Kids are expensive. The expenses start the moment you buy your first set of diapers or schedule that first sonogram. But the expenses don’t stop coming just because your child has graduated to table food or has finished potty training. There are always costs associated with raising children, and sometimes our cash flow doesn’t always keep up with the things our children need. This is especially true for school-age children
There’s a lot to love about frugal living. But you may have questions about what it’s like to commit to true frugal living. Are you going to feel deprived? Is this a life of sacrifice? The answer to both questions is a resounding NO. Frugal living isn’t about living a life of deprivation. It’s about learning to save money and use your funds in meaningful, intelligent ways. Frugal living is
Nobody likes to be in trouble. And certainly nobody likes to be in trouble when the legal system is involved. That’s why it’s important to know the best ways to manage your bank account and bills to avoid falling into legal trouble. Unfortunately, some people find out too late that there are money mistakes that lead to legal woes. Stop Paying Student Loans Bills are piling up and the student
If saving money was easy, we would all have money in the bank, flush retirement accounts and no financial worries. But managing your finances in the real world can be a challenge – especially when you feel like you’re starting the process with a mountain of debt and set monthly payments. But that’s no reason to give up hope. You have flexibility with how you approach budgeting and saving. Some
Just like you’ve always been told to eat your vegetables, you might have also been told somewhere along the line that you should go to college. There are lots of different reasons to take classes or pursue a degree, no matter how much school you’ve already had. Here are five of the best we know of. 1. You Will See ROI if You Invest in Yourself We all know it’s
You sign your lease or arrange your mortgage. You move into your new home. You’re ready for the easy life – you have your spot to live and you’re ready to go. You are ready to relax in your new space. But then the real cost of homeownership appears – repairs, maintenance, furniture and yard work. It’s expensive having a spot to live, even if you’re renting a home. Sometimes
Are you thinking about opening a new bank account, but all the different choices have you stressing out? Perhaps you have bad credit, but you still want to get the tremendous budgeting benefits that a savings or checking account provides. Maybe you want a bank account, so you can build an emergency fund in case you ever need it. If you want to learn about how to find the right
Healthcare is a huge expense, and in some cases of chronic illness it can even add up to more than your monthly rent total – but it’s not the kind of expense that you can skip out on, especially if you have a medical history that means you could need health insurance more. Trying to make healthcare fit within your budget is often a challenge. There are many ways to make
Every financially responsible adult should have an emergency fund; when it’s about financial emergencies, it’s not about if they’ll happen, but when they’re going to – and the difference between sink-or-swim when something happens that requires cash could be your emergency fund. Statistics say that as much as 40% of Americans don’t have enough cash saved away to cover a $1, 000 financial emergency. If this describes you – and
Unless you have a hefty savings account, buying a car with cash is probably not something you’re able to do. So what do you do when you need a new car, but don’t have the money saved up to pay for it? You get an auto loan. Auto loans have many different elements, and that can make them feel overwhelming initially. Car dealers also like to present the parts of
