I’m not ashamed to admit that I was afraid to deal with our money problems head-on before our rock bottom moment that put our family on a path to debt freedom. My fear was real. I was concerned about what others might think, that we’re not supposed to talk about our money openly, and most fearful that we couldn’t survive without a credit card safety net.
I knew for several years leading up to maxing our five credit cards that we needed to make a change in our money behavior, but we pressed on, overspending, head in the sand because we were afraid to do something different. That fear kept us in our bad habit cycle because it was comfortable, it required little effort, and honestly, we were not ready for a change yet.
So when I receive reader emails asking for help, I understand what an essential first step it is to overcome that fear. I’ve been there. What I can’t quite figure out, is why my replies often go unanswered. I can only assume, like us they just are not ready yet. But you know what they say about assuming.
I really wish I knew more about money before college. When I stepped foot in my freshmen dorm for the first time, I had no worries about how hard my classes would be, how much student loan debt I might graduate with, or how I …
Are you familiar with the phrase “jumped the shark” or “jumping the shark”? That original television moment occurred in 1977, and during the mid-1980s the term was coined to refer to something that is believed to be past its peak in quality or relevance on …
Over the past couple of weeks, two of my favorite blogs were sold. There were various reason for their sale, but gaining back valuable time to dedicate to offline high priority items were a common goal for each site’s sales.
I can relate. It’s one of the main reasons I’ve moved to a once a week posting schedule here at Debt Discipline. It has been a fantastic move. Sure my overall numbers are down, and I haven’t produced any epic, earth moving posts with the additional free time, but my goal of connecting more in the real world is on track.
Blogging is a great outlet. You don’t need anyone’s approval other than your own to start a site. Its reach can be worldwide and often validated through readers comments and emails. It does, however, have a bit of an introvert feel to it. Similar to having all of your conversations via text or email. It can leave you wanting a bit more of a connection to the real world or real people.
That is one of the main reason I started volunteering my time and getting involved in my local community several years ago. I wanted to take what I was sharing and learned from my blog and other blogs to others offline, firsthand. One little step has grown into something larger, today.
Who wouldn’t want to have a little more money at the end of every month? Unless you can simply walk into your boss’ office and demand a raise, one of the easiest ways to end up with more money in your bank every month is to make the most out of the funds that you’re already making.
For the vast majority of people, there are dozens and dozens of ways that they can save money, just by making a few simple changes. You won’t have to turn your life upside down just to get some extra cash in your pockets every month. Because every family is different, the money saving tips are going to change from person to person, but there are a few key ways that just about anyone can use.
Cut Cable
One of the recent trends in saving money is by cutting the cord. If you’re looking for an easy way to save hundreds of dollars, it’s time to end your relationship with the cable company.
Thanks to online streaming services like Netflix or Hulu, it’s never been more enjoyable to cut your cable bill and save hundreds of dollars. The average family cable bill is a little over $100 every month for their cable. If you were to cut the cord and replace it with Netflix or Hulu (which costs around $15 every month), you could enjoy an extra $1,1000 at the end of the year.
Millennials have a lot going for them; better education, access to information and groundbreaking technological innovations, and more economic participation to mention but a few. However, at the same time, they have to deal with greater financial difficulties than their predecessors did.
For generations, young adults have been welcomed into the real world by the harsh realities including the hassles of finding a job, paying bills and the need to make major purchases such as a home or a car. In additions to these financial pressures of youth, millennials have to deal with inflated student debts in an uncertain economic climate. The unemployment rates are higher than ever but even for those lucky enough to have full-time professional jobs, budgeting and saving for a house or retirement seems like a far-off dream.
I recently came across an article titled “credit concerns” where an exasperated mother was expressing her bewilderment at her bank’s dubious services that destroyed her unemployed student daughter’s credit. Despite not having a savings history, the bank sent the girl a credit card on her 18th birthday and a few years down the line she was deep in debt with no way to climb out since she was unemployed. The bank knew that the girl, at her young age was predisposed to lavish spending and lacked the financial acumen to manage her personal finances. This is just an example of how such banks and other predatory entities are setting up millennials to fail.
Millennials have been described as spoiled, materialistic and saddled with a sense of entitlement but in truth, many odds have been stacked against them. According to new research conducted by George Washington University, millennials are highly engaged in their financial lives, at least on paper. Majority of them are banked, about 51% have a retirement account, 40% are homeowners and a fourth have invested in bonds, stocks or mutual funds. On the flip side, a majority of millennials are heavily indebted. They could be facing one of the bleakest financial futures in generations. The only way to survive and thrive against these odds is through financial literacy. (#FLM2018)
Many American households struggle on a daily basis to make sound financial decisions. A large number of them fail and end up on the fringes of financial disaster. At this rate, future generations are very likely to face similar struggles meaning a lot of work …
The majority of Americans find that there is just a little too much month at the end of their budget. Just about everyone could do with some more money in their pockets, but most of us can’t simply walk into the boss’ office and ask …
I once read something online that I assume was meant to be somewhat of a joke, even if true: Over 60% of parents would rather talk to their kids about sex instead of money, but 100% of kids would rather their parents speak to them …
No, I’m not talking about those seniors aged sixty-five or over. Although without a proper health care or long-term care plan that could be expensive too. I’m talking about high school seniors, which our family happens to have two of.
My seventeen-year-old twin son and daughter’s high school days are numbers. We are certainly on the back nine of their high school careers, with roughly sixteen weeks to go, but still have many major decisions, and costs ahead of us.
I’m glad to see that Senioritis hasn’t set in quite yet, but with springtime and longer days closing in we will do our best to the kids focused over the remaining weeks of the high school careers.
It’s something I’ve always preached to them over the years, sure it might sound a bit cliché, or maybe even like the old coach, but I’ve reminded them about giving their best effort, and finishing strong. You just never know who’s watching.
Last summer I posted an unscientific breakdown of the spending of our three teenagers. Like I said then, I’m sure there has been some study or report that captures this data, but why look further that our personal capital account. Well I’m back with an update, and …
DRIP is an acronym for Dividend Reinvestment Plan, and in this guide, we are going to break down and take a look at what it means, why you should consider it, and what some of the pros and cons of DRIP investing are. If you’re already …
