Living for today - Planning for Tomorrow
Now that the holidays are over, many of us are probably feeling the winter blues setting in—I know I am! Where I live in rural Michigan, we still have several months of winter to go and many dark, snowy days ahead of us. I’m not much of a winter sports person, so I spend most of the winter season inside. Being cooped up in the
Today I learned the third Monday in January is called “Blue Monday” because that’s when we get the bills from our holiday spending. If you opened up your credit card statement and were surprised at how much you owed, this article is for you. It’s easy to get carried away and spend too much money on Christmas gifts. A recent survey showed that more than
There are lots of controversial financial topics that money experts haven’t come to a consensus on. Is it better to rent or buy? Should you buy a used car or a new one? Should you pay off your house or focus more on investing? Because personal finance is personal, the right answer to these questions will be different for everyone. But today I thought I’d
Now that the new year is finally here, you’re ready to tackle your resolutions and make 2023 your best year yet. However, your eagerness to keep your resolutions could cause you to overspend and bust your budget. According to a 2018 survey, 40% of people who made a New Year’s resolution spent between $100 and $500 to achieve it. About 14% of goal setters spent
The beginning of a new year is a great time to analyze your finances and set new money goals. About 65% of Americans are planning on making a financial New Year’s resolution for 2023. Setting resolutions is relatively easy, but seeing them through to completion can be extremely difficult. Statistically, only about 9% of people keep their New Year’s resolutions. How can you ensure you
Health insurance is a huge expense for many Americans. In 2020, the average premium cost for an individual ACA plan was $456 per month. Families paid about $1,152 per month for coverage, which is almost as much as my mortgage on a 3-bedroom house! It’s no wonder that half of adults in the US say they have trouble affording medical care. As a young couple
Money rules and guidelines like “save a 6-month emergency fund” are useful when making a budget and determining if you’re on the right track financially. However, some conventional personal finance wisdom might be a bit outdated. Many money rules haven’t been updated in a while and may not reflect the post-pandemic economy. High inflation, interest rates, and housing prices may make certain personal finance guidelines
It may seem a bit early to be thinking about financial goals for 2023 considering Christmas hasn’t even passed yet. But Bank of America just released a consumer survey about holiday shopping and financial New Year’s resolutions, which got me thinking about my goals. According to Bank of America, the top financial New Year’s resolution is to increase savings, followed by investing for retirement. Americans
Believe it or not, you can learn a lot about personal finance just by relaxing and watching TV! Personal finance TV shows can teach you about budgeting, paying off debt, and investing in real estate from the comfort of your own couch. These shows may feel like entertainment, but you’ll absorb a ton of valuable knowledge that will help you make better financial decisions. Here
If you’ve been on TikTok or other social media platforms lately, you’ve probably heard of the soft life trend. For those of you who are unfamiliar with it, it’s a new lifestyle movement that involves rejecting hustle culture and embracing a slow-paced life full of self-care. While this sounds nice in theory, following soft life influencers and trying to emulate their lifestyle could wreak havoc
