Most of us know that in order to live healthily, to some degree we must spend money. Eating organically is often more expensive than eating foods produced cheaply and packed with preservatives, for instance. That said, often we overestimate how cost-effective healthy living can be. For the cost of an easily-booked takeaway meal, for instance, using raw ingredients to create a beautiful meal is often much cheaper.
That said, it’s also true that healthy living aids can demand more money from our purse. For instance, supplementing our diets with all the vitamins and minerals we may not have, indulging in small additions like fitness equipment, hobbies such as making matcha tea each morning, or even the long-term cost of hiring a personal trainer or partaking in paywalled communities online.
But how can we avoid wasting money on healthy living? There are a few techniques you can keep close to your heart. Remember, every point in this list is aided by research. It’s best to know the best hearing aid for your needs rather than purchasing the most expensive device out there, for instance.
Let’s get started, together:
Research & Information Is Free
It’s not uncommon for brands to offer a range of side purchases that you can make in order to get the ‘inside scoop’ on a practice or health discipline. For instance, it might be that you’re hoping to fast intermittently on a daily basis, and doing so means learning a few principles. Is it worth paying for the starting guide of someone running an online brand when there’s so much free information available online? Perhaps – but don’t default to that unless you are certain you need it.
Consider The Quality Of Service
Consider the quality of a service you may be utilizing. For instance, you may be subscribed to a meal delivery plan that helps you put together weight-loss meals with prepared ingredients each day. But are you paying twice that you would pay for the raw ingredients otherwise? And might it be that these recipes are limiting you? Could this be a foothold and nothing more? In this respect, you might reflect on how this service is benefiting you – as training wheels rather than a long-term payment you don’t need to be making.
Workout Outside Of A Gym
Covid has taught us that it’s more than possible to exercise outside, and this can save you money in a pinch. Taking a walk or run around the local park can help you avoid spending unnecessarily on treadmills unless you like running in the early morning and evening and want to stay safe doing so. It may be that investing that money in a home gym can save you money later on, while getting outside in nature can help you enjoy the mental-boosting benefits of being in an environment like this, without the subscription you keep forgetting to cancel.
While this is all just advice and totally depends on what you’re happy spending on, these money-saving principles can help you avoid wasting funds on a fit-and-healthy lifestyle.
From a young age, the adults around us tell us to save money for a rainy day. When you’re a child, you can’t imagine saving money for a thunderstorm – you can’t go out and have fun when it’s raining! However, as an adult, you learn that a rainy day is simply a miserable time in life that requires a little cheer and sunshine. Saving for that particular day may seem difficult at times; everything is getting more expensive but we’re not earning any more than usual! Still, despite the difficulty, we should be doing all that we can to put money away for those “just in case” moments in life.
If you haven’t already begun weaving your safety net for your family, then you need to get started putting one together now. You may need one to replace appliances, fix up the car, or pay for divorce legal services to cover you after an injury at work while you wait for help from personal injury lawyers. The point is that the money that you save is going to be your cushion in a financial crisis, and while you may think that a crisis will never happen to you, there’s always the “what if?”. So, with that in mind, here are five reasons to convince you to get saving for that rainy day right now.
Job Loss. No civilian could have expected the COVID-19 pandemic to turn into what it has, with home losses and job losses. You can’t always predict that you’re going to lose your job, so why wait to find out? You could have the most comfortable and secure job and still lose it; you can’t take security for granted. You should ensure that you have at least three months of expenses saved at all times if only to help you to get by while you look for another job.
Poor Health. Should you become ill, it can be a comfort to know that your mortgage and bills are paid even if you can’t work for a while. If you keep expenses for your day-to-day living in your savings account and you find that you suddenly can’t work, you don’t have the added stress to ensure that your payments are covered on top of everything else. How are you going to finance that trip to the ER anyway? Oh, wait, your rainy-day fund is working for you!
Home Repairs. The one thing that all homeowners dread is an unexpected repair. From the boiler busting to the roof needing new tiling, home repairs are often very difficult to manage when you don’t expect them. However, if you have money put to one side, needing repairs is never a problem as you’re already covered.
A New Car. Your old car is ready to give up the ghost, and you need to replace it. Without the car, your kids can’t get to school and you can’t get to work. A kitty to cover you for vehicle expenses is a kitty you want to be involved in! Make sure that you have money put to one side for yours!
Last Second Travel. Whether you’re traveling because of a family or friend in need, it can help to ensure that you have money put to one side to keep you going when you need to go somewhere new at the last minute. Last-minute travel is often more expensive than most, so you should have enough money put to one side. It can also help to use currency conversion such as with 1 Canadian dollar to 1 Rupee, because it means you can budget for your holiday while also having the backup blanket of a little emergency cash if you need it.
