As a full-time freelance writer, I’m always looking for ways to advance my career and grow my business. Since I don’t have an educational background in English or writing, I’ve been thinking about getting a creative writing degree for a while. Recently I decided it was time to take the plunge and start budgeting to go back to school. But with bills to pay and
Should You Feel Bad When You Spend Money on Yourself?
You work hard for your money, so why do you feel bad when you spend money on yourself? Sometimes spending guilt comes from not meeting your financial goals. If eating out prevents you from saving up for a house down payment, you may not enjoy your meal as much. But if you’re hitting your savings targets, you shouldn’t feel any buyer’s remorse when you treat
4 Budgeting Tips for Your First Apartment
Moving into your first apartment is an exciting time in your life. You’re striking out on your own and getting a space that’s all yours. But renting and budgeting for a first apartment is a big financial responsibility, and there are lots of hidden costs you may not think about. It’s important to plan and save for all of those expenses so you don’t end
5 Financial Benefits of Being a One Car Family
Although becoming a one car family isn’t possible for everyone, if you can manage it, you’ll save a ton of money. Owning one vehicle is expensive, let alone two or three. Between maintenance and insurance, your spare car could be costing you hundreds of dollars per month. If you could save that money or use it to pay down your debt instead, you’d be able
How to Budget Biweekly Paychecks
Most Americans receive biweekly paychecks (are paid every two weeks) but operate with a monthly budget. If that works for you, that’s awesome—keep doing what you’re doing. But if you’re among those of us that struggle with your budgeting, then maybe it’s time you learn how to budget bi-weekly paychecks instead. Before we get too deep into this, I always like to remind everyone that
4 Ways to Make Sure You’re Staying on Budget
Budgets can be challenging. Even for the best of the best, staying on budget can be hard to accomplish without effort. We all have goals and dreams we want to achieve, and most of those need money which is exactly where your budget comes in. That’s why it’s important to stay on track. But saying you’re going to stay on track and actually doing it
What Your 2019 Budget Needs to Include
The b word, again! Gross. I recently wrote about your need for a budget, but I got to thinking that while I’ve established why you need a budget I didn’t exactly cover how to create a budget or what your 2019 budget needs to have. With that in mind, I thought I would follow up with a more detailed post on the ins and outs of
Financial Goals You Need To Set Today
The new year is around the corner and not only is it time to budget, but it’s time for setting financial goals that you can not only accomplish but will put you in a better financial position overall. Financial goals, much like any other type of goal, can get out of hand really quickly. It’s a short jump in your mind from “I want to
Start Your 2019 Budget Now. Here’s Why
Gross, the “b” word. No one likes to talk about building a budget but with the new year approaching and your credit card bills weighing you down, you know it’s time to start. Stat. Budgeting is a serious pain that can help you out in the long run. But man, is it crappy to think about! However, we have just over a month until 2019
Do You Really Need That Designer Bag? Shopping Rules You Need In Your Life
Shopping is hard. It’s really easy to overspend and come home with bagfuls of packages that you 100% don’t need. A few weeks ago I spent $42 on limited edition Halloween-themed magazines. Titles like Haunted History and topics that included an in-depth look at Jack the Ripper, which clearly tells you way too much about me. And as I left the store I thought, oh man,