Saving money really is a lot about cutting back any and every place that we possibly can; every single penny counts!
I think as a culture we assume WE MUST shower every day to be socially acceptable individuals but I have heard from many people that by showering daily we're actually stripping our body and hair of it's natural moisture. I'm glad you found that you had healthier skin and hair because of showering less too.
I'm not totally sure where to find the dry bath but it would be great for a road trip or camping!
Yeah, it's not a joke article. This is useful information for people. Showering often isn't something a lot of people want to do for a variety of reasons, and I hardly think that by showering every other day rather than every day that you're putting your health in jeopardy.
When I graduated from high school, my aunt got me a good set of luggage. At the time I thought it was the most boring gift, but that luggage has gotten me through dozens of trips through the years -- and it's still in great condition.
Even though I had a background in finance and my first job as a new grad was as a financial analyst for a bank, I still had a lot to learn. Sharing (but not oversharing) with friends is definitely a great way to navigate new situations and note that your struggles are similar to others.
One of the biggest (and most difficult) lessons for me was that new grads are not all on a level playing field; many had parents helping them out and those folks rarely seemed to struggle financially. On the upside, after you get established and acquire the basics (like a work wardrobe and furniture), saving for the future becomes easier.
The best money move we ever made was to live off of less than 1 income when we got married and save the rest or use it to pay off debt. This one move allowed my wife to stay home with our kids when we had them, pay off all debt (other than then house) prior to having kids, and pay off the house within 7 years of buying it.
I am still learning the basics of finance and I think in a way, as the economy changes, we will always continue to learn about finances and adjust accordingly. I agree that it is important to write down long term goals, but I think the problem is not that we aren't making goals, but that we don't know what those goals need to be. Young people don't fully understand how much money they will need in the end and this delays saving.
When I graduated from college, I mostly received cash. I was elated. The only problem was, however, that I received the cash in June and didn't leave for college until August so I was tempted all summer to spend it considering it was my last summer in Pittsburgh before I moved away.
I agree. Traveling and vacations seem to fly by as it is but if you are constantly trying to get to the next place, you'll be home before you know it. I enjoy slow traveling. I will always pick one or two things I must see that I feel like I can't live with out, but before and after I see them, I like to walk around and explore the area and see what opportunities present themselves.
Creating a simple excell budget. It is easy enough to use that not only do we know where we stand financially each month. Anytime we consider a lifetime change that effects our budget it is super easy to create a new tab and see how that new entry would effect our overall financial health before making that decision.
I think it's great to give a "gift basket" to grads with some dorm essentials. If you want to check out some ideas and save a little money, you can look at the Dorm section on Studentrate. It's pretty cool for both students and parents to save on dorm shopping http://studentrate.com/School/Deals/DormRoom.aspx
Recently, my best money move was to take the advice of one of my customers, who was also a shop owner on Etsy. She advised that I should raise my prices of one best-selling item from $18 to $45. I raised it to $30, and to my surprise, sales increased! It was really nice to be putting forth the same effort, but getting a lot more profit. It taught me a nice lesson about investing in yourself.
I have tried almost all the high end shoe brands and own them. I would say hands down for craftsmanship is Gucci. Gucci is just the best in terms of construction and materials. I would say that Chloe is the best for luxurious materials. Their scalloped ballet flats are made of luxuriously soft lambskin. I have never felt a shoe like that before. I would say that Chanel is a close second (vs. Gucci) when it comes to quality. I have worn these shoes SO MUCH and you would NEVER know, unless you looked at the insole. They are amazing quality. And for most comfortable shoes, Ferragamo. They are still very well made, but the different width options really helps if you have wide or very narrow feet. Other brands I own are Giuseppe Zanotti, Jimmy Choo, Roger Vivier, Louboutin, Dior and Tods. Honestly, with all these brands there is a certain lightness and luxury to the shoe while it is still impeccable quality. No shoe from Cole Haan or Payless will ever off you that luxury. Just go into a high end store like Saks, Bergdorf Goodman or even a brand boutique and you will feel that luxurious quality of all the shoes being offered.
Our best money move was saving to buy a house during the lowest rates & prices in the last 10 years. We're so excited to be in our own home and building equity, instead of paying someone else's mortgage.
I started using coupons and sales. And the total amount saved after each trip I would transfer to my savings account. at the end of the year we were able to take a family vacation with everyone in our family ! big savings :)
Sadly, it was declaring bankruptcy. Due to the recession, we weren't able to find jobs that would allow us to pay off our debt, after we lost our old jobs, and no one was going to wait around until we found jobs, so bankruptcy was our only option at the time. Had people been willing to work with us it would have been different but they weren't willing. A huge abount of stress left me when we finally decided to go for the bankruptcy, which included leaving our house. I still hope no one ever would have to go through what we did, though.
Really great points! Parents should be teaching their children this stuff, but even they don't all know what all is involved. Should definitely be a required course in high school.
Hey, it's a good option for some people. If it's not an option for you that's okay :)
Nice! Good idea!
That's another great idea!
What a great idea!
Saving money really is a lot about cutting back any and every place that we possibly can; every single penny counts!
