Tag Archives: family budget

3 Easy Steps to Start a Budget

Creating a household or personal budget does not have to be difficult. In fact, it can be quite easy. The secret is to avoid the common mistake of making the process complicated. The best budgets are the ones that are easy to understand, easy to follow, and easy to maintain. It is your money. Put yourself in control and have a little fun with your assets. Where to Start Taking that first step is always the hardest when it comes to budgeting. Let’s make it a little easier First open up a spreadsheet program (or take out a piece of … Continue reading →

How to Be Prepared for Black Friday 2013

Shopping for the best 2013 Black Friday Deals? This year, things may be a little different. Be prepared with the following tips, and you’ll get the best prices without being overwhelmed. It is solid advice to get you through the most important shopping day of the year. By making the following preparations now, you’ll be sure not to lose out on those bargains and at the same time, have everything be a positive and fun experience. Prepare for the Changes Swallow that turkey and be out the door by early evening if you want to start your Black Friday shopping. … Continue reading →

Seven Ways to Avoid Late Fees

Credit card late fees continue to rise, along with late fees for other bills. Late fees are everywhere, just waiting to trip you up and take your money. You could wind up spending hundreds of dollars a year, sometimes even more, when you are hit with late fees. That is why it is so important to know how to avoid late fees, no matter the source of origination. Here are seven different ways you can start to keep more of your money. Sign up for Alerts Many businesses and organizations, from banks to your local library, offer free alerts to … Continue reading →

Which Saves More: Shopping Online or Shopping in the Store?

Are you more likely to overspend or save a bunch when you shop online? Is physically being in the store more or less likely to make you spend? There are a number of factors that can affect your shopping habits in both of these situations. Let us take a look at how the shopping method you choose could affect your bottom line. Adding on to Your Order Marketers love add ons. These are the products or services that you buy in addition to the item or items that you actually set out to purchase, raising the amount that you spend … Continue reading →

How to Budget on a Variable Income

Budgeting when your income varies from month to month can be difficult, but with the right formula, you can learn how to do it without all of the headaches that an irregular income can bring. Every family should have a working budget that is zero balanced based. This means that every bit of income is accounted for, whether it goes toward a bill or a savings account. The income going out must match the income coming in. It is when that income is different each month that things can get a little tricky. Variable income may be more common than … Continue reading →

Protect Your Parents Money: Budgeting

You may be caring for aging parents now or in the future. Protecting their financial assets is an important part of that care. What you might not know, though, is that the financial status of your mom and dad could have a big impact on your own family budget. You’ll need to take the following steps as soon as possible to protect their and your future. Just to clarify, you are not legally responsible for your parent’s debt, unless there is no debt that you acquired jointly or no joint assets that have claims against them. Still, it often falls … Continue reading →

Cultural Lessons on the Cost of Child Rearing

Heeled sneakers are all the rage with hip moms in France right now. While I will happily pass on the Sneakletto craze; I’m not opposed to employing practical techniques parents in Paris and other parts of the world have mastered in order save cash while raising young children. Less is more:  Surveys show the average American household spends $200 per child for birthday parties and gifts.  That means forking over nearly $1,000 per year if you have three or four kids.  Compare that to most French parents who typically celebrate their children’s birthdays with a simple home-cooked meal.  In Japan, … Continue reading →

How to Live on One Income

Is your goal to live on one income so you or your spouse can be a stay-at-home parent, pursue schooling, keep house, or another establish another endeavor? Take the following steps to make sure that you are well prepared for your lifestyle change. Get a New Attitude If you are currently living on two incomes, you may need to make some changes, both drastic and non-drastic in order to make the one income work for your family. Embrace money-saving ideas, such as shopping at yard sales or thrift stores, cooking at home, and bargain hunting. Look at these practices as … Continue reading →

Save Money on Your Pets

According to the ASPCA, the cost of maintaining one medium-sized dog in your household during the first year is more than $1,500. A cat will need just more than $1,000. This is after the initial costs of adoption or purchase, it does not take into account specialized food, and it and only considers the minimal amount of toys and equipment (carriers and holiday presents not included). Multiple animals require, obviously, most cost outlay. Still, there are ways to reduce those costs while still having happy pets. Here are some common expenses related to pet care, along with ways to reduce … Continue reading →

Maximize Your Garage Sale Income

Need a quick $200, $300, $500 or even more? Why not hold a garage sale in the next few months? You’ll clean out your clutter and make some extra cash for the upcoming summer season! It is a win-win situation. To maximize your garage sale income, you’ll need to make sure of a few things: Your sale has a good selection of items You have a lot of traffic to your sale You make your sale easy to shop You price your items correctly. Let us take a look at the above factors in more detail. A Good Selection of … Continue reading →