There are so many ways to save money, but it’s important to note that different strategies will work for different people. With so much information out there, it can be hard to find the one that works best for you and your situation. The best approach is to try out several different savings techniques...
It’s not any secret that my husband and I are vying to be homeowners. Home ownership has always been a goal of ours, but it has often taken the back burner to more pressing things, like graduate school, job training requirements, and paying down the last $14,000 of our student loan debt.
We’ve been...
Last week, I decided to have a big splurge. I bought an international plane ticket last minute to go home and visit my family.
I had some time off of work, it was Mother’s Day, and it was also a few days before my birthday.
While I hadn’t planned on seeing my family until the holiday season,...
It’s probably been argued for as long as they’ve been around: when it comes to taxes, is it better to give than to receive? In an ideal world, it would be easiest if you could just guarantee that you wouldn’t owe any taxes or receive any refund. The personal finance community and most...
It’s never too early to start saving for a home. It is a process that takes time, determination and patience. Whether buying a house is in your immediate future, setting aside money now will help ensure you are ready when the time comes. Generally, you want to save about 20 percent of the selling price,...
Did you know that in the old Celtic calendar Halloween (or Samhain) marked the first day of the New Year? Christmas is on the horizon, and you need to come out the other side with your finances intact. So in the Celtic spirit, make a resolution to manage your cash wisely this winter. Choose to invest...
For some of us, it’s not just about the overall annual wage or salary that they are earning. Most workers prefer being paid once a fortnight. It gives them a manageable amount of money in an amount of time that doesn’t leave you strapped for cash at the end of the month. If you do get paid monthly,...
If your employer offers direct deposit (and most do these days) there are several advantages to using it. In fact, direct deposit is not only beneficial to you, the employee, but also to your employer because it saves them time and resources printing and distributing paper checks.
Here are three reasons...
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...
Creativity is a child’s bread and butter, so why not use that to your advantage to teach them about saving money? These clever tips are ideal for teaching your child how to make smart money decisions.
1. It’s All in the Visuals
Children tend to be visual learners. Hang up a savings goal...
Whether you have found the perfect life mate or not, there are three financial goals that everyone should work on before they walk down the aisle. Marriage is truly a blessing, but finances are the number one item couples argue about. To keep your marriage sailing smoothly and to give yourself a good...
Did you go overboard with your Christmas spending this year? I know I did.
Every year, I vow to stick to a budget for Christmas. Every year, I fail.
My problem is not just spending money on presents, but also all the extra spending that is done throughout the month, such as eating take-out a lot more...
Published on Nov 01 2011
// BankingWhen you think of a savings account, what comes to mind? I think of vaults, deposit slips, weird bank smells, and plastic teller smiles. I don’t think World Wide Web. But, the Internet is entering nearly every sector of our lives from social to shopping, and education to entertainment. Why can’t...
There are so many types of credit card s available nowadays that it can be quite the challenge to even know where to start. You can find everything from low rate credit cards to cash back rewards, and even some credit cards that are geared directly towards a specific group of people, such as students...
One of the most important personal finance basics is the emergency fund. An emergency fund provides a back-up source of funding that you can draw upon when you have unexpected expenses, or if you end up losing some portion of your income. While an emergency fund probably won’t solve all of your...
Having kids can require a lot of capital. From the moment the pregnancy test gives an affirmative, there will be doctor visits and hospital bills to contend with, not to mention the astronomical costs of meeting their everyday needs (and if you think diapers and formula are expensive, wait until they’re...
