My husband switched to ting four months ago. We were on a family plan with Verizon paying $55-60/month together, and had previously talked about switching but had planned to wait till January when both our contracts were up. But then his phone up and died on us. We switched him to TING using a flip phone we got off freecycle. We used a referral code so he started with a $25 credit so no matter what we would be ahead of the game. Two weeks later he said, I'm buying a smartphone, ting is fine but not having a keyboard is not. Up until then, both DH and I had dumb phones with a qwerty keyboard but that was it.
Since then, my dumb phone's speaker has stopped working for private calls, so all I can use it for is speaker calls and texting. Therefore, I have been using google talk much, much more and since the person I text the most is my husband I have gotten used to using google chat for texting. DH still has not paid a penny for ting because someone used our referral link and the first time one gives a referral one gets $50. Every other referral is $25. So, so far all DH has spent on ting was the phone, which he bought used for $120, and a case for $20. I have still been spending $35/month and the savings of $20 has been going to pay off the phone and case. We have budgeted $10/month for the phone costs but the case cost went into our miscellaneous spending.
This weekend I too bought a phone and case for the same amount of money (total $120). Our bill now is $26 plus tax and since we set aside $10/month for phone costs, we will upgrade every other year, just like the big plans with AT&T, Verizon and Sprint, but for much, much cheaper. $36 compared to $55-60 and to even get that low on Verizon we had dumb phones, another person on family plan and often we had to spend some amount for the phone (often less than $50). I am not sure we could even find a similar phone to what I have without paying about $50 which adds an additional $4 expense per month.
Since Ting is on sprint's network I have not seen much difference and am loving the money savings. This does require some preplanning and money upfront but for us it has been a win. What do you do though, if you don't have the money up front? Well, you don't have to buy the phone from ting, you can buy it from amazon and you can earn gift cards from swagbucks so no cash required.
It will take bit to earn the swagbucks needed, so start now with an extra 150 swagbucks. You will start a third of the way to your first gift card. If you are unmotivated like I am, you'll only get about $5/month but if you are like some of my friends who are always running swag videos in the background and playing video games on their site, you can get about $25/month. So it is up to you, can you afford a new phone and a cheaper plan by the end of the school year? Let me know if you are up for the challenge. If you are up for it, start off with a free $25 by using my referral code.
1 Million Dollars
Tuesday, December 30, 2014
Saturday, December 27, 2014
Join or create a buying co-op to save money
When I first started looking around on blogs to learn tricks to save money many people talked about how wonderful stores like Costco are. But often unless gas is much, much cheaper and you drive a lot, as a single person, Costco is not a good deal. But what if a whole group of people went in on the large box items together? Sometimes then it is a good deal. And what if one of those people can get free access to a big box store via their parents? It might become a wonderful deal.
And you can take this idea further than just Costco. A local butcher shop in Buffalo will occasionally have major deals on chicken and steak but you have to buy 40lbs in chicken or 15lbs in steak. Besides the fact that 40lbs won't fit in my freezer, I can't afford 15lbs of steak. But if a bunch of grad students chip in, we all can get a little bit and save a lot of money.
That is the idea behind co-ops, groups of people getting together to buy large amounts. I have notice quite a few high end co-ops for organic groceries, but you can create your own as well. So all you need to do is fine one person with a car, one person with a membership to a big box store and a few people who want to buy in and you are set. Each person picks a store to watch and then a text or email to the whole group when a deal comes and everyone benefits.
This collaborative approach towards saving money can save you money, time and space, all things many college students lack. Are their any readers that have tried this before? Or do you plan to try this during the new year?
And you can take this idea further than just Costco. A local butcher shop in Buffalo will occasionally have major deals on chicken and steak but you have to buy 40lbs in chicken or 15lbs in steak. Besides the fact that 40lbs won't fit in my freezer, I can't afford 15lbs of steak. But if a bunch of grad students chip in, we all can get a little bit and save a lot of money.
That is the idea behind co-ops, groups of people getting together to buy large amounts. I have notice quite a few high end co-ops for organic groceries, but you can create your own as well. So all you need to do is fine one person with a car, one person with a membership to a big box store and a few people who want to buy in and you are set. Each person picks a store to watch and then a text or email to the whole group when a deal comes and everyone benefits.
This collaborative approach towards saving money can save you money, time and space, all things many college students lack. Are their any readers that have tried this before? Or do you plan to try this during the new year?
Tuesday, December 23, 2014
School Health Care Clinics, savings?
I went to my college health care clinic for the first time last week because money is tight around the holidays but I needed a refill of some prescriptions but because my insurance is grandfathered in, it would cost a pretty penny to see the doctor. I did not need much, just basically signature. I have been taking these meds for nearly ten years now yet once a year I need to see a doctor to stay on them.
So I called the clinic to see if they could help me. And it was great. They made an appointment in the evening, no copay and I sent in the script to my online pharmacy. The pharmacy accepted the script and I got my meds just like I would have, if I had spent $50-100 and gone to a private doctor.
So, how much did I pay? Nothing, my school fees covered it. They don't care blood work or such but for simple problems, I can't see going anywhere else. I am so excited to find a new savings and be able to remove that cost for next year!
As I always say, never stop looking and you'll never stop finding a way to improve! So that is my holiday cheer, what about you?
So I called the clinic to see if they could help me. And it was great. They made an appointment in the evening, no copay and I sent in the script to my online pharmacy. The pharmacy accepted the script and I got my meds just like I would have, if I had spent $50-100 and gone to a private doctor.
So, how much did I pay? Nothing, my school fees covered it. They don't care blood work or such but for simple problems, I can't see going anywhere else. I am so excited to find a new savings and be able to remove that cost for next year!
As I always say, never stop looking and you'll never stop finding a way to improve! So that is my holiday cheer, what about you?
Thursday, December 18, 2014
Changing our side income strategy
A few years past, once my husband had taken his subsidized student loans out, I looked around for a place to put the money. High yield savings accounts were only offering me about 1%, was there are better deal? I found one, a high checking account offer 3%, with only 10 debit purchases, a monthly transfer in and online statements. That extra cash became our yearly emergency fund (EF). But as time past the deal got worse and worse. First they increased the purchases to 15, then made a requirement that the purchase had to be above $5. All the while, decreasing the interest. By the time we closed the account it was only 1.85%, where a high yield savings account ranges between .75-1%. And with knowing that most of our money would be gone come December to pay off the student loans, why should we keep it? So we closed it and moved all the money to a high yield savings account. But I will miss the $25/month in interest.
And that is not the only decrease we have had this year. When we moved my daughter to her new daycare we found out that they did not take AMEX, so we got a VISA, but that only give 1.5% cash back instead of 2%. But the VISA is better than the discover (the other card we used when AMEX was not accepted) which only give 1% (except for certain categories), so we started using the VISA instead of the discover. But, we had been using the discover to get about $50 a year in CVS gift cards. We did not get that this year and coupled with the serious lack of deals we ended up spending part of our food budget on expenses I did not expect to. That does mean that we need to find extra money somewhere but how?
Normally that would have come from the yearly EF, but now my interest is pitiful and won't cover it. What else to do? Well my husband and I discussed opening credit cards for the bonuses and we agreed to count this as part the side hustle. Our agreement is that half of any side hustle money belongs to the person who side hustled and the other half goes towards savings. We separate the saving as well. If the money is tax free, like gifts or credit card bonus, half goes to EF and half to retirement savings. If the money is taxable, all of it goes to retirement. Right now we are trying very hard to stay within the 10%, and save any additional money in the Roth IRAs. We are very lucky to be able to stay within it, so I want to get as much out of not needing to spend money as we can.
So what have we gotten so far? Well my husband opened an account at key bank when they offered $250. I did the same, but I'm missed the better deal and sadly they only offered me $100. So far my husband got the $250 and I am still waiting on the $100. But we need some non-taxable money in here, otherwise how can we fund the EF? So we both opened credit cards. He got a $100 bonus offer and I got a $200 bonus offer. Neither have come yet, but I expect at least the $100 bonus to come soon. We plan to rotate these offers at least every three month for the credit offers, so assuming we get $100, half to the person who found it leaves $25 for retirement and $25 for EF gives us $100 bonus every year. Not up to $300/year but it is getting there.
Granted I only can do this because we have great credit scores and sooner or later all the hard inquires will hurt that, but since we don't plan to buy another house for at least fives I am ok with that. The next question is where else can I find money to put in my EF. Any ideas from my readers? My motto is to never stop trying to improve and I won't!
What have you changed this year? How are you trying to improve, financial or otherwise?
So what have we gotten so far? Well my husband opened an account at key bank when they offered $250. I did the same, but I'm missed the better deal and sadly they only offered me $100. So far my husband got the $250 and I am still waiting on the $100. But we need some non-taxable money in here, otherwise how can we fund the EF? So we both opened credit cards. He got a $100 bonus offer and I got a $200 bonus offer. Neither have come yet, but I expect at least the $100 bonus to come soon. We plan to rotate these offers at least every three month for the credit offers, so assuming we get $100, half to the person who found it leaves $25 for retirement and $25 for EF gives us $100 bonus every year. Not up to $300/year but it is getting there.
Granted I only can do this because we have great credit scores and sooner or later all the hard inquires will hurt that, but since we don't plan to buy another house for at least fives I am ok with that. The next question is where else can I find money to put in my EF. Any ideas from my readers? My motto is to never stop trying to improve and I won't!
What have you changed this year? How are you trying to improve, financial or otherwise?
Saturday, December 13, 2014
Why I decided not to stockpile.....
No, I have not decided to give up on all stockpiling, but there comes a time for each item, even things that don't go bad, when you have to say ENOUGH. We are over budget on groceries, and even though the sale on toilet paper and bathroom tissue was great, we have enough to last us over three month and that level of sale should come back within twelve weeks. So I said, enough, I am not spending the money. I'd rather keep the $18 in my pocket today. Maybe a few months from now, I'll rather buy items but for now, cash wins.
If you don't stop spending, stockpiling is not for you, because that does not save money. Not spending saves money. I stockpile so I can stop spending when I need to and right now we are $366.19 over budget so I need to stop spending. In addition I am waiting till I get another CVS gift card to spend if I can. I think I'll be getting it in January so we will have some extra money then.
Stockpiling is not just when there is a good deal, it is also when you have extra money. I try to set money aside so I can take advantage of all the deals but no one is perfect. DH and I have a strict budget because we can't afford otherwise, but we do try to set aside a little money for slip ups. That is why swagbucks, mypoints, ebates, credit card rewards and rental are not part our budget.
So, are you doing anything different as we finish up the year, to save money?
If you don't stop spending, stockpiling is not for you, because that does not save money. Not spending saves money. I stockpile so I can stop spending when I need to and right now we are $366.19 over budget so I need to stop spending. In addition I am waiting till I get another CVS gift card to spend if I can. I think I'll be getting it in January so we will have some extra money then.
Stockpiling is not just when there is a good deal, it is also when you have extra money. I try to set money aside so I can take advantage of all the deals but no one is perfect. DH and I have a strict budget because we can't afford otherwise, but we do try to set aside a little money for slip ups. That is why swagbucks, mypoints, ebates, credit card rewards and rental are not part our budget.
So, are you doing anything different as we finish up the year, to save money?
Wednesday, December 10, 2014
Joining Moneystepper’s 2015 Savings Challenge
I found two amazing new bloggers last week, Simple Cheap Mom And Money Stepper. I have been having a blast reading both blogs and highly recommend both of them. Money Stepper has a great challenge for 2015 that both Simple Cheap Mom I have joined. He has challenged people to make two goals, 1) increasing your net worth and 2)saving a portion of your income. Given that I joined the blogger group trying to save 50% of your income, yet I am not saving 50%, I am always up for trying to improve.
In 2014, the highest savings rate I had was 30%, but I just got a COLA raise and in 2015 my employer is putting $600 in my daycare FSA, which given that I spend $9,900 annually on daycare counts as a raise too! So I think I can improve even more in 2015. My budget says I should be able to save 37% but I don't think that is good enough. I am going to aim for saving 40% of my gross income which will require some pretty decent side hustles but also should increase my net worth by 50%. It is a lofty goal, but I think I can do it.
So, what is your 2015 goal? Will you join Money Stepper's challenge with me?
In 2014, the highest savings rate I had was 30%, but I just got a COLA raise and in 2015 my employer is putting $600 in my daycare FSA, which given that I spend $9,900 annually on daycare counts as a raise too! So I think I can improve even more in 2015. My budget says I should be able to save 37% but I don't think that is good enough. I am going to aim for saving 40% of my gross income which will require some pretty decent side hustles but also should increase my net worth by 50%. It is a lofty goal, but I think I can do it.
So, what is your 2015 goal? Will you join Money Stepper's challenge with me?
