We all love living in luxury, but it’s often difficult to fit everything we want into a limited living budget. For instance, you might adore the idea of disappearing on holiday every year. But will your finances allow for this option? Or, could be desperate to have a home with a pool. But is that…
Everyone needs a hobby or two as this is important in terms of relaxing and having something to do with your spare time. Hobbies can be a great outlet and a good way to meet people with similar interests to your own; however many hobbies can cost a lot of money which is not ideal…
Having narrowed your choice of cars down to one or two specific models, you should be ready to purchase the car of your choice. That means, you should have test-driven a variety of cars and be able to decide on the exact trim, colors and the options you want. Most car shoppers tend to focus…
Whether you’re doing it to save money or just because you want to try something new, ditching makeup is all the rage. Alicia Keys and Gwyneth Paltrow are just two of the many public figures jumping on the no-makeup bandwagon. But the thing is, those people are ultra-rich. What about the rest of us? I’m…
Buying a car with cash is always going to be more money smart than taking out a loan. Simply put, since the value of your car depreciates over time, why would you get a loan to buy it with interest that accrues over time? Of course, many people cannot afford to buy a car with…
This post is a true story – that happens to contain affiliate links. A few weeks ago, I had an accidental run in with a parking attendant that really boggled my personal finance literate mind that I want to share with you today. For those outside the tri-state area, you may not know that NJ…
There are few things as exciting (and possibly as stressful) as buying a new car. Whether it’s brand new or new-to-you, there’s nothing like driving off in your new wheels. Buying a used car is definitely less expensive than buying brand new, but that doesn’t mean it’s less complicated and stressful. Both require that you…
Photo Credit So, you’re considering buying a home! While this is an extremely exciting journey that you’re about to embark on, it’s inevitably going to be a costly one. House prices have skyrocketed in the past few decades and while your grandparents may well have been able to buy a property outright with a couple…
Money doesn’t grow on trees – I’ve checked. When it comes to saving money, it is something you must be passionate about if you ever expect to make progress towards your goals. The good news is that there are so many ways to save money. Sure, there are a lot of ways to spend money…
As my income has increased and my spending reigns loosen a little, I’ve been sort of interested to find what money habits have stuck without any real effort on my part. Now that I can sort of splurge when I want, I find there are still quite a few things that aren’t even worth it…
https://unsplash.com/photos/bU6JyhSI6zo When it comes to finance, things are always going to be complicated. While they don’t have to stay difficult for long (even when you’re a financial newbie). If managing your money well and growing what you have was easy, we’d all be doing it. However, with the right intent, some dedication, and good financial…
Recently I’ve been trying to be a little more positive about life. It’s super easy to get bogged down in the missteps and the problems I’ve caused myself, but everything isn’t super bleak. Along the way, I’ve made some choices that were actually pretty good. I Owned My Student Loan Debt I took on my…
There’s a pretty strong divide in the personal finance world between the spend lessers and the earn morers (spoiler alert: doing both usually has the best results). I have a theory though that for almost everyone, personal finance starts with frugality. Frugality is 100% in your control. Earning more can seem sort of impossible at…
Hi guys! I’m in the middle of loading in to Somerville, MA with some real horrific internet connections this week – so I’m going to send you all to check out some of my favorite personal finance bloggers on the web. Super Savings Tips Gary writes all sorts of great personal finance pieces drawn from…
I am fairly lazy. My favorite kinds of personal finance tips are the kind you can set and forget. Essentially, I only have to put a little bit of effort it, preferably once, and then tools keep chugging along, saving me money. Here are a few of my favorite set it & forget it tips…
Is your mailbox forever stuffed with bills and statements? Do you devote far too much of your salary to heating your home or insuring your car? If you’re spending too much on bills, these savvy strategies could help you save a fortune. Image source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/brendanwood/2161236298 Don’t renew your insurance policy yet You’ve taken out an…
Living frugally when you have lost a job is not easy. You’ve gone from being used to a monthly salary that you spend on what you’ve always needed to spend it on, to having to make cutbacks and save your pennies. One of the biggest adjustments to being put on a budget is the fact…
Have you ever wanted to appear richer than you actually are? This type of behaviour is often associated with a negative stigma. For example, you might want to appear rich just to make friends with wealthier people, or you might be doing it to look for a career opportunity. However, outside of those examples, there…
Even if you’re perfectly content with your financial life, there are always ways to level it up a bit. The good news is, you don’t even need to sacrifice things you’ve grown to love — such as your daily grande latte. Sure, there probably are expenses you could cut back a bit. But you only…
I’m still fairly young but sometimes I think back to what a struggle it was to find something unique when I was in high school and I’m amazed at the progress technology has made. I remember thinking I was winning at life when I found a super obscure ska band from West Virginia called Distorted…
Learning to live a more frugal life can seem completely overwhelming. Here are seven easy baby steps you can take over the course of a week that shouldn’t take you more than an hour each. Sunday Make lunch for the next week. Meal prepping can save you a lot of money, not only by helping…
Throughout this crazy process that is adult life, one acquires countless bits of knowledge about everything from celebrity baby names to high school geometry. The vast majority of this knowledge is relatively useless to our survival as humans and success as grown-ups, and most of it will eventually dissolve into the vast recesses of forgetfulness.…
Cars are expensive. Behind your rent or mortgage, your vehicle may be one of your largest monthly expenses. While you can’t avoid making your monthly car payment, paying for insurance or gas, you can save some money on car maintenance. Consider the following tips: Choose the Right Oil You may be used to taking your…
Before I really knew what a tightwad was, I had my dad as a pretty good example. I had to laugh when he was spending the day at my newest home, an ancient RV, and helping me fix it up. On his way out the door, he gave me a book so covered in dirt…
On my journey from mindless consumer to frugality, there was definitely a period when I was cheap. I looked at the bottom line of what I was spending and that was it. That’s part of how I dropped nearly $200 on earphones over a year. I’d go to Five Below and pick up 3 pairs…