Budgeting

Cut These 6 Things from Your Budget

Do you feel like you have a hole in your pocket? Do you find that money just slips away from you, unnoticed? Do you have a difficult time reconciling where all your take-home pay ends up? If you answered “yes” to any of those questions, it might be a good time to take a step back and really analyze your expenditures. And we’re not talking budgeting, just figuring out...

Can You Go 30 Days Without Spending? Could Be Easier Than You Think

Spending money is a habit. It’s a self-imposed behavior that you grew into. This means, like any habit, you have the power to change it. It starts with awareness. Evaluating your habits will help you determine what you repeatedly spend. Start by thinking through your typical day: What are all the things you buy? Have you ever stopped to consider every little daily expense? The exercise of tracking your...

7 Tips For Managing an Unpredictable Income

Freelancing is great: You get to set your own hours and be your own boss. You’re not chained to a desk from nine to five. No morning commute. No coworker drama. If you’re an independent type who likes to do your own thing, a freelancing or contract gig is probably as close to perfect as you can get. Of course, freelancing or contract work also means that you forego...

Reverse Budgeting: What Is It? Should You Try It?

It goes without saying that budgets are an important part of personal finance. Whether you’re paying down debt, bulking up your savings, or just trying to get a better handle on your money, a good budget can be a huge help. While it’s true that budgeting is a key factor in money management, it’s also true that not everyone likes traditional budgeting. The tracking of every expense down to...

Have Debt? You Can Still Live Your Life

 Zero-Based Budgeting To Erase Debt and Build Savings

Ever heard of zero-based budgeting? Admittedly, when talking budgets the word “zero” doesn’t exactly instill confidence in the practice’s virtues. After all, no one likes to hear the number zero when talking about their money. But rest assured the concept of zero-based budgeting is not as scary as it seems and is, in fact, a good way to dig yourself out of debt or grow your nest egg. Let...

Don’t Let Sneaky Expenses Bust Your Budget 

A detailed, well-planned budget is one of your best tools in your quest for financial responsibility and a good defense against overspending. However, even the savviest of budgeters can find themselves in tight money situations thanks to sneaky expenses that inevitably seem to crop up. Here is a list of some of the most commonly missed or forgotten budget items, and some tips on how to plan for them....

10 Ways to Un-Stress About Money

Let’s face it: Money can be stressful, especially when you’re dealing with high-interest credit card debt, cash flow issues, or an unexpected financial emergency. Unfortunately, there are no quick-fix solutions for most money woes (remember, payday loans and the like are NEVER good options!) – But that doesn’t mean that the situation is hopeless. One key to successfully dealing with financial issues? Keep your stress down. When your stress...

8 Ways to Generate Passive Income

Who doesn’t want extra cash? I can’t think of anyone who wouldn’t be happy to bring home a little extra money every month. But side income usually means taking a side job of some kind – and not everyone has the kind of schedule that can accommodate a traditional part time gig. That’s where passive income comes in. As the name suggests, passive income allows you to earn money...

8 Smart Moves to Make After You Pay Off Your Credit Card

8 Smart Moves to Make After You Pay Off Your Credit Card It wasn’t easy. You budgeted, saved, and budgeted some more. You didn’t give up, even when you felt discouraged. It may have taken months. Or years. Some days, it seemed impossible. But you finally did it: You paid off your credit card. So, now what? What do you do with the extra hundred or so dollars you...