This week...snowballing and stacking Snowballing is that you list your debts in order of lowest dollar amount owed to highest dollar amount owed. You pay every extra penny you have toward the weakest while paying only the minimum monthly payment on the rest. When one debt is paid, you take the money you were [...]
This week…How do we actually budget?? Is what’s coming in more than what is going out? How much is left over at the end of each month? You’ll have at least that amount to start paying off debt. We want to make that number higher and we will, but it’s good to see we at least [...]
This week…make some extra money Make some extra money It’s easier to cut spending than make more money but if you’re in a lot of debt, working only one job might just be your answer. You need to have at least one additional income stream until you are out of the woods. However, if [...]
This week…the medium stuff and interest rates The medium stuff There are specific products and services that have various providers that we probably aren’t getting the best deal we could. It pays to shop around. How many television shows do you watch? It’s probably just a handful sprinkled across just a few channels. [...]
This week…the small stuff - daily habits, shopping, and gym membership The small stuff This is only for those people in debt. If you’re just looking for more money to invest or save, you don’t need to watch every cent and never buy little things like coffee on the way to work. But if you [...]
Food If you keep a budget, and you should, you’ll probably see this category as one of your biggest money hemorrhages. If you aren’t tracking your spending, start now. You’ll likely be surprised and maybe horrified at how much you spend here. Maybe you don’t like to cook; some people don’t, so you eat [...]
Housing The rule of thumb is that your housing expenses should be no more than 30% of your income. Most of us are spending closer to 50% of our income on housing. If you’re among them, it will be almost impossible to get out of debt and start saving for your future. Even if [...]
Not all of us make six figures which means paying off debt can be tough. But it’s not impossible. Our next series of articles will show you how to get out of debt, even on a low income. Debt should be considered an emergency. And like any emergency, the longer you wait to deal [...]
Today…how to live debt free. A life without payments is very different from one with payments. Debt free living means saving up for things. It means making sacrifices and resisting impulse purchases. It means limiting the amount of money you waste each month. If you always have debts to pay and you find it hard to pay your debt then you should [...]
This week, the final in the savings series, what we all look forward to…retirement This is probably the most traditional rule of thumb when it comes to saving for retirement. Save ten percent of your income toward retirement. Why it works: It gives people a simple number to work with. If you're young, [...]
