budgeting

What Apps Can Help Me Manage My Money Better?

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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. […]

What Is The Difference Between Needs And Wants? [& How Do I 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 know the difference between needs and wants. In this guide, you’ll learn how to […]

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 […]

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. There’s insurance for your vehicle, your home, your cell phone, and your pet. Health, life, disability, and long-term care insurance are also important products to protect […]

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 […]

What is the Best Way To Share Expenses When Living Together?

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? The best way to share expenses when living together. Choosing […]

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: Should I Tip? 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 to wonder – when should you tip? Who should you tip? How much? And what if you don’t have any cash? To help you, below is a general guide for when and how […]

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 […]

How to Get Every Cent Worth of Your Amazon Prime Membership (But Not Spend Every Cent You Have)

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 […]

How Do I Budget When My Partner Is A Spender?

You dreamt of the day you’d join your life with the person who makes your soul happy. Your nearly flawless alignment has been almost surprising. However, as “mine” and “yours” have become “ours,” one subject remains sore: finances. You’ve done the work of calculating the perfect budget with a place for everything and everything in […]

Budgeting 101: Help For Managing Your Money Better [Book Review]

You’ve undoubtedly heard a budget is essential for managing your money. Perhaps you’ve even created one a time or two. But then you stopped using it after only a few months out of boredom or frustration. To get the most out of a budget, it helps to realize budgeting is more than just recording what […]

Which Home Renovations Return Value and How Do I Pay For Them?

If you’re ready to take on a home renovation project this year, you’re not alone. Last year, over half of homeowners planned to spend thousands of dollars on home improvement projects. But before you join others on their HGTV-inspired ventures, think about which home renovations pay off and how you will pay for them. Which […]

How Do I Prepare For My New Baby On A Budget?

Baby care products make up a $74 billion industry in the US, and it’s estimated the average new parent will spend tens of thousands of dollars in the first year alone. If you’re not careful, preparing for your new baby can quickly bust your budget. The industry heavily markets “must have” products you and your […]

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