Tuesday, December 9, 2014
Gas is under $3/gallon AGAIN
And I am loving it! Finally gas costs have dropped down and we are saving a ton of money. I bet gas will go back up though, so I am not changing our budget one whit! I am using the savings to make up for the overages we occurred when we bought our second vehicle, a truck with stick shift. It is a lower MPGs than our car so we had planned for me to drive it and my husband, the one with the long commute, to drive the car. We overspent the entire first month because I was learning to drive stick and DH was driving the truck 120 miles per day, every day. Plus his old job paid a lot less and we budget based on the last month's earning so our budget that month was a lot lower.
So how much are we short? We are short $370 as of today but I expect to cut that about $200 by the end of the month. So, if we could keep the low price for two more month I'd be ecstatic!
Will I change my budget if by then, gas is still this low? Sort of, actually. We don't have enough set aside for car repairs and would have to dip into our EF if something huge happened so I'd like to save more for repairs, and any extra money will go there. But I'd never budget it towards anything else, because you know that gas can rise and with it food costs and I don't want to be stuck. Any savings from a discount, IMO, should go straight into savings.
What have you changed now that gas is cheaper?
So how much are we short? We are short $370 as of today but I expect to cut that about $200 by the end of the month. So, if we could keep the low price for two more month I'd be ecstatic!
Will I change my budget if by then, gas is still this low? Sort of, actually. We don't have enough set aside for car repairs and would have to dip into our EF if something huge happened so I'd like to save more for repairs, and any extra money will go there. But I'd never budget it towards anything else, because you know that gas can rise and with it food costs and I don't want to be stuck. Any savings from a discount, IMO, should go straight into savings.
What have you changed now that gas is cheaper?
Sunday, December 7, 2014
Financial Carnival for Young Adults December Edition
I'm hosting the Financial Carnival for Young Adults again this month and there are some amazing articles and I discovered a few great new blogs, my favorite being: The Money Principle. It is a UK blog so not everything is applicable but I learned a good deal and spent a good deal of time reading. But enough of my chatter, on to the articles:
Tre @ House of Tre writes Walmart Savings Catcher Update - Have you tried the Walmart Savings Catcher? I did an experiment and this is how much I saved.
Mario @ Adventures in Frugal writes http://adventuresinfrugal.com/favorite-black-friday/ - My favorite thing about Black Friday has nothing to do with the holiday cheer, the name, or the low prices
Maria @ The Money Principle writes Take these seven steps and watch your income grow - When was the last time your income increased?
Alexa @ Defeat Our Debt writes Should You Take a Vacation if You’re in Debt? - Your debt is stressing you out. Work is stressing you out. And you just need a little break from the normal day to day grind.
Alexa @ Single Moms Income writes 10 Small Business Ideas for Women - Are you looking to earn some extra money on the side or to potentially start your own business?
Brad @ Enemy of Debt writes Why You Should Walk Away From Free Offers - When you go shopping and you see a sign saying, "1+1 Buy one and get one free!" what do you do?
Kayla @ Shoeaholic No More writes Updated Plan of Attack - I’ve talked before about my debt attack plan and in which order I was planning on focusing on my debts and why.
Natalie @ Debt and The Girl writes We Paid off the Car Loan!!!!…And Got a New One - I did something last weekend in which I have been waiting to do for the better part of two years.
Justin @ iPlugin writes Apple just sold 10 Million new iPhone 6 and 6 Plus units - The new iPhone 6 was recently released and, in its first weekend alone, Apple sold over 10 million units, which was better than their previous record of 9 million that was sold during the weekend launch last year of the iPhone 5.
Danielle @ TeacHer Finance writes How Does Cash Advance Work? - A cash advance is very similar to a payday loan, except the terms are generally a bit longer.
Aaron @ Aaron Hung writes Watch out for these Back to School Spending Mistakes - Much to the chagrin of children everywhere another school year is about to start, and that means that parents across the country are busy stocking up on school supplies.
Justin @ Edward Antrobus writes 6 Ways Shoppers are Deceived! - Brands and advertisers use specific marketing tactics to convince shoppers to make purchases There are some tactics that they use that, while not illegal, border on being unethical.
Marissa @ Thirty Six Months writes You Should Always Seek Value - To get yourself financially free, to make good investments and to get through life in a calm and relaxed manner – you should always seek value.
Marissa @ Finance Triggers writes Best Way to Collect Superannuation Funds during Retirement - If you work in Australia, then you are likely to have at least one superannuation account set up to help you out financially during your retirement.
Sam @ The New Business Blog writes Want to be Successful? Avoid These 5 Emotionally Charged Habits - There are, to be sure, many things that contribute to your overall success. Things like your attitude, your ability to lead, your people skills and so forth all have a big influence on it, no doubt.
Katie @ IRA Basics writes 4 IRA Withdrawals that Actually Make Sense - Withdrawing funds from a traditional IRA before a person turns 59 ½ usually means that they’re going to pay a lot of taxes and penalties.
Lily @ Paying Debt Down writes Some Facts to Consider before Filing for Bankruptcy - For many consumers the thought of having to file bankruptcy can cause quite a bit of anxiety.
Bob @ Dwindling Debt writes Looking for a Store Credit Card? Don’t Look Here -
Andrea @ So Over This writes You’re Handling Retirement Savings All Wrong! - Saving money for retirement is something that is very near and dear to me.
Hadley @ Epic Finances writes Stock Investing Myths and Truths Part 4 of 4 - Even though there's plenty of information about what works and what doesn't when it comes to investing in the stock market, many myths still refuse to die.
Lenny @ Best Money Saving Blog writes Stock Buybacks are Booming! - After faltering for a couple of months, buyback announcements from many major US companies shot up to a three month high recently, putting 2014 on track to be one of the biggest years ever for buybacks.
Amy @ Money Mishaps writes These are the Biggest Money Mistakes Couples Make When Divorcing - When people get divorced, it's the spouse who hasn't had a whole lot of experience with the family's finances that often ends up on the short end of the stick.
Jack @ Money Saving Ethics writes These 5 Savings ‘Tricks’ might not be so good after all - Even the best intentions that you have for saving money can sometimes lead to financial problems.
Matt @ Budget Snob writes Investing Doesn't Take Genius Intelligence, Just Common Sense - A quote that's attributed to Albert Einstein goes something like this: "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results."
Danielle @ Saving Without a Budget writes Common Money Mistakes - If you're not keen on throwing your money away, the mistakes below should definitely be avoided.
Jay @ Daily Fuel Economy Tip writes How to Save on Gas – Uncommon Ways - I will describe a few less common ways you can save on gas – I hope you will find them useful.
Oscar @ Money is the Root writes Paying Off Debt Smarter and Faster - There are few things better for your financial health than paying off any debts that you have as quickly as possible.
Daniel @ Make Money Make Cents writes The Expenses of Buying and Owning a Home - From finding the perfect mortgage with the appropriate fees, to the year round upkeep and maintenance, this investment requires a lot of time and capital.
Kay Johnson @ For the Complete Me writes 5 Reasons Why You Need a Plan for Your Life - There is a Divine Plan for your life. Sometimes you may do something that does not line up with this plan, but rest assured, He is not surprised by anything that you do. You need a Plan for your life; a Plan that was designed through prayerful guidance from Him. - See more at: http://www.kaynijo.com/plan-for-your-life/#sthash.fU5wR8sK.dpuf
Brock Kernin @ Clever Dude writes Rotate Your Tires, Or Pay The Price - If you ignore basic car maintenance, it will cost you!
Natalie Bacon @ Financegirl writes Chocolate and J. Crew: The Moment I Stopped Struggling With Money - Here's how a skinny girl uses the "weight loss" analogy to save money - think about money like you think about food.
DW @ The Money Template writes The Top 11 Ways to Save Money on a Tight Budget - Follow these simple ways to save money on a tight budget and you'll be able to squirrel away more cash than you knew you had.
Kalen Bruce @ MoneyMiniBlog writes My Biggest Money Mistakes (That I’m Glad I made) Part 2: Wholesale Club - Here is my experience with a wholesale club that cost me several thousand dollars and provided little in return. Learn from my mistake!
Jeremy @ Modest Money writes How to Make the Most on Your Used Car - What did Warren Buffett say was the most important rule of investment? “Never Lose Money”. Now, Warren probably uttered this phrase with his trademark wry grin.
Jeremy @ Modest Money writes Quality, Quantity, and Content – Making a Good Blog Great - You’ve seen them – the content-mill blog with a hundred posts a month, none of them good, selling posts to advertisers and doing nothing else for the world. Or the blog with 6 posts, from 2011, and nothing since.
Jeremy @ Modest Money writes How to Choose and Maximize a Niche in Blog Posts - If you blog it they will come. Right? Well, not necessarily. The web is teeming with unvisited blogs churning away with little effect. How do you make sure that you money blog ends up among the top finance blogs? The only way to get things moving is to work work work. You’ve got to create content constantly,
Erastus @ Wise Dollar writes Motif Investing Review: Get Up To $150 Cash Back With A New Account! - This Motif Investing review covers the unique broker and their themed based investing approach. Get up to $150 when opening a new Motif Investing account!
Erastus @ Sprout Wealth writes TradeMONSTER Review: Trade Free For 60 Days! - TradeMONSTER offers trading at $4.95 per trade! Read my TradeMONSTER review to see how you can trade free for 60 days when opening a new account.
Erastus @ Frugal Rules writes SCOTTRADE REVIEW: GET UP TO $2,000 CASH BACK! - Read my Scottrade review to see how you can get up to $2,000 from bringing them your outside accounts. I use Scottrade for my investing and love using them.
Jon @ Increase Credit Limit writes How You Can Increase Your Credit Limit - Even if you might know that you should increase your credit limit, that information will do you no good unless you know how to get it done. So, here are some tips for how you can increase your credit limit.
Connie @ Savvy With Saving writes 10 Easy Ways To Make Extra Cash For Christmas - While the holidays are filled with fun, festivities, and family, they can also be quite a headache for your budget. Here are 10 ways to make a little extra cash.
Little House @ Little House in the Valley writes My Time Sucking Side Income That I Love - On top of the day-to-day hours I put in teaching our future generation, I’m also creating a side income stream through TeachersPayTeachers.com.
Tre @ House of Tre writes Walmart Savings Catcher Update - Have you tried the Walmart Savings Catcher? I did an experiment and this is how much I saved.
Mario @ Adventures in Frugal writes http://adventuresinfrugal.com/favorite-black-friday/ - My favorite thing about Black Friday has nothing to do with the holiday cheer, the name, or the low prices
Maria @ The Money Principle writes Take these seven steps and watch your income grow - When was the last time your income increased?
Alexa @ Defeat Our Debt writes Should You Take a Vacation if You’re in Debt? - Your debt is stressing you out. Work is stressing you out. And you just need a little break from the normal day to day grind.
Alexa @ Single Moms Income writes 10 Small Business Ideas for Women - Are you looking to earn some extra money on the side or to potentially start your own business?
Brad @ Enemy of Debt writes Why You Should Walk Away From Free Offers - When you go shopping and you see a sign saying, "1+1 Buy one and get one free!" what do you do?
Kayla @ Shoeaholic No More writes Updated Plan of Attack - I’ve talked before about my debt attack plan and in which order I was planning on focusing on my debts and why.
Natalie @ Debt and The Girl writes We Paid off the Car Loan!!!!…And Got a New One - I did something last weekend in which I have been waiting to do for the better part of two years.
Justin @ iPlugin writes Apple just sold 10 Million new iPhone 6 and 6 Plus units - The new iPhone 6 was recently released and, in its first weekend alone, Apple sold over 10 million units, which was better than their previous record of 9 million that was sold during the weekend launch last year of the iPhone 5.
Danielle @ TeacHer Finance writes How Does Cash Advance Work? - A cash advance is very similar to a payday loan, except the terms are generally a bit longer.
Aaron @ Aaron Hung writes Watch out for these Back to School Spending Mistakes - Much to the chagrin of children everywhere another school year is about to start, and that means that parents across the country are busy stocking up on school supplies.
Justin @ Edward Antrobus writes 6 Ways Shoppers are Deceived! - Brands and advertisers use specific marketing tactics to convince shoppers to make purchases There are some tactics that they use that, while not illegal, border on being unethical.
Marissa @ Thirty Six Months writes You Should Always Seek Value - To get yourself financially free, to make good investments and to get through life in a calm and relaxed manner – you should always seek value.
Marissa @ Finance Triggers writes Best Way to Collect Superannuation Funds during Retirement - If you work in Australia, then you are likely to have at least one superannuation account set up to help you out financially during your retirement.
Sam @ The New Business Blog writes Want to be Successful? Avoid These 5 Emotionally Charged Habits - There are, to be sure, many things that contribute to your overall success. Things like your attitude, your ability to lead, your people skills and so forth all have a big influence on it, no doubt.
