budgeting

How Do You Really Make A Budget Work?[Tips for Overcoming Obstacles]

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You’re ready to take control of your finances and use a budget to plan for your income and expenses. But that “b” word doesn’t exactly give you the warm fuzzies. You know though, telling your money where to go is better than wondering where it went. While budgeting methods such as the 50/30/20 percentage system, […]

What Should An Emergency Budget Include? [Adjusting Finances in a Time of Crisis]

What’s your plan if you lose your job? What will you do if your work hours get reduced? What happens if you lose your child care? These aren’t easy (or fun) questions to answer. Yet everyone should think about what they would do in a financial emergency. Whatever the situation, you would need to take […]

The Pink Tax: What Does It Cost Me and How Do I Fight It?

It costs a lot of money to be a woman today. The wage gap is still pervasive, and the United States is also the only industrialized nation to not offer paid maternity leave. These financial issues are being discussed and debated more commonly, but there’s a price to being female that many people overlook. It’s […]

In What Ways Can You Cut Monthly Expenses And Reduce Spending?

You’re ready to tackle your debt. You need to save more. You want extra money to invest. Or you need to create an emergency budget. Whatever your money goal, you want to find the best ways to cut expenses so you can reduce spending today. Deciding on the optimal place to start can be a […]

Important Financial Rules of Thumb: What To Know [And Ignore]?

From a financial perspective, living today and planning for the future are difficult tasks. It takes work to figure out how to allocate our earnings both for our current needs and for investing in our futures, including retirement. Luckily, we can learn a lot from all those who’ve already done it. If we follow some […]

How Can You Avoid Financial Mistakes In A Divorce?

Divorce affects people on every level – mentally, physically, emotionally, and even socially. Financially, it has the potential to be a complete disaster as it’s not difficult to make mistakes. Financial mistakes women make when going through a divorce include: Focusing too much on small details Thinking short-term Denying poor financial habits Seeking revenge Relying […]

SmartPath: A Sales-Free Digital Financial Coaching Program

If you’re struggling in the paycheck to paycheck cycle or have financial goals you can’t prioritize or stay motivated to meet, a SmartPath financial coach could be your answer. Financial coaches empower clients to save more, pay down debt, and improve their credit scores. They provide straightforward steps to help you master budgeting, pay off […]

Should I Get A Seasonal Job To Earn Extra Money?

Breaking the paycheck to paycheck cycle. Paying down your credit card debt. Beefing up your emergency fund. Saving for an amazing vacation next summer. Paying for gifts in cash this year. These are all great reasons to consider earning extra money. And accomplishing any of them might bring you the peace of mind you need […]

What Apps Can Help Me Manage My Money Better?

It happens to the best of us. We set a budget, try to save, and then the end of the month comes, and we’re back in the red. Budgeting and money management are practices many people struggle to master. Fortunately, in today’s mobile world, there are plenty of options to help you get on track […]

Needs vs. Wants: What is the Difference? [& How do You Afford Both?]

One of the most common pieces of financial advice is to focus on needs instead of wants. Knowing how to prioritize your needs over your wants truly is an effective starting point. But to take that first step, you need to understand the difference between them. Let’s review how to evaluate your needs versus wants […]

How Does The Debt Collection Process Work?

At some point in your life, you may fall on hard financial times and be unable to pay your bills. Despite your struggles, your creditors still want to get paid. They’ll likely employ a series of tactics called debt collection to get their money from you. This process may involve constant (potentially harassing) communication from […]

Health Savings Accounts: Pros, Cons and Contribution Limits of HSAs In 2020

During health plan or open enrollment time, your place of employment probably looks like many others. There are lots of “water cooler” conversations about different plans, past experiences, deductibles, and copays. Health savings accounts or HSAs are drawing your attention, and you want to learn more. Let’s say last year you spent $8,000 on the […]

What Does It Mean To Self-Insure And Can It Save Me Money?

When you’re working on getting your financial house in order, it can be overwhelming to consider all the different insurance products you can (and sometimes are required to) purchase. To protect your financial future there’s insurance for your: Health Life Disability Vehicle Home Cell phone Pet Long-term care You can also buy flood insurance, extra […]

Retail Therapy: Is Emotional Spending Ever A Good Idea?

Whether you believe that money can buy happiness or not, research shows shopping can improve your mood. And while it might only be a temporary fix for some, emotional spending isn’t always a wrong financial move. Plenty of people use retail therapy when they are upset about something at work, sad about a relationship ending, […]

How Do I Maintain Friendships When Incomes And Money Values Differ?

Most of us start our adult lives with lifestyles like those of our friends. The phrase “living like a broke college student” applies to many in young adulthood. At this point, everyone’s trying to keep expenses low – and score free food and entertainment whenever possible. But, as you grow older, things change. You settle […]

What Are The Best Ways To Financially Prepare For A Baby?

