It is that time again already, that time that comes around once every two years when my husband and I get to reevaluate the status of our cell phone plan and choose new phones. Of course, it is an exciting time but it is not all that exciting because it involves spending money. It is money that we must spend though because we have chosen to forego a land line and have just cell phones. We also do not have many options where we live for internet access – we could get it if we pay for a land line … Continue reading →

I love my iPhone. I haven’t made a secret about that. I think I’ve talked about it enough in my writing. There are so many things I can do with my phone. I know I got along just fine before I had a cell phone at all and then did just fine when I had a simple phone that’s only fun feature was voice dialing. Now I don’t know what I’d do without my iPhone and all its smart phone features. There are many things I can do on my phone to shop for deals and make sure I’m getting … Continue reading →

Today, I came across an interesting personal finance website. Bundle.com is a site where you can see how you spend your money in a visual format. On the site, you can track all of the things that you do with money from bank accounts to credit cards and investments. The program categorizes your spending and creates graphs and charts so that you can see your finances in visual form. Also, Bundle tracks the spending habits of many people all over the world. You can see what other people in your local area are spending and what they are spending their … Continue reading →

If you have a smartphone such as an iPhone or an Android, chances are you are familiar with the world of apps. There seems to be an app for everything these days, from entertaining babies to knowing how close the nearest Dunkin’ Donuts is. You already use your smartphone and its army of apps for many things – have you thought about using it as a tool that can help you manage your money? There are many apps out there that you can use to help you with your finances. I decided to check some of them out. Anyone who … Continue reading →

I dislike February for a number of reasons. First, it’s just sort of a gray month. Sure, you’ve got Valentine’s in there, and it sort of perks things up for a bit, but the rest of the month is just gray. There’s an impatient feeling about it, like it’s waiting for spring. Second, you never know if you’re going to have sunshine or snow. Is it jacket weather, or coat weather? The unpredictability is psychologically disturbing. And the reason I even bring it up today … February is a short month, and for most people, a short month means a … Continue reading →

My mother is a very visual and kinesthetic learner. She needs to be able to see things and touch things in order to understand them. A long line of numbers in a checkbook ledger does nothing for her, and she insists that calculators are evil creatures with minds of their own. When she and my dad divorced years ago, she asked that her alimony be given to her in cash, and she placed the proper amount of money into envelopes marked “rent,” “food,” “utilities,” “gas,” and so forth. This was the only way in which she was able to see … Continue reading →

Many of us are familiar with PayPal. It’s a website that facilitates sending money through the Internet in a safe way. Many online stores use it, as do private merchants. It’s also a handy way to send birthday money or wedding gifts. I’ve been a member of PayPal for a number of years, and appreciate its service. I have to admit, though, that I only just recently got the debit card you can get in conjunction with your account. And I love it. When someone sends you money through PayPal, it can take a little while to transfer those funds … Continue reading →

Let’s pretend that you have Microsoft Word, but you’re feeling a little terrified of Excel. However, you’re looking for a program that will help you set up a simple budget. If you already have Excel on your PC, it’s quite simple to use it as a budgeting program. While you can purchase or download other programs, I generally go with my familiar friend Excel. Here’s how to set up your budget. First, sit down with your significant other and write down all of your categories of spending. If you don’t know what you spend money on, get a notepad and … Continue reading →