Katie @ IRA Basics writes 4 IRA Withdrawals that Actually Make Sense - Withdrawing funds from a traditional IRA before a person turns 59 ½ usually means that they’re going to pay a lot of taxes and penalties.
Lily @ Paying Debt Down writes Some Facts to Consider before Filing for Bankruptcy - For many consumers the thought of having to file bankruptcy can cause quite a bit of anxiety.
Bob @ Dwindling Debt writes Looking for a Store Credit Card? Don’t Look Here -
Andrea @ So Over This writes You’re Handling Retirement Savings All Wrong! - Saving money for retirement is something that is very near and dear to me.
Hadley @ Epic Finances writes Stock Investing Myths and Truths Part 4 of 4 - Even though there's plenty of information about what works and what doesn't when it comes to investing in the stock market, many myths still refuse to die.
Lenny @ Best Money Saving Blog writes Stock Buybacks are Booming! - After faltering for a couple of months, buyback announcements from many major US companies shot up to a three month high recently, putting 2014 on track to be one of the biggest years ever for buybacks.
Amy @ Money Mishaps writes These are the Biggest Money Mistakes Couples Make When Divorcing - When people get divorced, it's the spouse who hasn't had a whole lot of experience with the family's finances that often ends up on the short end of the stick.
Jack @ Money Saving Ethics writes These 5 Savings ‘Tricks’ might not be so good after all - Even the best intentions that you have for saving money can sometimes lead to financial problems.
Matt @ Budget Snob writes Investing Doesn't Take Genius Intelligence, Just Common Sense - A quote that's attributed to Albert Einstein goes something like this: "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results."
Danielle @ Saving Without a Budget writes Common Money Mistakes - If you're not keen on throwing your money away, the mistakes below should definitely be avoided.
Jay @ Daily Fuel Economy Tip writes How to Save on Gas – Uncommon Ways - I will describe a few less common ways you can save on gas – I hope you will find them useful.
Oscar @ Money is the Root writes Paying Off Debt Smarter and Faster - There are few things better for your financial health than paying off any debts that you have as quickly as possible.
Daniel @ Make Money Make Cents writes The Expenses of Buying and Owning a Home - From finding the perfect mortgage with the appropriate fees, to the year round upkeep and maintenance, this investment requires a lot of time and capital.
Kay Johnson @ For the Complete Me writes 5 Reasons Why You Need a Plan for Your Life - There is a Divine Plan for your life. Sometimes you may do something that does not line up with this plan, but rest assured, He is not surprised by anything that you do. You need a Plan for your life; a Plan that was designed through prayerful guidance from Him. - See more at: http://www.kaynijo.com/plan-for-your-life/#sthash.fU5wR8sK.dpuf
Brock Kernin @ Clever Dude writes Rotate Your Tires, Or Pay The Price - If you ignore basic car maintenance, it will cost you!
Natalie Bacon @ Financegirl writes Chocolate and J. Crew: The Moment I Stopped Struggling With Money - Here's how a skinny girl uses the "weight loss" analogy to save money - think about money like you think about food.
DW @ The Money Template writes The Top 11 Ways to Save Money on a Tight Budget - Follow these simple ways to save money on a tight budget and you'll be able to squirrel away more cash than you knew you had.
Kalen Bruce @ MoneyMiniBlog writes My Biggest Money Mistakes (That I’m Glad I made) Part 2: Wholesale Club - Here is my experience with a wholesale club that cost me several thousand dollars and provided little in return. Learn from my mistake!
Jeremy @ Modest Money writes How to Make the Most on Your Used Car - What did Warren Buffett say was the most important rule of investment? “Never Lose Money”. Now, Warren probably uttered this phrase with his trademark wry grin.
Jeremy @ Modest Money writes Quality, Quantity, and Content – Making a Good Blog Great - You’ve seen them – the content-mill blog with a hundred posts a month, none of them good, selling posts to advertisers and doing nothing else for the world. Or the blog with 6 posts, from 2011, and nothing since.
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Jon @ Increase Credit Limit writes How You Can Increase Your Credit Limit - Even if you might know that you should increase your credit limit, that information will do you no good unless you know how to get it done. So, here are some tips for how you can increase your credit limit.
Connie @ Savvy With Saving writes 10 Easy Ways To Make Extra Cash For Christmas - While the holidays are filled with fun, festivities, and family, they can also be quite a headache for your budget. Here are 10 ways to make a little extra cash.
Little House @ Little House in the Valley writes My Time Sucking Side Income That I Love - On top of the day-to-day hours I put in teaching our future generation, I’m also creating a side income stream through TeachersPayTeachers.com.
Wednesday, December 3, 2014
Three week grocery round up, with a Serious Fail!
Single week shopping does not work for us! We averaged 68.97 every week and were careful, so very careful. We did fine at the main store, but not good and we still spent at the "deal" stores because of course, we found deals.
We were over a total of $8.97 which makes us owe $366.19 with a month to go till the end of 2014. Granted only being over by 8.97 with thanksgiving in there is pretty decent, but we can't go with decent, we need good. We could not shop one bit and still not be within budget. And, not shopping won't work at all. So my plan is to go back to once every three weeks shopping (though maybe I will stretch it to once a month, what do you think?) and do my best.
This has taught me that screwing up is hard to fix, and much easier to just not screw up in the first place. Now if I can just keep to that. I am going to be keeping a better eye on my accounts, one reason I got mint in the first place and trying for some more cheap meals during this winter. This is going to be a struggle for me, but one I fully intend to win. See you soon.
We were over a total of $8.97 which makes us owe $366.19 with a month to go till the end of 2014. Granted only being over by 8.97 with thanksgiving in there is pretty decent, but we can't go with decent, we need good. We could not shop one bit and still not be within budget. And, not shopping won't work at all. So my plan is to go back to once every three weeks shopping (though maybe I will stretch it to once a month, what do you think?) and do my best.
This has taught me that screwing up is hard to fix, and much easier to just not screw up in the first place. Now if I can just keep to that. I am going to be keeping a better eye on my accounts, one reason I got mint in the first place and trying for some more cheap meals during this winter. This is going to be a struggle for me, but one I fully intend to win. See you soon.
Monday, December 1, 2014
Updated Millionaire Plan December 2014
We blown past $25,000 and now have $26,316 in our retirement accounts. Our next goal is $32,200, only $5884 to go! I have no doubt that baring another Great Recession we will make that goal in 2015. The goal I really want to focus on after that is my husband's full annual paycheck of $41,700.
Some of my longtime readers may remember that he just got the post-doc position which is paying such a lofty amount and in August of this year his income was just $26,000 as a grad student. One great thing about being a young person is that your income can jump, but then it does make your savings look a little pitiful. But given our savings rate, if nothing goes wrong I think we can hit $41700 in 2015 too. It may be a stretch but I think we can do it. I'm making a few changes for 2015 because of what I learned being a full time student, employee and mom especially for the later half 2014 when my husband worked his post-doc job outside of the area. These may streamline a few things and save us a couple dollars in the process.
What are your goals as we finish up 2014 and move into 2015?
Some of my longtime readers may remember that he just got the post-doc position which is paying such a lofty amount and in August of this year his income was just $26,000 as a grad student. One great thing about being a young person is that your income can jump, but then it does make your savings look a little pitiful. But given our savings rate, if nothing goes wrong I think we can hit $41700 in 2015 too. It may be a stretch but I think we can do it. I'm making a few changes for 2015 because of what I learned being a full time student, employee and mom especially for the later half 2014 when my husband worked his post-doc job outside of the area. These may streamline a few things and save us a couple dollars in the process.
What are your goals as we finish up 2014 and move into 2015?
Friday, November 28, 2014
Pay for living expenses with your 529
I just discovered something very exciting. Did you know that you don't have to live on campus to use your 529 money toward living expenses? Me either. You can't claim more than the school says should be spent for living expenses and some vary that based on where you live, but my school does not. They allow for $12,000 per year or $1000/month to be used towards living expenses. Now, the only reason to use this is if you live in a state where there tax deduction for 529s or if the only other option is saving in a taxable account. Always max out your Roth IRA before this. Luckily I do live in such a state. NY allows $5000 to be deducted from your taxes per person. So a couple can deduct $10,000.
So, I am putting $833.33 every month into my 529 come January and pulling out $1000 every month until it is gone or I hit $12,000. Since I did not know about this until now, I am putting $1000 in both November and December. Since at my top tax bracket in NY state I pay 5.25%, each $1000 will save me $52.50 in taxes. How crazy is that. So I'll save $105 this year and $525 in 2015. Just for opening a 529 account and funneling money through. The money sits the equivalent of money money market account so I won't make much but I won't risk the money I need.
So check if your state allows you to do this. If you are dependent, make sure they allow you to do this or give the information to your parents. If so, see how much you save.
So, I am putting $833.33 every month into my 529 come January and pulling out $1000 every month until it is gone or I hit $12,000. Since I did not know about this until now, I am putting $1000 in both November and December. Since at my top tax bracket in NY state I pay 5.25%, each $1000 will save me $52.50 in taxes. How crazy is that. So I'll save $105 this year and $525 in 2015. Just for opening a 529 account and funneling money through. The money sits the equivalent of money money market account so I won't make much but I won't risk the money I need.
So check if your state allows you to do this. If you are dependent, make sure they allow you to do this or give the information to your parents. If so, see how much you save.
Get your discount target gift cards online!
I was very excited to see target gift cards 10% off today from 6am-12pm in store. I normally buy them for 3.5% off at cardpool, so that was really good deal. Because of our normal spending of $300/year I decided to swing by my close target and grab them. But then I was told something great! You can buy them on target.com. This is better because you don't have to waste gas or time out on black friday. In addition, if you have a discover or chase freedom card online purchases are 5% back. In store my best cash back offer is 2%. In total, I saved over $20 for next years spending. That is worth a few minutes time for me. How about you?
So for you east coast people, you online have another hour. If you shop at target, go get this deal!
So for you east coast people, you online have another hour. If you shop at target, go get this deal!
Thursday, November 20, 2014
Expenses During Buffalo's Snowageddon and Why They Pale Against the Real Fiscal Armageddon
People talk about the cost of working, and how you only need to save 70-80% of your income because your costs will go down when you retire. This might be true for some people, but I don't think it is true for us. We had a perfect example this week when we were stuck at home during a set of storms that hit the buffalo area.
Since we are home the food we are making is a little higher end (the meat store was open one of those days), the stove is on for longer, the electricity is on more and the heat sure is a lot higher. Granted I am trying to do work while at home (and I do have a kid that makes that difficult) but I think most of the costs would be about the same.
However, I do have to admit I am not spending gas to get to work, which does save some money. In this case both my husband and I will be working during the weekend to make the lost days up but if we were retired, we obviously would not. That is about a $26 saving. Granted my husband drives an hour each way for post-doc, five months ago that cost would have just be $6. But let's go with $26. Are the increase costs of staying home add up to $26?
The meat store was an increase of $5, plus some meals we normal eat on the weekends will have to be replaced for probably another $3. But that is just $8, surely we did not spend another $18 just on utilities? And honestly I am not sure. I have not found an easy was of comparing utilities except for assume a 3% decrease of your costs by for every degree you lower the thermostat. But that is monthly, plus we are not increase it for the entire 24 hour period, just while we are up. And that does not include water or electricity increases which I admit are very much increases while we are home. Nor does it include the wear and tear of items at home. Using my computer at home is likely to decrease years the computer useful for. Same goes for the oven or microwave. When I think about it, I don't think all of these expenses add up to $18, but there is a big expense I did not cover.
Health insurance
I spend a little over $140 a month for my share of health insurance, pre-tax. My employer, well now, they send over $550 a month. So really, I need an additional $550 plus the cost of taxes to cover my health insurance. I know some people say, well what the ACA? I am not holding my breath. We might get something close but GOP won this last election and they want to get rid of it. If the democrats don't come out in two years, we will have a republican president and congress and then ACA will be gone. I can't trust democrats to get out and vote, because they don't. So, I go with COBRA when I looking at expenses.
So, if compare your "working costs" against COBRA, I'm pretty sure you are going to come out ahead by working. So please let my Smowmadegon encourage you to save and expect to spend more than what you live on now, because health insurance is not getting cheaper and we are just getting older.
Since we are home the food we are making is a little higher end (the meat store was open one of those days), the stove is on for longer, the electricity is on more and the heat sure is a lot higher. Granted I am trying to do work while at home (and I do have a kid that makes that difficult) but I think most of the costs would be about the same.
