Living for today - Planning for Tomorrow
I’ve always been the tax person for friends and family members who don’t want to wait to get an appointment with an actual tax professional. Oddly enough I enjoy filing simple tax returns and helping out where I can. And because I do a handful of tax returns for others every year I get to see a range of different income tax refunds. Some are
I recently witnessed a close friend break a bad habit he’s had for over fifteen years. He stopped smoking cigarettes. He had tried and tried before but he never could quit. He told himself he wanted to. He used every new “miracle” product that came out. But, he’d never make it for more than two days. Breaking bad habits that you’ve held for such a
How much money would it take to make you feel comfortable? I’m willing to be that an extra $10,000 in the bank would make most people feel far more secure about their financial situation. If you had a solid financial buffer you wouldn’t have to worry about simply staying afloat like the majority of America. Instead, you’d reap the benefits of financial stability and would
A recent Bankrate survey shows that Americans’ are less focused on saving and more focused on staying current on bills and paying debt down. If you can’t keep up with your bills here are some things to try. Living within Your Means Often Means Making Tough Choices While there’s certainly a majority of people who’ve whittled away their expenses and made tough decisions, this is
If you’re looking to drastically cut your budget, free up more money and create some financial stability one of the first places you should look is housing. Housing can easily eat up a third or more of your income and drain your funds. If you don’t want to be house poor here are alternative housing options to help you save. Tiny Houses While I couldn’t
Willpower. The truth is no one has much of it. That’s why only 8% of people actually achieve their New Year’s resolutions. This year, instead of trying to set yourself a rigorous written budget or manually save 10% (or more) of your income, you need to take advantage of the various tools available to you. You can delegate willpower and meet your financial goals with
Living a debt free life is a message that seems to be spreading and really resonating with America. The problem though, is that with an already tight budget it can be hard to throw extra money toward debt freedom. If you want to start your journey toward a debt free life but are wondering where to get the extra money from, here are some of
I’ve noticed a recurring pattern over the last few years of my life. When I’m happy I do well in almost every area of my life – I’m a better parent, better companion, more passionate about working, and also much better with money. When I’m stressed or feeling depressed it all flies out the window. I think this is one big piece of the picture
More often than not I see great benefits of applying minimalist principles to individual areas of life. Christmas is no exception. Imagine if you could confidently reduce the normal Christmas busyness into only the most important aspects. There would be less stress, less debt, and far more enjoyment. Here are a few ways to enjoy a minimalist Christmas. Instead of Giving Traditional Gifts………. This year,
Do you hate the thought of spending less because it seems so restrictive? It doesn’t have to always feel like that. Really. The thing is, we as human beings are highly adaptable to our surroundings. For instance, if you’ve lived in a 2,000 square foot house for five years and for some unexpected reason had to downsize to 1,000 square foot living quarters, how long
