There’s nothing quite as unsettling as being caught off guard when it comes to money. While you don’t want to treat every day like the sky is falling (Hi, my name is Penny, and that’s exactly how I used to watch my Vanguard account), you also don’t want to bury your head in the sand. It’s a tough balance to strike. Enter the power of planning ahead. Whether it’s looking at e-funds or holiday budgets, these bloggers have you covered. Now, excuse me while I go scrounge around for loose change to add to our emergency fund.
Emergency Funds & Back-Up Plans
My Emergency Fund Made My Scary Health Emergency a Little Less Horrible
Your heart is racing, and I’m not talking about opening medical bills. Anyone who has ever experienced an unexpected illness–especially one that could very well be life-threatening–should cruise on over to Mario’s post at Debt Blag. In fact, why don’t we all go? Because that’s the scary thing about health. One minute you’ve got it, and it could be gone in the next. That’s why Mario’s insight about emergencies funds, insurance, and disability are spot on.
Why Online Entrepreneurs Need a Plan B
Multiple streams of income. Side hustles. Passion projects. All of these phrases are blogger speak for not tossing all of your money eggs into one 9-5 basket. Femme from Femme Frugality breaks down her experience with having the employment rug pulled out from under her. She had a Plan B then, and she’s got one now. If you really want to sleep better at night, swing by her post and check out why this may very well be the year of the analog hustle.
Dads Dollars Debt uses his Start Here blog page to break down all sorts of stepping stones for your financial future. While we typically think of emergency funds as the golden ticket to peace of mind, this round-up of other ways to plan for the unexpected will help anyone get their financial game face on. Insurance, wills, living trusts. There are so many ways to help your family and yourself. Take a peek! And if you’re like me, you’ll leave with awesome ideas and a to-do list.
Other Ways to Plan Ahead
The Two Most Dangerous Words to Your Money
All hail the queen of justifications and excuses! Hail! That was seriously my life when it came to spending because I didn’t have Andrew from Family Money Plan to set me straight. The most difficult part of these bad money rationalizations has to do with how insidious they are. Don’t believe me? Swing by his post and think about how many times you’ve said those very same words. This post is perfect for anyone looking to flip the switch from spending to saving. Do something for your future self, mmmkay?
Think You Can’t Afford to Go on Holiday? Ideas for Frugal Holidays
Planning ahead isn’t just about doom and gloom, and saving doesn’t have to a humbug of an experience. In fact, with these tips from Shoestring Cottage, you’ll start to realize that just about anyone can afford to spend a little bit of time away. All it takes is a strategy and some planning. Lucky for us, this post rounds up seven different ways to make time away work on any budget.
PS – If you’d like to pick up more money-saving breadcrumbs from these fine folks, check them out on Twitter: @mariobonifacio, @femmefrugality, @DadDollarDebt, @FamilyMoneyPlan, @shoestringjane
So Tell Me… When it comes to planning ahead, what are your favorite tips and tricks to share?
Thanks for the Roundup, Penny. I may add some of these to my aggregation page.
Great roundup! My neighbor next door doesn’t have $40 to spare according to the conversation we overheard yesterday ??
That’s so heartbreaking, isn’t it? Sadly, most people have to have their money wakeup calls on their own time. I know that was true for me!
I like to plan ahead for travel by figuring out the safest and cheapest way to get from the airport to my destination. Having that pre-booked calms my anxieties.
Great round up! Thanks for mentioning my blog post in there too ?. Jane
Of course! Thanks for writing a fantastic post.