Budgeting

This post is sponsored by Diamond Bloggers. All opinions expressed are my own. Thank you.

When you start a family, you’ll be given different pieces of advice and indeed warnings. You’ll be told that kids keep you up all night which they do. That your personal time is seriously cut down which it is. How incredible it is to have children and to love someone more than you ever thought possible. What people won’t talk to you about is the cost of having a family. That information they’ll let you figure that one out all by yourself.

Have you seen people driving around in expensive sports cars and planning luxury vacations? You can feel fairly certain those people don’t have kids. Or, if they do they have discovered the best ways to make your finances work for you when you have a family. That’s what we’re going to explore today, and we’ll start by looking at the right way to manage your budget.

Setting Up Your Big Monthly Budget

Everyone should have some sort of budget that they stick to each month or year. It will help ensure that you don’t spend more than you should and that you are able to keep those costs under complete control.

With a budget, it’s also possible to make sure that you have money in savings and that’s important. Most young couples don’t even have a thousand in savings, and that means they have no money at all for unexpected costs such as the potential bills they might have to pay. So, how do you set up your family budget the right way?

Well, you need to think about all the money you make. Include everything in this sum such as side hustles and investments. We’re going to look at both these options a little further down. Now that you have your total you need to look at your outgoings.

If you’re not sure of this, take a peek at your monthly statements. Look for patterns to give you an idea of what typically leaves your account each month. This will include food bills, energy bills, gas for the car and the list goes on.

Once you have a substantial list subtract them all. Now, take a third of the total and mark that as savings. What you have left is roughly the amount you have to spend on luxuries, unexpected costs and little things for your kids. It should be a fairly substantial amount, and that probably makes you wonder where your money goes. You definitely don’t have that much left at the end of the month do you?

Stop Overspending

It’s so easy to overspend and let’s look at the food shop as an example. By looking at your statements, you should be able to see how much on average you spend on your food each month. You want to work to cut this down as much as possible, and it’s easy to do.

One of the best ways to reduce your monthly food shop is to not be a slave for brands. We all have our favorites brands, but when you take a good hard look, you’ll see they aren’t really special at all. Offering more or less the same and when you realize that you’ll be able to look for the cheapest one every time you shop. Then, you can think about looking at vouchers and coupons online.

There are plenty of sites online like Coupons.com that provide great deals for parents looking for cheap deals on products that they buy regularly or even every time they head to the superstore.

Of course, food shopping is just one of the areas that you might be overspending where costs can be easily adjustable. Another example would be your energy bills. If you have a home full of kids then you might find it’s difficult to keep the energy bills under control.

That’s particularly true when you think about the amount of technology that you are probably using on a regular basis in your home. If you have teenagers, it’s possible that there’s a TV in each room along with a games console or computer. How do you keep the electric costs down when we’re all this tech orientated?

Well, you should be checking out the tech you purchase carefully. All tech on the market today has energy ratings. If you want to keep your energy bills low, you just need to make sure you’re buying tech with the best ratings on the market. In no time at all, you’ll find your bills are reduced down to size.

You might also want to think about getting a smart meter. With a smart meter, you’ll be able to find out exactly what is costing you the most money. That way you can replace it or take more control over how much that device is being used. But be careful of false economy saves.

For instance, if the dryer is costing you more money, don’t stuff it with clothes for fewer cycles. Ultimately, this will just lead to you needing to put it on, again and again, to get clothes dry anyway.

Or, how about a side hustle. There are lots of choices here including working at home. When you look into these, you’ll find that the market is wide open and there are lots of available opportunities to help you make more money.

Debt Consolidation services with Ballast Associates

Sometimes the best way to better your family finances at home can be with debt consolidation services. Financial services strategies to help families with their finances by paying off one or more lines of credit in exchange for a loan that’s better suited to complement your financial goals.

Reasons to consolidate debt include allowing families to be able to more easily pay off your credit card balances with a personal loan could help you save on interest, increase your credit score and change your debt from revolving to installment debt, among other benefits. As revolving debt in the form of debt that many credit cards use. Most consumer credit cards are categorized as revolving credit, and the amount you use has a considerable effect on your utilization ratio and credit score. Using consolidation services, families can more quickly pay off these sums in order to better their financial situations at home.

