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Why it Pays to Track Your Spending
You may have read here once or twice how important it is to create and maintain a budget. In fact, budgeting your money is one of the most important steps you can take toward achieving financial stability. But any attempt you make to set a budget will be a waste of time unless you go into it with a realistic picture of your spending habits. You simply can’t... -
“Money Challenges” Make Saving Fun
Think of them as a form of positive peer pressure. Money challenges are becoming an increasingly common sight online. They dare us to get out of our financial comfort zone, so to speak, to develop a healthy money habit or drop a harmful one. They’re fun, and they even offer built-in support: When you tackle a money challenge, you often have the comfort of knowing there are others out... -
Relationship-Saving Money Talks that Every Couple Should Have
Money: It’s not the easiest or most pleasant topic of discussion — but if you’re in a serious, committed relationship, it’s something you have to talk about. If you and your partner share assets and expenses, it’s important that you’re also working together to protect your financial future and well-being. And talking about money can do more than protect your assets: Maintaining an open dialogue about money... -
“Real-World” Money Tips for New Grads
Graduation is an exhilarating time – and a frightening one. So much lies ahead after graduation, and it can be a little overwhelming to think about all of the choices ahead of you. Some of the most important decisions you’ll be making as a new graduate involve your personal finances. What you do — and what you don’t do — in this area can affect your quality of life... -
Debt and Your Emotions: How to Cope
If you’ve been in debt – or tried to battle your way out of it – you probably are all too familiar with the feelings of guilt, fear and depression that can come with it. This situation is so common in the United States that medical professionals have given it a name: “debt-stress syndrome.” When stress about debt becomes overwhelming, it can affect your heart rate, blood pressure, breathing... -
Power of the Mind: Five Ways Our Spending Decisions Don’t Always Make ‘Cents’
Too often, even when think we’re making smart money decisions, we can be thrown off course by faulty thinking. The old saying about the mind playing tricks on us is very true. In fact, our minds can easily sabotage our efforts to save, minimize debt, and spend wisely. Here are five ways your mind can point you in the wrong direction when it comes to your finances – and... -
Expecting a Tax Refund? Here are Six Smart Ways to Spend it
What would you do if you had a million dollars? Or if you won the lottery? Or if — in a twist of fate straight out of a Dickens novel — you inherited a small fortune courtesy of a wealthy, long-lost relative or anonymous benefactor? Okay, so the likelihood of a multimillion-dollar inheritance or a winning lottery ticket is pretty slim – but it’s fun to think about. ... -
Breaking Bad Habits: Five Money Behaviors to Change
Let’s face it. We all have a few habits we’d like to break. Some people spend way too much time glued to their smartphones. Others bite their fingernails or eat too much junk food. And still others watch more TV or play more video games than they probably should. These are typical things that we think of when we hear people talk about “bad habits.” But what about... -
Got Debt? Seven Repayment Strategies
Few things in life can be as stressful as living with credit card debt. High-interest debt can make it difficult to do things you want to do, like build up retirement savings or an emergency fund; take vacations; or even buy a house. If you’ve ever tried to pay down a large credit card balance, you know that it’s not easy. But it’s also not impossible. Want to... -
Want to Stop Living Paycheck to Paycheck? Seven Ways to Break the Cycle
Living paycheck to paycheck is the opposite of secure. You never know when an unexpected expense will tap into the money you intended to use for rent, groceries, or bills. You want to save, but no matter how hard you try, there’s never any extra money to save for emergencies, debt repayment, or even that family vacation you’d like to take. Even positive events, like anniversaries or birthday celebrations,...