Earth Day was last week. You may or may not have realized that there is often a connection between things that are good for the environment and things that are good for your wallet. In honor of Earth Day, here are three tips that can help you do right by the planet and save some money on your utility bills. Programmable thermostats are easy to install and can save money and energy. You can program your thermostat to go down five to ten degrees at night while you are sleeping. This move alone can save you five to ten percent … Continue reading →

(Money I didn’t win!) So, uh, yeah, I didn’t win Mega Millions. How could this happen? I already spent the money! The winning numbers in Friday night’s drawing were 02-04-23-38-46, and the Mega Ball was 23. I think one of my tickets is worth 10 bucks, so I’m not a total loser. Which is more than I can say for the 53 bazillion others who shelled out at least a buck trying to score the world record-breaking $640 million jackpot. According to USA Today, Americans spent nearly $1.5 billion for a chance to strike it rich playing Mega Millions last … Continue reading →

How am I supposed to win the world’s largest lottery jackpot if y’all keep buying tickets? Stop buying tickets. No, I don’t typically channel Paula Deen on a daily basis, and no, I don’t think I have a chance in you know what of winning $540 million. So why am I headed to the store later today to purchase five more Mega Millions tickets? Like the rest of you, I like to dream big. You don’t have to be a math whiz to know the more tickets you buy, the better your chances of winning. Currently, the odds of walking … Continue reading →

I never really thought of myself as someone who is disciplined in any way whatsoever. Over the past couple of years, I have had to be very careful with my money in order to ensure that my bills get paid (mostly) on time. Today, I realized that the way in which I have made that happen is by developing (gasp!) financial discipline. How did I go from someone who was fiscally irresponsible to someone who is working to overcome the long term effects of that irresponsibility while contributing to the family finances in my own small way? Perhaps it comes … Continue reading →

What would you do with $500 million? I would freak out if I stumbled upon $500, and by $500 I mean $50. Heck, I’d probably shed a tear if someone randomly handed me 5 bucks. Needless to say, the idea of possessing half a billion dollars is mind-boggling to me. Yet, I’m not letting that stop me from trying to win the $500 million Mega Millions jackpot. Tomorrow night someone could become $500 million dollars richer if he or she is able to nab all five winning Mega Millions lottery numbers plus the all-important Mega Ball number. You have to … Continue reading →

We finally know who won the $336.4 million Powerball jackpot… that I didn’t. According to news reports, an 81-year-old woman from Newport, Rhode Island, is the winner, winner, chicken dinner of the sixth-largest U.S. prize in lottery history. Again, not me. Rather, Louise White is the newest multi-millionaire on the block. She will reportedly take a lump sum payment of $210 million, the highest ever for Powerball, according to lottery officials. The jackpot is said to be the third largest in Powerball history and the largest ever won in Rhode Island. Prior to White’s win the top lottery jackpot in … Continue reading →

People have many thoughts about money throughout each day. However, it is not very often that most of us sit down and think about what we truly think or believe about money. We mostly just sort of go about our business with those ideas and values at the back of our minds. We may even be unaware of how they affect the things that we consciously say or think about money. There has been much written about the subject of how a person’s core beliefs and deeply held values about money influence the amount of money that they have in … Continue reading →

Did you know that being disorganized can actually cost you money? It’s true. If the information that you keep regarding your finances is not organized and kept in a dedicated place, there are a few ways in which you can lose money. By taking the time to organize your financial information, you can stop losing money and even save time too. One important tool for keeping your finances organized is a calendar. You can choose to write financial information on your regular calendar or on a separate calendar that is dedicated to money related items. Writing down when all of … Continue reading →

The internet can be a great source for information about financial matters, if you know where to look. Whether you are looking for ways to save more and spend less or you need advice on a particular topic such as retirement planning or business finance you can find the information you need online. Choosing a finance themed blog or two to read on a regular basis can be a great way to boost your financial literacy, too. Here are a few resources that I have found helpful for various financial topics: Kiplinger’s Personal Finance – A very well established personal … Continue reading →

Do you ever wonder why many of us are not overly enthusiastic about spending time working on our personal finances? It can be frustrating, to be sure, but there is more to it than that. It’s serious stuff, and it really is not all that fun. Or is it? It is possible that there are ways to make dealing with your personal finances a little less doom and gloom and a little more fun and games. Speaking of fun and games, now is a good time to remember that if your personal finances are managed well, you will certainly have … Continue reading →