Debt consolidation services, such as with Ballast Associates, can also help borrowers to more quickly be moving towards paying down installment debt, such as a mortgage, auto loan or student loan. By paying off your debt with a personal loan and moving your balance to a consolidated payment, families could see an increase in your score and the payment plan could help you get out of debt for good. Consolidation services can also help consumers to lower monthly payments and shorten payment terms as well. By moving all of your unsecured debt onto a personal loan, you’ll only have a single payment to make each month.

With this information in mind, you can apply for consolidation services and options you like, finishing the last steps of your process is simple: after you’ve applied for the loan you desire, just verify your info and sign your loan! Once your loan is signed, you can receive your money sometimes as soon as the same day.

If you think you meet the minimum qualifications and want to pay off your credit cards or other high-interest debt, you can get started and see your options, such as Ballast Associates consolidation services.

Friends, while family finances generally no picnic, utilizing the tips listed above can help make your finances easier to manage this season at home. And if you have any tips for bettering family finances yourself, feel free to leave those suggestions in the comments below.

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Travel has become significantly more accessible over the last few decades. Never before have so many people had the opportunity to see the world, with people from all walks of life going on adventures which would have been impossible just a generation or two before? Of course, though, while travel is something which more people have access to, it is still far more expensive than a lot of people can reasonably afford. To help you out with this, this post will be exploring a range of different tips which can secure the cheapest possible vacation for you and your loved ones, all without having to put a huge amount of work into it.

Last Minute or Well In Advance

The price of a vacation will change over time. Fluctuations in popularity, the time of day, and even the particular person visiting the website will all help to dictate the price which is shown on the screen. Of course, along with this, the time between booking and the vacation itself can also make a huge difference.

In Advance: Booking in advance is the option most people choose when they are looking at vacations. This ensures that you have the widest range available to you, with the very best hotels being those which can offer both luxury and unbeatable prices, along with giving you the chance to take advantage of the low prices which are posted long before a vacation is due. Of course, though, you have to be able to plan ahead to make this work, and a lot of people simply don’t have this power.

Last Minute: Unlike most things in life, there can be real benefits to booking your trip last-minute. When a company is struggling to get rid of the rooms they have, they will often lower their prices dramatically, hoping to catch those who want a vacation but don’t want to pay a huge amount for it. This applies to hotels, flights, and just about everything else you need for your vacation, but you often won’t be able to go directly to the companies selling the breaks. Instead, you will need to look for websites which can fill this gap.

Off-Season

Thanks to school holidays, public holidays, and other seasonal events, it can be hard to book a vacation in the time slot you want without having to pay a small fortune for it. Even with kids, though, you often don’t have to travel during the heat of everyone else’s breaks, and can simply take time out of work and school to go away when no one else wants to. The weather will be beautiful and the hotel will be quiet, creating the perfect environment for a lot of families. Going away during times like this can save a small fortune, especially if you’re going to a popular spot.

A Personal Approach

For a lot of people, the idea of traveling without a package will seem like far too much work when booking their vacations. It’s easy to find yourself looking for the easiest possible route to your trip, though this can often prove to be a mistake when you’re trying to save some money in the process. Instead, by choosing to organize most of the vacation for yourself, you can often save a good deal of money, and this doesn’t have to be a challenge.

It all starts with the flights you’ll be choosing. Most airports will have a weekly schedule, and this means that you will almost certainly be able to choose the exact week you’d like to jet off. Once you have the dates and times for your flights, you can begin to search for accommodation. Sites like Airbnb have made this far cheaper than it used to be. With flights booked and somewhere to stay in mind, the last job you’ll have will be to book transport from the airport to your villa or hotel, and this should be nice and cheap no matter the time of year.

