Master your money. Get organized. Take back your time.
Who doesn’t love free money???
It’s so tempting to jump on the opportunity to rake in dollar bills by signing up for cash-back credit card. However, before you apply for one, it’s important to understand how these cards work and determine which one, if any, is right for you.
This guide will not only answer those questions but will also help you get the most bang for your buck with a smart cash-back credit card strategy.
Note: This post contains affiliate links. Read my policy here.
Sometimes it feels as though you have to pick your poison when it comes to meal prep: save time with prepared ingredients or save money by handling the food prep yourself.
But you can save time and money on food prep with a surprisingly versatile kitchen tool — your food processor.
If yours is getting dusty on the back of a shelf — or if you haven’t made the investment to buy one — here are 10 compelling reasons to fire up a food processor to get great food ready quickly and inexpensively. [Read more…]
When you’re repaying student loans, it can feel as though you’re frozen in time. After all, if you’re buried under $10k, $25k, or $100k in educational debt, it’s easy to think you have to put the rest of your life on hold.
In fact, according to a recent report from the National Association of Realtors, wannabe homeowners with student loan debt wait seven years longer to buy homes than those without.
But is kicking those loans ASAP while waiting to buy a home really the smartest move you can make? Or is taking your time while amassing a down payment the way to go?
The path you should choose depends on your financial circumstances. Here’s how. [Read more…]
Note: This post contains affiliate links. Read my policy here.
And now we’ve come full circle!
This year has brought us bountiful lists of winter, spring, and summer activities that are fun for the family and great for your budget!
Now that school is back in session and the leaves are just on the cusp of changing color, I’m ready to share some of my family’s favorite budget-friendly autumn activities.
Looking to enjoy some outdoor autumn adventures? Want to cozy up with some fun ideas inside on those windy, chilly day? Try out these activities for family fun that cost next to nothing! [Read more…]
Note: This post contains affiliate links. Read my policy here.
Shoes have a sneaky way of walking themselves where they don’t belong. Kids’ shoes especially wind up under beds, strewn across floors, and underfoot in doorways.
It’s messy, it’s disorganized, and it drives you crazy when you constantly hear, “MOM!!! Where are my shoes?!”
So it makes sense that the right shoe storage solution for your family must be kid-friendly. (If they don’t use it, it won’t work!) Your shoe organizer has to sit where it makes the most sense for how you live your lives. And it has to meet your mom standards for functionality, quality, and even aesthetic appeal.
I have tried a number of approaches to shoe storage over the year, and these are some of my favorite products and solutions:
[Read more…]
Remember that college course you had to take about managing your credit? No? Don’t worry, you didn’t miss it.
And you probably never attended a seminar on one of the most important and frequently misunderstood areas of finance, either — your credit.
So it’s no surprise that some people struggle with understanding and managing their developing credit histories. In fact, a recent LendEDU survey found that only 25% of millennials could correctly define what a credit score is, and only 17% knew one of the best ways to improve their score.
Today, it’s time to set the record straight.
Here’s the scoop on what really makes a difference when it comes to your credit and the low-down on how you can take control of your financial destiny with a few easy strategies.
You may not know this about me, but I actually spent a decade working in the insurance industry as a mathematician. And during the last four years of that run, my main job was to analyze data and create predictive models to build auto insurance rates.
That’s right, my team and I figured out how much our insurance company should charge people for car insurance.
So I know firsthand that there are a lot of factors that go into the calculation of your insurance premium.
And there are plenty that you can’t change — at least not easily. Got a ticket or an accident on your record? It’ll take years for that mistake to stop impacting your rate.
But there are some things you can do almost instantaneously that can have a huge impact on your car insurance rates right now.
In fact, here are six of my favorite insurance hacks for lowering your rate right away: [Read more…]
Note: This post contains affiliate links. Read my policy here.
Is your home slowly transforming into a kiddie art museum?
I know mine is.
My son’s day care teachers entertain him with a steady stream of cute, Pinterest-worthy art projects. He happily brings home crayon scribbles, clay molds, flung-paint abstract art, glitter-covered drawings (aah!), and animal drawings built around his footprint . . . which answers the question of why his heel was ever-so-slightly-tinted blue recently.
If your kids are anything like mine, they mass produce kiddie art. They draw pictures at home, finger paint at school, create mosaics in art class . . . you name it. You want your kids to get creative and make art. But what do you do with the thousands of masterpieces your little artists crank out day after day?
Here are some fantastic ways to display, consolidate, store, organize, and enjoy your kids’ artistic creations. [Read more…]
For many of us, a break can often feel like a frivolous luxury.
You feel like stuff is piling up while you’re vacationing. Like you’re letting down your boss, your family, or yourself if you have some “me time” for a few hours. Like you’re slacking off if you stop working for a full lunch break or even just a 10-minute breather mid-morning.
If you’re a parent, you’ve probably heard this phenomenon labeled as “mom guilt.” But that nagging sense that you simply can’t take a break is a feeling shared by many women (and men).
But, boy, do you need a break!
So today, I’m looking at why taking breaks is an absolute must, how you can beat the guilt, and what steps you can take to maximize the benefit of your breaks. [Read more…]
So you think you need life insurance. Or you have it already . . . but you’re worried your family isn’t sufficiently protected.
For many people, life insurance is a complex, intimidating entity with high stakes. Today, we’re looking at five of the biggest mistakes people make with their life insurance policies. And we’re demystifying the process, so you can take care of your loved ones with confidence. [Read more…]