Most everything you want to know about managing your finances
I’m finished with my Christmas shopping. I have never been successful at wrapping up my gift shopping before Thanksgiving. You’ll understand why I might feel just a little smug, but this is also why this year’s Black Friday season feels a little anticlimactic. It’s not just my mad gift buying skills. Stores have been peddling …
From time to time I’m going to share articles that resonated with me. The first is from my usual source of financial management treasure trove, or one of them, The Simple Dollar. This article, Life Lessons From a Funeral Home by Holly Johnson, was published a short while back, but its message still resonates. It …
How many times have you looked down your nose at a product or service with a lower price because you felt it’s value was too inferior? You get what you pay for and only suckers expect the best from less, right? Sometimes the lower price is indicative of poor performance. One day I was comparing …
Don’t you hate it when people tell you what you need to do? Me too, but follow me on this one. I promise it’s important. When it comes to life emergencies, it is not a matter of if, but rather, a question of when. Age doesn’t matter. You could be a young, single college freshman …
It seems everyone is buying a house these days. At first it was just the distant acquaintance on social media. Then it was people in my inner circle, and despite my reservations, I confess I recently started feeling a growing case of FOMO. How can you battle the pressure when you start feeling your own …
If you had to guess, how much would you say the average person spends on lunch during the workweek? Or, better yet, let’s make it personal and think about how much you yourself spent on lunch over the past twelve months. If you were keeping a budget like we discussed, you should have a ballpark …
Though slightly delayed, iPhone season is upon us. Bottom line up front? I wasn’t sold. This is why. Purchasing Philosophy Before I get into the specifics, it’s worth mentioning my iPhone purchasing philosophy. I view a big purchase like this as an investment. I prefer to splurge on a good phone and have the investment …
You are an intelligent person and therefore understand the stock market is not just for the wealthy. Yet, a part of you can’t help but hesitate when the stock market hits the occasional slump. What do you do when so-called experts scream gloom and doom? This might be keeping you from getting into the stock …
How to Remain Steady When the Stock Market Drops Read More »
How much are you paying for your SiriusXM subscription? Cell phone? Web hosting? Cable service? Have you ever considered negotiating your way to a lower rate? I’m guessing not if you’re still reading, but hang with me for a bit. It’s not as nerve-wracking or difficult as it sounds. This is an important component to …
In the previous post we covered the plans that should come before setting a personal budget. You should know why you want a budget. You should know how much money you’re bringing in and be realistic about your spending habits. Now let’s turn our attention to a handful of budget strategies that could fit your …
Choosing the Budget Strategy that Makes Sense for You Read More »
Choosing not to use a budget is like setting off on a trip without a plan. The more adventurous and spontaneous among you may find that exhilarating, but if you don’t set financial goals, your trip is not likely to go far. Now, I get it. Budgets have a reputation for requiring too much effort. …
If there is one card I would recommend go in your wallet, from beginner to seasoned user, it would be the Chase Freedom Unlimited. It has recently undergone some changes, and they are to your benefit. I own the card myself, and if you sign up via the affiliate link, we both get rewarded. A …
Review of the Chase Freedom Unlimited: The One Card that Belongs in Everyone’s Wallet Read More »
The most embarrassing confession I can make about credit cards is that I can’t tell you a whole lot about my first one. I took it out my freshman year in college, likely from a financial institution interested in earning profit off my poor spending habits. I couldn’t have told you the interest rate on …
Have you ever heard someone say the stock market is only for rich people? Mind you, these are probably the same people who wouldn’t bat an eye at buying a fistful of lotto tickets or dropping cash at a casino. Maybe you have similar reservations about the stock market? Actually, let’s put that lotto example …
Debunking the Myth that the Stock Market is Only for the Rich Read More »
How many times has peer pressure motivated your hand to spend money when your heart wasn’t really in it? I’m not even talking about the perpetual race to keep up with the Joneses. You know, your friend got the latest tablet; therefore, you should have one too. Rather, I’m speaking of that other breed of …