Your Location

Despite the world becoming smaller every day, there are some aspects of localization which will never change. Economies, for example, are unique to the place they call home, with each city, town, and other settlements all having their own prices for goods and services. This means that picking the wrong location can often result in a vacation being far more expensive than you might expect. You should research the cost of restaurants and shops before you travel, picking places which are cheaper than home to make it feel like you’re saving even as you spend.

Trips & Excursions

While the hotel and its surrounding areas are likely to be very picturesque, most people will want to do more than simply sitting around in their hotel when they go away. Of course, though, paying for excursions can often be far more expensive than people expect. One of the best ways to make this cheaper is by simply booking them before you set off. While this will give you less freedom to choose what you want to do each day, it will almost always save you money. With the chance to see all of the deals before you choose which one you’d like to go for, you will have a proper chance to compare and find the options which suit you the best.

Using The Internet

Over the last few years, loads of websites have sprung up which are designed to make it easier to save money on your vacation. With the help of services like this, you can almost always find good deals on each aspect of the break you’re planning. Even if you don’t end up using them to book your services directly, it’s always worth using options like this, as they can often make you aware of options which you didn’t know existed.

Discount Sites: There are a lot of websites out there which are designed with the idea of providing discount codes in mind. When it comes to travel, this could save you hundreds, with some deals offering discounts as high as 15% off the price of the entire break. An Orbitz promo code, for example, could make a $750 vacation go down as little as $675, and spending more will only make the savings increase.

Blogs & Forums: Over the last few years, people across the internet have begun to band together in the fight for cheaper vacations. With loads of blogs, forums, and other community-driven options available, it’s easy to get advice and find new options which you didn’t know existed. This can save you loads of researching, while also making it easier to get your hands on a vacation which you’ll love.

Trackers: With the prices of flights, hotels, and other vacation essentials changing on a daily basis, figuring out the right time to buy can be a challenge. To fill this gap, several price scanner websites have hit the market in recent years. By monitoring price trends, they can give you a much better idea of the right time to buy. SkyScanner is a great example of this and has proven its worth for a lot of people over the last few years.

With all of this in mind, you should be feeling ready to take on the challenge of saving money on your next vacation. A lot of people struggle with this sort of work, finding it hard to know what they need to do when they’re trying to make this part of their life cheaper. Of course, though, research is always the biggest key and will be one of the best tools you have when it comes to making your vacations more cost-effective.

There’s nothing more wonderful than finding out that you’re pregnant. The warm feeling that comes with knowing that you’re going to bring a life into the world. Yet, as wonderful as this feeling is, most of us also experience a little trepidation. Maybe even outright fear. Especially if this is your first pregnancy. You may wonder if you’re ready to be a Mom, emotionally, psychologically and (of course) monetarily. Of course, any parent will tell you that you’re never ready, not really. And while bringing a child into the world often means expense, it does not mean that you have to spend a fortune. 

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Pregnancy gives you 9 months to prepare not just for childbirth but for parenthood. That gives you a lot of time (although still less than you might think) to get your home and your mind ready to bring a child into your life. It also gives you a great deal of time to find ways to reduce the cost of pregnancy and those early days of motherhood. The thrifty and enterprising Mom-to-be has a plethora of ways in which she can use this time to make substantial savings…

Find a side hustle

You’ll be on maternity leave after your baby’s born… But that doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to scrape by on nothing more than maternity pay. Once you’ve found your rhythm as a parent and established a daily schedule to look after your baby you may be able to make a little extra money in your downtime with a side hustle. A side hustle shouldn’t necessarily be more work. It should be a way to make money while using your skills and doing things that you enjoy. This could be something as simple as walking the neighbor’s dogs or babysitting the kids of other Moms in your social circle. Or it could mean starting a brand new job from home that capitalizes on your skills and passions. Here are a few full-time jobs you can do from home that might serve as inspiration for you. 

Find a better savings account and pay into it

It’s okay to admit it. We could all do more when it comes to setting aside some money in our savings. While many of us have a savings account, these can only work for us when we actually pay into them regularly. It doesn’t have to be a lot. It doesn’t even have to be 10% of your paycheck. But paying something in every month will provide a valuable safety net for your finances. Oh, and if you’re still using your old savings account from your high street bank, you desperately need an upgrade. Find an online bank as these can usually offer you better rates of interest (since they have fewer overheads they can pass the savings onto you). Here are some of the best savings accounts of 2019. 

