Sharing insights since 2007 on carefully saving money, investing, frugal living, coupons, promo codes because the little things matter in achieving financial freedom!
With our hectic lifestyles, many modern couples find that having a weekly or monthly date night is a good way to relax, check in with each other, and spend some undivided attention on their relationship.
It might sound strange to apply this principle to your ‘relationship’ with your checking account and stack of bills, but oddly enough, a lot of people say it helps them adjust the way they approach the dreaded task of spending time with their finances.
To see how it might work, let’s apply the principles of date nights to routine money tasks:
I’m a budget driven person. That personality trait kicks into high gear as my wife and I decide what gifts will be wrapped and given to our kids. The two criteria I have for the gifts for my two children are that they have an equal number of gifts, and that their cost come in under budget.
My wife, on the other hand, has other ideas. She has visions of the kids coming down the stairs on Christmas morning to find a tree with a pile of presents spilling out from under it. She has dreams of passing out gift after gift while our children futilely try to guess what is in each wrapped box.
My wife’s perfect gift is even harder to achieve when teenagers are involved. Both my kids are teenagers, who’s preferences seem to change daily. So how can a parent get the perfect gift for the hard-to-shop teenager and stay on budget?
If you are expecting this same problem this year, here’s a list of five last minute inexpensive gifts that any teenager would love to open: [ continue reading… ]
Regular get-togethers at various local restaurants with friends was killing our monthly budget. Not only was the price of gas rising, but restaurants were responding to the economic downturn by raising menu prices as well. And as a former waitress, I always felt compelled to leave a 20-30% tip whenever possible.
Soon, it was usual fare to drop $25 for a snack or dessert and $60 for a meal with the gang. I didn’t want to skip out on spending time with some of my favorite people, but this habit was making us all digestively miserable and soaking up all our funds.
I have really bad luck at weddings. I’m talking freaky bad luck. Let me explain.
We’re Not in Kansas Anymore, Dorothy
At my own wedding, a tornado took the roof of the church one month before the blessed day was to take place — and after the invitations were mailed.
Sorry About Your Shoes… and Your Honeymoon
For my best friend’s wedding, I picked up a nasty virus in nursing school that hit the day of the wedding. I spent the morning in the bride’s bathroom, vomited twice while getting dressed, and snuck off immediately after the nuptials to curl up in a corner and sleep. (The groom’s sister got sick later that night and, to my horror, the groom came down with the same bug on his honeymoon!)
If you’ve been bitten by the coffee bean bug, you know that your coffee habit can easily get out of hand and cost you a small fortune. While most financial experts would say it’s okay to splurge on a nice Cuppa Joe on occasion, it’s certainly one area you can cut back and save a bundle.
It seems that everyone is getting on the gourmet coffee fad. You can get your fix at McDonald’s, and my church even has a café open for breakfast that features a professional gourmet coffee machine that spits out frothy yummy caffeinated works of culinary art.
Brewing your own coffee can be quite an experience until you get the hang of it, but there are lots of helpful tips to be found when you’re just starting out. Here are a few of the most important ones to get your gourmet brewing started: [ continue reading… ]
Many of us don’t like to feel as though we’re missing out on something. In fact, the fear of missing out (FOMO) is likely something that is holding you back financially.
We tend to say “yes” too much, and even spend money, just to make sure we don’t miss out on anything. That’s why one of the ways to spend less is to realize that we might not actually be missing out all that much.
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