Living for today - Planning for Tomorrow
A couple months ago I wrote a blog post about how I’m not making any cosmetic updates to my 1970s house. But one home upgrade I plan to make as soon as I can afford it is adding solar panels to my roof—and I’m not alone. According to a recent survey by Pew, most Americans say they’ve seriously considered buying solar panels or have already
If you don’t have enough room in your budget to go away this summer, that doesn’t mean you can’t have a great vacation. Staycations are an alternative to regular trips that allow you to save money while still having tons of fun with your family. Believe it or not, I actually prefer staycations to going away. When I take time off from work, I use
Are you feeling the need to eat out less? At the beginning of the pandemic when restaurants had to switch to takeout-only, I increased my eating out budget to support local small businesses. But now that dine-in restrictions have lifted and restaurants near me are regularly packed, I’ve decided to cut back on takeout. Here’s why I’ve decided to eat out less and cook at
When I was younger, I dreamed of traveling the world as a digital nomad. I even considered living in a van to travel cheaply around the United States while I worked from my laptop. But after my first solo trips to Mexico and Las Vegas, I realized how quickly you can blow through money when you’re traveling, even if you’re trying to be frugal.
I mull over purchases for months before I make them and research most of the products I buy thoroughly. But I’ve still made some financial mistakes and have bought a few things over the past couple years that I regret. Here are the top 3 purchases that have given me the most buyer’s remorse and the lessons I’ve learned from wasting my money on them.
One of the main reasons people say they can’t go vegan is because it’s too expensive, which I completely understand. My partner and I spend about $600 on groceries every month because of my special diet, which is far more than we’d like to pay. The staples of a vegan diet—rice, beans, pasta, veggies, and fruits—are some of the cheapest items at the grocery store.
My partner and I live on one of our incomes and save the other, which doesn’t leave tons of room in our budget for splurges. But by purchasing items secondhand and waiting patiently for sales, I’ve been able to treat myself to designer clothes and handbags without breaking the bank. Here are some of my best tips on how to buy nice things without going
If you’re a financially responsible person who’s trying to save and invest as much of your income as possible, it’s easy to overcorrect and become too frugal. This may cause you to feel guilt over spending money instead of saving it, even if you’re buying something you need. For most of my life, I’ve struggled with anxiety over spending money, but have managed to overcome
As your income increases, it’s natural for your spending to go up. But when you secure a big promotion, it’s important not to let your purchasing habits get out of control. If you loosen your belt too much, you might end up neglecting your other financial goals like saving for retirement. To help you avoid lifestyle creep, here are four of my best tips. Save
It can be downright scary when it rolls around to the last week and you have no money left. You end up standing there thinking “how are we going to make ends meet for the next few days until payday rolls around.” It’s stressful for you and your family. That’s where learning how to stretch a dollar comes in. We would all like to make