Take steps to reduce hospital bills

Unless you’re lucky enough to live in a country where healthcare is free, having a baby inevitably means expense. Still, that doesn’t mean that you have to surrender yourself to being ripped off. Even little things like going through your insurance coverage with a fine-toothed comb so that you know what is and isn’t covered can save you considerable expense. It’s also worth learning how to time contractions. The last thing you need is to have to pay for an ambulance to take you to hospital for your Braxton Hicks. It’s also worth finding out what your local birthing charges are. These can vary wildly from hospital to hospital even between hospitals in the same city.

Don’t have insurance? That may not necessarily be a problem. Your hospital may be willing to give you discounted rates or charge you as a charity case.

Buy used and borrow

As tempting as it may be to go all out on your new baby’s clothes, this is an urge you should rein in as much as possible. After all, you know that the baby won’t be wearing them for long. Buying used clothes can save you an absolute fortune. eBay, charity stores and even dedicated online shops are an absolute treasure trove of cute, virtually new baby clothing at a fraction of the price that you’d pay in stores. And don’t forget your most precious resource… Other Moms. Any of your friends who’ve had kids recently will likely be more than happy to help you out by sending some of their kid’s old clothes your way. 

The same goes for strollers, buggies and even toys. You can even apply the same principle for your maternity clothes, too. Many new Moms are quick to get rid of maternity clothes they won’t be needing anymore, putting them up for sale online, taking them to the local charity store, selling them in yard sales or simply giving them away to friends.

Speaking of nice ways in which your friends can help you…

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Did somebody say “baby shower”?

A baby shower is not only a great way to keep in touch with friends old and new, but it can also be a wonderful source of cute free stuff that will help you to hit the proverbial ground running when your baby is born. While it may not be appropriate to outright ask friends or family for a baby shower, never underestimate the awesome power of… Dropping hints. 

Mentioning to your friends that you’re having a little trouble making ends meet or hinting to your Mom that you’re struggling to find an affordable stroller might be enough to get the party started. If someone close to you tells you that you’re planning a baby shower, by all means, give them a wish list. This will help you to avoid the risk of duplicate gifts and allow each of your guests to choose a gift that’s within their budget.

With patience, tenacity and a little know how anyone can cut the cost of pregnancy and feather their nests for motherhood. Try a few of these strategies and you’ll be able to enjoy the wonderful perks of life as a new parent, without being plagued by money worries.  

Please note, this post is sponsored by Diamond Bloggers. All opinions expressed are my own. Thank you.

Since paying down debt and saving cash can often be about as fun as getting a root canal, finding small, workable ways to save money around the house is paramount. Especially for millennial stay-at-home moms and small business owners. Which is why today I’m sharing five tips to help you get started saving this season at home.

Be proactive about paying down debt

According to a CareerBuilder survey, 40 percent of 18-34-year-olds are living paycheck to paycheck- and it’s even higher for women. Which is why one of the best ways to save money this season at home is to begin by examining how much debt you’re carrying each month. While the phrase “It’s fun to” comes up in conversation, it’s generally never followed by “pay off credit card debt.” But here’s the thing: Paying off debt doesn’t have to be boring. It doesn’t even mean giving up every creature comfort at home. Instead, becoming realistic about paying down debt simply means achieving financial freedom by becoming creative with the resources available to you. Some clever ways to pay off debt include:

• Figuring out exactly how much you owe. As in, when’s the last time you looked at all your debts and their interest rates to devise a payoff plan? A really easy way to do this is to get a credit report card from sites such as Credit Sesame. The site gives you a free credit score, plus layout your credit history so you can see exactly how much money you owe and to whom. With this information, you can better ascertain your monthly payments and interest rate, as well as which debts are in collections.
• Better utilizing your credit ratios. Did you know your score is affected by how much you use your credit card, even if you always pay it off? Your utilization should stay below 30% of your available credit, but the lower the better! This can help you save on interest rates for larger purchases in the future.
• Lower your interest rates. If you’re financially treading water, due to high interest rates, it might be worth consolidating or refinancing your debt. A good resource is Fiona, a search engine for financial services, which can help match you with the right personal loan to meet your needs. If your credit score is at least 620, its platform can help you borrow up to $100,000 (no collateral needed) with fixed rates starting at 3.84% and terms from 24 to 84 months.

