Most of us need to save more, much more. This spring I finally bit the bullet and reviewed my whole financial situation and actually made a plan for retirement. It wasn't fun or pretty, but I had to do it. Here are the biggest ways that I found personally to put more money away.
1. I now put away the maximum amount in my 401K (5% for me) that my employer will pay into the plan as a match. It is free money and dumb not to do it. It was basically a raise I gave myself.
2. After calculating my expenses, I found that driving was my biggest expense. I fixed that by buying a fuel efficient car thats durable (Honda Civic), finding an affordable insurance policy for it ($25/month from Insurance Panda, yay!), and using apps like Gasbudy/Waze to save money at the tank. I cut my transportation costs in half!
3.I cut wayy back on eating out. I am having a year of putting away money hard, and food was a huge portion of my budget. I save about an extra $100 a week now, and eat healthier and better. Ditto for others if you spend a lot of money in bars.
4. I need life insurance to protect my 2 daughters, but I ditched a $275 a month whole life policy for a policy from LifeAnt and now I only spend $25 a month. I save the difference to my Roth IRA. If you are unfamiliar with this and want to learn more watch shows or read articles from Suzey Orman or Dave Ramsey sometime. They are huge proponents.
There really were no two ways about it. If I plan on having a full savings account (getting there) and a comfortable retirement (I will) I have to make good decisions with my money.
The key is to start saving/investing early in life and be consistent (save with every paycheck). Taking advantage of a matching 401k plan should be a no brainer. The power of compounding is lost on many people. Also maxing out contributions when possible, eliminating debt, avoiding risks with your nest egg, planning for multiple streams of income once retired (social security, pensions, dividends, part time work, etc.) and making catch up contributions once you reach 50 should all be part of everyone's plan. I found that the site Retirement And Good Living provides information on all these issues as well as finances, health, retirement locations, part time work and also has a great blog of guest posts about a variety of retirement topics
Have you experimented with non-chicken eggs? I spent years avoiding eggs when my homeopath suggested I try duck eggs. There is a different protein in duck and goose eggs. I was so thrilled to find I tolerate them just fine & they are delish! I found a chicken/duck farmer in my local area via craigslist that charges $6/doz in a pinch I find them at whole foods as well. Just a suggestion. Cheers!!
Perhaps bad and discourteous drivers should stop being so, and they won't be punished by their insurance companies. What you are describing is NOT, in fact, fraud and it's well recognized that the individual who has been WRONGED (because someone is an idiot, frankly) has the right to do whatever they want with the money they are RIGHTFULLY owed.
Great post! This 7 things that make you look cheap without actually saving much money is helpful and useful to avoid doing this and to make things right. You should aware of your actions so you will not one of them or at least avoid this. I learned and many great insights here. Thanks for sharing.
AMEX processed my online claim overnight, but it was a small item -- Apple Magsafe 2 which costs $82. When I made a much larger claim (eg, Apple MacBook Pro Retina repair, $330), they asked for repair estimate and the original receipt, credit card statement, etc.
I used my mileage on BA to book on USAir with no fuel surcharge. Also as USAir does not allow one way, booking through my BA account I was able to get a one way ticket.
"Not to impress others" is not a sentence. You have unnecessary comma usage. Your third sentence should end with a question mark. I believe your *opinion* is very shortsighted. For instance, this article is very helpful for those that are writing professional reports for school or work. Your lack of grammar may turn off a potential significant other. I would also be hard-pressed to find someone that wasn't trying to impress their interviewer, either during the interview itself, or on the resume.
Finally you may avoid receiving unnecessary ridicule, since there are those that obviously disagree with you.
I would add to the list the widespread misuse of the phrase "most importantly" rather than "most important." The phrase is actually a shortened form of "what is most important"; "what" is a subject noun, the modifier must therefore be an adjective, ergo "important" is the correct choice, not the adverb "importantly!"
#10 - you don't have to check your credit score on all three at the same time. stagger them throughout the year, a different one every 4 months, and you can keep better track of your credit.
#43 - about mattresses, i Flip in the Fall and Swap in the Spring. makes it easier for me to remember anyway.
"Although meat has protein, it also tends to have zero fiber and lots of fat. For example, even 90 percent lean ground beef has 10 grams of fat per 100 gram serving. And one pork chop has 4 grams of fat.
These eight meatless complete proteins, conversely, are generally low fat and high fiber."
How is the fat in meat preventing weight loss? If anything, more fat (within reason) is good for weight loss, because we're not in the 80s-90s "low fat" era anymore. Countless (current) studies show that carbs and overall increased sugar intake causes weight gain through various means (deregulating hormones, increasing calorie intake, etc.).
