Category Archives for Saving Money & Frugal Living

If you are renting, you can use your rent payments to build your credit score. That’s possible, even though Nerd Wallet reports that a mere 1% of FICO credit files contain rental entries. But all three major credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion), and even newer versions of FICO (FICO 9 and FICO XD), use rental payment information. Here’s how you can take advantage: 

If you go searching for ways to save money on food, inevitably you’ll first find suggestions like drink coffee at home instead of buying it from a coffee shop or stop eating out.  Those tips are good for people who are just beginning to save money, but what if you already have the basics downs and need to increase your money saving game?  There are plenty of more unusual ways to save money on food.

For most people, food takes up a large portion of their budget.  Depending on family size, this may be your next largest expense after your mortgage.  Luckily, there are many, many ways to save on groceries.

When my daughter came to me and told me she wanted to take a gap year after high school, my head went into immediate panic mode. The whole “gap year” idea can conjure up pictures of your kid living in the basement playing video games for the next two decades. But is a gap year a bad idea?

Easy approval installment loans online are popular among many borrowers for many reasons. The main difference between an installment loan and the typical loans is that interest rates remain fixed throughout the duration of a loan for the former.

If you haven’t yet begun saving for your child’s college education, there are things you and your child can do now to prepare for college, even if you won’t be able to save money for them to use for college.

Are you interested in getting a better handle on your money, or simply finding an easier way to track your income, expenses, and savings? In today’s world, there are apps for just about everything, and that includes budgeting. The best budgeting apps on the market today help you manage many of the aspects of your money, and all at an affordable price.

The last year of high school is filled with many fun, social opportunities as well as obligations for college preparation. If you don’t set a budget for your child's senior year of high school expenses, you may find yourself out thousands of dollars. Instead, decide your budget and have an open conversation with your child about what you are willing to pay for and what will be the child’s obligation. You don’t have to pay for it all.

Money transfer apps are easy to use and free in some cases. But with everything that's easy and convenient, there are increased risks. Consumers cannot always rely on the company to protect them from thieves and hackers. Learn about the risks of using apps to send money orders and prevent your own risky actions.

Being a good manager for your money is not just about making ends meet. Forget about your poor math skills; impeccable math skills aren't essential. All you need in your arsenal are basics skills in subtraction and addition. Life becomes much simpler when you are an excellent financial planner. The way you spend your money can have an impact on your overall credit score as well as your debt status. If managing your money is a real problem, here are ten tips to help you handle your financial habits...

When my son was young, each year his school had a walk-a-thon as one of their fundraisers.  Each child was expected to raise $200, and if you didn’t raise that money through donations, the parents had to pay it themselves. 

Many schools, extracurricular activities, and sports have these types of fundraisers.  If you live far from family or have a small family, finding a way to raise the money can be difficult, and if you’re on a tight or modest budget, finding the money to cover the entire expense yourself may not be feasible. 

If you’re faced with one of these, here are some charity fundraising strategies to try to boost your sales and meet your goal.