Don’t be a Scrooge. Shockingly, this might be the one thing you read today that has nothing to do with the holidays. While Scrooge’s bad behaviors juxtapose most dramatically with Christmastime, it’s safe to say that he was a miser all year. Which is exactly what this post is about. It’s no secret that the … [Read more…]
Oh. You didn’t win the lottery? Bummer. Me neither. OK, fine. You don’t play the lottery. Neither do I. In fact, I have a really hard time doing anything other than sinking a few pennies in the slots in Vegas and cashing out right away. I like my money. Sue me. But still, it’s fun to … [Read more…]
It’s Friday! And it’s the first Friday of the month. A long month. If you’re like me, that means there is an automatic money win built into this magical month. (If you’re retired, well, that’s a whole different money win, isn’t it?) It’s a three-paycheck month for me! Woohoo! With back-to-school time just around the … [Read more…]
Chocolate or vanilla? Cake or ice cream? Beach or mountains? Either/or questions might have their place when it comes to icebreakers or dating profiles, but they have also become incredibly pervasive in personal finance. Pay down debt or invest? Grow your income or cut expenses? Donate time or donate money? Focus on little leaks or … [Read more…]
Track your spending. Review your expenses. Keep a budget. These are the fundamental aspects of straightening out any money messes you may have gotten into and making your money goals happen. And for good reason. They work! But what if, just like rules, budgets are meant to be broken at times? How would you know?
Normally, year-end posts are all about numbers. Consumer debt reductions. Mortgage payoffs. Portfolio numbers. Net worth increases. And my last post about paying off $27,000 worth of debt was no exception. But to round out the year, I wanted to highlight one of the few goals that I actually kept that made me most happy. … [Read more…]
Last month, our school participated in a coin competition. While I’m not entirely keen on asking students for money, especially right after all the annual back-to-school fundraisers that also ask kids to sell things to the community for money, I rolled with it. The money was going towards a good cause, and many of my … [Read more…]
Ms. Montana from Montana Money Adventures is on the blog today sharing her take on the best money spent series. Last week, a good money test was spending in ways that gets you more bang for your buck. This week, Ms. Montana has a new way to determine your best money spent: the 2x test.
“Oh, dear. Bread and beer. If I were rich, I wouldn’t be here.” My grandma used to singsong this jingle when I was little. I would eagerly ask her where she would be. She was always quick to lock her fingers in mine and return a reminder that we could go wherever I wanted. Now … [Read more…]
I suppose I can blame Marie Kondo for this one. Or maybe it was Gwyneth Paltrow and her GOOP tutorial that sent me over the edge. I hate t-shirts. Even since I’ve started decluttering, I’ve been haunted by the sheer volume of t-shirts taking up prime real estate in my closet closets. Gulp. Sure, there … [Read more…]