More

“Amazing”, “Incredible”, Or “Awesome”? Probably Not!

When you discuss your personal finances with someone, how do you describe them? Ok, you may not ever actually reveal your true personal finances to people since after all they are personal, but, if you are like most people and have the need and desire to be loved and respected, you may on an occasion (or ten) have taken a few minutes to brag about them in terms that just may not be 100% on target. And when you do, you may use the words amazing, incredible, or awesome…but in all probability, they’re not described by any of those overused words!

"Amazing", "incredible" and "awesome" are 3 examples of overused words that pervade today's language. Are sloppy language skills preventing your success?

Amazing, incredible, and awesome—do those three words sound familiar? They should. Why? Because you hear them every single day over and over again to the point that you may start to cringe when you do hear them. I think I am actually well past the cringing myself and I sometimes feel that I may have to be restrained by a loved one when I hear someone using those words over and over again.

Continue reading““Amazing”, “Incredible”, Or “Awesome”? Probably Not!”
Health, Retirement

The Big “H” to Worry About in Retirement

Most people who talk about retirement planning are usually concerned about the “financials”. They talk about saving for it, investing for it, earning more for it, and guarding against the erosion of it so it will last on and on into the sunset of those golden years. And they are 100% right to do that, for sure. Without a strong financial base, retirement will be a struggle at best or a disaster at worst. Believe me when I say that the proper planning doesn’t just appear magically when you are actually retiring and needs to starts much earlier. So much earlier, in fact, that it should start when you begin your very first job because it’s that important. I say that to anyone who will listen, but very often if falls on deaf ears.

Healthcare in retirement is the Big "H" to worry about. Many retirees don't plan adequately for healthcare costs and don't realize how significant they are.

But, the fact that financials are so important doesn’t mean that there isn’t “something else” to be concerned about. I like to call it the Big “H” that you need to give plenty of thought to when it comes to your retirement years. What is it you ask? The twist is it’s about your healthcare, the Big H of your retirement years!

Continue reading“The Big “H” to Worry About in Retirement”
Frugality, Personal Finance

Be Smart and Start Earning and Saving More Now!

I love writing posts about the best ways to save money because no matter how diligent I am in keeping my own budget, there’s always more I find I can do to cut expenses and save even more. I figure it does no good to preach to you about saving money if I can’t do it myself so it actually forces me to take a good look inward and find those savings so I can pass them on to you!

To get ahead with your finances, you need to earn more and spend less. Here are some of the best ways to save money to get you started on your journey.

This list may not be all new to some but to others it will be, so if you are in financial distress, then here are some answers to your problems. The number one rule to understand is pretty simple and if I have said this once, I have said it a million times – but for the record and today’s post here it is again:

There are only two ways to improve your finances: 1) earn more money and/or 2) spend less money! That’s really it. There are no other secret formulas.

Continue reading“Be Smart and Start Earning and Saving More Now!”
Money Mindset, More

The Reasons Why You Might Never Be a Success

It seems my philosophy background just keeps leaking into my personal finance writings more and more each week. Maybe that comes with age and experience as I start to put all of those mysterious pieces of the life puzzle together, I don’t know for sure. Well, that’s my new theory so I am going to go with that. And that brings me to today’s subject – you and success.

If you don't have the right mindset and don't follow these six success factors, you'll never be a success, in finances or in life.

There are a lot of really successful people out there. You hear about them and you probably think something like “How did they get so big and successful?” People like a Mark Zuckerberg for example, a college student, who came up with the idea for Facebook and turned it into a multi-billion dollar business. Wow! So, why him…and not you?

Continue reading“The Reasons Why You Might Never Be a Success”
Personal Finance

Wishing You a Happy Independence Day Weekend!

I’m taking a break for the long holiday weekend, but I wanted to wish everyone a Happy Independence Day! Enjoy your celebrations, stay safe, and join me in thanking our troops and our veterans for protecting our freedom. I’ll be back on Tuesday morning with the regular personal finance post.

Independence Day flag and fireworks
Income and Career

Can Love Actually Make You Rich?

I don’t think I have ever shared this with you about myself, but here goes, for better or worse. When I was a student in college, one of my dual minors was Philosophy. I remember taking one course on Aesthetics. But truthfully, I didn’t really appreciate it. 😉 So, yes, I actually took Philosophy and looking back on it, I have to ask myself one simple question:

Did I think I wanted to be a philosopher?

You've heard the phrase, "do what you love and the money will follow"? Well, it's true to a certain extent. But sometimes you need to find the money in it.

I am guessing now the answer was “no”. Most of the great ones are all dead and while they were alive, no one seemed to appreciate them very much. It somehow seems that dying and being appreciated as a great philosopher are linked and that really doesn’t seem very rewarding in just about every way, does it? Well, I guess being remembered and read and talked about after you’re gone does have value. Not much on the money side for you there, but still…

Continue reading“Can Love Actually Make You Rich?”
Income and Career

Before Financial Independence, It’s All About the Job

Before you say goodbye forever to your 9 to 5 daily grind and the commuter train ride that you have been “enjoying” every day for the past umpteen years, you more than likely have to be somewhat successful at a “job” to get to your true dream. You know the one you’ve had since you first started out working: financial independence!

For job success, there are certains things you need to do, and other things you need to avoid. Here are the no-go's that could tank your career.

Look around though and you will probably see many “long-timer” faces that are plugging away at what they do, even if they dream about FI and yet still haven’t moved off square one in their pursuit of that dream. Others, scores of them, come and go from your work arena and almost all of them leave not for FI. They leave in many cases like the Christians left the arena back in ancient Rome did, or they migrate to some other dead end job that leaves them grinding and commuting forever. That’s not what you want, is it? But before FIRE (financial independence, retire early), it’s all about the job! Job success has to come first.

Continue reading“Before Financial Independence, It’s All About the Job”
Entertainment

Frugal Fun Things To Do This Summer With Kids

Please note this post contains affiliate links which help to fund this blog at no cost to you. Thanks for your support!

It was back in the 60’s when the song “Dancing in the Streets” hit the airwaves; you know the one that says “summer’s here and the time is right for dancing in the streets?”! Well summer is finally here and guesses what? Even if dancing isn’t your thing, the time is right to get out and enjoy it all and yet still do it in a frugal way, too. Why spend all your cash on summer fun when so many of the ways to enjoy are not always money draining when you know what’s available?

When school lets out, it's important to entertain the kids with fun things to do this summer. Check out this list of free and inexpensive activities.

Have you and yours started planning for your summer fun yet? We always start by making our frugal fun list of things to do this summer with the family and now is the time to start. The best part is that there are hundreds of opportunities to try and the choices are all great, but just to get you started, here are twenty ideas to get you off to an epic summer 2019.

Continue reading“Frugal Fun Things To Do This Summer With Kids”