I challenged myself in June to limit myself on unnecessary spending. This included things such as eating out, buying stuff that I don’t really need, and limiting entertainment expenses by utilizing things that I already have available to me. But, I wasn’t too strict on myself and I feel like I could have definitely done better.
Save
To Roth or Not to Roth
3 minute read
We all know by now that we need to start saving for retirement early. However, that funny word comes up every now and again that we don’t quite understand: Roth. More employers continue to add Roth options to their 401(k) plans and, depending on your situation, taking advantage of the Roth option could provide a great benefit to you in the future.
The Millennial Mentality
2 minute read
The other day, I saw a comment on a Facebook post by a person born into Generation X (born 1966-1976) talking about the “Millennial mentality” and how the generation demonstrates an air of entitlement and lack of respect for authority. This was only a couple of days after I read a J.D. Power report titled Millennials are Better Prepared for Retirement than Their Parents, J.D. Power Finds.
Using the Dependent Care FSA to Save Money on Child Care Expenses
2 minute read
Raising a kid is expensive. Really expensive. According to a United States Department of Agriculture study published in 2017, it would cost an average of $233,610 to raise a child born into a middle-income family in 2015 through age 17. That’s a lot of money.
Can money buy happiness? It depends on what you do with your money.
2 minute read
XY Planning Network published an article this week titled Can Money Buy Happiness? Maybe Says Elizabeth Dunn which made me think of a couple of similar conversations that I had this week. One of those conversations was with a friend who is my age and one was with a gentleman at the gym who I talk to most days of the week and who is about my father’s age.
The 35-Year-Old with Almost 3X Salary Saved
3 minute read
In my opinion, there’s a lot to be said for living a simple life. I see a lot of value in a life where you don’t feel the need to get caught up in all of the latest trends, to compare yourself to others, or to spend money to impress others.
Apparently young people don’t want to hear about saving for retirement
3 minute read
Last week, Alessandra Malito published an article for MarketWatch titled Money Milestones: This is how your finances should look in your 30s which caused an uproar among millennials on Twitter.
An Easy Way to Save Money on Insurance
2 minute read
Insurance. It’s the necessary evil, right? Hopefully, we never have to use it.
Saving Money While Traveling: Hiking & Brewery Tours
2 minute read
As I’ve written before, Amanda and I love to travel and we try to do so relatively frugally. Two things that we really like to do that don’t cost much at all are to hike and to take brewery tours.
Did you receive a large tax refund (or owe a large amount of tax) in 2017?
2 minute read
Some people see a tax refund as “free money” or a “bonus” while the reality is that this is your money that you have essentially been lending to the IRS as an interest-free loan.
