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Most rich people are living much more frugal lives than the ones we imagine for them. And it turns out that there’s even a whole … Read More 6 Frugal Secrets the Rich Don’t Want You To Know
This is a decision I had to make several years ago when I turned 65. I started out with a no premium five star local Advantage plan to take “advantage” of the free perks for the first year, then switched to traditional Medicare with a plan G supplement, the most expensive plan. To most this would seem quite contradictory, but let me explain my reasoning. Medicare allows first time enrollees to trial an Advantage plan […]
Back in the Before Times, we published an article titled Ethical Consumption: How to Pollute the Planet and Exploit Labor Slightly Less. Since then, times have, uh… changed! Because tariffs! And while much of our advice on ethical consumption still holds true, today I’m going to be revisiting that advice. My goal is to shine a light on how we should all approach shopping during The Stupidest Trade War while still maintaining our morals and savings rates. We really know how to have fun here, don’t we? Let’s kick things off with a question from a follower called Blossom: Hi Auntie Bitches! I have a question regarding an impasse of ethics and finances, so of course I figured you’d be the experts! I live in the USA, and absolutely hate the direction things are headed in. I’m inspired by hearing that Canada and a ton of countries in Europe are boycotting absolutely everything American made. This is genius because the only way to hurt the greedy pricks at the top is to hurt their bottom lines. I really want to join in and buy as few goods that are made in the states as possible. However, I also live here and my household budget is already pretty tight. With this ridiculous trade war going on, imported goods will become even more costly. I’m stuck between a possibly unlivable budget if fully switching to goods that aren’t made here; or being a tad more financially sound but forced to feed the fascism machine by using American goods. Please, I’d love some advice on how to navigate this? – Blossom, alert citizen of Bitch Nation Blossom is clearly paying attention. We couldn’t be more proud of them for considering activism in the face of personal hardship. We should all be more like Blossom. But I think there’s a fundamental flaw in how they’re approaching the problem. Nevertheless, I think we can come to a solution that does the least amount of harm to Blossom’s bottom line… while still supporting the changes they want to see. Let’s unpack that! [embed]https://youtube.com/watch?v=-IWYzncCepc&feature=oembed[/embed] What are tariffs and why do they matter? A tariff is an import tax. It’s paid by the importing country, to the importing country. The importing country can only impose tariffs on good coming across its own borders. It cannot force another country to pay tariffs. Blossom’s whole question is based on the Trump administration’s sweeping new tariffs on goods from nearly every country and penguin-inhabited island on earth. So it’s worth going over what tariffs are, how they work, and how this self-imposed economic hardship is affecting us. I will now explain this in a very serious fashion using very real and important economic policies. A case study in self-defeating tariffs Narnia regularly imports vibranium from Wakanda. It’s a crucial ingredient in the manufacture of magical wardrobes. But Narnia, a notably lion-worshipping society, gets offended at Wakanda’s panther-centric culture. So Narnia decides to encourage
Today’s Throwback Thursday post from June 2023 discusses the history and benefits of urban microforest initiatives, and my experience with planting a memorial microforest in a local park. The post Throwback Thursday – Planting an urban microforest appeared first on Boomer Eco Crusader.
Most people spend their entire lives trying to earn enough money to fund their dreams, only to find themselves living paycheck to paycheck and paying off debt. Sounds like a drag, doesn’t it? What if there was a way to save enough money in a couple of years, freeing up time for you to truly… Read More The post Extreme Frugality: 25 Clever Ways to Save Money appeared first on FinSavvy Panda.
Image of drawings, cups and hobby Hobbies are a wonderful way to enrich your life, reduce stress, and connect with others who share your interests. Whether you enjoy sports, crafts, reading, or exploring online games and entertainment, hobbies bring immense joy and personal satisfaction. However, one challenge many people face is balancing their passion for […] The post Smart Budgeting Tips to Support Your Hobbies Without Breaking the Bank appeared first on Make Money Without […]
Bora Bora is known to be one of the most expensive destinations in the world. The Maldives and Bora Bora are the overwater bungalow capitals of the world. Here’s how we saved $38,000 on our trip to Bora Bora and paid around $2200 CAD for … Read moreBora Bora On a Budget The post Bora Bora On a Budget appeared first on Genymoney.ca.
