Getting Started With a Budget
Using a budget is one of the smartest money management moves you could make. For guidance on using a paper & pencil system, read the Budget Quick Start Guide and make use of the Cash Flow Plan, Cash Flow Tracker, and Recommended Spending Guidelines, all found in the Resources section. For help using the online tool Mint.com, watch my tutorials here, here, and here. And for help with the Envelope system, read this article.
Remember, “The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty.” – Proverbs 21:5
Using money well is one of those things we never get fully right. We’re constantly trying to make changes, improvements. And the bigger the change, the greater the challenge. That’s why I’ve been taking an in-depth look at the findings from Switch, Chip and Dan Heath’s excellent book on “How to Change Things When Change […]
Are you trying to make a positive change in your finances or some other area of your life? How clear are you about the change you’re trying to make? As Chip and Dan Heath researched Switch, their helpful book about what it takes to truly change something about our lives, they discovered several surprises. This […]
A weekly roundup of some of the more interesting and helpful personal finance articles I’ve read recently. I’ve frozen my credit for 10 years. It’s a hassle but worth it. (Wall Street Journal via Morningstar). A small price for peace of mind. Worthy of a read for all who are considering a credit freeze in […]
With all the stuff two people bring into a marriage, it’s no wonder that money is a very frequent topic of dispute. They were raised by different sets of parents who did the whole money thing in their unique way. They had different personal financial experiences. They have different temperaments, and they bring into marriage […]
If a tool existed that would give you a strong sense of control over your finances and help keep your financial stress low, wouldn’t you use it? If this tool served as a financial road map, showing you clearly how you could live within your means, generously support the causes you care about, and save […]
A weekly roundup of some of the more interesting and helpful personal finance articles I’ve read recently. 5 mental tricks to make a good money habit really last (Forbes). How to set yourself up for success. Working ‘til you die is a lousy financial plan (Time). As I like to say, plan vocationally, emotionally, and […]
An endless number of studies have documented people’s general lack of financial preparedness for their later years. As just one example, the Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI) says that among workers age 55 and older, 54% have less than $100,000 saved for retirement. No amount of finger-wagging lectures seems to move the savings needle. The […]
Goal setting is all the rage this time of year. Unfortunately, so is bashing the practice. Some have become tired of the whole New Year’s resolutions routine. It seems trite to them, unproductive. It’s cool to be anti-goal. I’m okay with being uncool. I love the start of a New Year. It always feels like […]
A weekly roundup of some of the more interesting and helpful personal finance articles I’ve read recently. The simple thing that helped me save $30,000 (CNN Money). Ah, that lowly, much-maligned yet wonderfully powerful tool called a budget. The 50% rule: why frugality is freedom (Better Humans). I’ve never been crazy about the term “frugal,” […]
A weekly roundup of some of the more interesting and helpful personal finance articles I’ve read recently. Parents pass (bad) money habits to kids (Squared Away). Whether we teach our kids about money—and how—has a lasting impact. Why is it so hard to stick to a budget? (US News). Like any new habit, it can […]