Friends, how are you saving for rainy days at home? Please leave your thoughts in the comments below.
One of the major things that often holds people back from making the changes they want to make to their home is the amount of money it might cost. That’s not something you should let stop you from getting your home in the shape you’d like it to be in though. When money’s tight, improving your home is tougher, but it can be done. Here are some ways to save money but still achieve the outcomes that are important to you, so read on to find out more.
Balance Your Use of Materials
Buying the materials you need to carry out your home improvement plans is one of the things that can turn out to be most expensive by the time everything’s concluded. You should keep this in mind and maybe make a few compromises in areas where you can afford to in order to balance the quality and, therefore, the costs of the materials you ultimately purchase.
Fund the Changes By Selling What You Want to Get Rid Of
For many people, carrying out big home improvement plans also involves having a clear out of the home and making more space. If that’s what you plan to do, you should use the opportunity to sell a few of the things that you no longer need and fund your plans that way. It could make a big difference.
Take Your Time
It’s important to remember that you don’t have to rush your way through this whole process. In many instances, taking your time and moving a little more slowly can be majorly beneficial. That’s because it should allow you to spread out the costs, and that’s great as long as you don’t live alongside a project that’s a work in progress for a while.
It’s often the case that you can find bespoke financing options that’ll help you cover the cost of the changes you’re looking to make. For some people, this can be the best way forward, especially if the money problems that are holding you back are more about short-term cash flow. Things like plumber financing are pretty common nowadays, and the same applies to many other home improvement niches.
Improve Your DIY Skills
If you’re not someone who’s ever been particularly skilled when it comes to DIY, maybe now is the perfect time to change that. By improving your DIY skills a little, you can carry out a lot of the work that needs to be done yourself, meaning you don’t have to rely on paying huge fees to hire other people who can do that work on your behalf. It’s a great way to cut your costs.
Carrying out your desired home improvements isn’t always easy, but if you get creative and you’re willing to make some adaptations, it’s usually possible to get it done on a budget. But don’t overstretch yourself or put your finances in peril for the sake of a few changes to your home.
Money is something you need every day, even when you do not make a purchase. You need to know that you have enough in your bank account to buy the essentials. Of course, you always want a little extra for the fun things in life. To have money, it is essential to have a good plan in place for managing it.
There are plenty of big and small events in life where you may need to borrow money to fund purchases. Always go to trusted professionals for securing loans. Plenti offers both personal loans and car loans. They are a helpful resource when you are ready for a new vehicle, home remodels, environmental home upgrades, and legal costs. They even have a handy Loan Comparison feature as well as a Repayment Calculator feature. It is important to research different companies to find the best one for your needs. Knowing how much you will be paying back on the loan is key to planning your financial future.
Tracking
Knowing where your money both comes from and where it goes is a crucial part of managing your personal finances. How you track your funds will depend upon what type of person you are. For some, an app on your phone will be the most convenient and easy to use. You can open up the app, enter the necessary information, and you are done. Another person might prefer a more tangible method such as carrying around a small planner or notebook to track expenses. Bullet journaling has become such a method for some. Whatever you decide upon, make sure you choose a system that will set you up for success. Ensure that there is both ease of use and ease of access to your chosen platform so that tracking your finances does not become another daunting daily task but instead a routine activity.
Here is a fun tutorial on how to track spending in a bullet journal.
Saving
Saving is a habit everyone should have in place. It is not always an easy one to keep going after the initial excitement and determination have worn off. They are an essential part of your financial portfolio. Your savings will serve you when emergencies occur. No one ever plans for their vehicle to break down or a water pipe to burst. You do need to plan for unforeseen events so that you have a plan when the unfortunate occurs. Savings are also a great way to plan for big life events. If you are looking forward to a post-Covid vacation, you can use part of your savings for that fun adventure.
Investing
Once you have some money in your savings account, consider investing. Make sure that you work with a trusted company to reach your goals. Generally, you are ready to invest when you are willing to take a risk with your invested funds as your investments always can go up and down. Speak with an advisor or use a company with an easy-to-use Robo advisor. Always read your prospectuses so that you know what you are investing in.
Managing your money is a way of investing in your future success all by itself. Knowing what you have, what you want, and what you need are important aspects of financial success. Stay the course and continue to make smart decisions for you and your future.
