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Christmas gifts that keep on giving
This is a guest post from former GRS staff writer Donna Freedman.
Anyone who has lived on the margin has likely felt the anxiety that comes with having just about enough to get by. That’s why I’d like to suggest a holiday present that can make a short- or long-term difference in someone’s life – the gift of breathing room.
Got a barely-afloat friend or family member or one who is inching toward the red side of the ledger? Even a small amount of leeway could be extremely helpful (maybe even life-changing) to unemployed or underemployed friends and relatives, single parents, retirees or recent college grads.
The freeing-up of even $20 from someone’s budget could become seed money for an emergency fund, an extra payment toward consumer debt, the sneakers her kid needs for gym class.
How to take your first steps investing
This article is by staff writer William Cowie.
In the recent post regarding the survey of how people invest, the most glaring observation was that over 70 percent of respondents who have yet to experience a recession do not invest at all. Since the survey didn’t record the ages of respondents, it is fair to conclude that those who had not yet experienced a recession would be aged in their mid-twenties.
Why doesn’t this group of people invest? Several reasons were advanced in the comments and in other articles about the phenomenon. Some might feel they don’t have enough money to invest while others might be afraid to invest. But whatever the reason, teaching about investing can help address some of these concerns and hopefully get people started on their way — and for young people, this is especially important because they stand to gain the most.
Women, insecurity and money: Overcoming the confidence gap
This article is by staff writer Kristin Wong.
For the past two years, the topic of women and money has come up in my life quite a bit. I’m guessing it has something to do with the fact that I’m a woman who writes about money.
But as a woman who writes about personal finance, I feel have given the topic less attention than it deserves — not just in my writing, but in my own thoughts too. I suppose I figured personal finance is something that we all struggle with, not just women. But the more I learn, the more it hits home, and the more I realize we should embrace the topic so we can do something about it.
Consider more than salary when evaluating a job offer
This article is by staff writer Honey Smith.
Once you have been offered a new job, you might assume the process is at an end. But is it really? Not all jobs are created equal, and the goal in getting a new job is (typically) to improve your situation. So job offers must be evaluated carefully to ensure that your goals, personal finance and otherwise, are being served.
The standard advice when interviewing for a new job is to avoid being the first person to put forward an exact number. Why? Because you risk low-balling yourself and losing any chance of getting the upper hand as you negotiate.
When is it okay to re-gift?
This article is by editor Linda Vergon.
The year I met the man I would marry, we were living in different cities and hadn’t spent much time together when Christmas came around. It was difficult to know what to give, how much to give, and how much to spend. I looked for inspiration. I consulted friends. I visited a lot of stores in search of a great gift. I ended up with a few gifts, some that I made myself and a couple that I purchased – a really nice, black sweater and some cologne. They were all warmly received; but later on, it became clear that the cologne would never be used. My guy just doesn’t wear cologne. (Drat!)
What is your investment strategy?
This article is by staff writer William Cowie.
Get Rich Slowly conducted an online survey of about 2,000 randomly selected individuals on the subject of investing recently, and I found the insights from the results quite interesting. Some of the highlights of the findings of the survey are:
1. Over 40 percent of all respondents do not invest at all at the present moment.
2. Despite investing being more advantageous to the young, the highest proportion of respondents not investing were also the youngest.
3. Using index funds is not a primary investing strategy by any age group.
4. The older people get, the more active they become in their investments.
Investing strategy
The first question on the survey was: What best describes your investment strategy? Six possible answers were provided for respondents to choose from:
14 smart money moves to make before the end of the year
It’s a really busy time, I know. But when Suba Iyer told me about how she closes out her year financially, I thought it would be of interest to the readers of Get Rich Slowly. So I asked if she would prepare an article and share her list with us – but in reviewing it, it appears she made it even more comprehensive! Suba currently writes for FiveCentNickel.com.
The new year is just around the corner. How was your 2014? Did you get everything you wanted to accomplish done? Are you getting ready to set new resolutions? Before you do that, spend a little time to finish 2014 with a bang. Here are some money moves you can make in 2014, whatever is left of it, to make full use of the current year and get set up to start the new year off on the right foot.
Saving money when you have no time
This article is by staff writer Holly Johnson.
A few weeks ago, I participated in an “Ask the Experts” segment on a huge site in the mommysphere, CafeMom.com. The focus of the project was saving, budgeting, and frugality, and my job was simply to answer questions that readers sent in. Sounds easy, right?
Unfortunately, I quickly found that I am no longer equipped to answer many of the inquiries I would have sailed through just a few years ago. A few examples:
“Do you use an app or Excel spreadsheet to track your coupons?” asked one gal eager to save on groceries and consumables.
“Is there a great coupon app?” inquired another.
How four families survived lean times
This article is by staff writer Lisa Aberle.
Because I couldn’t meet my self-imposed cash budget of $500 in the month of October, I had to use other sources to meet our overage. But despite having lived under tight financial circumstances throughout some periods my life, I have always had enough to get by and things haven’t been (well, usually they haven’t been) too stressful for me. But I wanted to talk to people who had difficulty finding ways to pay when they went over their budget, so I reached out to my friends to get their perspectives and see what I could learn from them.
Thank You, Fate!
This article is by staff writer Robert Brokamp.
Most of us think of Thanksgiving as an American tradition. But it was most likely brought over by English settlers, since such holidays existed in the Old World and elsewhere for centuries. It began as a harvest festival – a way to thank the heavens for the edible plants on earth. The folks of yore recognized that, even if they toiled like nobody’s business, each year’s bounty was essentially up to Mother Nature.
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