However, I do have to admit I am not spending gas to get to work, which does save some money. In this case both my husband and I will be working during the weekend to make the lost days up but if we were retired, we obviously would not. That is about a $26 saving. Granted my husband drives an hour each way for post-doc, five months ago that cost would have just be $6. But let's go with $26. Are the increase costs of staying home add up to $26?
The meat store was an increase of $5, plus some meals we normal eat on the weekends will have to be replaced for probably another $3. But that is just $8, surely we did not spend another $18 just on utilities? And honestly I am not sure. I have not found an easy was of comparing utilities except for assume a 3% decrease of your costs by for every degree you lower the thermostat. But that is monthly, plus we are not increase it for the entire 24 hour period, just while we are up. And that does not include water or electricity increases which I admit are very much increases while we are home. Nor does it include the wear and tear of items at home. Using my computer at home is likely to decrease years the computer useful for. Same goes for the oven or microwave. When I think about it, I don't think all of these expenses add up to $18, but there is a big expense I did not cover.
Health insurance
I spend a little over $140 a month for my share of health insurance, pre-tax. My employer, well now, they send over $550 a month. So really, I need an additional $550 plus the cost of taxes to cover my health insurance. I know some people say, well what the ACA? I am not holding my breath. We might get something close but GOP won this last election and they want to get rid of it. If the democrats don't come out in two years, we will have a republican president and congress and then ACA will be gone. I can't trust democrats to get out and vote, because they don't. So, I go with COBRA when I looking at expenses.
So, if compare your "working costs" against COBRA, I'm pretty sure you are going to come out ahead by working. So please let my Smowmadegon encourage you to save and expect to spend more than what you live on now, because health insurance is not getting cheaper and we are just getting older.
Tuesday, November 18, 2014
Paying Off My Husband's Grad Student Loans! How did we do it, and why did we have them?
My husband is within a month of the end of his grace period for his grad student loans and we are able to pay them all OFF!!! A bill that would cost us $195 a month for 10 years will be gone with one click. How did we do this? Well, to learn that we have to go way back, to 2008.
DH and I were not married then but dating. And we just started to talk money. I found out he had $25,000 in credit card debt. However, no student loan debt. But, you know if you have to pick one, student loans can be better than credit card debt (at least the interest rate). So we sat down and talked and came to a plan. He decide to make some major cuts, and we changed much of our dating behavior. He also increased the hours he worked. Then, he called every credit card up and ask for a lower rate and for most of them, he got it! But not all. So next, he started looking a student loans. I had just gotten a student loan for my last year of college, from discover. They had no origination fees and because they were subsidized no interest for the year. He jumped on it and moved $5500 of credit card debt into student loan debt.
Then, as he starting pay the debt down the 0% offers came rolling in. He moved the rest of his debt to 0% offers (with 3% fees) and continued to pay the debt down. Life went on. We both applied to grad school and he got in but I did not. He proposed and I agreed to go with him to buffalo. At this time, the 10% tax credit for buying a house, up to $8000 was into effect. We started looking at rent, and house costs and realized we could buy a duplex and spend the same on the mortgage as we would for rent. But with what down payment? I had never spent the $5500 student loan I had, plus I had set aside $7000 in my traditional IRA for grad school so I could cover a small downpayment and lucky for us, duplexes in buffalo were going for $60,000-80,000. We could afford a small one.
But, that was great and all but what about getting to buffalo. That would cost $3000 plus renting while we were finding a place. We had the summer to make this money up, plus we needed another $3000 for closing costs.
So we went to work. We both picked up extra shifts at work plus he picked up a second job. We cut the budget further and planned a tight budget for when we got to buffalo. By the end of the summer, we had all the money we needed plus his debt was down to $5500 in student loans and a little less than $9000 in credit card debt.
We camped out as we drove across the country, living mostly out of food bought in the grocery store (which we stored in a cooler given to us by my mother). We did get a couple treats but that was it. We landed in buffalo, found a place to rent and off we went to find our new home. It took the entire semester but we found a place that we bought for $60500 and closing was covered by the seller. That meant our $3000 could be used as an EF. And as soon as we closed DH moved the credit card debt to student loans ($8500), again being subsidized they charged no interest.
I was still trying to get into grad school, but having no success. We started fixing up the duplex and I looked for a job. I found a server job, making decent money ($20,000 for the year) that I used to pay for our wedding, and pay for the classes I was taking, to increase my chances of getting in the Master's program. We finally found tenants and that money went into our Roth IRAs. We got married as I kept beating my head into the wall of grad school admittance and finally got in.
However, beginning in a Master's program I received no aid and this was just when we found out that graduate students would lose subsidized loans. So to cover me, DH took out another year of subsidized student loans ($8500), just in case. However, I had enough from working that we were ok. Then we found out I was pregnant. Kind of scary, but we were not going to let it stop us.
We ended up using the rental money for daycare, plus we did get some tax aid. But all through this, the $8500 sat with our $3000 EF in our high yield checking, growing and growing. We kept the budget tight and soldered on. Then something wonderful happened, I got into the PhD program and with that came a $25,000 annual salary.
We saved 15% of our income but the rest was split between daycare and debt pay-off. Now, being in the program 11 months, we have enough to pay off both student loans, and yet still keep that $3000 EF. We were lucky to get all of these breaks but we took advantage of them as they came along and work hard to get there. And the reward is coming. One less debt over our shoulders by the end of the month.
DH and I were not married then but dating. And we just started to talk money. I found out he had $25,000 in credit card debt. However, no student loan debt. But, you know if you have to pick one, student loans can be better than credit card debt (at least the interest rate). So we sat down and talked and came to a plan. He decide to make some major cuts, and we changed much of our dating behavior. He also increased the hours he worked. Then, he called every credit card up and ask for a lower rate and for most of them, he got it! But not all. So next, he started looking a student loans. I had just gotten a student loan for my last year of college, from discover. They had no origination fees and because they were subsidized no interest for the year. He jumped on it and moved $5500 of credit card debt into student loan debt.
Then, as he starting pay the debt down the 0% offers came rolling in. He moved the rest of his debt to 0% offers (with 3% fees) and continued to pay the debt down. Life went on. We both applied to grad school and he got in but I did not. He proposed and I agreed to go with him to buffalo. At this time, the 10% tax credit for buying a house, up to $8000 was into effect. We started looking at rent, and house costs and realized we could buy a duplex and spend the same on the mortgage as we would for rent. But with what down payment? I had never spent the $5500 student loan I had, plus I had set aside $7000 in my traditional IRA for grad school so I could cover a small downpayment and lucky for us, duplexes in buffalo were going for $60,000-80,000. We could afford a small one.
But, that was great and all but what about getting to buffalo. That would cost $3000 plus renting while we were finding a place. We had the summer to make this money up, plus we needed another $3000 for closing costs.
So we went to work. We both picked up extra shifts at work plus he picked up a second job. We cut the budget further and planned a tight budget for when we got to buffalo. By the end of the summer, we had all the money we needed plus his debt was down to $5500 in student loans and a little less than $9000 in credit card debt.
We camped out as we drove across the country, living mostly out of food bought in the grocery store (which we stored in a cooler given to us by my mother). We did get a couple treats but that was it. We landed in buffalo, found a place to rent and off we went to find our new home. It took the entire semester but we found a place that we bought for $60500 and closing was covered by the seller. That meant our $3000 could be used as an EF. And as soon as we closed DH moved the credit card debt to student loans ($8500), again being subsidized they charged no interest.
I was still trying to get into grad school, but having no success. We started fixing up the duplex and I looked for a job. I found a server job, making decent money ($20,000 for the year) that I used to pay for our wedding, and pay for the classes I was taking, to increase my chances of getting in the Master's program. We finally found tenants and that money went into our Roth IRAs. We got married as I kept beating my head into the wall of grad school admittance and finally got in.
However, beginning in a Master's program I received no aid and this was just when we found out that graduate students would lose subsidized loans. So to cover me, DH took out another year of subsidized student loans ($8500), just in case. However, I had enough from working that we were ok. Then we found out I was pregnant. Kind of scary, but we were not going to let it stop us.
We ended up using the rental money for daycare, plus we did get some tax aid. But all through this, the $8500 sat with our $3000 EF in our high yield checking, growing and growing. We kept the budget tight and soldered on. Then something wonderful happened, I got into the PhD program and with that came a $25,000 annual salary.
We saved 15% of our income but the rest was split between daycare and debt pay-off. Now, being in the program 11 months, we have enough to pay off both student loans, and yet still keep that $3000 EF. We were lucky to get all of these breaks but we took advantage of them as they came along and work hard to get there. And the reward is coming. One less debt over our shoulders by the end of the month.
Saturday, November 15, 2014
Three Weeks of Groceries, what a spendy time!
We overspent so much this last three weeks! We spent $283.93, a budget busting $85.93 more than budget! That is more than a weeks worth of food. What did we spend it on? Well we spent $48.13 on chicken because the meat store had a sale for 1.49/lb (.50 cheaper than the grocery store), but we had to buy 30lbs. And we had bought a couple splurge items when Tops Market had some major sales and then we stocked up.
So what are we going to do? We are $357.28 over our spending with seven weeks to go and Thanksgiving and Christmas shopping is in there. There is no way I can spend $14.96 a week. However, we won't have to buy chicken for the rest of the year (and probably even longer) so I am going to take this as alright. We will end up dipping into our EF to cover this which sucks but that is life.
So what is the plan? Because we know we are buying our turkey next week at Top's, we decide to not doing major shopping this week. We are hitting wegmans for some basics on Sunday (which looks to cost less than $40) and then next Saturday will buy our turkey for .48/lb but we need to spend $25 more to get that price, so we will probably do the thanksgiving spending there and spend about $30-40 that week. The week after we will see what we have left over from thanksgiving and go from there. We may not be able to make up all of this money but we can do some fixes.
One of the best things I have learned from this is to change things up when they don't work. It may work great one week but not work the next. Don't be dogmatic, and you can take on anything!
So what are we going to do? We are $357.28 over our spending with seven weeks to go and Thanksgiving and Christmas shopping is in there. There is no way I can spend $14.96 a week. However, we won't have to buy chicken for the rest of the year (and probably even longer) so I am going to take this as alright. We will end up dipping into our EF to cover this which sucks but that is life.
So what is the plan? Because we know we are buying our turkey next week at Top's, we decide to not doing major shopping this week. We are hitting wegmans for some basics on Sunday (which looks to cost less than $40) and then next Saturday will buy our turkey for .48/lb but we need to spend $25 more to get that price, so we will probably do the thanksgiving spending there and spend about $30-40 that week. The week after we will see what we have left over from thanksgiving and go from there. We may not be able to make up all of this money but we can do some fixes.
One of the best things I have learned from this is to change things up when they don't work. It may work great one week but not work the next. Don't be dogmatic, and you can take on anything!
Tuesday, November 11, 2014
Get out of the dorm! Save money by moving.
The semester starting to wind down and exams, papers and craziness is starting to ramp up. But take a few minutes to see if you could move out of the dorms and save some money. Depending on where you are, living in the dorms may be cheaper than renting a room or much, much more expensive. How do you decide?
Well you need to add up all the costs associated with each. Sometimes when you rent, utilities are included, like the dorms but often if you rent directly from a landlord instead of just a room, that is not true. Ask the landlord what the average utilities costs are. Google internet in your area and get an idea of that cost. Obviously there is no reason to have a landline because you have your cell, so ignore those ads. You'll need a way to get to school, should you live near-by or farther out? That depends if you work and if you have car. If you don't have a car and can find an apartment on a bus line, that is often better than buying a car. Remember you are likely to move once you graduate. Never the less, include the cost of transportation if you did not need in, living in the dorms. Also, remember to add in food costs because you won't need a food plan once you are living on your own.
Then add up the dorm costs and remember to include that food plan! Once you have everything added up, compare them. Which is a better choice for you? If staying put is better, obviously don't move but if moving is better check if you signed the dorm contract for the semester or the year. If it is for the semester, then plan to move into a new place come spring semester. If it is a year lease, then you have to do more work. Every university has someone who oversees the dorms and if you are nice, they may be willing to allow you to break the lease without a penalty. They don't have to, so don't be a jerk about it, but the answer is always no, if you don't ask.
Come January we will go into how to find a good apartment, from both a tenant and landlord perspective. See you soon.
Well you need to add up all the costs associated with each. Sometimes when you rent, utilities are included, like the dorms but often if you rent directly from a landlord instead of just a room, that is not true. Ask the landlord what the average utilities costs are. Google internet in your area and get an idea of that cost. Obviously there is no reason to have a landline because you have your cell, so ignore those ads. You'll need a way to get to school, should you live near-by or farther out? That depends if you work and if you have car. If you don't have a car and can find an apartment on a bus line, that is often better than buying a car. Remember you are likely to move once you graduate. Never the less, include the cost of transportation if you did not need in, living in the dorms. Also, remember to add in food costs because you won't need a food plan once you are living on your own.
