Considering expensive home upgrades? Expert tips on spending and saving money wisely, including paying off a mortgage and saving for retirement. Q: I have a $138,000 mortgage at 3.75 percent on a 15-year term with 10 years left to pay. The property is appraised at $300,000. I have $130,000 cash reserve. My wife wants to [...]
We all like to feel normal, and nothing helps you feel normal like having the same stuff as your neighbors. Having the same gadgets and cars lets you feel like you fit in with your neighbors, and there is also a status component—having what others have can trigger feelings of success. Unfortunately, all that stuff [...]
Your neighbor is running a 5K for a worthwhile charity and hopes you’ll sponsor her. A nonprofit agency to which you’ve donated in the past keeps contacting you about additional gifts. A coworker is collecting funds to buy a milk-producing goat for a needy family across the globe. These are all good causes, but donation [...]
Graduation season is upon us, and those of us who are parents are suddenly struck by the fact that, before we know it, we will be sending our children off to college. Use the time before they leave for school to have focused conversations that will empower and prepare them for the challenges ahead. In [...]
This post was written by guest blogger Teri Cettina. As summer approaches, most of my friends talk about the camps, classes, and other activities that their kids will be attending this summer. But when I raise the idea of the kids earning summer money—whoa. This may still be a foreign concept for many parents of [...]
Being self-employed requires passion and determination. With some hard work and creative thinking, you can turn your favorite hobby into a small business that makes money and helps you achieve your financial goals. Almost 15 years ago, the manager of the gym where I was working as a bookkeeper asked me if I wanted to [...]
My teenage daughter, like her friends, pretty much lives on her Twitter and Facebook accounts. Me, not quite so much. I’m not a huge fan of sharing little bits of my daily life in short sentences. The way I do use social media, however, allows me to save money. Every few days, I check our [...]
Technology has made sticking to a budget easier through the use of auto-payments. With auto-payments, it’s possible to arrange to have the money you owe for bills and subscriptions deducted directly from your bank account on a specific date each month. This can help you avoid penalties and interest associated with late payments, and make [...]
It’s important to teach your children how to budget wisely while they are still young, but how can you teach them to save money if they don’t have any? Allowance is one way that you can provide your children with money of their own to manage while you help them to learn by doing. Setting [...]
This post was written by guest blogger Eve Becker. While newlyweds take their first wedding dance, a delicate budgeting dance can be going on in the guests’ heads—especially if they had to pay for travel expenses along with numerous engagement, bridal shower and wedding gifts. As stressful as it can be, it’s possible to keep [...]
