Category: Entertainment

It’s mid-march 2019 and there is still snow melting all over the place as I sit and look out my living room window. Now if you are a winter aficionado, like a big ski bum or you’re into snowboarding or some other interesting-yet-life-risking maneuver, then this post may not be what you are looking to read. However, thinking more rationally, I do know that winter is about to end (it kind of has to eventually, doesn’t it?) and spring is literally just days away. Hopefully that means my outdoor time will be increasing and the times ahead will include lots of warm air, sunny skies and—wait for it—free events to attend and fill my social calendar. So despite the fact that today the temperature when I woke up was just 24 degrees F, hope “springs (and summers) eternal” that those winter days are waning quickly.

Every spring and summer, my wife and I look forward to all the local township, county, and statewide events that happen just about every week and cost zippo to do— yet are really cool things. Music we love and other activities we can actually participate in too are abounding and all starting in just a few more weeks. We love the outdoor summer concert season but if you are more into a family-type fun thing, there are no shortages of those either from parks to beaches and all kinds of special community events.

Have you ever sat down and figured out how much you actually spend during a weekend? The results could shock you. From errands to entertainment, the money you shell out every Saturday and Sunday can really add up over time. And if you have financial goals like getting out of debt, saving for a large purchase like a house or car, or building your retirement nest egg, your weekend spending could be hindering those goals.

A good way to revamp your weekend spending habits is to try to avoid spending any money at all—at least for one weekend. Think that’s impossible? With a little advance planning, you can do a lot without big spending.Continue reading“Frugal Ideas for a Cheap, Low Cost Weekend”

Are you one of the millions who likes to dream about what you’d do if you won the lottery? I’ll confess, I have imagined how I’d divvy up my winnings, and I rarely ever even play. One reason is that your odds of winning a top prize aren’t good. In fact you’re more likely to be killed by a lightning strike than to win. And yet some people spend $10, $20, even $50 a week on lottery tickets. All that money could be put to better use saving for retirement, but some people can’t let go of the chance to “win big”. My recommendation? Online sweepstakes.

The Problem with the Lottery Habit

You might think there’s not much harm in playing the lottery, but you should think again. In 2014, Americans spent $70 billion on lottery games and the poorest third of households bought half of all lottery tickets sold. And while those lottery profits are helping states fund programs, they’re taking wealth away from all those players. If you invested $10 a week tax deferred over the 45 years you’re likely to be saving for retirement, with a 7% return you’d have over $150,000. While that may not provide a comfortable retirement, it definitely adds up to a good start.Continue reading“How to Kick Your Lottery Habit with Online Sweepstakes”

Imagine just for a minute what it would have been like if you were born at the turn of the 20th century and were told about all of the new and exciting ways you would be entertained and communicate during the next hundred years. It would have blown your mind and you probably would have thought it was science fiction. After all, the early 1900’s were barely the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, and horses were more common than cars on the streets in those days. The telephone was still in its infancy and motion pictures were pretty much an experiment in a lab someplace here in NJ. The truth is that only a very few of the most inventive minds could have ever imagined what was to come over the next hundred years. But what about the price tag that comes with all of this progress? Are you happy with the tech impact in your life, your time, and your budget?

The Communication Breakdown and the Impact on Your Budget

(With apologies to Led Zeppelin) Budgeting for things that entertain and communicate used to be pretty reasonable but not so much today. If you aren’t prepared for the costs of all of this technology that we now take for granted, be prepared to be shocked. It simply costs a small fortune to be living in an age of electronics unlike anything life has ever seen before because we are “plugged in” 24/7.Continue reading“Communication Breakdown: The High Cost of Technology”