The above grains/leguimes provide protein, but they're also coming with plenty of carbs which become sugar. For example Quinoa is on the list and has been getting a lot of praise, let's take a COMPLETE look at it's nutritional profile, not just protein/fiber:
Amount Per 1 cup (170 g)
Calories 625
Total Fat 10 g
Saturated fat 1.2 g
Polyunsaturated fat 6 g
Monounsaturated fat 2.7 g
Cholesterol 0 mg
Sodium 9 mg
Potassium 957 mg
Total Carbohydrate 109 g
Dietary fiber 12 g
Protein 24 g
***
So now we can break it down. There is plenty of GOOD fat (Poly/Monounsaturated) and a good amount of (complete) protein. However it comes with a 109g of carbs price tag! If you're trying to lose weight, you should steer shy of 200g a day (150g if you're being good). So ONE cup is half that, and who eats one cup? Meat on the other hand, little/no carbs and plenty of protein/fat.
One last thing - since you need 9 amino acids to build protein, calling something "complete protein" becomes a problem. If a food has high amount of 8 amino acids, but just barely of the 9th, it would be complete technically but would not make much protein itself because as soon as that 9th amino acid runs out, you get 0g protein. Now, our body gets amino acids from various sources so this is unlikely, but its good to know the difference between "complete protein" and food that will actually help you make a lot of protein!
This is a great idea and it's awesome for people who live in places where groceries are inexpensive, but I calculated this myself with the cheapest corresponding items I could find at my market and it would cost over $100 to get what is on this list. Never live in a college town. They suck you of your money any way they possibly can. Looks like I'll be back on the frozen peas and canned beans and pray to God the multivitamins work.
Most of us need to save more, much more. This spring I finally bit the bullet and reviewed my whole financial situation and actually made a plan for retirement. It wasn't fun or pretty, but I had to do it. Here are the biggest ways that I found personally to put more money away.
1. I now put away the maximum amount in my 401K (5% for me) that my employer will pay into the plan as a match. It is free money and dumb not to do it. It was basically a raise I gave myself.
2. After calculating my expenses, I found that driving was my biggest expense. I fixed that by buying a fuel efficient car thats durable (Honda Civic), finding an affordable insurance policy for it ($25/month from Insurance Panda, yay!), and using apps like Gasbudy/Waze to save money at the tank. I cut my transportation costs in half!
3.I cut wayy back on eating out. I am having a year of putting away money hard, and food was a huge portion of my budget. I save about an extra $100 a week now, and eat healthier and better. Ditto for others if you spend a lot of money in bars.
4. I need life insurance to protect my 2 daughters, but I ditched a $275 a month whole life policy for a policy from LifeAnt and now I only spend $25 a month. I save the difference to my Roth IRA. If you are unfamiliar with this and want to learn more watch shows or read articles from Suzey Orman or Dave Ramsey sometime. They are huge proponents.
There really were no two ways about it. If I plan on having a full savings account (getting there) and a comfortable retirement (I will) I have to make good decisions with my money.
Nope, nope, nope, yep, nope, nope, nope, nope, nope, nope, nope. Guess it's time to start looking.
The key is to start saving/investing early in life and be consistent (save with every paycheck). Taking advantage of a matching 401k plan should be a no brainer. The power of compounding is lost on many people. Also maxing out contributions when possible, eliminating debt, avoiding risks with your nest egg, planning for multiple streams of income once retired (social security, pensions, dividends, part time work, etc.) and making catch up contributions once you reach 50 should all be part of everyone's plan. I found that the site Retirement And Good Living provides information on all these issues as well as finances, health, retirement locations, part time work and also has a great blog of guest posts about a variety of retirement topics
I've been using Herstat Cold Sore Treatment from www.herstat.com and I've found it to be brilliant!
It has Propolis in it which is an antimicrobial.
The file cabinet is my friend! From medical records for the kids to warranties for appliances, I keep everything that our family needs.
Have you experimented with non-chicken eggs? I spent years avoiding eggs when my homeopath suggested I try duck eggs. There is a different protein in duck and goose eggs. I was so thrilled to find I tolerate them just fine & they are delish! I found a chicken/duck farmer in my local area via craigslist that charges $6/doz in a pinch I find them at whole foods as well. Just a suggestion. Cheers!!
First, the brilliant fall colors. Second, the brisk cold air, and the low humidity. The air is crisper, cleaner in the fall.
I just love everything about it - the leaves, the smell, the foods... It's my favorite season!