I think as a culture we assume WE MUST shower every day to be socially acceptable individuals but I have heard from many people that by showering daily we're actually stripping our body and hair of it's natural moisture. I'm glad you found that you had healthier skin and hair because of showering less too.
I'm not totally sure where to find the dry bath but it would be great for a road trip or camping!
The "hang with stinkier people" tip was mostly for entertainment purposes ;)
Hi Dennis,
Yeah, it's not a joke article. This is useful information for people. Showering often isn't something a lot of people want to do for a variety of reasons, and I hardly think that by showering every other day rather than every day that you're putting your health in jeopardy.
Thanks for your feedback.
When I graduated from high school, my aunt got me a good set of luggage. At the time I thought it was the most boring gift, but that luggage has gotten me through dozens of trips through the years -- and it's still in great condition.
I bought a house... 3.75%. i thought it was pretty good.
I have had a very positive relationship with FeeFighters. They provide excellent services
Glad you find it helpful!
Even though I had a background in finance and my first job as a new grad was as a financial analyst for a bank, I still had a lot to learn. Sharing (but not oversharing) with friends is definitely a great way to navigate new situations and note that your struggles are similar to others.
One of the biggest (and most difficult) lessons for me was that new grads are not all on a level playing field; many had parents helping them out and those folks rarely seemed to struggle financially. On the upside, after you get established and acquire the basics (like a work wardrobe and furniture), saving for the future becomes easier.
The best money move we ever made was to live off of less than 1 income when we got married and save the rest or use it to pay off debt. This one move allowed my wife to stay home with our kids when we had them, pay off all debt (other than then house) prior to having kids, and pay off the house within 7 years of buying it.
I am still learning the basics of finance and I think in a way, as the economy changes, we will always continue to learn about finances and adjust accordingly. I agree that it is important to write down long term goals, but I think the problem is not that we aren't making goals, but that we don't know what those goals need to be. Young people don't fully understand how much money they will need in the end and this delays saving.
When I graduated from college, I mostly received cash. I was elated. The only problem was, however, that I received the cash in June and didn't leave for college until August so I was tempted all summer to spend it considering it was my last summer in Pittsburgh before I moved away.
I agree. Traveling and vacations seem to fly by as it is but if you are constantly trying to get to the next place, you'll be home before you know it. I enjoy slow traveling. I will always pick one or two things I must see that I feel like I can't live with out, but before and after I see them, I like to walk around and explore the area and see what opportunities present themselves.
Creating a simple excell budget. It is easy enough to use that not only do we know where we stand financially each month. Anytime we consider a lifetime change that effects our budget it is super easy to create a new tab and see how that new entry would effect our overall financial health before making that decision.
I think it's great to give a "gift basket" to grads with some dorm essentials. If you want to check out some ideas and save a little money, you can look at the Dorm section on Studentrate. It's pretty cool for both students and parents to save on dorm shopping http://studentrate.com/School/Deals/DormRoom.aspx
Recently, my best money move was to take the advice of one of my customers, who was also a shop owner on Etsy. She advised that I should raise my prices of one best-selling item from $18 to $45. I raised it to $30, and to my surprise, sales increased! It was really nice to be putting forth the same effort, but getting a lot more profit. It taught me a nice lesson about investing in yourself.
I have tried almost all the high end shoe brands and own them. I would say hands down for craftsmanship is Gucci. Gucci is just the best in terms of construction and materials. I would say that Chloe is the best for luxurious materials. Their scalloped ballet flats are made of luxuriously soft lambskin. I have never felt a shoe like that before. I would say that Chanel is a close second (vs. Gucci) when it comes to quality. I have worn these shoes SO MUCH and you would NEVER know, unless you looked at the insole. They are amazing quality. And for most comfortable shoes, Ferragamo. They are still very well made, but the different width options really helps if you have wide or very narrow feet. Other brands I own are Giuseppe Zanotti, Jimmy Choo, Roger Vivier, Louboutin, Dior and Tods. Honestly, with all these brands there is a certain lightness and luxury to the shoe while it is still impeccable quality. No shoe from Cole Haan or Payless will ever off you that luxury. Just go into a high end store like Saks, Bergdorf Goodman or even a brand boutique and you will feel that luxurious quality of all the shoes being offered.
Our best money move was saving to buy a house during the lowest rates & prices in the last 10 years. We're so excited to be in our own home and building equity, instead of paying someone else's mortgage.
I started using coupons and sales. And the total amount saved after each trip I would transfer to my savings account. at the end of the year we were able to take a family vacation with everyone in our family ! big savings :)
Sadly, it was declaring bankruptcy. Due to the recession, we weren't able to find jobs that would allow us to pay off our debt, after we lost our old jobs, and no one was going to wait around until we found jobs, so bankruptcy was our only option at the time. Had people been willing to work with us it would have been different but they weren't willing. A huge abount of stress left me when we finally decided to go for the bankruptcy, which included leaving our house. I still hope no one ever would have to go through what we did, though.
Sadly, my best money move is still to come. Seems I've only made mistakes so far, but I'm working on it!
Really great points! Parents should be teaching their children this stuff, but even they don't all know what all is involved. Should definitely be a required course in high school.