Setting a financial goal can be simple. You just decide what the goal is and when you want to achieve it by. Done. Goal set. Unfortunately, you’ve only decided what you want to do. Not why or how. Unsurprisingly, your chances of reaching that goal aren’t great at this point. To increase your chances of […]
So much personal finance advice revolves around saving rather than spending money or spending sensibly and mindfully. It’s mostly good advice but all of us have to spend, and some of us just love to spend. Given that, it makes sense to save money every time you spend money, and there are a few very […]
I was recently researching the Japanese concept of Kaizen for an article when I came across another Japanese word I was unfamiliar with: Kakeibo. I dug a little deeper, and ended up in possession of the first-ever English translation of the Japanese ‘household budgeting book’, Kakeibo, by Fumiko Chiba. What is Kakeibo? The kakeibo was originally […]
Many of us have faced tough times recently, and some of us have realized that we’re not as well prepared for financial uncertainty as we thought. As we all try and get back on track financially, here are some goals to work towards over the next six months. (Re)Build an Emergency Fund Fairly recently, I […]
It’s inevitable. In every life a little rain must fall. I’m not talking about floods or a Noah’s ark-type deluge, but more like the kind of unexpected shower that really messes up your day. The kind that comes with an equally unexpected price tag. Like when your car makes a “funny” noise that ends up […]
Opinions are split, but not evenly. In spite of soaring student debt, often heralded as a crisis by the national media, the majority of students still say it was worth going into debt to get their degree. This is in spite of the fact that US graduates are carrying a staggering $1.5 trillion of debt, […]
College years are so much fun and memorable. You get to open a whole new chapter of your life, gain independence, and acquire new friends who may stick around for life. Still, there’s the other side of the story as well. For most college students, money can be quite an issue. You don’t have the […]
Budgeting is one of the most fundamental things to learn to get your finances under control. Budgeting takes a look at how much money you have coming in, and how much money you have going out. Once you have a good idea of your cash flow (money in and money out), you can figure out […]
Not everybody loves a challenge, but for those who do, they can work wonders. Try these five money challenges, in whatever form gets you most fired up, to improve your finances. 1. The Savings Challenge This can take many forms. The only rule is that it has to involve saving, and like any challenge, it […]