Then add up the dorm costs and remember to include that food plan! Once you have everything added up, compare them. Which is a better choice for you? If staying put is better, obviously don't move but if moving is better check if you signed the dorm contract for the semester or the year. If it is for the semester, then plan to move into a new place come spring semester. If it is a year lease, then you have to do more work. Every university has someone who oversees the dorms and if you are nice, they may be willing to allow you to break the lease without a penalty. They don't have to, so don't be a jerk about it, but the answer is always no, if you don't ask.
Come January we will go into how to find a good apartment, from both a tenant and landlord perspective. See you soon.
Saturday, November 8, 2014
Over Your Head: living paycheck to paycheck
A friend posted on facebook about trying to save but not being able
to because every week there was new "surprise" bill. She said she has
cut every personal thing and still, she can't get above water. Sadly,
many of my friends agreed. Honestly I was flabbergasted because some of
her bills were not surprises, like car insurance. But, when you are
living on edge, I guess they can. Personal finance bloggers often say,
pay your car insurance bill every six month, but if you can't save that
little bit every month, how does that save you money? However, if you
can pay your car insurance every month, you CAN pay it every six
months. It just takes a change in attitude and planning. So, let's be
about it. shall we?
Often people are told to make monthly budgets but that sets you up for "surprise" bills that only come every six month or annually. I recommend everyone make an annual budget and go from there.
My budget looks like this:
Every bill I could think of is on there, and then under it is a list of things to add to the budget when I get more money including replacement costs of things like computers, large household items like a fridge or stove, everything. I may not be able to put money in everything but I can start. That helps me know where to put extra money if I get it or if I get a raise, if that ever happens.
Can you see something is missing though? I have no emergency fund on that list. And I have a very good reason for that, my extra money goes to my emergency fund (EF). Most of that money is from the rental but also little things like if I use amazon gift cards, that I get from swagbucks, instead of cash, I put the cash in my EF. Everyone does need an EF, though many young people don't have one. And that means putting those surprise bills on a credit card. But even if the EF starts with $5 a month, that is a start. And for young people starting is the most important thing. Once you start thing snow ball. Many of my bills are annual or semi-annual so I have a slush fund every month and except for a few months out of the year the slush fund grows (and throws a little interest into my EF). So, what are some things you can do TODAY to stop living paycheck to paycheck?
Join swagbucks
Join My Points
Find a cheaper insurance company, my choice is Geico but check EVERYWHERE
Join ebates if you shop online
For that matter, see if shopping online is cheaper
If you pay for electricity, unplug everything! Don't leave your computer plugged in or put it on a power-strip.
And if you are buy your own groceries check out money saving mom and cut your groceries spending at least for the one month.
By the end of the year you will have enough to change your car insurance to every six month which will save you an additional dollar. And all of that will add up to a small emergency fund that will keep growing. Just don't stop, keep the snowball growing and in no time you will not be living paycheck to paycheck.
If you have an idea that will help people stop living paycheck to paycheck, let us know in comments!
Often people are told to make monthly budgets but that sets you up for "surprise" bills that only come every six month or annually. I recommend everyone make an annual budget and go from there.
My budget looks like this:
| Grocery |
| mortgage |
| house insurance |
| car insurance |
| taxes of house |
| car |
| gas |
| utilities |
| internet/phone |
| house repair |
| fun money |
| medical |
| misc. |
| school cost |
| cat |
| life/disability |
| daycare |
| baby expenses |
| Gifts/xmas |
| hockey |
| travel |
Every bill I could think of is on there, and then under it is a list of things to add to the budget when I get more money including replacement costs of things like computers, large household items like a fridge or stove, everything. I may not be able to put money in everything but I can start. That helps me know where to put extra money if I get it or if I get a raise, if that ever happens.
Can you see something is missing though? I have no emergency fund on that list. And I have a very good reason for that, my extra money goes to my emergency fund (EF). Most of that money is from the rental but also little things like if I use amazon gift cards, that I get from swagbucks, instead of cash, I put the cash in my EF. Everyone does need an EF, though many young people don't have one. And that means putting those surprise bills on a credit card. But even if the EF starts with $5 a month, that is a start. And for young people starting is the most important thing. Once you start thing snow ball. Many of my bills are annual or semi-annual so I have a slush fund every month and except for a few months out of the year the slush fund grows (and throws a little interest into my EF). So, what are some things you can do TODAY to stop living paycheck to paycheck?
Join swagbucks
Join My Points
Find a cheaper insurance company, my choice is Geico but check EVERYWHERE
Join ebates if you shop online
For that matter, see if shopping online is cheaper
If you pay for electricity, unplug everything! Don't leave your computer plugged in or put it on a power-strip.
And if you are buy your own groceries check out money saving mom and cut your groceries spending at least for the one month.
By the end of the year you will have enough to change your car insurance to every six month which will save you an additional dollar. And all of that will add up to a small emergency fund that will keep growing. Just don't stop, keep the snowball growing and in no time you will not be living paycheck to paycheck.
If you have an idea that will help people stop living paycheck to paycheck, let us know in comments!
Sunday, November 2, 2014
Financial Carnival for Young Adults- November Second Edition
Maria @ The Money Principle writes Don’t Make Debt a Worry: Try These Business Tips - Don’t look at your bank statements, you think to yourself. If I don’t see my debt then it isn’t there.
Alexa @ Defeat Our Debt writes Should You Take a Vacation if You’re in Debt? - Your debt is stressing you out. Work is stressing you out. And you just need a little break from the normal day to day grind.
Alexa @ Single Moms Income writes Another Great Way to Give: Operation Christmas Child - I’m completely convinced that giving back to people whether that be with a thoughtful note, big batch of cookies, or small gift is one of the best ways you can make a difference in not only the world, but also in yourself.
Brad @ Enemy of Debt writes Motivational Monday: Mistakes Pave The Way To A Greater Success - I caught a segment on a popular morning news program in which the CEO of Google was being interviewed.
Larry @ KrantCents writes How to Save Money – Everywhere - Saving money is my passion! I consider myself a value shopper although I do very little actual shopping.
Natalie @ Debt and The Girl writes One of My Reasons for Working Hard… - Last Wednesday, I got to see one of my idols and favorite musicians: Paul McCartney.
Cat @ Budget Blonde writes Do You Worry Your Kids Will Feel The Struggle? - I recently had the pleasure of being on the Stacking Benjamins podcast with the lovely Paula Pant of Afford Anything and of course Joe himself.
Justin @ iPlugin writes Apple just sold 10 Million new iPhone 6 and 6 Plus units - The new iPhone 6 was recently released and, in its first weekend alone, Apple sold over 10 million units, which was better than their previous record of 9 million that was sold during the weekend launch last year of the iPhone 5.
Danielle @ TeacHer Finance writes How Does Cash Advance Work? - A cash advance is very similar to a payday loan, except the terms are generally a bit longer.
Aaron @ Aaron Hung writes Watch out for these Back to School Spending Mistakes - Much to the chagrin of children everywhere another school year is about to start, and that means that parents across the country are busy stocking up on school supplies.
Justin @ Edward Antrobus writes 6 Ways Shoppers are Deceived! - Brands and advertisers use specific marketing tactics to convince shoppers to make purchases There are some tactics that they use that, while not illegal, border on being unethical.
Marissa @ Thirty Six Months writes You Should Always Seek Value - To get yourself financially free, to make good investments and to get through life in a calm and relaxed manner – you should always seek value.
Marissa @ Finance Triggers writes Best Way to Collect Superannuation Funds during Retirement - If you work in Australia, then you are likely to have at least one superannuation account set up to help you out financially during your retirement.
Sam @ The New Business Blog writes Want to be Successful? Avoid These 5 Emotionally Charged Habits - There are, to be sure, many things that contribute to your overall success. Things like your attitude, your ability to lead, your people skills and so forth all have a big influence on it, no doubt.
Katie @ IRA Basics writes 4 IRA Withdrawals that Actually Make Sense - Withdrawing funds from a traditional IRA before a person turns 59 ½ usually means that they’re going to pay a lot of taxes and penalties.
Lily @ Paying Debt Down writes Some Facts to Consider before Filing for Bankruptcy - For many consumers the thought of having to file bankruptcy can cause quite a bit of anxiety.
Bob @ Dwindling Debt writes Looking for a Store Credit Card? Don’t Look Here -
Andrea @ So Over This writes Self-Employment Is Not For Everyone - Over the past year I’ve realized that my readers are divided into two different factions.
Hadley @ Epic Finances writes Stock Investing Myths and Truths Part 4 of 4 - Even though there's plenty of information about what works and what doesn't when it comes to investing in the stock market, many myths still refuse to die.
Lenny @ Best Money Saving Blog writes Stock Buybacks are Booming! - After faltering for a couple of months, buyback announcements from many major US companies shot up to a three month high recently, putting 2014 on track to be one of the biggest years ever for buybacks.
Amy @ Money Mishaps writes These are the Biggest Money Mistakes Couples Make When Divorcing - When people get divorced, it's the spouse who hasn't had a whole lot of experience with the family's finances that often ends up on the short end of the stick.
Jack @ Money Saving Ethics writes These 5 Savings ‘Tricks’ might not be so good after all - Even the best intentions that you have for saving money can sometimes lead to financial problems.
Matt @ Budget Snob writes Investing Doesn't Take Genius Intelligence, Just Common Sense - A quote that's attributed to Albert Einstein goes something like this: "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results."
Danielle @ Saving Without a Budget writes Common Money Mistakes - If you're not keen on throwing your money away, the mistakes below should definitely be avoided.
Jay @ Daily Fuel Economy Tip writes How to Save on Gas – Uncommon Ways - I will describe a few less common ways you can save on gas – I hope you will find them useful.
Oscar @ Money is the Root writes Paying Off Debt Smarter and Faster - There are few things better for your financial health than paying off any debts that you have as quickly as possible.
Daniel @ Make Money Make Cents writes The Expenses of Buying and Owning a Home - From finding the perfect mortgage with the appropriate fees, to the year round upkeep and maintenance, this investment requires a lot of time and capital.
Mario @ Adventures in Frugal writes What actually makes us fat? Or my plan to lose 15 pounds of vacation weight without breaking the bank - I look at empirical data to help figure out what actually makes us fat and use it to make a plan to lose some vacation weight
Diana Hliva @ Essante Organics Worldwide writes 3 MEANINGFUL REASONS TO BE PART OF ESSANTÉ ORGANICS - Be your OWN boss We are not going to say this is easier than the other guy, but it can be more profitable to your pocketbook and is definitely healthier for your body. With great power comes great responsibilities; but hey, why should you work and take orders from someone else when you can be the boss?
Natalie Bacon @ Financegirl writes My New Favorite Goal Tracker App - Today, I'm revealing my new favorite goal tracker app. It's easy, effective, and free. I'm so glad I found this little gem!
Gretchen @ Retired by 40! writes Throw a Frugal Birthday Party - Throw a Frugal Birthday Party
Jerry @ Motive Finance writes What is Credit Life Insurance? - A form of life insurance offered when you buy a car? What?! We get to the bottom of credit life insurance for cars.
Paul Vachon @ The Frugal Toad writes Are You Making One of These Top 4 Money Mistakes? - We all make mistakes and finances are no exception. In fact, most Americans typically struggle with personal finance due to a number of reasons chief among them a lack of personal finance education provided to school age children. Here are the top 4 money mistakes and some practical advice on how to avoid making them in the future.
Little House @ Little House in the Valley writes Life Can Be Busy - I’ve actually had some success turning my work into a profitable venture. Since I have to create lessons for my credential that I use in my middle-school classes, I’ve taken it one step further and now sell those plans and activities on Teachers Pay Teachers and it’s going really well!
Miss T. @ Prairie Eco Thrifter writes 3 Things to Do Before House Hunting - Because we had heard that house hunting is a difficult and emotional process, we decided to do some work in preparation for the purchase.
Mario @ Debt BLAG writes A reader asks: “What should I do with a $75,000 cash windfall?” - I give a reader advice on what I think to be the best way to handle $75,000 in cash with an eye toward the long term
Natalie Bacon @ Financegirl writes Why I’m On A Student Loan Repayment Plan Where More Money Than Necessary Goes Toward Interest - It may cost me more in interest per month, but here's why I'm on the standard student loan repayment plan.
Erastus @ Wise Dollar writes Etrade Review: Investing Made Simple - My Etrade review covers the online broker and the tools it uses to set itself apart from other brokers. Open an Etrade account and get up to $600 cash back!
Erastus @ Sprout Wealth writes Why Do You Earn Extra Money? - Many like to earn extra money for a variety of reasons. Why do you make extra money on the side? What purpose do you use to drive you to earn more?