Your budget is important to your life. It is the thing that will help you ensure that all the bills are paid, and that you are not pushing yourself in the wrong financial direction. It can be far too easy to rack up debts and buy things that you can’t really afford when you live without a budget, but it’s also easy to ignore the one that you have set out. You shouldn’t do this though, because it could land you in more hot water which is absolutely not what you need in your life right now. If you want to find out more information on how you can be sure you can stick to your budget then you have come to the right place. Keep reading down below, and you will find the information that you are looking for.
The first thing that we’re going to be looking at is making sure that the budget you have set is accurate. It is always better to overestimate than underestimate, so for those things that have a few extra pennies, round up. Don’t think that the pennies don’t matter, because these are usually the place where people go wrong and mess up the entire thing. Making it better to create rainy day funds in lieu of obtaining bad credit loans.
Your budget needs to be as accurate as possible if you’re going to stick to it. If something is wrong, you’re more likely to feel as though there is no point in following it and simply do what you want anyway.
We suggest that you go through all of your bills and your incoming money and find the exact amounts for things. Then, round everything up to the next whole number so that you’ve got a little bit of wiggle room. It is always going to be better to have a little bit of extra money than to not have enough when you need to pay your bills. Write a list of the outgoing money and a list of incoming, and then take the outgoing off of the incoming number. This is what you have left to spend on little luxuries through the month, and this alone. Having it in black and white may be more of an incentive to do what you are supposed to and stick to it as much as you can.
You should always be updating your budget when your financial situation changes. If you no longer have to pay a certain bill, take it off the budget. If you need to add a new one, add it in so that you don’t forget about it. If you now make more money or you’ve got slightly less, make sure this is added too. Nobody else is going to see the budget, so you don’t have to worry about anyone judging the things that you do. Your budget is only for you, so be honest when you’re writing it all down, otherwise the entire exercise is pointless to begin with.
If you don’t do this, then you won’t want to stick to any kind of budget because it won’t be relevant anymore. Or, you will try but it’s not going to work out because it no longer reflects your financial situation.
Think Through Big Purchases
When it comes to big purchases, you’ve got to think them through. You can’t just make a huge purchase and hope that you have enough money to cover it in the coming months, or as one payment. There are tools online that you can use such as a car note calculator and these will help you make a decision as to whether or not the big purchase is something that you can afford. Sometimes, you’re going to have to put a little more thought in because there isn’t a calculator for everything, but where there is, your life is certainly going to be that little bit easier.
Any big purchase is something that you have to consider carefully before you buy it. For example, you probably wouldn’t think twice about buying a bottle of water in the store, but you would before you bought a house. Big purchases tend to be the ones that we want to make most, but can’t just make without a care in the world.
If you think it will help, you could even make a pros and cons list of the reasons for and against the purchase. This is only going to be relevant if you’re actually going to go off what the list says though, instead of just deciding to do what you want either way.
One of the problems that a lot of people have is that they enjoy living beyond their means. Having credit cards is all fun and games until you remember that you actually have to pay back the money that you are spending. This is the part that a lot of people skip as well, but it will put you in a place that you don’t want to be in. Instead of having and using credit cards, we recommend that you only use the money that you have spare in your budget. Sticking to your budget means that you aren’t spending any money past what you have, so this is an important step.
If you know that there is something you want that you can’t afford right now, why aren’t you saving up for it? Instead of trying to purchase it when you know this isn’t a reasonable option, you should simply save some of the money that you have leftover every month and then buy it when you’ve got enough.
Clear Your Debts
We’re sure that you made room in your budget to pay off at least a little of any outstanding debt every month, and this is a fantastic idea. You need to clear off your debts so that you have more money at the end of each month and if you are allocating some money to this in your budget, it’s not going to be a constant source of stress for you anymore. With this in mind, you will have the knowledge that when you stick to your budget, your debts will be cleared sooner rather than later which should give you the kickstart that you need to keep to it.
Nobody wants to be in debt, but unfortunately if this is the place that you have found yourself in, you just need to do whatever you can to get out of it. This means that you take your budget seriously, and then you are going to find yourself debt free!
Hire Some Help
Pic Location – CC0 License
If you are finding managing your finances on your own to be tough, and sticking to your budget is included in this, then you might want to think about hiring some help. Yes, we know that you have to pay for this, but it could be invaluable. These professionals will be there to handle the budget, how much money you have and they can even set it up so that you can’t access any more money than the leftover sum that you’ve got.
A professional will also be able to recommend some of the things that you can do to save some money in certain areas, leaving more leftover for you to play with. They can see things that you won’t be able to see because you haven’t been trained to look for the little things, and it’s there that you find all the difference.