Increase your household income

One of the best ways to pay off debt is by simply increasing your income at home each month. While this may sound like a daunting task, there are simple ways you can generate income from home. Including InboxDollars, the web service that pays users to watch movie previews, celebrity videos, and the latest news and dozens of other videos. While you may need to watch up to 30-minutes of content per day, many users can earn up to $225.00 a month watching these videos. Funds that can go right to paying down debt or increasing savings accounts this season at home.

Other popular ways of making money from home can be made from influencer marketing, selling on ETSY, reselling on sites such as eBay and Amazon, as well as the myriad of ideas from professional side hustle experts too.

Lower your recurring monthly bills

Ending each month with a surplus of extra cash can be as simple as reevaluating how much you’re paying each month for recurring bills at home. For example, you’re probably overpaying for car insurance. And how would you know, really? Services such as Gabi. Simply link your insurance account and provide your driver’s license number, and Gabi will go to work by analyzing what coverage you have, comparing the major insurers’ rates for that same coverage in your area, and helping you switch to companies with better rates, as available. better rate.

Another great way to save around the house is to reassess how much you are spending on digital services at home. Including cable and internet services. Many families have found that by cutting the plug on cable and switching to digital services, such as Hulu and Netflix, they are able to save hundreds of dollars each year. Analyzing your cellular services or opting for shared family plans can help you save in equal measure too.

Also, consider finding ways to save on utilities at home. Easy ways to save on your electric bills each month can be as simple as unplugging everything that is not in use- toaster, Keurig, microwave, lamps, and even washer and dryer sets (if you are able to access your outlets before and after usage weekly) you don’t frequently use, to save money. One easy way to do this is to add a strip plug to computers, scanners, and chargers. Devices that can be unplugged en mass when not in use. This is particularly useful as items plugged into outlets, even when not being utilized off, still pulls electricity.

You’ll also have the added bonus of being greener at home too. Unplugging devices helps to reduce your homes carbon footprint as unplugged items consume less energy. Other power-saving measures include adding weather stripping to any doors that aren’t sealed tightly, wait until there is a full load of laundry before running the washer. Washing in cold water uses less energy, line-dry towels and blankets, load the dishwasher completely full before running it.

And lastly, consider ways you can save on your monthly mortgage. A mortgage broker once shared with me an incredibly useful rule of thumb. That by making an extra payment a year on your home, you will cut your mortgage payoff time by 4-8 years. Saving the average homeowner tens of thousands on interest payments.

Reevaluate your monthly food budget

One of my favorite ways to save each month at home is by creating a working monthly meal plan. And to do this I just: Write a menu. Make a list. Follow the list. It’s that simple.

I do this because it saves time, money, and each time I go rogue at the store, I spend much more, like say, double, than if I planned a menu ahead of time and made a list. So at the beginning of the week, I write out a menu, make a list of the whole, one-ingredient food (lower processed foods such as whole grains, fruits, and vegetables) ingredient, check against what I have on-hand at home already, and then place an online grocery pick-up order. This allows me the added benefit of not having to shop in-store during peak hours and I’m not tempted to purchase additional impulse buys too!

Other ways I save on groceries is by buying in bulk. For items including vitamins, crackers, tortilla chips, almonds, pistachios, in-season fresh produce, organic frozen fruits and veggies,
coconut oil, honey, agave, and laundry detergent.  This helps me to also prepare healthier foods at home such as DIY dried fruit, bakes breads, and dressings too.

