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Your 60’s, 70’s and Beyond – Money in Your Golden Years

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It wasn’t that long ago that I wrote a 3-part series entitled “The Middle Ages”. No, not the kind that you studied about in school and have read books and seen some great flicks about. I know you weren’t there, but you do remember it, right? It was the period from the fall of the Roman Empire to the beginning of the European Renaissance, roughly from the 5th century through the 15th century AD. But now it’s practically 2019!

I've written before about money challenges in your middle aged years, but now it's time to examine your 60's, 70's, and beyond: money in your golden years!

Although times have changed a tad since the Middle Ages, financial needs, dreams, goals, and their importance have not. So that’s why today I thought I would talk to you about another period of your life that requires a great plan and execution. Yet often we just don’t do it the way we should. I’m talking about your 60’s and 70’s and beyond, the golden years that usually spell retirement and big adjustments in life. Continue reading

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“Burning” Your Cash – An Invite to Financial Hell

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

When you hear the phrase “he has money to burn”, what does that really mean to you? It is often said that when someone has money to burn, they have more money than they need or even know what to do with and so they spend it on completely silly and wasteful stuff. If it’s in reference to some multimillionaire you hear about on a gossip TV show you watch, it probably causes a chuckle or at least a scratch of the head in disbelief. Like whenever I hear or read about Jay Leno and his weird obsession of buying hundreds of cars and motorcycles and spending multimillions of dollars on collecting them for years and years.

Are you burning cash? Maybe you don't even realize it, but wasting away your money is just like burning it, and it will land you in financial hell.

People often use the phrase “money to burn” as their way of showing their disapproval of this kind of behavior. It may be that or perhaps a little bit of jealousy? But whichever it is, when it comes to those of us who have never hosted the “Tonight Show”, it’s definitely a type of activity we should avoid at all cost! Continue reading

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Conquer Holiday Stress and Make It Safely Into 2019

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Now that the holidays are here, you are right in the middle of experiencing the “rush” of a lot of fun and happy celebrations. But as we all painfully do know, sometimes the holidays can also bring difficult emotional triggers, such as painful memories, grief for family members who can’t be with us, or challenging dynamics with family members who are with us. Holiday stress can also involve long to-do lists and financial strain to make things even worse.

We're all susceptible to holiday stress, so pay attention to these 6 ways of managing stress to insure you have a happy holiday season!

By no means am I trying to bum out the holiday season. Quite the opposite. Whether you have specific and unique reasons or not that can interfere with a happy holiday, we all go through some kind of stress during the month of December. The reasons can be simple or complex. Time pressures, money pressures, and family pressures seem to come together into a “perfect storm” and sometimes it’s really important to take some caution so that you can enjoy and yet keep your health and sanity too. That’s why I am suggesting some self–care precautions to get us through the holiday season and make it safely to 2019! Continue reading

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These Retailers Offer Free Gift Wrapping on Holiday Gifts

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(Or for a small fee!)

Picture it, you and your beautifully wrapped holiday gifts, the family Christmas tree all trimmed, and your fireplace glowing with holiday cheer and warmth as you sit in your favorite easy chair sipping a cup of hot cocoa. Sounds like such a great way to enjoy an evening as you get ready to enjoy special family traditions.

If wrapping gifts is just another holiday chore for you, check out these retailers that offer free gift wrapping (or gift wrapping for a small fee)!

Ok, that’s really cool, isn’t it? But for others, wrapping those gifts is just another obligation on a long holiday to-do list. Luckily, plenty of stores still offer gift wrapping, even online, and your gifts arrive ready to put right under the tree. Here’s an even more pleasant surprise, sometimes it’s even free! Continue reading

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Will It Be a Happy New Year or Wallet War 2019?

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If you are anything like me, you are probably wondering if you might be paying more for things in 2019. Experts predict that the answer is yes you will and one of the biggest reasons, although not the only one, is because increases in tariffs can cause it. With our recent trade controversies and disputes with foreign governments like China and Mexico, there has been a claim that price increases will go unnoticed, but that is starting to prove untrue as some economists and government officials had predicted. More and more now say they expect the impact on consumers to be pretty significant.

Will 2019 be a joyful new year, or will price increases cause a "wallet war" that may leave you broke? Here are 12 areas where price increases are likely.

