Can you think of any financial tool that is more universally disdained than a budget? Just mention the word and people conjure up images of a ball and chain. They talk about it as something one goes on like a diet. “Poor John and Sue; they’re on a budget.” Budgets even seem to be a […]
Tag Archives | Budgets
What I Believe
By Matt Bell on November 18, 2009 in Faith & Finances, Budgeting/Planning, Generosity, Saving, Credit/Debt, Spending Smart, Money & Marriage
I am very excited about the launch of this new web site and blog. Switching from the eNewsletters I’ve been writing for the past three years to a blog will allow for more of a two-way dialogue with readers and will free me to write about more money-related topics. Since this marks the beginning of […]
The Fragile State of Our Finances
If you faced an unexpected $2,000 expense, how confident are you that you’d be able to come up with the money? According to a recent survey from the market research firm TNS, less than half of us believe we could find the funds. Of those who said they could, about half said they would tap […]
Budget Software Going the Way of the Dinosaur
Microsoft Money, a longtime player in the budget software space, will no longer be available for sale after this month. In a news release, Microsoft cited the “range of options for managing personal finances” now available–from free online tools like Mint.com to those offered by banks. The makers of Quicken, the other main budget software […]
Online Tool Reviews
The Internet is making personal money management easier. I recently wrote a guest post for U.S. News & World Report, looking at the pros and cons of various online budget tools. I’m using Mint.com and enjoying it for the most part, but I plan to switch to Yodlee next year because it offers a few […]
Online Budget Tools Put to the Test
Last month I mentioned that I was planning to switch from a traditional version of Quicken to one of the newer free online “financial aggregators.” The traditional software version ties you to one computer, whereas the online tools provide access via any computer. While I’m not done with my evaluation, here are a few things […]
A Fresh Start
Money matters usually rank among people’s top New Year’s resolutions and this year is no different. MarketWatch reported on one of the many resolution surveys in which “Get out of debt or save money” came in as the number one New Year’s commitment. In fact, 90 percent of survey respondents had a money-related goal on […]
The Gift of a Debt-Free Holiday
An estimated 12 million people are still paying off debts they racked up buying holiday gifts last year. That’s among the more sobering findings from a new holiday survey conducted by Consumer Reports. The lingering debts may be one reason why nearly 60 percent of people plan to use a gift budget this year–a much […]
Spending Smart
While we can’t control what’s happening in the stock market we can control what’s happening in our homes, and now is an especially good time to look for ways to spend smarter. U.S. News & World Report offers a great collection of ideas for saving on the cost of food, clothing, healthcare, and more. Such […]
Calming The Anxiety
Not surprisingly, a growing number of people are feeling some economic anxiety. According to Yakelovich, a market research firm, the percentage of Americans feeling high or severe financial anxiety has jumped from 33 percent in January of this year to 61 percent in June. Of course, that 61 percent figure was tallied well before the […]