Reconsider what financial freedom looks like to you with Brice Capital

Once you’ve gotten a hang on your projected path to debt-freedom, figuring out how to achieve financial freedom is your next step. Because financial peace is often better obtained with the help of proper long-term investment strategies. Then to make this dream a reality, seek the assistance of professional firms such as Brice Capital.

Professionals that can help guide you through the process of tracking your finances, creating working monthly budgets, and tasking the guesswork out of creating retirement plans for yourself and your family. You can find assistance from Brice Capital financial planners, who can take the guesswork out of everything from helping you consolidate debt, to taking a realistic look at your income, and even setting more obtainable goals to help get you where you want to be financially.

But do consider, that before you contact Brice Capital, it would behoove you to make a list of your goals so you are ready to meet with their financial team. Steps to help ensure your easiest path to financial freedom for yourself and your family in the years to come.

Brice Capital can also help with steps such as getting a clearer picture of your current financial situation, helping yourself and your family get on the same page with your finances, and to discuss better ways your family can live within your means and become committed to living within your means at home.

Even if things aren’t as financially tight for you and your family in your current season of life, finding ways to become better equipped for your financial road ahead is key. With the above-mentioned savings tips and professional advice from Brice Capital, finding ways to save around your home this season has never been easier.  While finances can be difficult to sort through, in the beginning, this is still a valuable investment for your future at home too.

Now I want to ask, how are you saving at home this season? Leave your tips in the comments below.

This post was sponsored by College Avenue Student Loans. All opinion expressed are my own, thank you.

“You’ll never make it,” they said. “You’re just not smart enough,” they explained. Those were the comments I heard from my extended family growing up when the topic of me attending college was discussed. And though their words were meant to demoralize and discourage, they became my personal anthem of progress when it came time for me to not only attend but to flourish and ultimately graduate from my university. With not just one but two collegiate degrees.

Their words also propelled me to make the decision to attend graduate school. I could provide myself with not only a large and more diverse educational background but also provide myself with a way to better differentiate myself in today’s increasingly competitive job market.

Luckily, I’m not the only one who considers attending graduate school a no-brainer. According to the Federal Reserve, earning an advanced degree offers a substantial payoff, with graduate degree holders earning 30 percent more than those with only a bachelor’s degree. And with the ever-changing needs of employers across various private and public sectors desiring professionals who continually upskill themselves, graduate programs can help new students and returning students alike in immeasurable ways.

Also, by obtaining your master’s degree, you develop transferable skills that apply to various jobs, organizations, and industries, such as analytical, interpersonal, organizational, communication, and advanced technological skills. Skill sets that are often transferable and can help you become both a versatile employee and a more valuable asset to hiring managers and recruiters.

A graduate degree can also help you move into more senior roles, including management and leadership. Many companies not only recognize the benefits of earning your master’s degree but encourage their employees to get one through tuition reimbursement. In fact, 38 percent of employers nationally require applicants to have previously obtained a graduate degree as part of their educational requirements.

For these reasons, you may already be considering expanding your educational opportunities to include graduate coursework. Which leaves one of the largest and final decisions in attending, wondering if a graduate degree is worth the financial cost?

For me, it was. It was a key investment in my financial plans for the future. I’d like to say that I was able to pay for my continued education out-of-pocket, but this was not a reality in my world. I was not in a position to take on non-traditional payment plans and graduate student loans were my most viable financing option. Which is why I implemented the use of graduate student loans to obtain my degree.

My graduate student loans allowed me to borrow enough money to attend school and by doing so, I was also to obtain a degree that gave me the opportunity to implement new lucrative career opportunities in place. I knew I would not be borrowing more money than I expected to make in my first year at a firm. Coupled with setting a personal goal of working while attending school in an effort to pay down accrued interest, I felt at peace with borrowing money for school. And why, despite being a debt-free blogger, I’ll always encourage people to take out graduate student loans if they make financial sense to attend graduate school this season.