I love everything - the cooler weather, sweaters, hot cocoa and apple cider, trips to the apple orchard and pumpkin patch, squash pie, etc.
Perhaps bad and discourteous drivers should stop being so, and they won't be punished by their insurance companies. What you are describing is NOT, in fact, fraud and it's well recognized that the individual who has been WRONGED (because someone is an idiot, frankly) has the right to do whatever they want with the money they are RIGHTFULLY owed.
Great post! This 7 things that make you look cheap without actually saving much money is helpful and useful to avoid doing this and to make things right. You should aware of your actions so you will not one of them or at least avoid this. I learned and many great insights here. Thanks for sharing.
AMEX processed my online claim overnight, but it was a small item -- Apple Magsafe 2 which costs $82. When I made a much larger claim (eg, Apple MacBook Pro Retina repair, $330), they asked for repair estimate and the original receipt, credit card statement, etc.
I used my mileage on BA to book on USAir with no fuel surcharge. Also as USAir does not allow one way, booking through my BA account I was able to get a one way ticket.
Apple Picking
I love making pumpkin bread
then, than
"Not to impress others" is not a sentence. You have unnecessary comma usage. Your third sentence should end with a question mark. I believe your *opinion* is very shortsighted. For instance, this article is very helpful for those that are writing professional reports for school or work. Your lack of grammar may turn off a potential significant other. I would also be hard-pressed to find someone that wasn't trying to impress their interviewer, either during the interview itself, or on the resume.
Finally you may avoid receiving unnecessary ridicule, since there are those that obviously disagree with you.
Further and farther
I would add to the list the widespread misuse of the phrase "most importantly" rather than "most important." The phrase is actually a shortened form of "what is most important"; "what" is a subject noun, the modifier must therefore be an adjective, ergo "important" is the correct choice, not the adverb "importantly!"
Excellent points Guest Terri! The key to making your budget balance is accounting for all those "surprises" that are not really surprises.
*speechless* That poor 7-year-old who's mom didn't think it was a big deal to dress him in a KKK robe/hood! Hope he turns out okay.
Not useful if you pay off your credit card statement in full every month.
#10 - you don't have to check your credit score on all three at the same time. stagger them throughout the year, a different one every 4 months, and you can keep better track of your credit.
#43 - about mattresses, i Flip in the Fall and Swap in the Spring. makes it easier for me to remember anyway.
"Although meat has protein, it also tends to have zero fiber and lots of fat. For example, even 90 percent lean ground beef has 10 grams of fat per 100 gram serving. And one pork chop has 4 grams of fat.
These eight meatless complete proteins, conversely, are generally low fat and high fiber."
How is the fat in meat preventing weight loss? If anything, more fat (within reason) is good for weight loss, because we're not in the 80s-90s "low fat" era anymore. Countless (current) studies show that carbs and overall increased sugar intake causes weight gain through various means (deregulating hormones, increasing calorie intake, etc.).
The above grains/leguimes provide protein, but they're also coming with plenty of carbs which become sugar. For example Quinoa is on the list and has been getting a lot of praise, let's take a COMPLETE look at it's nutritional profile, not just protein/fiber:
Amount Per 1 cup (170 g)
Calories 625
Total Fat 10 g
Saturated fat 1.2 g
Polyunsaturated fat 6 g
Monounsaturated fat 2.7 g
Cholesterol 0 mg
Sodium 9 mg
Potassium 957 mg
Total Carbohydrate 109 g
Dietary fiber 12 g
Protein 24 g
***
So now we can break it down. There is plenty of GOOD fat (Poly/Monounsaturated) and a good amount of (complete) protein. However it comes with a 109g of carbs price tag! If you're trying to lose weight, you should steer shy of 200g a day (150g if you're being good). So ONE cup is half that, and who eats one cup? Meat on the other hand, little/no carbs and plenty of protein/fat.
One last thing - since you need 9 amino acids to build protein, calling something "complete protein" becomes a problem. If a food has high amount of 8 amino acids, but just barely of the 9th, it would be complete technically but would not make much protein itself because as soon as that 9th amino acid runs out, you get 0g protein. Now, our body gets amino acids from various sources so this is unlikely, but its good to know the difference between "complete protein" and food that will actually help you make a lot of protein!
This is a great idea and it's awesome for people who live in places where groceries are inexpensive, but I calculated this myself with the cheapest corresponding items I could find at my market and it would cost over $100 to get what is on this list. Never live in a college town. They suck you of your money any way they possibly can. Looks like I'll be back on the frozen peas and canned beans and pray to God the multivitamins work.