Erastus @ Frugal Rules writes MOTIF INVESTING REVIEW: GET UP TO $150 CASH BACK! - My Motif Investing review covers this unique broker and their themed based investing approach. Get up to $150 with a new Motif Investing account!
Jeremy @ Modest Money writes Credit One Bank® Visa® Platinum Review - This Credit One Bank® Platinum Card is a card that can be useful, but should be handled with extreme caution. First of all, this is a card focused on folks with miserable credit. The card is marketed as a tool to rebuild deplorable credit scores. And it can! But if you don’t keep up with it, things can be worse for you than they were before. For the right customer, this card can be a strong ally, however.
Glen @ How to Save Money writes Swapping to Save Money - Start swapping instead of spending
Gretchen @ Retired by 40 writes Throw a Frugal Birthday Party - Throw a Frugal Birthday Party
Mel @ brokeGIRLrich writes How to Find Free Samples - Keeping a kit stocked with necessities is a big part of my job, so I'm pretty skilled in finding the best freebie deals out there! Check 'em out!
Alexa @ Defeat Our Debt writes Should You Take a Vacation if You’re in Debt? - Your debt is stressing you out. Work is stressing you out. And you just need a little break from the normal day to day grind.
Alexa @ Single Moms Income writes Another Great Way to Give: Operation Christmas Child - I’m completely convinced that giving back to people whether that be with a thoughtful note, big batch of cookies, or small gift is one of the best ways you can make a difference in not only the world, but also in yourself.
Brad @ Enemy of Debt writes Motivational Monday: Mistakes Pave The Way To A Greater Success - I caught a segment on a popular morning news program in which the CEO of Google was being interviewed.
Larry @ KrantCents writes How to Save Money – Everywhere - Saving money is my passion! I consider myself a value shopper although I do very little actual shopping.
Natalie @ Debt and The Girl writes One of My Reasons for Working Hard… - Last Wednesday, I got to see one of my idols and favorite musicians: Paul McCartney.
Cat @ Budget Blonde writes Do You Worry Your Kids Will Feel The Struggle? - I recently had the pleasure of being on the Stacking Benjamins podcast with the lovely Paula Pant of Afford Anything and of course Joe himself.
Justin @ iPlugin writes Apple just sold 10 Million new iPhone 6 and 6 Plus units - The new iPhone 6 was recently released and, in its first weekend alone, Apple sold over 10 million units, which was better than their previous record of 9 million that was sold during the weekend launch last year of the iPhone 5.
Danielle @ TeacHer Finance writes How Does Cash Advance Work? - A cash advance is very similar to a payday loan, except the terms are generally a bit longer.
Aaron @ Aaron Hung writes Watch out for these Back to School Spending Mistakes - Much to the chagrin of children everywhere another school year is about to start, and that means that parents across the country are busy stocking up on school supplies.
Justin @ Edward Antrobus writes 6 Ways Shoppers are Deceived! - Brands and advertisers use specific marketing tactics to convince shoppers to make purchases There are some tactics that they use that, while not illegal, border on being unethical.
Marissa @ Thirty Six Months writes You Should Always Seek Value - To get yourself financially free, to make good investments and to get through life in a calm and relaxed manner – you should always seek value.
Marissa @ Finance Triggers writes Best Way to Collect Superannuation Funds during Retirement - If you work in Australia, then you are likely to have at least one superannuation account set up to help you out financially during your retirement.
Sam @ The New Business Blog writes Want to be Successful? Avoid These 5 Emotionally Charged Habits - There are, to be sure, many things that contribute to your overall success. Things like your attitude, your ability to lead, your people skills and so forth all have a big influence on it, no doubt.
Katie @ IRA Basics writes 4 IRA Withdrawals that Actually Make Sense - Withdrawing funds from a traditional IRA before a person turns 59 ½ usually means that they’re going to pay a lot of taxes and penalties.
Lily @ Paying Debt Down writes Some Facts to Consider before Filing for Bankruptcy - For many consumers the thought of having to file bankruptcy can cause quite a bit of anxiety.
Bob @ Dwindling Debt writes Looking for a Store Credit Card? Don’t Look Here -
Andrea @ So Over This writes Self-Employment Is Not For Everyone - Over the past year I’ve realized that my readers are divided into two different factions.
Hadley @ Epic Finances writes Stock Investing Myths and Truths Part 4 of 4 - Even though there's plenty of information about what works and what doesn't when it comes to investing in the stock market, many myths still refuse to die.
Lenny @ Best Money Saving Blog writes Stock Buybacks are Booming! - After faltering for a couple of months, buyback announcements from many major US companies shot up to a three month high recently, putting 2014 on track to be one of the biggest years ever for buybacks.
Amy @ Money Mishaps writes These are the Biggest Money Mistakes Couples Make When Divorcing - When people get divorced, it's the spouse who hasn't had a whole lot of experience with the family's finances that often ends up on the short end of the stick.
Jack @ Money Saving Ethics writes These 5 Savings ‘Tricks’ might not be so good after all - Even the best intentions that you have for saving money can sometimes lead to financial problems.
Matt @ Budget Snob writes Investing Doesn't Take Genius Intelligence, Just Common Sense - A quote that's attributed to Albert Einstein goes something like this: "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results."
Danielle @ Saving Without a Budget writes Common Money Mistakes - If you're not keen on throwing your money away, the mistakes below should definitely be avoided.
Jay @ Daily Fuel Economy Tip writes How to Save on Gas – Uncommon Ways - I will describe a few less common ways you can save on gas – I hope you will find them useful.
Oscar @ Money is the Root writes Paying Off Debt Smarter and Faster - There are few things better for your financial health than paying off any debts that you have as quickly as possible.
Daniel @ Make Money Make Cents writes The Expenses of Buying and Owning a Home - From finding the perfect mortgage with the appropriate fees, to the year round upkeep and maintenance, this investment requires a lot of time and capital.
Mario @ Adventures in Frugal writes What actually makes us fat? Or my plan to lose 15 pounds of vacation weight without breaking the bank - I look at empirical data to help figure out what actually makes us fat and use it to make a plan to lose some vacation weight
Diana Hliva @ Essante Organics Worldwide writes 3 MEANINGFUL REASONS TO BE PART OF ESSANTÉ ORGANICS - Be your OWN boss We are not going to say this is easier than the other guy, but it can be more profitable to your pocketbook and is definitely healthier for your body. With great power comes great responsibilities; but hey, why should you work and take orders from someone else when you can be the boss?
Natalie Bacon @ Financegirl writes My New Favorite Goal Tracker App - Today, I'm revealing my new favorite goal tracker app. It's easy, effective, and free. I'm so glad I found this little gem!
Gretchen @ Retired by 40! writes Throw a Frugal Birthday Party - Throw a Frugal Birthday Party
Jerry @ Motive Finance writes What is Credit Life Insurance? - A form of life insurance offered when you buy a car? What?! We get to the bottom of credit life insurance for cars.
Paul Vachon @ The Frugal Toad writes Are You Making One of These Top 4 Money Mistakes? - We all make mistakes and finances are no exception. In fact, most Americans typically struggle with personal finance due to a number of reasons chief among them a lack of personal finance education provided to school age children. Here are the top 4 money mistakes and some practical advice on how to avoid making them in the future.
Little House @ Little House in the Valley writes Life Can Be Busy - I’ve actually had some success turning my work into a profitable venture. Since I have to create lessons for my credential that I use in my middle-school classes, I’ve taken it one step further and now sell those plans and activities on Teachers Pay Teachers and it’s going really well!
Miss T. @ Prairie Eco Thrifter writes 3 Things to Do Before House Hunting - Because we had heard that house hunting is a difficult and emotional process, we decided to do some work in preparation for the purchase.
Mario @ Debt BLAG writes A reader asks: “What should I do with a $75,000 cash windfall?” - I give a reader advice on what I think to be the best way to handle $75,000 in cash with an eye toward the long term
Natalie Bacon @ Financegirl writes Why I’m On A Student Loan Repayment Plan Where More Money Than Necessary Goes Toward Interest - It may cost me more in interest per month, but here's why I'm on the standard student loan repayment plan.
Erastus @ Wise Dollar writes Etrade Review: Investing Made Simple - My Etrade review covers the online broker and the tools it uses to set itself apart from other brokers. Open an Etrade account and get up to $600 cash back!
Erastus @ Sprout Wealth writes Why Do You Earn Extra Money? - Many like to earn extra money for a variety of reasons. Why do you make extra money on the side? What purpose do you use to drive you to earn more?
Erastus @ Frugal Rules writes MOTIF INVESTING REVIEW: GET UP TO $150 CASH BACK! - My Motif Investing review covers this unique broker and their themed based investing approach. Get up to $150 with a new Motif Investing account!
Jeremy @ Modest Money writes Credit One Bank® Visa® Platinum Review - This Credit One Bank® Platinum Card is a card that can be useful, but should be handled with extreme caution. First of all, this is a card focused on folks with miserable credit. The card is marketed as a tool to rebuild deplorable credit scores. And it can! But if you don’t keep up with it, things can be worse for you than they were before. For the right customer, this card can be a strong ally, however.
Glen @ How to Save Money writes Swapping to Save Money - Start swapping instead of spending
Gretchen @ Retired by 40 writes Throw a Frugal Birthday Party - Throw a Frugal Birthday Party
Mel @ brokeGIRLrich writes How to Find Free Samples - Keeping a kit stocked with necessities is a big part of my job, so I'm pretty skilled in finding the best freebie deals out there! Check 'em out!
Saturday, November 1, 2014
Updated Millionaire Plan November 2014
We now have $24150! We are only $850 short of our goal of $25,000. $25,000 is my gross income and it is also the minimum expenses we have for a year, excluding health insurance, work related expenses and daycare. Given that we put aside over $1300 a month that means that by next month I should be reporting to you that I have a full year of expenses all set aside. I can't wait! Let's hope the market does not screw this up for me. :)
So where do I go next? My next goal is to add COBRA to my year of invested expenses and that costs about $600/month so I need to save an additional $7200 for a total of $32,200. Looking at what we put aside I could get that saved in less than six months, if the market does not crash. So let's also think about my next goal which will be my husband's higher salary of $41,700.
Things are starting to come along, but we are in a weak spot here. Either jobs goes and we can't save this amount. We are lucky to have low expenses and multiple streams of income (2 jobs and our rental), but to me they are not enough. I am going to keep working on decreasing our expenses and increasing our income, both with adding streams of income and increasing our wages. I am in the process of working on a grant that would increase my income from $25,000 to $30,000 if I get it, but who knows if I will. But if I get the grant, I lose access to both my 403b and my pension so we are considering front loading the 403b and leaving more room in my husband's. But that is a story for a future post. See you soon and keep saving!
So where do I go next? My next goal is to add COBRA to my year of invested expenses and that costs about $600/month so I need to save an additional $7200 for a total of $32,200. Looking at what we put aside I could get that saved in less than six months, if the market does not crash. So let's also think about my next goal which will be my husband's higher salary of $41,700.
Things are starting to come along, but we are in a weak spot here. Either jobs goes and we can't save this amount. We are lucky to have low expenses and multiple streams of income (2 jobs and our rental), but to me they are not enough. I am going to keep working on decreasing our expenses and increasing our income, both with adding streams of income and increasing our wages. I am in the process of working on a grant that would increase my income from $25,000 to $30,000 if I get it, but who knows if I will. But if I get the grant, I lose access to both my 403b and my pension so we are considering front loading the 403b and leaving more room in my husband's. But that is a story for a future post. See you soon and keep saving!
Sunday, October 26, 2014
I joined an affiliate program!
You might notice something different about the blog now. I have joined my first affiliate program and it is with Cash4books.net! I learned about Cash4books over five years ago when selling the last of my undergrad books before moving with my then fiance to buffalo. Prior to that I just sold through amazon or ebay or even sometimes at school, direct to other students because it gave me the most money. However, when both of us were working insane hours, trying to pack and trying to get rid of things, I used this site. I got money I otherwise would not have gotten, because honestly I just did not have the time to sell them on my own.
It was a little less than what I expected to get on my own but not much less. But life was crazy and I honestly forgot about the website after we moved. Then a friend asked what sites I used to sell and I went back through my emails to remember and clicked over to make sure it was still the same. Once I did, I saw they had an affiliate program and the rest is this blog post. I am very excited to have them on the blog, but I want to assure my readership that I will only have ads that relate to the blog and are good for the readership. You can be assured that anything suggested on this blog is useful to me or I know of others who found it useful. I will never plug anything that does not benefit you!
