What Are The Costs Of Euthanizing A Family Pet

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We unexpectedly had to put one of our cats to sleep last week. She was over 16 years old and had lived a good life, but due to some health issues it was time to say goodbye. Even in times of grief, there are financial decisions to keep in mind. There are several costs associated with euthanizing a cat, and the total cost of doing so depends on how you want to deal with the remains of your furry family member. Below are the costs associated with euthanizing our cat and are meant only as an example as costs will […] Read more »

5 Ways For College Students To Save Money

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Over the weekend my son moved into his first college apartment where he’ll be living with three of his friends. This is the first time he is responsible for buying and making his own food, paying monthly bills, and maintaining his own residence. In preparing for his big move I gave him several money saving tips to help keep down the cost of living. Clothes Dresser A quality dresser costs hundreds of dollars and the inexpensive ones you have to assemble are poor quality, don’t hold much weight, and fall part quickly. A cube organizer is a perfect way for […] Read more »

4 Ways To Cut The Cost And Stress Of Graduation Parties

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In early June my son is graduating from high school, and as is tradition, we are having a graduation reception so friends and family can help celebrate this milestone event. Planning an event for a significant amount of people can take a lot of time, effort, and money. There’s food, drink and in the case of a graduation there is usually some sort of display honoring the graduate. Finding ways to cut down the effort and funds needed for the event is very helpful, here are a few of my favorites. Combine Graduation Parties If you have a child graduating […] Read more »

How to Become a Stay at Home Mom (or Dad!)- 16 Tips to Get Started

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How to Become a Stay at Home Mom (or Dad!)- 16 Tips

Becoming a stay at home mom ( SAHM ) or dad is an important decision a lot of families struggle with.  Making the decision to stay at home with the kids while the other spouse works takes plenty of consideration and planning if you really want to make it a blessing for your family. If you don’t consider the advantages and disadvantages of staying home with the kids, you can very quickly end up stressed, unhappy and broke! How to Become a Stay at Home Mom (or Dad)! That’s where this post comes in! Below I’ll show you everything you […] Read more »

9 Tips For Creating Discipline With Money

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9 Tips For Creating Discipline With Money

I frequently get questions from my readers about how to resolve their various financial problems.  The questions range from not being able to save enough, to tackling huge amounts of debt, to how to stop living paycheck to paycheck. One of the common themes I’ve discovered in the hundreds of emails I’ve received, is that most of those readers tell me the root of their problem is a lack of discipline. Lack of Money is Not the Problem Learning discipline when it comes to money is not always easy, but it’s necessary if you want to get ahead financially.  Many […] Read more »

13 Ways You Can Save Money On A Low Income

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I get a lot of questions from readers wanting to know how they can save money on a low income, so I thought I would write a post about some of the suggestions I’ve been giving out that can help you put money in the bank, even when you’re living on a limited income.  I’ve also included some great resources along with the suggestions that will help you get started putting money in the bank right now!   You Can Still Save Money On A Low Income When you’re living on a small income, it can be especially hard to […] Read more »

How to Get Ahead If You’re Living Paycheck to Paycheck (Part 2)

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In the first article in the series, I covered eight things that might cause you to end up trapped in a paycheck to paycheck life. In this second post, I’m going to show you a few things you can do to get your finances under control, stop spending more than you make, and end the paycheck to paycheck cycle for good. If you read the last article, at this point you’ve probably figured out some of the top reasons why you’re struggling financially. Once you understand those reasons, I explained that it was important to get your mindset right and […] Read more »

“I Don’t Have Time” and Other Budgeting Excuses You Can Fix Right Now

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I’ve been recommending doing a written monthly budget for many years now.  That’s not gonna change any time soon. Today I’ll cover what are probably the most common excuses for not making a budget.  I’ll give you tips on how to overcome those excuses, and provide you with a load of killer resources at the end to help get you moving forward.   Everybody Has a Budgeting Excuse Doing a consistent, written budget is the best thing you can do to start getting your finances under control.  When you start this valuable habit and stick to it, you’ll stop living […] Read more »

3 Reasons To Never Borrow From Your 401k

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Have you ever needed a large amount of money and dipped into your 401k to get it?  Maybe you wanted to put a down payment on a house, had an emergency, or some other reason you needed the money. If you did dip into your 401k, was it really worth it?   Taking Money From Your 401k Has Consequences When you withdraw funds from your 401k account to take care of a present need, it can be very detrimental to your future.  Even if you take the money out with the best intentions, it can still have far reaching consequences […] Read more »

How Much Do Your Teeth Cost You Each Year?

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One of the foundations of handling your finances successfully is to know where all your money goes, and what you spend it on. Our family just went through our beginning of the year round of teeth cleanings and checkups and as I sat in the chair wondering why it’s so freaking hard for the hygienist to prevent herself from poking me in the gums repeatedly (I HATE that), I also wondered just how much the maintenance of my our teeth costs us for a calendar year. So when I got home, I broke it down: Cleanings: Our family of four […] Read more »