Search Results for: money saving investing 2

Five Bargain Products that Aren’t Worth the Savings

Looking for the least expensive version of a product is usually a good idea, except for when it isn’t. The following five bargain products may wind up costing you more of your hard-earned money in the end. Paper Towels Usually when you buy cheap paper towels, you wind up using more of them, negating any real savings. A better bet is to bring down the cost of more expensive brands by using coupons and sales and buying in bulk. You can also eliminate most of your paper towel use by substituting greener options. Using inexpensive wash clothes, chamois cloths, or … Continue reading →

Major Family Choices that Cost Money

Some choices in life we make because we think they are necessary, others because we think we are doing the right thing, but often there is another way of looking at it. While the following major family choices shouldn’t be made solely on the basis of money, in each case, these decisions will have a significant impact on your financial future, maybe more than you might think. It is important to get tough and objective when you are faced with the following life situations, or at least be prepared for the incoming financial impact. Getting Divorced Divorce causes a lot … Continue reading →

What Not to Do in Front of Your Kids When It Comes to Money

Children learn what they see. It is a true statement for any kind of behavior including money management. Children’s attitudes toward money and whether or not they will be able to make it work for them as adults has much to do with their parents. If you are married, think about any differences that there might be between you and your spouse, regarding any issues having to do with money. Is one of you more a saver than a spender? Do you approach investing or debt the same way? Chances are that you may each have different ideas about handling … Continue reading →

The Difference Between Saving and Investing: An Important Distinction for Kids to Learn

You can save or you can invest. It is a distinction that many adults struggle with as a concept. How then can kids understand the difference, and why is it so important? Most kids who are introduced to the concepts of money tend to be conservative. They like to hoard as much of their money as they can and save up for things. That is a great phase that can be utilized by parents, caregivers and teachers to teach the value and the responsibility of money. Unfortunately, most kids do not get any instruction past those initial lessons. Many experts … Continue reading →

Ways to Keep Money in Your Pocket

Right now my email inbox is full of coupons for free food at various national chain restaurants. The offers for free appetizers and desserts are extremely enticing, but I need to purchase an adult entree to get the gratis grub. Whereas I would love to chow down on my favorite spinach/artichoke dip or cap-off a meal with free bread pudding, I wouldn’t even consider eating out, if it weren’t for the coupons. What’s the sense of saving five bucks on chips and dip or chocolate cake when I have to shell out $10 to do so? With the holidays fast … Continue reading →

We’re Broke! Why Do We Need a Financial Planner? Part 2

Once you have made the commitment to achieving financial independence and have selected your advisor, the next step is the discovery interview. It is at this point that your planner will be attempting to ascertain how you feel about money. While that may sound pretty straightforward, money is a highly charged matter for most of us; it has come to represent many of the key structures of our lives—like security, safety, power, prestige, independence, and even love. In American society, money—how much we have, how we earn it, and how we spend it—has become a stand-in for our moral character. … Continue reading →

Investing an Inheritance: How to Weigh the Options

If you have come into some money through an inheritance, lottery winnings, or a severance package, it’s quite easy to feel overwhelmed. Depending on the size of the money you have received, it is a good idea to go to a professional to help you decide how to invest that money. If you can do some thinking about how you might want to invest beforehand, then that will help you navigate such an appointment. First, think about your goals. Are you aiming to build long term savings? If you have a severance package and you don’t have a new job, … Continue reading →

Saving? Don’t Go Shopping.

It seems obvious. I mean, you save money by saving money, don’t you? Yes and no. In previous blogs, I’ve written about investing in home renovations and new appliances that can help you save on your energy bill. There’s also bulk buying of food, which saves us a lot of money. However, there’s one trick that I need to use more often, and it’s totally effective. To save, don’t go shopping. I can hear you rolling in the aisles. It’s so simple. Of course you know that. However, when I’m trying to save money, one of the first things that … Continue reading →

Money That Works

Is your money sleeping? Hopefully it’s not sitting under the pillow, but it may not be working for you. If your money isn’t working for you, it is time to wake it up. A savings or checking account is good for everyday use, but that money rarely makes a lot of money. How do you wake it up and set it to work? The most obvious choice for many is investment vehicles like mutual funds. These tend to accrue money over time, but not necessarily in the short term. Another somewhat less obvious choice is grants. For example, when we … Continue reading →

Savings Bonds: The Sneaky Way to Save

Posted on by

When I was in my late teens, I read a number of money-oriented books about saving, investing, and budgeting. Yes, I was a bit of a nerdy kid, but my family’s history of finances as a flash point led me to seek security in these books. It helped. I do save, at least I try to do so. We have an education savings plan, retirement savings, an emergency fund, and funds for specific shorter-term goals. Right now, our fund for buying blueberries is getting larger, just in time for blueberry season. Some of these savings plans offer decent interest and … Continue reading →