While there is no right or wrong way to track expenses, I have found that the best way for my family is with Mint.com. Instead of having to check through all my credit cards and bank cards, or remember to save every single receipt (only to inevitably … [Read more...]
Mint.com Tutorial, Part 1 – How to Add Your Accounts
Posted on June 14, 2012 by
I've talked before about how much I love Mint.com for tracking our spending and keeping us on budget. But a number of you have asked me just how that works - and what exactly I do with Mint. It's a good question - because Mint can be pretty … [Read more...]
No More Harvard Debt – How One Man Cleared $91,000 in Student Loan Debt in Just 7 Months
Posted on May 24, 2012 by
His story has been all over the Internet, but in case you missed it - here's one for your inspiration files! Joe Mihalic earned his MBA from Harvard in 2009, along with $101,000 in student loans. He was one of the lucky ones - despite the … [Read more...]
The Truth About Being Financially Responsible
Posted on May 20, 2012 by
Five and a half years ago, my husband and I were on an adrenaline rush. In January of 2008, we had committed to getting out of debt. To having an actual emergency fund (not a $10,000 credit limit on a Visa card, but actual bonafide cash in the … [Read more...]
How Having an Emergency Fund Creates a Buffer
Posted on May 7, 2012 by
Yesterday was a crazy day. Major rain storms. Tornado warnings. Our friends' basement flooded. Our two year old got into a safety-locked container of oil-based paint and "painted" herself and the interior of our silver Camry green. (Don't ask how … [Read more...]
Is Your Spending Normal?
Posted on April 30, 2012 by
How much should I spend on food? What's a normal amount to spend on clothing? What do most people spend on vacations? health care? eating out? These types of questions from readers seem to keep popping up in my inbox. And I understand … [Read more...]
Let’s Discuss | How Much Money Do You Need To Live Comfortably?
Posted on March 29, 2012 by
I just read this article in the USA Today, which concludes that you need to earn at least $150,000 a year to pay for the basics, save and cover a few extras. I was floored! My husband and I don't earn anywhere near $150,000 per year, and we are … [Read more...]
Open Checking Account – Get $50 Bonus (Perfect for Pesach Budgeting)
Posted on March 21, 2012 by
We've been talking a lot about how to save money on Pesach and of course, the most important thing you can do to spend less is to have a budget. And to make it trackable. If you're not tracking your spending, a budget is mere theory. One … [Read more...]
Budgeting Basics | How To Tips for Passover Budgeting
Posted on March 7, 2012 by
Tonight starts Purim. And you know what that means... Just one more month 'til Pesach. Deep breaths. We can still enjoy our Purim chagigot! But come Sunday, it's time to get serious about the business of budgeting for Pesach - okay? I know … [Read more...]
Delayed Gratification | What Do You Think? Typical? Or Exceptional?
Posted on February 23, 2012 by
I signed up for the financial newsletter LearnVest a few weeks ago. Of course, true to form, I went ahead and selected all the various newsletters, so every morning I now have a deluge of emails in my inbox. I've actually gleaned a lot of … [Read more...]
