Sharing insights since 2007 on carefully saving money, investing, frugal living, coupons, promo codes because the little things matter in achieving financial freedom!
At this year’s Financial Blogger Conference, I attended Jeff Rose’s session on how to get traffic, even if Google dumps you. What struck me, however, wasn’t the idea of getting traffic without Google — it was the fact that Jeff Rose has seen so much success. Why?
My husband is a great example of this. He works harder than anyone I know, but he continues to be passed over for full-time university positions. He’s still an adjunct professor, and because he’s a great teacher who likes to help people, he spends many unpaid hours helping students (and sometimes tenured professors) understand research design and statistics.
It doesn’t matter how hard he works; he’s still not paid what he’s worth. [ continue reading… ]
It doesn’t take a scientist to figure out why so many couples are choosing to stop at just one child. Raising children is not only a very expensive proposition these days; it also takes a lot of time and energy. Many parents find that they’d rather focus all of their energy on one child.
That said, there are still many couples that dream of having a house full of kids. But is that a practical dream these days considering how much it costs to raise and educate each child? As a middle class mom of five boys, I can share some insights on the matter.
Note: Since this is a personal finance blog, I’ve chosen not to discuss the impact of larger families on the environment or how it effects child development and family dynamics. These are very important issues to think about when planning your family but outside the scope of this blog. [ continue reading… ]
One of the best ways to teach young kids about anything is to make learning a fun experience. This is especially key when it comes to anything money related.
If you can find a way to think outside-the-box you can get kids excited about finances, budgeting, saving, and making money. And hopefully that excitement and eagerness will stick with them for years to come.
My oldest daughter has been saving her money for quite a while. In fact, she loves to earn and save money. In order to help foster this excitement and create long-term spending habits, I’ve been letting her partake in some more money making opportunities.
Here are five fun activities you can get your kids involved in so they can earn some extra money and get excited about future savings.
So you’ve made that very difficult first step and decided it’s time to do something about your debt. Maybe you’ve reached the end of your financial rope. Perhaps you signed up for a money management program, enrolled in a debt relief plan, or maybe you’re doing it all on your own.
You’re excited about the prospect of finally getting your finances on track and starting down the path to achieving this thing called financial freedom that you’ve heard so much about. But before you take the plunge, there’s one prerequisite to getting started.
Before my husband found his first house, he looked at several multi-family properties, thinking that renting out the extra apartment would be a great additional source of income.
As the resident killjoy, I pointed out to him that becoming a landlord, with the associated necessary maintenance work, would be very difficult with his 60 hour a week job plus 45 mile commute. I was also very concerned about him finding quality tenants and dealing with the necessary paperwork.
Since that time, I’ve often wondered if I gave him bad advice. Renting property is a (somewhat) recession-proof method of maintaining income, and a good way of building equity in a home you’re not ready or able to sell.
However, being a landlord is not for everyone. Here are some of the things you can expect from becoming a modern-day Mr. Roper:
Words like “budget”, “bills”, or “expenses” can instantly raise the stress level in some marriages, but the common family spends and receives money on a weekly if not daily basis. At the end of the day, the more communication about it, the better. Here are some helpful tips on how to get on the same page with your fellow significant consumer (err…other) in your life.
Recognize Each Other’s Strengths
Recently my wife said no to an impulse buy she’d been eyeing. Sometimes it’s possible to spoil, but other times I have to remember the bills and expenses and have to say no. My wife does a terrific job at watching what she buys. Instead of just noticing, I’ve found it helpful to praise her for such self control. As a mother of toddlers, she needs to shop quite a bit. This means giving her trust in our finances and me taking the time to acknowledge and thank her for handling our budget well. If your spouse is particularly gifted in a financial area, acknowledge it! Don’t let strengths go unnoticed. This will help as you both plan and prepare for financial goals. [ continue reading… ]
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