The first step for getting control of your finances is understanding where all of your money is going. We talked a few weeks ago about how to create a budget, but when you have multiple sources of income and several different kinds of bills (monthly, yearly, static, variable, auto-withdrawn, etc) it can quickly get out of hand. But, don’t stress. It isn’t...
While it’s important to have an emergency fund, one of the biggest mistakes that I see people making (and believe me, I have done this myself at one point) is using a credit card for emergencies. I think most people have this mentality, but if you’re serious about getting your finances under control and preparing for the worst, then a credit card is the...
Before we can dive in to ways to simplify your finances, we should probably go over some ways that your finances are getting, well, complicated. Here are a few ways that can happen: Too many bank accounts and credit cards Multiple outstanding debts Too many transactions— some regular, some irregular Too much paperwork It’s probably not going to be something...
Photo by Jacob Edward, Senior Planning Being frugal is hard. There is constant pressure to spend money and more and more things in our consumerist society, and it can be easy for people to quickly lose track of where their money is actually going. I’ve been there, and I’m sure you have too. But it doesn’t have to be that way. If you are conscious...
As far as I know, there isn’t any get-rich-quick scheme just waiting around to make you debt free. As unfortunate as that is, plenty of hustle and hard work will eventually help you get to your goal. It might take months, it could take years, but the work is worth it in order to be able to focus on the present and the future instead of your old bills! It’s...
So, we’ve already talked about making a budget and sticking to it. But what if, when you made your budget, you found yourself in the negative? How do you cut costs without paying bills late or making some major sacrifices? Depending on how much extra you need, it’s not likely as hard as you think. Here are some tips for making your money stretch just...
If you’re trying to get control of your finances, one of the best things you can do is to make sure that you are balancing your checkbook every single month. Even if you do your checking online, it’s important to do this not only so you can track exactly how much money is in your account, but so that you know where all your money is going and ensure that...
Whether you’re trying to live under your means in order to save money or something, or you are having trouble making ends meet and staying out of debt, understanding where your money is going is the first step to taking control of your finances. And the easiest way to do that is to create a budget. After college, when I moved into my first solo apartment, my...
Saving money is honestly a lot easier than people make it out to be. While it may seem like a daunting task at the beginning, once you get into a savings routine it becomes second nature! Whether you need to pay off some debt, get an emergency fund, or simply save up for a future endeavor, these tips should help you mindlessly save money! ...
9 Tips to Help You Deal With the Impulses that Can Break your Budget and Your Waistline We have all done it, we go into the holiday season thinking that this will be the year we won’t spend too much or eat too much, and we end the holiday season over budget and having gained a few pounds. It is easy to think what’s the harm? Christmas only comes once a year right?...