I love a good budget! For years I used YNAB before moving over to EveryDollar. There’s something about the tangibility of seeing a budget laid out, moving dollars from one category to another, that really appeals to me. Every dollar has a job. Every dollar has a place. I still use a budget to help identify areas where we may have experienced some bloat (like our food spending!) and to generally ensure we’re staying in control of our money. But recently, I saw an influencer mention how she tracks her net worth monthly, and it was a lightbulb moment – I need to do this! I’ve talked about where we save and invest, how we’re planning to handle an upcoming raise, etc. So tracking our net worth seems like the natural next step. It gives a fuller picture than a budget alone and helps keep me motivated toward our larger financial goals. Net Worth Tracking I use the simplest definition of net worth: Assets minus liabilities. For assets, I include all of our various accounts – from savings (Bank of America, Capital One 360, e-trade), to retirement accounts, mutual funds, and individual stocks (Fidelity, Vanguard, CashApp). I even include an estimate of our home equity. For liabilities, I deduct our only two debts: our remaining mortgage balance and my student loan balance. One big benefit of this approach is being able to clearly see progress over time and quickly spot any areas in need of rebalancing. Rebalancing When the stock market got a little rocky there for a bit, I didn’t pull any money out. But I did start funneling more money into high yield savings accounts instead of putting as much into stocks or mutual funds. That flexibility helps us ride our market fluctuations while still building toward our goals. Goals It’s no secret that I’ve talked about wanting to purchase a rental property. Right now we have a short-term goal to buy a small rental property in the next year or so to start us on our real estate investment journey. Longer term (more like 5-ish years), we’d like to either grow or reinvest by acquiring a vacation property. This might just be another purchase, or we might sell the rental and reinvest those funds into a vacation property. Then we can use it for short term Airbnb rentals and also enjoy it ourselves. And I think management will be easier once we’ve dipped our toes into the “landlord” waters by having an in-town rental as a first step. Tracking our net worth – not just our monthly budget – helps me feel like we’re making progress toward these larger goals because I can see the funds growing that we plan to use for a home down payment and associated purchasing costs. How We Track It I use a super simple method to track our net worth: an Excel spreadsheet. Each month is its own tab. On the first of every month, I fill in updated balances for
Send us a text Join us on Average Joe Finances as our guest Sarah Ecklein, a private fiduciary from the Bay Area, California. Sarah shares insights into her profession, the importance of estate planning, and her journey from aspiring hospice nurse to fiduciary. She discusses the complexities of trust administration, the significance of proactive planning, […] The post Podcast 299. Proactive Planning: Ensuring a Legacy of Love with Sara Ecklein appeared first on Average Joe Finances.
When most people think about real estate, they picture a home or maybe that dream beach house. However, from an investment perspective, real estate can serve a different purpose in helping to diversify your portfolio and potentially smooth out the ride during retirement. So, how exactly can real estate fit into your financial picture? Let’s break it down. The Many Faces of Real Estate Investing Real estate can serve as a valuable piece of your […]
Image Source: Pexels Tomatoes are a staple in many home gardens, and for good reason. They’re versatile, delicious, and relatively easy to grow. But if you’re planning your garden layout, there’s one important rule to follow. Don’t plant tomatoes next to potatoes. Here we’ll discuss why planting these two next to each other is a big no-no. Why Tomatoes and Potatoes Don’t Mix At first glance, tomatoes and potatoes seem like perfect neighbors. They’re both […]
Close yur eyes and think of what the perfect day in retirement looks like to you. Are you playing with grandkids? Laying on a beach? Traveling the world with your best friend? Whatever the dream is, getting there requires a financial plan. And when it comes to retirement savings, women often lag behind men. That’s […] The post Retirement Planning Tips For Women appeared first on Bravely Go.
Frugal living with ADHD isn’t always simple, and if you know someone with ADHD, or live with it yourself, you already get it. I have a couple of close family members who have ADHD (aka Neurodivergent), and I’ve seen firsthand how challenging even the smallest tasks can feel some days. Things like sticking to a budget, remembering when a bill is due, or keeping up with housework can quickly snowball into frustration. And let’s be real—frugal […]