Prioritized Living

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5 Habits of People with Excellent Credit

5 Habits of People with Excellent Credit

You know a strong credit score is invaluable to your financial life. Want to secure the best mortgage rate? Nab that charming apartment? Pay less for your insurance premiums? Your FICO score, the most popular score used by lenders, makes it happen.

Ranging from 300 to a perfect 850, your FICO score determines what credit is available to you and at what rate. According to NerdWallet, once you hit 760, you’ll usually be offered the very best rates.

But some people can’t resist the challenge of achieving a FICO score in the 800s. If you want to know how to gain -– and maintain –- a top-notch score, you can learn from these five habits of card-carrying members of the 800 club.  [Read more…]

11 Perfect Wedding Gifts to Buy on a Budget

11 Perfect Wedding Gifts to Buy on a Budget

Note:  This post contains affiliate links.  Read my policy here.

It’s that time of year again. Wedding season is in full swing!

And, if you’re committed to living on a budget, your worry may be that you have to choose between overly expensive and awful gifts for the happy couples.

But you can be generous, thoughtful, and money-savvy all at once.

In fact, here are 11 perfect wedding gifts that are sure to delight newlyweds without breaking the bank!  [Read more…]

6 Smart Things to Do with Your Tax Refund

6 Smart Things to Do with Your Tax Refund

The holidays are long gone, but it feels like Christmas morning when your tax refund lands in your bank account!

Before you burn through that cash, though, take a beat. With the right strategy, you can use your refund to make some powerful financial moves in your life.

Here are the steps you should take — in order — to maximize the benefit of that windfall . . .

[Read more…]

How to Build Your Credit History From Scratch

How to Build Your Credit History from Scratch

Being an all-cash person isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it probably means you’ve got little or no credit history to speak of — which can come back to bite you when you finally do need to apply for a loan or line of credit.

But starting on the right foot when it comes to building credit isn’t as hard as you might think. In fact, you can by tackling a few basic steps.  [Read more…]

Here’s Why I’m Not Paying for College

Here's Why I'm Not Paying for College

Let’s get one thing straight: I am 100% pro-college.

If a college education helps you get to where you want to be professionally and if you can afford it, then you go ahead and earn that college degree! I spent six years in college and graduate school and benefitted hugely from both experiences. So I’d love to see my son succeed in higher education.

But the price tag for that education … well, that’s going to be on him. Here are four reasons I’m not paying for my kid’s college costs:  [Read more…]

How Micro-Actions Can Help You Conquer Your Goals

How Micro-Actions Can Help You Conquer Your Goals

If you’re like most people, you’re probably a bit disappointed and frustrated right about now.

It’s a few months into the new year, and you’re already losing traction on at least one of your new year’s resolutions. You’re not where you hoped you’d be, or you’ve thrown in the towel already.

The problem for many of us is that we set ambitious goals that are nearly impossible to achieve. Think about it:

  • Are you a fast food junkie who’s now trying to eat 100% healthy foods?
  • Are you a compulsive spender who’s now trying to stick to a barebones budget?
  • Are you a clutter magnet who’s now trying to maintain a Martha Stewart home?

And once you mess up just one time, it’s tempting to get sucked into self-doubt that leads to even more mistakes.

But you can break this ugly new year’s resolutions pattern.

You can make big changes in your life. In fact, you can do it without any of the stress and self-flagellation. The trick is to realize that it’s rare that people successfully make those big changes overnight.

That’s where the magic of micro-actions comes in.  [Read more…]

3 Money Rules It’s Time to Break

3 Money Rues I'ts Time to Break

Where did you get your financial education?

Was it from your parents? Your grandparents? Your teachers?

Sometimes, advice that used to be good — or even just well-meaning — no longer applies to modern times. And that’s true for money-related advice as well.

In fact, here are 3 money rules that you may not have questioned in the past . . . but it’s time to break them now!  [Read more…]

5 Unexpected Ways Your Credit Score Impacts Your Life

5 Unexpected Ways Your Credit Score Impacts Your Life

Think having poor credit is only a problem if you need a loan? Think again.

You know that bad credit can often translate to high interest rates, unfavorable payment terms, and few options when you’re looking to get a loan or apply for a credit card. But, your credit score can also affect so much more than that.

Here are five surprising ways that your credit score may be influencing your everyday life . . .  [Read more…]

When Is the Best Time to Buy a New Car?

For this article, I teamed up with Lending Tree and experts at Edmunds and CarMax to write a monster article on the absolute best times to buy a new car!

A new car is a major investment. So every bit of savings you get can really add up when it comes to your final purchase price. And when you have the flexibility to choose when to buy your car, you can cash in with some incredible deals.

Face it: When you buy your car matters. In this post, we’ll look at statistically proven times of the year that you can save thousands on a new car, some days you should steer clear of the dealership, and how you can maximize your savings once you’re ready to purchase a brand new vehicle on that magic day.

So, let’s dive in and uncover the best time to buy a car.  [Read more…]

How to Be Charitable on a Tight Budget

Generosity is good for you.

A 2013 scientific article published in BMC Public Health describes notes that charitable giving is linked to low levels of depression, improved life satisfaction, and even a longer life.

You want to give, but sometimes the magnitude of your wallet may not match up to the size of your big heart. If you live frugally out of necessity, here are a host of ideas for being charitable.  [Read more…]