Learn To Say No
You must learn to say no if you want to stick to your budget. This is what everyone else on a budget has to do, and you can as well. We know that it’s never easy to say no when you want something, or when someone you love wants something, but it is necessary. Remember that it’s not going to be forever, and there might be a time where you can simply purchase whatever you like, whenever you like, but now is not that time. To get to that point, you’ve got to stick to your budget and live like this for a little while longer. It’s not all bad because it teaches you discipline which is an important lesson that everyone should learn at some point in their life.
Even if you want to say yes right now, remember that in the long-run, you’re going to be glad that you said no.
We hope that you have found this article helpful, and now see some of the ways that you can be sure you can stick to your budget. It’s not going to be a simple process because it requires a lot of willpower on your part, but you always need to keep in mind that a budget doesn’t have to be forever. Things will always change, and as long as you are ahead of the curve and know what you need to do, everything will work out just fine. We wish you the best of luck, and hope that this advice has provided the answers you were looking for.
When you hear the word investing it can seem daunting. What has long been something for large banking corporations managing money has now evolved so anyone can invest. No matter the size of your bank account or the budget you are looking to spend, there are many ways you can invest your money. If you are just beginning to invest, it is a good idea to start small until you get the hang of it. A common misconception is that you need a large amount of money to begin with, when in reality you can start with as little as $20 upwards! Just because you don’t put a huge amount down doesn’t mean you won’t reap in large returns – you could be surprised as to how much you can potentially make.
There are so many reasons to invest your funds. Investing can provide you with an extra source of income that can be used for everything from funding your retirement to paying off any debts you might have or even taking that vacation you have always dreamt of. You may have recently come into some additional money and be looking for ways to make it go further, or investing may be something you’ve always wondered about. Whichever it is, investing will allow your money to work for you and hopefully grow as time goes on.
Things to consider before investing
It is important to remember the volatility of markets – some of which are more volatile than others – and be aware that there are risks involved alongside the potential gains. Significant events such as recessions can have a drastic impact on certain investments, but others will likely fluctuate steadily over time. If you are looking to invest money for a long-term goal and it will therefore be in investments for longer, it’s important to do your research and find somewhere it should earn more.
You need to consider the right time to invest and if you have debts such as on credit cards, to pay these (or at least the majority) off with your money before investing it. Think about your reason for investing and the level of risk you are willing to take. If you will need your money soon it is better to invest in a less risky choice. If you don’t need your money in the near future, you can take a moderate risk and are likely to generate a bigger ROI. If you are able to take a risk with your money – perhaps you won’t need it for a long while or don’t mind a higher risk factor if it means higher potential returns – then growth should be your aim. Be sure to take into account your age, your life plans, and the time before you will need the money before deciding on the investment you want to go ahead with. Remember you could split your money over multiple investments too.
Top ways to invest your money this year
High Yield Savings Accounts
This is one of the lowest risk investments and has much fewer overhead costs than other investments. With a high-interest rate, they allow your money to grow quicker than a traditional savings account and are useful if you will need your money fairly soon. As long as the account is opened in a legitimate bank that has FDIC insurance there is no risk of losing your capital.
A health savings account
Another way to invest is through a health savings account. After all, if you’re going to invest, healthcare should be one of the top items on your list. An HSA is a tax-advantaged medical savings account available to those who are enrolled in a high-deductible health plan and means your funds aren’t subject to federal income when you deposit them. An HSA usually begins as a cash account similar to a savings account, however, when you have accrued a certain amount, you can change it to an investment account.
Investing in property
With the demand for rental properties only continuing to grow, there has never been a better time to invest in real estate. Do your research carefully and consider factors such as ROI, location, maintenance costs, and deposit needed before you dive in with a real estate investment, including advice from professionals including David Ebrahimzadeh. Real estate investments, when done correctly, can be a highly profitable venture with minimal financial risk. Giving investors financial control over property streams of income. Including how much rent you charge and can keep it in line with inflation ensuring you don’t lose out. It can help you pay off your mortgage and is a steady passive income stream.
Certificates of Deposit
A certificate of deposit is a time-bound deposit whereby you get a higher interest rate than a normal bank account, but in exchange you let the bank use your money for a set period of time. Once this matures, you get your original principal back as well as any interest. Being a safe option with a relatively high payout rate, it is a good choice for those who have retired or who don’t mind waiting a bit for their money. The time for a CD to reach maturity can be months or years and if you want to get your money sooner it usually comes with a penalty fine.
Dividend Stock Funds
Dividend stock funds are a good choice for intermediate and advanced investors as they do come with risk but also pay a higher yield. Dividends are portions of a company’s profit that are paid out usually on a quarterly basis, but this can differ, to shareholders. As an investor, you can earn both short terms and also through long-term market appreciation. It’s important to realize that a higher stock price correlates to a higher dividend yield. The more a stock price increases with dividend yield, the more the dividend yield actually decreases – despite what you would imagine.
