing insights since 2007 on carefully saving money, investing, frugal living, coupons, promo codes because the little things matter in achieving financial freedom!
You’ve noticed lately that Mom and Dad are starting to show signs of aging. Cobwebs and dust may be appearing in the previously spotless living room, or they’ve been forgetting things like appointments and medication. But your parents adamantly refuse to even consider moving to an assisted living facility or nursing home.
According to AARP, nearly 42 million Americans are caring for their elderly parents, and many of them are facing a similar dilemma. Keeping your parents living safely at home isn’t going to be cheap, but it’ll likely be less expensive than an assisted living facility, which costs around $36,000 per year, or a nursing home, which costs around $77,000 per year for a private room.
Here’s what you can expect financially from helping your parents stay in their home: [ continue reading… ]
Things are pretty rough for many folks where I live. Jobs are scarce, scattered, and most pay minimum wage or barely above that. A friend with two college degrees and 12 years of service in the military was recently unemployed for a few months already because he didn’t want to settle for minimum wage or factory work. It’s rough out there. If you’re in the same boat, why not try your hand at starting your own business?
Don’t let the economy being down scare you. In fact, there are many reasons why the national economic situation should encourage you to start a new business now. FedEx, Microsoft, Burger King, and even GE were started during the recessions the U.S. has experienced over the last century and a half. Here are three reasons why you could succeed in a recession. [ continue reading… ]
Summer is one of my favorite months as I love basking in the sun and enjoying the energy of the city. Where I live in Portland, Oregon, it’s rainy and dreary for nearly nine months of the year.
But thankfully, summertime is right around the corner, and for these three months, the weather is absolutely perfect. The sun is shining, the weather is warm, and the energy of the city is completely different — it feels vibrant and alive.
In years past, I’ve noticed my spending increases significantly in the summer. I want to be out and about and will pay the price for it. Luckily, I’ve found some frugal ways to enjoy summer without breaking the bank.
There’s no doubt raising kids costs a fortune, but where parents spend their money on are often debatable. Summer is coming up, and one of the options for us to send our kids is a math summer camp. Is it worth a few hundred dollars a month for Sara and Jayden to spend a few hours every week to hone their math skills? Or is it a gigantic waste of money?
Confession Time!
Ask ten people who know Emma and me and all ten will tell you that I’m the one in the family who is always saying no to stuff because of how much it cost.
Yet, being the Tiger dad that I am, I was the one who suggested that Sara go to an after school math school a few years ago. The classes weren’t cheap at roughly $200 a month per person. Now add Jayden to the mix, and we are talking about spending close to $10k already with many more potential years of expenses.
Why Did You Pay for It Then
We’ve been paying for years, and we have to work hard to convince our kids not to kick and scream about going. Obviously, we felt the money was justified. Here are a few reasons why: [ continue reading… ]
You see these signs all the time, especially at large intersections:
“Rent To Own! No Financing Necessary!”
While I’m familiar with rent-to-own (or lease to own, as some call it) when it comes to appliance and even car purchases, I’ve always wondered exactly how this works with a house. I did some digging recently, and here’s what I found.
Near the beginning of each month, many in the personal finance community share, with varying degrees of detail, their financial situations. We see net worth reports, and some of them are even itemized. I always enjoy reading these reports and find them quite interesting — and sometimes inspiring. However, I have always been vaguely uncomfortable with offering too many details about my finances. A lot of it has to do with my upbringing in a family that did not talk much about the particulars of finances with those not in the immediate family.
While I think that this taboo is part of my reluctance to share details about my family’s financial situation with friends and family (and the wider PF community), for many of us, there are probably other factors at work. Especially if embarrassment about the financial situation comes into play. [ continue reading… ]
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