Master your money. Get organized. Take back your time.
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…]
So many people put off buying life insurance! In actuality, getting a policy probably is easier and less costly than you think.
And the sense of peace you get from knowing that your family is protected? That’s priceless.
So do you need a life insurance policy? What kind of policy is right for you? And how much should you get? Let’s dive in! [Read more…]
Imagine this: It’s Saturday night. You get dressed up and head out on the town with your lucky husband to enjoy a kid-free, romantic dinner at a great restaurant.
If you’re watching your spending, this kind of extravagance can be rare or even impossible. Dinners out come with a hefty markup, and arranging childcare can be challenging and expensive.
But what if you could create a restaurant date experience that was so easy and affordable that you could enjoy it over and over?
Try this four-step process for replicating the fancy dinner date experience right at home and on a budget: [Read more…]
Note: This post contains affiliate links. Read my policy here.
NOTE: As of November 2020, Target has discontinued its Target Subscriptions service. Instead, consider using the Target Drive Up service, Order Pickup service, or Same Day Delivery service.
I’m all about the Amazon subscription services. But, in addition, to those services, I swear by Target Subscriptions too.
Target Subscriptions are perfect for keeping your pantry, medicine cabinet, and supply closet perpetually stocked — all at a great price and with extraordinary convenience. So if you’re a die-hard Target fan or just someone who loves a great, easy, set-it-and-forget-it deal, have a look at the perks of Target Subscriptions!
[Read more…]
Note: This post contains affiliate links. Read my policy here.
Not too long ago, popular financial site Student Loan Hero interviewed me and 7 other personal finance bloggers. And they wanted me to share with their readers one of my all-time favorite money books. [Read more…]
You’ve seen those exotic creatures on TV – the extreme couponers.
Their basements or dining rooms look like fully-stocked convenience stores. And everything they have they’ve gotten for next to nothing or even for free. It sounds incredible. But when you hear their stories, you learn that some extreme couponers often spend more time couponing per week than most people spend working at a full-time job.
What if it were possible to land amazing deals without devoting endless hours every week to the pursuit of saving money? What if you could tap into the strategies of experienced extreme couponers while dialing the effort required way, way down?
Here are five powerful secrets of diehard couponers that you can easily tweak and implement in your everyday life: [Read more…]
Note: This post contains affiliate links. Read my policy here.
Going to the store can be such a pain.
Whether it’s your supermarket, drug store, big box store, or warehouse club, when you absolutely need to schlep over to the store in order to restock your supply of something, it’s a major hassle.
I’m not talking about shopping for a cute outfit. It’s always the boring stuff. You’re out of toilet paper at 10 P.M., dishwashing liquid after loading up your greasy dinner plates, or tissues when your whole family is flattened by the flu.
And you have to get these boring but essential things again and again and again . . .
But what if there were a better way?
What if you never had to take time of your life to putter over to the store at the most inconvenient time possible? What if your personal care items, cleaning supplies, baby goods, nonperishable foods, and more landed magically on your doorstep?
And what if you could actually save money while keeping yourself constantly stocked with your family’s essentials?
Today, we’re kicking off a blog post series that looks into a number of services that offer inexpensive, home delivery of your pantry supplies.
And we’re gearing up by looking at one of the biggest names in the business — Amazon. [Read more…]
First, the bad news: It doesn’t matter how old you are.
There’s always a new way for you to make big money mistakes. To mess up the financial balance you’ve worked so hard to create in your life.
Don’t worry – there’s good news too: With a little knowledge and a bit of planning, you can demolish the financial obstacles that stand in your way.
If you’re fresh out of college and you’ve landed a full-time job, you’ve been dropped into a foreign environment. All of a sudden you probably have . . .
It’s a lot of financial change – and responsibility – all at once. And it can make you freak out or stumble your way into bad money decisions. [Read more…]
Last week, we took a look at Parkinson’s Law, which states that “work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion.” So it makes perfect sense that last week’s post was all about time-saving techniques and maximizing your productivity.
But have you thought about how Parkinson’s Law applies to your money?
Maybe we could rewrite it like this: “Your lifestyle expenses increase so as to use up the income available.”
I’m talking here about the dreaded “lifestyle creep!” Here’s what I mean:
Let’s say you get a bump in your income. Maybe you get a juicy raise, land a sweet bonus, or start a profitable side business.
Then you upgrade your lifestyle! You spring for a nice vacation, move to a pricier home, start buying fancier clothes, or begin eating out more.
At the end of the day, that extra income has been completely consumed by the new expenses you’ve created for yourself. Your lifestyle expenses have increased and used up all of the available income you have.
So how can your understanding of this twist on Parkinson’s Law make you a money-saving whiz? [Read more…]
The back-to-school countdown is on!
And that means you’ve got a shopping list a mile long. Gear requested by your kid’s teacher, clothes for the little guy who grew 4 inches over the summer, and must-haves for your home supply closet.
Here are 8 easy ways you can stock up without breaking the bank: [Read more…]