Image Source: 123rf.com Winter may bring frosty mornings and shorter days, but who says your garden has to hibernate? With the magic of winter plants, you can transform those chilly months into a season of vibrant colors and lush textures. There are more options than you may think, with various types of berries, bushes, flowers, and vegetables that thrive in the colder months. Here are seven stunning plants that will keep your garden glowing all […]

123rf   As the holiday season approaches, many of us feel the financial pressure of gift-giving. However, with a strategic approach to holiday gift budgeting, it’s possible to spread joy without stretching your wallet too thin. This article will guide you through simple, effective strategies to manage your spending while still making the holidays special for everyone on your list. Embrace the season of giving with confidence and a well-planned budget. Plan Your Spending in […]

A reader asks, “Our daughter is five months old. How should we start investing for her future?” It is always best to start planning on a clean slate before making any investment.  Let’s dive straight into the goal-planning steps. The goal-planning steps We need a target corpus after 17/18 years, depending on when she was… The post How do I plan for my five-month-old daughter’s future? appeared first on freefincal.

According to Zillow’s Consumer Housing Trends Report, first-time buyers now account for half of the market. But the journey to homeownership varies widely depending on location. Zillow’s latest rankings reveal the top cities for first-time buyers, where affordability and inventory create more promising opportunities to step onto the property ladder. Zillow’s top markets for first-time buyers in 2024 are determined by: – **Rent Affordability**: Percentage of median income spent on rent. Read the rest

Today’s Talk Your Book is brought to you by KraneShares: See here for more information on KraneSahres suite of ETFs for China exposure On today’s show, we discuss: Why China does not represent a larger share of global market cap relative to GDP Where most Chinese citizens are investing What the catalyst could be to get investors excited about China Monetary policy adjustments in China China internet valuation…

EveryDollar is one of the most well-known budgeting apps since it was built by financial guru Dave Ramsey. It relies on his money principles, known as the Baby Steps, and the debt snowball repayment technique. Dave Ramsey can be a polarizing figure but so many have used his approach to get out of debt. I’ve talked to people who used his books to get their financial life in order. The results speak for themselves. You don’t have to agree with his personal and political views if you want to use his personal finance approach. At a Glance The free version allows you to create a budget and manually add spending transactions. To connect your bank accounts and automatically import transactions, you’ll need to upgrade to the paid version. The premium version offers goal setting, paycheck planning, a financial roadmap, and access to a financial coach. Who Should Use EveryDollar? EveryDollar is perfect for Dave Ramsey fans. If you already have Ramsey+, which gives you access to his course Financial Peace University, EveryDollar is included in what you are already paying for, making it a no-brainer to at least try it out. The Premium+ plan also allows you access to the financial roadmap, which will show you exactly when you’ll accomplish each Baby Step. This can be especially motivating for those following the Dave Ramsey system. EveryDollar Alternatives Cost$109 per year$2.99 per month for the first yearFreeFree trial34 days30 day money back guaranteeN/AUnique featureProactive, not reactiveEasy to useStrong investment trackingLearn moreLearn moreLearn more Table of ContentsAt a GlanceWho Should Use EveryDollar?EveryDollar AlternativesHow Does It Work?Setting Up EveryDollarAdding TransactionsEveryDollar Premium+Paycheck PlanningFinancial RoadmapEveryDollar AlternativesYou Need a BudgetSimplifiEmpowerThe Bottom Line on EveryDollar How Does It Work? EveryDollar uses the budgeting system known as zero-based budgeting. In zero-based budgeting, you assigned every dollar to a category. It’s very similar to envelope budgeting. This is where you input your monthly income and plan your entire month’s spending ahead of time. You set up budgeting categories and then allocate your income to those categories. Then, you use the app to track your spending daily. If you have the free app, you manually enter your transactions. If you pay for EveryDollar Plus, you can link accounts, and it’ll automatically pull in transaction data. Setting Up EveryDollar Signing up is easy. After you register, you’re asked to pick one or more money goals: Next, you’re asked for some more personalized information: The setup process continues with you entering your income, expenses, giving, and debt figures. Here’s what the income section looks like: You can add as many Paychecks as you want. I stopped trying after 11 If you are paid every two weeks, you can set the income to be your total in a month or set two (or three depending on the month) line items for the two pay cycles. Then you’ll enter your basic expenses (housing, utilities, food, transportation and “personal expenses.”) It will walk you

  Image Credit: 123rf My first serious foray into indoor seed starting began with a bang. My husband helped me set up a makeshift grow shelf, and I purchased soil mix, trays, and pots. I was so ready to get started that I assumed it would be better to get things going sooner rather than later. I quickly realized that when starting seeds, getting things done faster isn’t necessarily better, especially if you’re on a […]

We have some amazing mentors in the Millionaire Money Mentors forums. Some of them are even accomplished authors! Over the next couple weeks I’ll be sharing excerpts from some of these authors’ works. Today we have an excerpt from F.I.R.E. for Dummies — a book that I loved reading and is now my go-to for introducing people to F.I.R.E.  It’s written by one of the mentors in the forums and makes for a great Christmas present […]