Your family is growing! Whether this is your first time becoming a mom or not, preparing to have a baby brings a whirlwind of feelings, emotions, and worries. One of the biggest concerns moms-to-be face is a financial one. You may have seen estimates that it costs $233,000 to raise a child from birth to […]

Am I Frugal Or Cheap? [How To Tell And Why It Matters]

Whether you just embraced the concept or you’ve had a focus on becoming financially independent for years, you’re building good money habits and saving for the future. In order to save more, you may be tracking expenses, using a budget, working side hustles or adopting a minimalist lifestyle. You might even do all of those […]

How Do I Handle Office Gifting and Soliciting to Not Go Broke?

Like you, your co-worker’s lives are bigger than their jobs. They have birthdays, weddings, start families, retire, and have to sell their kid’s fundraising trinkets. Often, these personal events spill over into the workplace. Depending on the size of your company, it may seem like the celebration collection plate, or fundraiser order form is getting […]

What Are Sinking Funds and Are They Smart To Have?

It can be overwhelming to learn how to manage your money and build a financially secure future. Paying down debt, budgeting, tracking expenses, saving an emergency fund, and opening investment accounts take patience and focus. You’ve made good progress some months, but sticking to a budget and saving money has been hard. Bills and expenses […]

Sharing Living and Relationship Expenses: How Do We Make It Fair?

You’ve decided it’s time to move in together. It’s a big step in your relationship, and you’re excited about the future. You’ll have to each decide which of your belongings you can share in your new place. Another thing you’ll have to figure out? How to share expenses when living together. The best way to […]

Is The Savings From Living With Roommates Worth It?

You remember talking as a teenager about how great it would be to move out of your parents’ house. Getting an apartment with friends or heading off to a college dorm – any place where you’d have some freedom and ability to make your own decisions. Leaving the “nest” usually means moving in with others […]

Tipping: When and How Much?

When it comes to tipping, there are no hard and fast rules. And everyone does it differently. As a customer, you’re left wondering – when should you tip? Who should you tip? How much? And what if you don’t have any cash? Below is a general reference for when and how much to tip to […]

How Can I Save Money When Attending Weddings? (Without Being A Cheapskate)

As the daffodils bloom and the trees are budding, wedding bells are a chiming. Sweet, sounds that can also note upcoming hits to our budgets as another wedding season gets in full swing. The truth is, the cost of attending weddings can be huge. If you’re also a bridesmaid, the expenses can be astronomical. Is […]

What Are The Best Ways To Manage Money After Job Loss?

In some ways, it’s our greatest fear. Losing a job means losing financial security, the ability to pay bills, maybe even your home. Your job may currently feel stable and your career field always hiring. But a job loss can come without warning, seemingly out of nowhere. The Wall Street Journal previously reported low rates […]

Get Every Cent Worth of Your Amazon Prime Membership

If you’ve ever bought anything online, chances are you’ve purchased something, at one time or another, from Amazon. Once limited to books and media back in 1994 when the now-famous Jeff Bezos founded it, Amazon currently sells, well, just about anything. So if you find yourself shopping regularly at Amazon, it can feel like a […]

Join the community making money a verb

How Do You Really Make A Budget Work?[Tips for Overcoming Obstacles]

What Should An Emergency Budget Include? [Adjusting Finances in a Time of Crisis]

The Pink Tax: What Does It Cost Me and How Do I Fight It?

In What Ways Can You Cut Monthly Expenses And Reduce Spending?

Important Financial Rules of Thumb: What To Know [And Ignore]?

How Can You Avoid Financial Mistakes In A Divorce?

SmartPath: A Sales-Free Digital Financial Coaching Program

Should I Get A Seasonal Job To Earn Extra Money?

What Apps Can Help Me Manage My Money Better?

Needs vs. Wants: What is the Difference? [& How do You Afford Both?]

How Does The Debt Collection Process Work?

Health Savings Accounts: Pros, Cons and Contribution Limits of HSAs In 2020

What Does It Mean To Self-Insure And Can It Save Me Money?

Retail Therapy: Is Emotional Spending Ever A Good Idea?

How Do I Maintain Friendships When Incomes And Money Values Differ?

What Are The Best Ways To Financially Prepare For A Baby?

Am I Frugal Or Cheap? [How To Tell And Why It Matters]

How Do I Handle Office Gifting and Soliciting to Not Go Broke?

What Are Sinking Funds and Are They Smart To Have?

Sharing Living and Relationship Expenses: How Do We Make It Fair?

Is The Savings From Living With Roommates Worth It?

Tipping: When and How Much?

How Can I Save Money When Attending Weddings? (Without Being A Cheapskate)

What Are The Best Ways To Manage Money After Job Loss?

Get Every Cent Worth of Your Amazon Prime Membership

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