Often when our budgets begin getting bloated, cable, internet and phone bills are chief culprits. These have a tendency to slowly grow over time, and because they are recurring monthly bills, little changes make big differences. If your budget allows for what you're currently spending in these categories, great! But if you aren't putting enough into emergency funds, retirement funds or . . .
Lowering (or Eliminating) the Cable Bill
In one sense, cable or satellite TV is one of the easiest things to cut from your budget. No matter how hard you try, you won't be able to argue that live TV is a 'need' in any way. Yet, it provides hours of entertainment and distraction from real life as well as a 24/7 news cycle that has us hooked. For most of us, TV is such a big part of our lives that we can't imagine tearing it away. However, . . .
Learning to Live Within a Budget
Budgets are the cornerstone to personal finance. A good budget keeps your spending within your income and leaves room for saving. A good budget also lets you save enough for your short-term and long-term goals. However, learning to live within a budget can be hard. A budget limits your spending. And spending can be fun! When you first start budgeting, you may experience a 'lifestyle . . .
Is a New Car a Waste of Money?
Buying a new car gets a lot of flack. Mention buying a new car, and somebody is bound to tell you that the new car loses a third of its value as soon as you drive it off the lot. Or some similar percentage. Instead, you're supposed to buy a 2 or 3 year old gently used car. By this theory, you miss the depreciation, but still get the benefits of the new car. But are things really that . . .
Crazy (Or Not So Crazy) Things I Do to Save Money
When you're living on a budget, the little things count. This is a list of things that I do to save money. Should everyone have the exact same list? Of course not. Everybody values various things differently. I'm sure there are things that you do to save money that I'd much rather pay more for (like oil changes), and there will be things on my list that you'd rather not do. But hopefully there . . .
How To Save Money On Groceries- 1 Terrible Idea, 5 Great Tips, 1 Warning
Groceries are a huge item on most of our budgets. But eating is a necessity, so can we really save money on groceries? Quite a bit, actually. Several little changes can quickly add up to large savings. In turn, making those savings routine by changing your shopping habits will lead to long-term savings. One Awful Way to Save Money on Groceries One easy way to save money on groceries is to . . .
My Weakness for Buying Cheap Stuff
I'm cheap. Period. I can try to call it what I want- frugal, thrifty, whatever. But I'm cheap. The problem is, this isn't always a good thing. And cheap doesn't always mean the same thing as frugal and thrifty. For sure, I try to be frugal and thrifty, but I have to constantly remind myself of the difference. Because they are different. In fact, often cheap is the exact opposite of . . .
Big Bad Black Friday Mistakes
Black Friday ads are already coming out! Nerdwallet has compiled a good list if you're interested. Having said that, Black Friday is still 4 weeks away. Retailers are going to be building up hype for the biggest shopping day for the next 4 weeks, bombarding you with ads on TV, radio, newspaper, social media, etc. Don't fall for the hype! If you're not careful, Black Friday will yet again . . .
So What if I’ve Lost a Million Dollars?
There's a recent blog post by Abandoned Cubicle detailing how he's lost a million dollars over the last 20 years in unnecessary spending. It's a very insightful article, and I strongly encourage reading it. He highlights how much little money drains can cost you over the course of many years. He also highlights our collective unnecessary spending as consumers. His conclusion is that had he not . . .
The Easiest Way to Get a Great Deal on a New Car
Buying a new car is usually not the cheapest option when you're replacing your vehicle. In fact, you usually won't save any money by replacing the vehicle in the first place. But, since the point of life isn't to pinch every penny, you'll likely decide at some point to replace your vehicle, possibly even with a new vehicle. Some people love the car shopping process. They like test driving . . .