Keeping debt under control has to do with the source of the problem:  your spending habits.  If you are living beyond your means, having more money go out than there is coming in, you start to not be able to pay off the statement balance by the due date, begin paying interest, and hardly chip away at the principal balance until you find yourself into debt.  Debt consolidation is a great option to get out, as you can lump your outstanding debts with a balance transfer to a new card, or take out a … [Read more...]

Whether you are plugging along month after month or if you have strayed a bit and thrown off your personal finance a bit, there is always room for improvement to get to the ultimate financial goal, which is to not waste money away on careless purchases and maximize savings to live off during retirement.  No matter where you are at in your career, it’s best to start saving as early as possible, because every year that goes by that you are not saving, there is that much less money to grow over … [Read more...]

There are plenty of purchases that we make in life, some necessary and most, well, unnecessary.  When making any purchase, especially with the ease of price comparison these days with online shopping, it’s important to find the best deal.  Back even a decade and longer ago, when retail shopping in person was more the norm, you’d have to drive all over town to try and save a few bucks, and by the end, after you have spent all of your time, not to mention gas driving, made you wonder if it was … [Read more...]

What we spend on food, especially depending on the size of the family, can really put a dent into our available funds for the month.  Sure, little things like grabbing coffee, stopping at the gas station for snacks or energy drinks, all add up to big costs over the course of the month, but even if you can avoid those small expenses, how can you save even more off your total food budget?  There are a plenty of ways that by making a few tweaks and a little proper planning can add up to significant … [Read more...]

I remember always going grocery shopping with my dad, maybe that’s why I don’t mind going now as an adult subconsciously, but it taught me about purchases at a young age.  Grocery shopping wasn’t always about filling up the cart with whatever we want and unloading at home, and that somewhere in between there was actually making the purchase, which of course wasn’t coming out of my bank account at the time so I didn’t feel that burden back then as I do now.  Of course, kids shouldn’t have the … [Read more...]

Summer is a great time of the year and typically that means opening up the wallet a little more, taking it down to the last penny to get every last ounce of fun in while the weather is warm, the kids are out of school, and make great memories.  While you may be a little more liberal in spending money that may throw your budget out of whack, there are just certain purchases that you avoid making, as the peak prices hit and you end up paying more than you should.  In order to not have your bank … [Read more...]

According to a recent study by GoBankingRates, 69% of adults do have less than a thousand dollars in the bank, at which 34% said they have no savings whatsoever.  Things look even more bleak in future, at which a study by the National Bureau of Economic Research show that nearly half of American retirees pass away with less than $10,000 in savings, even more than half for retirees that are single.  In order to avoid any hardship during the period when you are supposed to be living life to its … [Read more...]