“Things are going to become more expensive because of these added taxes,” best-selling author and personal finance expert Chris Hogan told CNBC. “This has the potential to impact a lot of areas that people need day to day to survive or to run their business.” Continue reading

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Striking Out in Life and the Personal Finance Game

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It’s been awhile since I’ve written about what it takes for you inside to become a success in your personal finances. Most of the time, I get caught up and find myself pontificating about what you should and shouldn’t do when it comes to shopping and buying. That’s the premise of Super Saving tips, I’ll admit. But whether you are ultimately a financial success really depends on more than that. Here’s what I mean.

If you don't do the right things, you'll strike out in life and in personal finance. Read on for the 3 strikes that will send you right out of the game.

While everyone says that they want and try to be successful in their finances, some never make it. I believe there are some valid reasons why people are unsuccessful in the personal finance game, but pretty often it’s because they are lazy, stupid, or just don’t give a damn. And sometimes, shamefully, it’s all three at the same time! Continue reading

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Skipping These Will Save You Money But Ruin Your Life

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One of things you hear pretty often when it comes to trying to save money is the concept of “just skip it”. You know what I’m talking about here, don’t you? Like when you’re on your way to work in the morning if you “skip” that stop at 7-Eleven and forgo the cup of coffee and that bagel you’ll save yourself about $5 bucks, right?

There are lots of things you can skip to save money, but it's not always a good idea. Here are 8 things that you're better off keeping in your budget.

Or say, how about when you are at the restaurant and you opt for that tasty glass of Chardonnay with dinner and tack on an extra $14 to your bill? “Skip it” and have a glass of water with a twist of lemon instead, right? That’s fairly good advice and when you do it you will definitely cut costs and save some money. And truth be told, no real harm or suffering comes from that. But, and it’s a big but, sometimes we are “penny wise and pound foolish” as the old saying goes. Continue reading

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Missed Black Friday Deals…Is It Too Late for Great Bargains?

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

Congratulations, you just survived another Thanksgiving holiday with all of the trimmings. It probably included not only a wonderful family get-together with turkey and pies, but also enough sports to cause a major overload even for a diehard football fan. It seems every year gets even more and more like that for us, and if you were among the many this past weekend you probably also included some form of traditional shopping frenzy too! Black Friday deals, Small Business Saturday, Cyber Monday…holy cow does it ever let up for even a second?

So you've missed the Black Friday deals and you're worried the great bargains are gone. There's still time to get great prices on your holiday gifts!

Can You Say “Shop ‘til you drop?”

Smartphones, online shopping, and “sneak peek” discounting have changed Black Friday deals from the door-busting shopping brawl of just a day or weekend into an even more bombastic event. They’ve reshaped how retailers appeal to consumers on these “special” days which serve as the annual kick-off for the holiday shopping season. But wait, there’s more to it than that! Continue reading

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Emergency Planning – Are You Insured and Storm Ready?

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We are not yet through November and some of us have already experienced a fall snowstorm. Storms of all kinds can hit with little notice no matter where you live and even if it’s not weather related, many scary problems strike and can be very dangerous, costly, and life threatening. We have seen that just in the last two weeks with the worst California wildfires ever (and now potential mudslides) that have taken dozens of lives and destroyed so much property. For these reasons and more, it pays to have an emergency plan.

Emergencies happen, but are you prepared? You need an emergency plan in case of a storm, fire, or other disaster. Here's what you need to plan in advance.

What Can You Do About Any of This?

If storms, fires, or other disasters strike, the very least you can do is be prepared with a plan and adequate emergency supplies. Even if you need to eventually evacuate, and I hope you never have to consider it, you need a plan of action. Continue reading

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It’s Time to Get Your Federal Taxes in Order, Part 2

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Getting ready for your next tax return due by April 15, 2019 should be on your mind as this year ends. That’s why Part 1 and Part 2 of this post are so important! So here is Part 2, but first…

There have been some important changes in the tax law, so now it's time to review your 2018 federal taxes and make any last-minute necessary moves.Stop and Think

Before splurging on holiday gifts this year, ask yourself if you’re going to get a big or far bigger tax bill than you’re accustomed to next year. Or if you get a tax refund, is it likely to be smaller? Millions of Americans won’t get their usual tax refunds next year because of the confusing tax law changes. Continue reading