It was a little less than what I expected to get on my own but not much less. But life was crazy and I honestly forgot about the website after we moved. Then a friend asked what sites I used to sell and I went back through my emails to remember and clicked over to make sure it was still the same. Once I did, I saw they had an affiliate program and the rest is this blog post. I am very excited to have them on the blog, but I want to assure my readership that I will only have ads that relate to the blog and are good for the readership. You can be assured that anything suggested on this blog is useful to me or I know of others who found it useful. I will never plug anything that does not benefit you!
Sunday, October 19, 2014
Learning to be Frugal Young: The Best Thing You Can Do For Your Future
When my husband and I were dating and applying to graduate schools, he got in and I did not. And, strangely enough, that was the best thing for us. We moved to buffalo with a very strict budget because we wanted to buy a house and take advantage of the 2009 tax credit. We had discovered that our mortgage would be about the same as rent, if we bought a duplex on my husband's salary. If we both had been working, maybe we would have bought a more expensive house, may not. Maybe I would have bought our house all on my own, (we were not married then) and DH would have paid off his debt quicker. But what I do know is that our budget would not have been so strict. We had $5/week each for fun money and date money of $10/week. Prior to moving to buffalo I had $20/week of fun money just for myself. If we had not had so little money to spend, we would have kept the fun money at such a high amount. But, because of our lack of money, we did not. And that means I am used to only going out to eat once a month, or waiting for a DVD of a movie or even finding deals to catch that movie we want to see in the theaters.
We also spent very little on groceries. We spent $30/week at the grocery store and $40/month at angel food ministries (which has since closed). That was it. It was not fun and the first thing we did when my husband got a raise was increase the food budget. But that means we know how to cut the grocery budget down and that has helped us, when we ran over budget during the first half of the year and now have to cut way down.
Those two are just small parts of our whole budget and we worked hard to be as frugal in every part. This meant that when our daughter was born, we could afford daycare while I went to graduate school for my Master's. It means that now, with my husband doing a post doctoral fellowship and me getting my PhD, paid, we can afford daycare and to save 30% for the future. We are a long way from saying 50%, which is our goal or financial independence which is my ultimate goal but learning to be frugal is the base in which all of this is possible. I never stop looking at our budget for leaks or trying to find better deals like geico affiliates or ting, both of which I learned about from http://www.mrmoneymustache.com/.
We also spent very little on groceries. We spent $30/week at the grocery store and $40/month at angel food ministries (which has since closed). That was it. It was not fun and the first thing we did when my husband got a raise was increase the food budget. But that means we know how to cut the grocery budget down and that has helped us, when we ran over budget during the first half of the year and now have to cut way down.
Those two are just small parts of our whole budget and we worked hard to be as frugal in every part. This meant that when our daughter was born, we could afford daycare while I went to graduate school for my Master's. It means that now, with my husband doing a post doctoral fellowship and me getting my PhD, paid, we can afford daycare and to save 30% for the future. We are a long way from saying 50%, which is our goal or financial independence which is my ultimate goal but learning to be frugal is the base in which all of this is possible. I never stop looking at our budget for leaks or trying to find better deals like geico affiliates or ting, both of which I learned about from http://www.mrmoneymustache.com/.
Thursday, October 16, 2014
Grocery plan updates for a month and half!
We spent 107.44 wegmans, $31.53 for the warehouse club, $31.27 for tops and $7 meat store for a total for three weeks 177.24 which averaged out to 57.88 for each week from Sept 13-27th. This is a savings of $20.76 from our "debt to the grocery gods" given that we went over during the first half of the year. However, that was not enough. Our goal was $48/week, with a reach goal of $45/week. I am not surprised we went over because we needed to purchase both ground beef and chicken during those weeks. Hopefully we can stretch the meat so we don't have to buy more in the near future. But still our "debt" to the grocery budget was down to $270.24 at that point. But, life got in the way of posting so that was three weeks ago, so where are we now?
Well we spent $179.55 at wegmans, $7.89 at tops, $7.67 at the warehouse, and only $4 at the meat store because I was out of town last weekend. This means we spent $199.11 over the three weeks, which is $66.36/week. We went over our weekly max of $66/week from the grocery annual budget and now are in more "debt" to the grocery gods. We now owe $271.35. And the year end is getting closer and closer. Do you think we might be able to make it? Obviously we won't be spending anything this weekend.
We have ten weeks to go, and in there is Christmas and Thanksgiving in there. Maybe we will get lucky, but we are cutting down the wire and we have eaten much of the food in the house that allowed us to cut down earlier this year. Our normal budget allows for $66, so cutting $27 off would be $38. We can't get below $50 so I doubt we can get to $38. But this experiment has taught us how low we can go and how easy it is to go over.
Well we spent $179.55 at wegmans, $7.89 at tops, $7.67 at the warehouse, and only $4 at the meat store because I was out of town last weekend. This means we spent $199.11 over the three weeks, which is $66.36/week. We went over our weekly max of $66/week from the grocery annual budget and now are in more "debt" to the grocery gods. We now owe $271.35. And the year end is getting closer and closer. Do you think we might be able to make it? Obviously we won't be spending anything this weekend.
We have ten weeks to go, and in there is Christmas and Thanksgiving in there. Maybe we will get lucky, but we are cutting down the wire and we have eaten much of the food in the house that allowed us to cut down earlier this year. Our normal budget allows for $66, so cutting $27 off would be $38. We can't get below $50 so I doubt we can get to $38. But this experiment has taught us how low we can go and how easy it is to go over.
Friday, October 3, 2014
Updated Millionaire Plan October 2014
So, with my husband changing jobs and commuting, things just have changed. And one thing that has changed is how we save for retirement. We have moved from our Roth IRAs to his employer's traditional 403b. We did this for multiple reasons, one is that they were using vanguard and the prices were very low, much lower than we could get and two, because we wanted to stay in our current tax bracket (10% for federal) and there are tax credits you can get if you put use a employer plan, not an IRA.
The main one is EITC, the earned income tax credit. EITC is dependent on your wage (minus FSA, health insurance and 403b contributions) and your adjustable income. Both need to be low to get this, and your traditional IRA does not affect your wage, though it will adjust your adjustable income. So we are now putting in $5233 into his 403b this year but his HR was not on the ball as much as we would have liked so, we had to adjust how that money came out. He received his first paycheck without the money being sent to his 403b, so we hoped online and increased the amount to make up for that, but that means we only put away $751 in September. And, because of the decline of the stock market that means we are at $22,836. Still not at $25,000, my gross income, but oh so close. Three more pay periods (aka a month and half) and we will be there. Well, only if the market cooperates. Let's hope please?
As the end of the year comes to a close we will be turning to our taxes and optimizing them which may involve more repairs to the house, we have a list we want to do or increasing or decreasing the 403b contributions. We shall see, and I promise to post all of it here for everyone to see.
The main one is EITC, the earned income tax credit. EITC is dependent on your wage (minus FSA, health insurance and 403b contributions) and your adjustable income. Both need to be low to get this, and your traditional IRA does not affect your wage, though it will adjust your adjustable income. So we are now putting in $5233 into his 403b this year but his HR was not on the ball as much as we would have liked so, we had to adjust how that money came out. He received his first paycheck without the money being sent to his 403b, so we hoped online and increased the amount to make up for that, but that means we only put away $751 in September. And, because of the decline of the stock market that means we are at $22,836. Still not at $25,000, my gross income, but oh so close. Three more pay periods (aka a month and half) and we will be there. Well, only if the market cooperates. Let's hope please?
As the end of the year comes to a close we will be turning to our taxes and optimizing them which may involve more repairs to the house, we have a list we want to do or increasing or decreasing the 403b contributions. We shall see, and I promise to post all of it here for everyone to see.
Saturday, September 27, 2014
Financial Carnival for Young Adults
I just found a wonderful carnival and got involved with it. It seems perfect with this blog. So on to the carnival for young adults and let me know if you would like to see more of this on the blog.
brofists @ Brofists Gaming writes Destiny attracts 5 million unique viewers on Twitch in first week - Destiny drew in 5 million unique viewers and 20 million total views on Twitch last week, making it the "biggest console game launch of the year" on the streaming service, Activision said in a press release. Viewers watched 240 million minutes of Destiny gameplay during the week.
Maria @ The Money Principle writes A Cause for Concern: Decide on Supporting a Charity - For any community, charity is the difference between the pursuit for equality and the continued suffering of the desperate and less-fortunate.
Alexa @ Defeat Our Debt writes Should You Take a Vacation if You’re in Debt? - Your debt is stressing you out. Work is stressing you out. And you just need a little break from the normal day to day grind.
Alexa @ Single Moms Income writes The Top 7 Single Mom Problems - If you're going through a divorce or nasty break up with the father of your kids, things are about to get rough.
Brad @ Enemy of Debt writes Are You As Financially Savvy As A 7th Grader? - My daughter paid close attention to how our view on money and what is important in life changed over the last few years have changed. I found this out through a conversation we had last weekend.
Larry @ KrantCents writes Buy a New Car or Used Car? - Looking for a Car? Get a new one!
Monica @ Monica On Money writes Life Happens: Are You Ready For It? - Life events like deaths and births make me much more aware that life happens. Sometimes when we least expect it.
Natalie @ Debt and The Girl writes Can You Manage to Live on Six Figures? - How can someone possibly live on six figures? I came across this article the other day about how this author profiled families that somehow managed to survive on $100,000 a year managed to survive.
Cat @ Budget Blonde writes I Like To Buy Stock When Celebrities Get Hacked - So, I'm all excited and sparkly about the new Apple products they announced. Hubs called me an Apple 'fan girl' when they showcased the Apple Watch among other things, and he's right.
Justin @ iPlugin writes Top 3 Budgeting Apps for both Apple and Android Smartphones - If you've read this blog for any amount of time you know that we're very big on making, and keeping, a budget.
Danielle @ TeacHer Finance writes Is Staying Home to Raise the Kids Costing you More than you Think? - Not long ago we wrote a blog about how the number of stay-at-home moms in America is on the rise.
Aaron @ Aaron Hung writes Watch out for these Back to School Spending Mistakes - Much to the chagrin of children everywhere another school year is about to start, and that means that parents across the country are busy stocking up on school supplies.
Justin @ Edward Antrobus writes Need to Exchange Currency? Pay Attention - If traveling to a foreign country is in your near future, one of the biggest costs that you need to avoid is the often expensive exchange rate that you’ll be charged when switching from American dollars to another currency.
Marissa @ Thirty Six Months writes Why You Should Invest In Property Before Age 30 - I know it's not something that we think when we're tackling our student loans out of University or have to think about finding that perfect job that lets us grow and feel accomplished, but hear me out.
Marissa @ Finance Triggers writes Best Way to Collect Superannuation Funds during Retirement - If you work in Australia, then you are likely to have at least one superannuation account set up to help you out financially during your retirement.
Sam @ The New Business Blog writes The Importance of Emotional Intelligence for your Business - In the competitive world of business, you need to make sure you are armed with every possible tool to ensure you can make your company as successful as possible.
Katie @ IRA Basics writes 4 IRA Withdrawals that Actually Make Sense - Withdrawing funds from a traditional IRA before a person turns 59 ½ usually means that they’re going to pay a lot of taxes and penalties.
Lily @ Paying Debt Down writes Some Facts to Consider before Filing for Bankruptcy - For many consumers the thought of having to file bankruptcy can cause quite a bit of anxiety.
Bob @ Dwindling Debt writes Looking for a Store Credit Card? Don’t Look Here -
Andrea @ So Over This writes Having a Pet is Hard Work and Costs Some Serious Money! - My day job has been overly hectic, long hours and underappreciated, but aren't we all?
Hadley @ Epic Finances writes Signs that Samsung may be significantly underperforming - Earlier in the year one of the first major signs that Samsung might significantly underperform near-term expectations came when it warned investors about a huge 24% decline in their operating profits.
Lenny @ Best Money Saving Blog writes Stock Buybacks are Booming! - After faltering for a couple of months, buyback announcements from many major US companies shot up to a three month high recently, putting 2014 on track to be one of the biggest years ever for buybacks.
Amy @ Money Mishaps writes Free Money? Be Careful With That Offer From Your New Bank - Many people are switching banks this summer thanks to lucrative offers being made by more than a dozen of the top 50 banks in the United States.
Jack @ Money Saving Ethics writes Answers to the Most Common Questions about TIPS - The US Department of the Treasury has been offering a specific type of bond that can help protect consumers against inflation for several years now.
Matt @ Budget Snob writes Investing Doesn't Take Genius Intelligence, Just Common Sense - A quote that's attributed to Albert Einstein goes something like this: "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results."
Danielle @ Saving Without a Budget writes Should you Borrow to Pay off your Student Loans? Probably not - Student loan debt here in America passed the $1 trillion mark not long ago and isn't going to let up anytime soon.
Jay @ Daily Fuel Economy Tip writes Buying the Best Used Car for Your Needs - Buying a used car in Canada will give you the independence you need at an economical price.
