Your life changes dramatically when you have a baby. Your taxes change too. I know. After becoming a mother or a father, the last thing on your mind is taxes. You are thinking about waking up in the middle of the night and whether your relatives have washed their hands before handling the baby. I’m sure the price of diapers would be a higher priority for your finances.… Continue Reading
Category Archives: Manage Your Finances
What I Learned About Credit Cards in College
When I went away to college, all I had was a checking account and a savings account at the local bank. In fact, I just opened my checking account about two years earlier. When I arrived at college, I was not overwhelmed with credit card offers, but did receive a few. That fall, I opened my first credit card. I was granted a credit limit of $500.… Continue Reading
Preparing for Next Year’s Taxes
Tax season has come and gone. The forms, the paperwork and all the worksheets are closed for another year. Before you forget the words “income taxes” for another 9 months (and before you put the tax folder in the box for the next 7 years), stop and think: “what could I be doing to make this all easier?”… Continue Reading
Save Money By Going to School
This post isn’t about how you save money in college. Rather it’s about how you can use colleges and schools to get big discounts on some pricey services. You might now be thinking that I am going to talk about how my alma mater has a deal with AAA or something to save me some cash. Wrong again. I am simply talking about volunteering yourself or your possessions for the benefit of tomorrow’s leaders (and a fatter wallet for you)!… Continue Reading
How We Created an Emergency Fund
One of the most basic important things that you can do to improve your financial position is to create an emergency fund. The experts have been saying this for a long time and this is one instance when the popular saying rings true. As many of you will recall, my wife and I had to dip into our emergency fund months ago when I transitioned into my new job. The only way to buy a used car in a short time is to use some of that cushion. Here’s how we created that cushion in the first place.… Continue Reading
Is It Bad to Get a Large Tax Refund?
Of course tax time is stressful and confusing. We can list any number of mundane tasks that we’d rather have engaging our free time. I believe that cleaning bathrooms would even contend. However, for a large majority of Americans, completing your tax forms is not all pain for no gain.… Continue Reading
Is Gen Y Really That Bad Off?
I don’t want this post to come off sounding that I think being a recent college graduate and finding a job is a piece of cake. I am simply questioning everything I am reading so that hopefully we can have a discussion. With that said, I think the media is overblowing this entire crisis. Yes, there are many recent college grads and young adults that aren’t working, aren’t working in the field they want, or are in a low paying retail type job. But here are some facts.… Continue Reading
Financial Lessons from March Madness
Now that March Madness has ended and we crowned a champion in college basketball, teams will begin their off-season While this might include a few weeks off to rest and recover, many players will be hitting the gym to start preparing for next year. We as spectators only see the games. We don’t see all of the hard work that is done behind the scenes. As a result, a seasonal sport, such as basketball, really spans the course of an entire year. Our financial life is the same. We just can’t pay attention to our spending six months out of the year and expect to meet all of our financial goals and dreams.… Continue Reading
Progress on My Financial Goals
I’m sure you’ve heard the saying, “Time flies when you’re having fun.” While we all know that time is a constant, it definitely is amazing how much faster it seems to go as I get older. It’s been six months since I updated my financial goals. I can’t believe it’s already been 6 months.… Continue Reading
What’s your financial philosophy on income?
Everyone has one. What’s your financial philosophy on income? You simply can’t avoid believing in something. Even believing in nothing requires belief. Creating more income for yourself is just another area in your life where this is true. Even though you may not have realized it, you have assembled a personal philosophy on how best to handle your finances. This post will help you to see the broad ranges of opinions that are out there and to help you identify what your money philosophy is.… Continue Reading
