Who doesn’t want a bigger savings account? With more money in the bank, you can take more vacations, pay off debt, make home improvements and even purchase a house. Unfortunately, saving money is easier easier said than done. Many people have good intentions, but when it comes to actually saving, they drop the ball. It’s not entirely their fault. Nothing in this world is designed to make [...]
Getting engaged is an exciting time in your life, and like most couples, you may shout this news from the rooftop. Several things have to be discussed as you plan your upcoming nuptials. When will you get married? Where will you live? Will you have a big or small wedding? Who will pay the wedding expenses? If you’re fortunate enough, your parents may jump in and [...]
Creating a personal or household budget isn’t the most exciting thing in the world. In fact, the word “budget” often garners a collective eye roll – and for good reason. Personal budgets are restrictive, and with a budget, you can’t spend your money freely. But if you’re looking to get a handle on your personal finances and you’re tired of being broke at the end [...]
Do you experience waves of nausea each time you open a credit card statement? Or maybe you don’t open statements until you’re ready to pay the bill – it’s your way of hiding from your debt. Regardless of your method for dealing with credit card debt, there’s one important thing to remember: high balances aren’t going to mysteriously disappear. Being a slave to your credit [...]
A lot of things out there are free. Just ask any frugal person. Most of them would gladly rattle off a list of things they never had to pay a cent for, some of which might surprise you. There are tons of free products and services out there, but businesses work so hard at hiding them from us. They’ve succeeded in getting us to fork [...]
With the current economic climate, everyone is trying their best to avoid unnecessary expenses. Being economical does not mean not enjoying life, not eating out once in a while or not taking vacations. But it does mean managing your financials intelligently and not paying through your nose for products or services you can get for free or for less. And that’s where the following list [...]
Have you ever looked at your electric bill and screamed out of pure terror? If you have, join the club. Each year, millions of people fight soaring electric bills by installing compact fluorescent light bulbs, changing their air and furnace filters, and sealing up leaky windows. While those are great ways to conserve energy, they’re ineffective if you leave all the lights on and keep [...]
Saving money can be difficult, and Americans are notoriously bad at it—according to a recent CareerBuilder survey, close to half of Americans live paycheck-to-paycheck. Putting money away is especially challenging in this economy, in which many families have had to dip into their existing savings to make ends meet due to loss of income. Nevertheless, changing your financial habits can have a huge impact in [...]
Most of us are familiar with the idea of stashing away cash for times of need, though not all of us actually do it. Of those of us who do, our habits vary a lot. Some only have a couple hundred stashed away, while others may be saving too much and not living enough. Pretty much all financial experts agree, though: we need a rainy [...]