These are just some of the top tips for investing and where you should invest your money this year. Be sure to do your research and find the right investment opportunity for you.
Driving is something that pretty much the entire population would benefit from. While it’s still a pretty luxurious way of traveling around, it is also something that is necessary in order to have the same freedoms as most people in this day and age. If you have a vehicle and a full tank of gas, then you can literally head to wherever you wish and experience pretty much whatever you desire. Buying a car and driving is very much the first step of people’s lives in terms of their journey to complete maturity and freedom. While the practice of driving doesn’t do too much, the feeling you get and the confidence you receive make a big difference overall.
For plenty of people, the idea of ever driving scares them to their very core. They may never want to bother due to fears. Some might even take lessons, pass their exam, and still never drive again due to the fact that they don’t have an instructor with them all of the time. Whatever the reason, the fear is valid. There will be ways in which you can bite the bullet and begin driving, though. There will also be methods you can use to put your body and mind in a much better place with regard to your driving. Where you are right now doesn’t have to be where you’ll always be. Those ideas of crashing or running into issues can be quelled pretty simply if you try.
It might not be an overnight thing, but here are some things you can do to help you to finally get behind the wheels and begin driving:
Don’t View It As A Huge Deal
This is easier to talk about than it is to do, but it’s something that would take a lot of weight from your shoulders in this regard. If you see it as a huge problem, then you’re going to struggle through every single step. You might even be scared of even beginning as you’ll view the entire thing as an impossible task that only certain people can do. Once you get going, you’ll realize that it’s not really that big of a deal. Sure, it’ll take getting used to and there will be a learning curve, but everything in life takes practice. You’re never going to be good at something straight away!
Get Stuck Into Lessons
This goes without saying, but lessons will be necessary. Once you get through the fundamentals of driving training, things become very repetitive and it’s just a case of honing your abilities. As we’ve mentioned before, you’re going to be a little raw and awkward, to begin with, but things will pick up. They say that you learn to pass and then you learn to actually drive afterward, and that’s pretty accurate. You begin to understand how the roads work and how other drivers behave when you’ve been on the road for long enough.
If you’ve already passed your test but just took a lengthy break before driving once again, then going back into lessons wouldn’t be a terrible idea. The point is that you’re going to want to stimulate your brain properly and familiarise yourself with everything again. It’s best to do this with an instructor if you’re a little nervous. Sure, just getting in the car with a friend might help, but never feel obliged to do so if you’re not comfortable with that idea.
Learn More And More About Cars
If you know more about cars in general, then you’re going to be a lot more comfortable with handling one. By no means do you need to become a mechanic or anything like that, but a little intermediate knowledge in some areas wouldn’t hurt. If you ever come into trouble (which you probably will at some point), then it’s helpful to know what might be the issue. For instance, things like seasonal maintenance advice would be extremely helpful during the colder times (you can click here to read up on that kind of thing) as you’d be able to figure out particular problems that happen in those instances. Vast knowledge of cars would also make you more inclined to get behind the wheel as you’d know what you were heading into.
Be Positive And Recognize That It’ll Make Your Life Better
Driving, as we’ve mentioned before, allows you a new kind of freedom. There will be certain aspects of your life that will stay the same, of course, but you’ll be open to all kinds of new facets and additions. If you recognize this, then it’ll make life a whole lot easier for you as you look to buy a car or begin driving. The excitement will more than overtake the fear.
Go Out On Small Practice Sessions With A Friend
We’ve mentioned that lessons might be a more beneficial option, but there’s still nothing wrong with heading out with someone who knows what they’re doing. Perhaps a quiet neighborhood or a completely open area might be the best course for you in this regard.
Pay Attention When In The Passenger Seat
While you’re relaxing in the passenger seat while on the way to an important place, it can be easy to zone out and focus on something else as you wait to arrive. Perhaps you could use this time to watch how they drive and ask questions about what they’re doing. They’ll obviously need to concentrate themselves, so don’t be too invasive! Don’t just watch what they do in the car, be sure to learn about the kinds of roads, the markings, and the behaviors.
Talk About It With Someone
If the fear of driving is really getting to you, then there’s nothing wrong with opening up and talking about it. Speaking with a friend or family member about it all might allow you to figure out what your issue is. If it extends beyond something petty, then perhaps even a psychologist could help you out and help you to overcome something like this. It may sound awkward, but it’s a perfectly fine thing to want to talk about.