And I wasn’t alone. According to the College Board, in 2015-16 alone, 5% of master’s degree recipients, 20% of doctoral degree recipients, and 50% of professional degree recipients borrowed $100,000 or more to fund their graduate school study. As many MBA programs can cost tens of thousands of dollars for each potential student, and the average medical school degree can set students back upwards of $180,000.

Which is why, like me, you’ll likely need to borrow to help pay for a graduate degree after all scholarships, grants, and personal savings options have been exhausted. This makes private graduate student loans one of your next best bets to finance your educational pursuits for graduate school.

For those looking to find smarter graduate student loan opportunities, I encourage you to consider College Ave Student Loans as an option when financing your graduate degree.

College Ave offers new and returning students a better overall loan experience. From helping you find your best graduate school loan to providing borrowers with budget-friendly repayment options, this company makes borrowing fast and easy. They also provide applicants with a simple-to-use application process. It’s so simple that you can complete your application from any mobile device in minutes and find out instantly if your loan approved. Plus, borrowers can choose the loan term that works best for them and their budget with clean, concise borrowing terms upfront.

Graduate student loans are designed with students in mind, and College Ave takes the stress and guesswork out of paying for college or graduate school by putting you in charge of how your student loan will best fit within your budgetary needs this season. Coupled with helpful online tools, no origination fees, and great customer service, these loan programs can be one of your best bets for obtaining private loans for postgraduate, masters or professional degrees to help advance your educational career paths too!

When it comes to balancing the cost of school with other financial priorities and going to graduate school, you’ll be faced with big decisions that require even bigger investments. Which is why borrowing from College Ave can help make your graduate school dreams a reality. Leaving you more time to learn, study, and grow as a student in your own right.

Now, friends, I want to ask, are you considering getting your graduate degree this season? And if your educational future includes student loans, what are your biggest concerns in securing this type of educational funding? Leave your comments below!

This post was sponsored by College Avenue Student Loans. All opinion expressed are my own, thank you.

Financial problems are the biggest cause of stress in America. It creates anxiety and has been known to lead to mental breakdowns.

The uncertainty surrounding the country’s economic state, and whether they will still have a job to go to does not help some people’s situation. There are many that are desperate to get out of debt, but first of all, they need to learn to cope with the stress, or it will be counterproductive and all their efforts could be in vain.

Identify Which Debt Causes The Most Stress

Start by making a list of everything you owe, including who it is to and how much. Then mark them in the order of which ones cause you the most stress, as that is the first one you should tackle. If, for instance, it is a bank loan or a credit card, try to pay just a few dollars extra each month. You may be surprised how quickly the balance comes down when you do this.

When you have got rid of that debt, look at the next most stressful, and the money you were paying off the first one add to the payments of the second. The debts will start to reduce quicker than you might think, and each time you cross one off that original list you will have a great feeling of accomplishment.

With credit cards, it can also help if you take advantage of zero interest offers, as at least then the payment you make is reducing the debt instead of only paying off the interest each month. Checking out card guru is possibly the easiest way to find the best deals for credit cards. Just makes sure you use all of the right information to make an informed decision.

Be Realistic And Positive

You need to be realistic about how long it will take you to clear your debts, and think of it in a positive way. Don’t tell yourself that you will never be debt-free. If it is going to take five years, then think how happy you will be when the five years is up. Also remind yourself that as each of those five years pass, the amount you will owe will be reduced, and that has to be a plus.

Negative thinking will not help your situation at all, and the debts will make you even more stressed unless you are positive about your plan to clear them.

Making small steps towards your debt-free life is the secret to Strategic Financial Solutions. If you do not expect your dent to reduce in huge amounts each month, you will not be so disappointed when they do take time to pay off. But never forget what your aim is, and be proud of yourself for each small achievement you make.

Make The Most Of Your Income

Believing that your income is not enough to pay your way is the first step toward financial ruin. Focus on using your income wisely. Only spend what you really have to and try to reduce your living expenses. Simple things such as buying supermarkets own brands and having less meat in your diet can reduce your shopping bill significantly, and that spare money could go toward clearing your debts.

Friends, do you have steps you take to getting over financial stress at home? Leave your tips in the comments below.