Oscar @ Money is the Root writes Paying Off Debt Smarter and Faster - There are few things better for your financial health than paying off any debts that you have as quickly as possible.
Daniel @ Make Money Make Cents writes How Online Trading Platforms Work - If you're taking your very first steps as an online trader then you've probably already come across trading platforms, but you may be wondering exactly what they are and how they work.
Mario @ Adventures in Frugal writes Marriott to encourage guests to tip housekeepers by leaving envelopes in rooms - Marriott is starting an initiative to leave a tip envelope to encourage guests to leave its housekeepers a little something extra
Ben @ The Wealth Gospel writes 5 Ways to Prepare for Retirement Other Than Saving - When it comes to preparing for retirement, most experts focus on the amount you need to save. But not all of your problems are going to be solved with just saving more. Here are some other things you should be doing to prepare for retirement.
Natalie Bacon @ Financegirl writes 5 Savings And Debt Ratios For Young Professionals - Do you know the recommended savings and debt ratios for young professionals? And more importantly, how do you match up? #KnowYourNumbers
Gretchen @ retired by 40 writes Frugal Vacation: Is it Possible? - Check out our first foray into vacationing with credit card rewards, and on the cheap!
Lance @ Healthy Wealthy Income writes I'm Sorry, We Can't Date, We Are Financially Incompatible - Money and relationships are a rough road, when do your bring up and talk about finances, and why I dumped some of my dates early on.
Jon @ Increase Credit Limit writes How To Increase Your Credit Limit - Even if you might know that you should increase your credit limit, that information will do you no good unless you know how to get it done. So, here are some tips for how you can increase your credit limit.
Jerry @ Repaid.org writes Facebook Farcing: the Latest Trend in Identity Theft - You've all heard of phishing. Well, there's a new identity theft technique running rampant on Facebook: farcing. Learn what it is and how to protect yourself.
Taylor @ Mo' Finance writes The Average FICO Score in America Hits All-Time High! - After hitting an all-time low in 2009, the average FICO score has hit an all-time high of 692. Could it be a greater sense of financial responsibility since the recession?
Little House @ Little House in the Valley writes You Get What You Pay For, Especially When It Comes to Hotels - When it comes to selecting hotels, I definitely forgo quality and lower my standard.
Erastus @ Wise Dollar writes How to Start Investing on a Limited Budget - It is difficult to start investing on a limited budget, but it is possible. Find ways to do it and make it a priority.I share with you two great ways to start investing on a limited budget.
Erastus @ Sprout Wealth writes Motif Investing Review: A Great Way to Start Investing - Read our Motif Investing review to see how you can get $150 cash for opening an account. Motif Investing is a good option if you're new to the stock market.
Jeremy @ Modest Money writes The Choice Privileges® Visa® Card Review - If you are a frequent traveler who wants to stay on the road while on the cheap, the Choice Privileges® Visa® Card is an excellent choice for you. You’ll want to combine it with the rewards memberships these hotels already have in place, in which you’ll have boatloads of points in no time. This could reduce your travel budget by quite a lot.
Anne @ Money Propeller writes How to Decide on a College Degree - How to decide on a college degree? It can be confusing to navigate, but since you are paying a lot of money for it, you should spend a lot of time thinking about it.
Brad @ How to Save Money writes Avoid Paying Fees - Stop fees eating away at your budget
Natalie Bacon @ Financegirl writes To Pinch Pennies or Increase Income — Which Is Better? - Living frugally versus increasing income - which is better? The experts don't agree. Can you be rich minded and frugal? Decide for yourself...
Miss T. @ Prairie Eco Thrifter writes Seven Things I Learned about Money When I Became a Parent - Here are things I learned about money when I became a parent.
Gretchen @ retired by 40 writes Your FREE Blogger's Pinterest Guide - Learn how to generate massive traffic from Pinterest - even if you think your niche won't allow you to!
brofists @ Brofists Gaming writes Destiny attracts 5 million unique viewers on Twitch in first week - Destiny drew in 5 million unique viewers and 20 million total views on Twitch last week, making it the "biggest console game launch of the year" on the streaming service, Activision said in a press release. Viewers watched 240 million minutes of Destiny gameplay during the week.
Maria @ The Money Principle writes A Cause for Concern: Decide on Supporting a Charity - For any community, charity is the difference between the pursuit for equality and the continued suffering of the desperate and less-fortunate.
Alexa @ Defeat Our Debt writes Should You Take a Vacation if You’re in Debt? - Your debt is stressing you out. Work is stressing you out. And you just need a little break from the normal day to day grind.
Alexa @ Single Moms Income writes The Top 7 Single Mom Problems - If you're going through a divorce or nasty break up with the father of your kids, things are about to get rough.
Brad @ Enemy of Debt writes Are You As Financially Savvy As A 7th Grader? - My daughter paid close attention to how our view on money and what is important in life changed over the last few years have changed. I found this out through a conversation we had last weekend.
Larry @ KrantCents writes Buy a New Car or Used Car? - Looking for a Car? Get a new one!
Monica @ Monica On Money writes Life Happens: Are You Ready For It? - Life events like deaths and births make me much more aware that life happens. Sometimes when we least expect it.
Natalie @ Debt and The Girl writes Can You Manage to Live on Six Figures? - How can someone possibly live on six figures? I came across this article the other day about how this author profiled families that somehow managed to survive on $100,000 a year managed to survive.
Cat @ Budget Blonde writes I Like To Buy Stock When Celebrities Get Hacked - So, I'm all excited and sparkly about the new Apple products they announced. Hubs called me an Apple 'fan girl' when they showcased the Apple Watch among other things, and he's right.
Justin @ iPlugin writes Top 3 Budgeting Apps for both Apple and Android Smartphones - If you've read this blog for any amount of time you know that we're very big on making, and keeping, a budget.
Danielle @ TeacHer Finance writes Is Staying Home to Raise the Kids Costing you More than you Think? - Not long ago we wrote a blog about how the number of stay-at-home moms in America is on the rise.
Aaron @ Aaron Hung writes Watch out for these Back to School Spending Mistakes - Much to the chagrin of children everywhere another school year is about to start, and that means that parents across the country are busy stocking up on school supplies.
Justin @ Edward Antrobus writes Need to Exchange Currency? Pay Attention - If traveling to a foreign country is in your near future, one of the biggest costs that you need to avoid is the often expensive exchange rate that you’ll be charged when switching from American dollars to another currency.
Marissa @ Thirty Six Months writes Why You Should Invest In Property Before Age 30 - I know it's not something that we think when we're tackling our student loans out of University or have to think about finding that perfect job that lets us grow and feel accomplished, but hear me out.
Marissa @ Finance Triggers writes Best Way to Collect Superannuation Funds during Retirement - If you work in Australia, then you are likely to have at least one superannuation account set up to help you out financially during your retirement.
Sam @ The New Business Blog writes The Importance of Emotional Intelligence for your Business - In the competitive world of business, you need to make sure you are armed with every possible tool to ensure you can make your company as successful as possible.
Katie @ IRA Basics writes 4 IRA Withdrawals that Actually Make Sense - Withdrawing funds from a traditional IRA before a person turns 59 ½ usually means that they’re going to pay a lot of taxes and penalties.
Lily @ Paying Debt Down writes Some Facts to Consider before Filing for Bankruptcy - For many consumers the thought of having to file bankruptcy can cause quite a bit of anxiety.
Bob @ Dwindling Debt writes Looking for a Store Credit Card? Don’t Look Here -
Andrea @ So Over This writes Having a Pet is Hard Work and Costs Some Serious Money! - My day job has been overly hectic, long hours and underappreciated, but aren't we all?
Hadley @ Epic Finances writes Signs that Samsung may be significantly underperforming - Earlier in the year one of the first major signs that Samsung might significantly underperform near-term expectations came when it warned investors about a huge 24% decline in their operating profits.
Lenny @ Best Money Saving Blog writes Stock Buybacks are Booming! - After faltering for a couple of months, buyback announcements from many major US companies shot up to a three month high recently, putting 2014 on track to be one of the biggest years ever for buybacks.
Amy @ Money Mishaps writes Free Money? Be Careful With That Offer From Your New Bank - Many people are switching banks this summer thanks to lucrative offers being made by more than a dozen of the top 50 banks in the United States.
Jack @ Money Saving Ethics writes Answers to the Most Common Questions about TIPS - The US Department of the Treasury has been offering a specific type of bond that can help protect consumers against inflation for several years now.
Matt @ Budget Snob writes Investing Doesn't Take Genius Intelligence, Just Common Sense - A quote that's attributed to Albert Einstein goes something like this: "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results."
Danielle @ Saving Without a Budget writes Should you Borrow to Pay off your Student Loans? Probably not - Student loan debt here in America passed the $1 trillion mark not long ago and isn't going to let up anytime soon.
Jay @ Daily Fuel Economy Tip writes Buying the Best Used Car for Your Needs - Buying a used car in Canada will give you the independence you need at an economical price.
Oscar @ Money is the Root writes Paying Off Debt Smarter and Faster - There are few things better for your financial health than paying off any debts that you have as quickly as possible.
Daniel @ Make Money Make Cents writes How Online Trading Platforms Work - If you're taking your very first steps as an online trader then you've probably already come across trading platforms, but you may be wondering exactly what they are and how they work.
Mario @ Adventures in Frugal writes Marriott to encourage guests to tip housekeepers by leaving envelopes in rooms - Marriott is starting an initiative to leave a tip envelope to encourage guests to leave its housekeepers a little something extra
Ben @ The Wealth Gospel writes 5 Ways to Prepare for Retirement Other Than Saving - When it comes to preparing for retirement, most experts focus on the amount you need to save. But not all of your problems are going to be solved with just saving more. Here are some other things you should be doing to prepare for retirement.
Natalie Bacon @ Financegirl writes 5 Savings And Debt Ratios For Young Professionals - Do you know the recommended savings and debt ratios for young professionals? And more importantly, how do you match up? #KnowYourNumbers
Gretchen @ retired by 40 writes Frugal Vacation: Is it Possible? - Check out our first foray into vacationing with credit card rewards, and on the cheap!
Lance @ Healthy Wealthy Income writes I'm Sorry, We Can't Date, We Are Financially Incompatible - Money and relationships are a rough road, when do your bring up and talk about finances, and why I dumped some of my dates early on.
Jon @ Increase Credit Limit writes How To Increase Your Credit Limit - Even if you might know that you should increase your credit limit, that information will do you no good unless you know how to get it done. So, here are some tips for how you can increase your credit limit.
Jerry @ Repaid.org writes Facebook Farcing: the Latest Trend in Identity Theft - You've all heard of phishing. Well, there's a new identity theft technique running rampant on Facebook: farcing. Learn what it is and how to protect yourself.
Taylor @ Mo' Finance writes The Average FICO Score in America Hits All-Time High! - After hitting an all-time low in 2009, the average FICO score has hit an all-time high of 692. Could it be a greater sense of financial responsibility since the recession?
Little House @ Little House in the Valley writes You Get What You Pay For, Especially When It Comes to Hotels - When it comes to selecting hotels, I definitely forgo quality and lower my standard.
Erastus @ Wise Dollar writes How to Start Investing on a Limited Budget - It is difficult to start investing on a limited budget, but it is possible. Find ways to do it and make it a priority.I share with you two great ways to start investing on a limited budget.
Erastus @ Sprout Wealth writes Motif Investing Review: A Great Way to Start Investing - Read our Motif Investing review to see how you can get $150 cash for opening an account. Motif Investing is a good option if you're new to the stock market.
Jeremy @ Modest Money writes The Choice Privileges® Visa® Card Review - If you are a frequent traveler who wants to stay on the road while on the cheap, the Choice Privileges® Visa® Card is an excellent choice for you. You’ll want to combine it with the rewards memberships these hotels already have in place, in which you’ll have boatloads of points in no time. This could reduce your travel budget by quite a lot.
Anne @ Money Propeller writes How to Decide on a College Degree - How to decide on a college degree? It can be confusing to navigate, but since you are paying a lot of money for it, you should spend a lot of time thinking about it.
Brad @ How to Save Money writes Avoid Paying Fees - Stop fees eating away at your budget
Natalie Bacon @ Financegirl writes To Pinch Pennies or Increase Income — Which Is Better? - Living frugally versus increasing income - which is better? The experts don't agree. Can you be rich minded and frugal? Decide for yourself...
Miss T. @ Prairie Eco Thrifter writes Seven Things I Learned about Money When I Became a Parent - Here are things I learned about money when I became a parent.
Gretchen @ retired by 40 writes Your FREE Blogger's Pinterest Guide - Learn how to generate massive traffic from Pinterest - even if you think your niche won't allow you to!
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