According to a recent survey by WSL/Strategic Retail, most Americans believe it takes $150,000 a year to buy what they need, afford some extras, and save too. This salary is more than three times the national median salary of $49,445 in 2010, and it’s enough to put a household into the top 10% nationally. However, according to a 2010 study by Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School, a person only needs a salary of $75,000 a year to be truly happy. This is only half the salary which most...
Americans love to eat out. Good Morning America reported recently that “In 2010, the average consumer spent $2,505 when eating food away from home, according to the United States Department of Labor.” That is over $200 a month spent just on eating out. Like any fat category in your budget, the dining out category can be curbed without sacrificing quality. Finding online coupons for your favorite restaurant is surprisingly easy. Try these strategies:
Use your Facebook account. If...
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If you are like most people, you have a smart phone or an IPad or something similar. Why not put these savvy technological devices to work for you by using apps that will save you money.
Top Budgeting Apps
1. Your Bank’s App – Free
Now that businesses have upgraded to the 21st century, it is very likely that your bank has a free downloadable app. Having your bank’s app installed on your smart phone or computer can help you keep track of your finances at the touch of a...
You may need to transfer money between bank accounts if you have money in two different banks. There are several ways to do this beyond the obvious of driving to one bank, withdrawing the money and then depositing it at the other bank. Which way works best for you depends on how quickly you need the money and how much money you want to spend to transfer the funds.
U.S. Mail. This is the simplest method; just mail a check from one bank to your other bank and wait for it to be deposited and the...
If you’ve considered dipping into your savings in the past few years of economic hardship, or if you’ve actually had to do so, then by no means are you alone.
Since the onset of this recession, many American families have had to make tough decisions regarding the use of savings/emergency funds that they haven’t wanted to make. But regardless the size of your savings, or how’ve you’ve attained them, whether it be with consistent budgeting efforts or with the help of that injury attorney who...
So you want a luxurious, elegant wedding on a Budweiser budget? Don’t worry; it is easier than you think! There are several ways that you can plan the wedding of your dreams without getting a second job or going into debt.
The main way you will save money on your wedding is if you prioritize. What are the most important aspects of your wedding? What are the least? By prioritizing, you immediately know which areas you need a little more money, attention, and creativity. The other details of the...
My husband and I have been living in our new place for almost three months now and we have still been unable to create a standard cleaning schedule. It used to take me a couple of hours, tops, to clean our 400 sq. ft. shack, but now it takes me at least a solid several hours (I’ve never actually cleaned the whole place top to bottom in one swing) to clean up all 1100 sq. ft. of our two-bedroom, two-bath townhome.
There’s the kitchen, the laundry room, the bathrooms, the bedrooms, and the living...
The majority of my friends are young, married couples, with no plans of children in the near future. When I recommend shopping at Costco, they never seem convinced that the right approach to Costco could actually save them money. I mean, isn’t Costco for those people with six kids?
Starting off with the membership. I recommend the Executive Membership above all else. Don’t let the $100 price tag frighten you. For most couples, this price will pay for itself through the free towing benefit it...
If you write a check or pay a bill electronically from your checking account but do not have sufficient funds to cover that check, you will be charged a non-sufficient funds (NSF) fee which often ranges from $20 to $30, depending on your bank or credit union. In addition, the person you gave the bounced check to will likely incur a fee that they will pass on to you. One bounced check can easily end up costing you $30 to $50. Have several NSF checks, and you could be looking at several hundred...
Did you watch the White House Correspondence Dinner? We might have knew President Obama had a sense of humor, but who knew he was such a comedian? His opening act was so good, the jokes so funny, and his timing spot on that he put the professional comedian, Jimmy Kimmel, to shame.
Around the web, I have been reading some excellent personal finance articles. Here are some of my favorites:
A man is just supposed to instinctively know what engagement ring his girlfriend would like, but as Jana...