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Honey, I Wrecked Your Credit
Keeping separate credit cards can help insulate you from your partner’s bad credit. Photo: Bryn Salisbury
My husband and I were both in our mid-30s when we married. He was a couple of years into a psychiatric practice, and I had more than a decade of magazine experience under my belt. Each of us had been financially independent for quite some time (although as a freelance writer, my independence was of the slightly less lucrative sort).
We had decided to share our lives together, but for reasons unclear to either of us now, we chose to keep our finances separate.
Honey, I Wrecked Your Credit
Keeping separate credit cards can help insulate you from your partner’s bad credit. Photo: Bryn Salisbury
My husband and I were both in our mid-30s when we married. He was a couple of years into a psychiatric practice, and I had more than a decade of magazine experience under my belt. Each of us had been financially independent for quite some time (although as a freelance writer, my independence was of the slightly less lucrative sort).
We had decided to share our lives together, but for reasons unclear to either of us now, we chose to keep our finances separate.
Balancing Spending and Time: How ‘Time Frugality’ Can Save You Lots of Cash
The experience of reading a book trumps having one on your bookshelf, so make sure you carve out enough time for the things you truly care about. Otherwise you may find you’re wasting money filling the void with ‘artificial replacements’ — for example, buying a book because you haven’t had time to actually read one lately. Photo: Sam Greenhalgh
Is Working Worth It When You Have Kids?
When half of your take-home pay goes to child care, it can make you wonder whether your job is really worth the long hours and soul-crushing commute. Photo: Enric Martinez
When you have kids, it’s easy to question whether it makes sense for both parents to work outside the home. I know; I’ve been there. When my husband and I had our first child, I was making around $10 an hour and spending half of my take-home pay on child care.
Struggling With Student Loans? How to Lower Your Payments
If you’re struggling to make your student loan payments, one option to explore is income-driven repayment plans.
These plans are available to federal borrowers to help manage student loan debt. Under these plans, monthly payments are lower than under the Standard Repayment Plan. They make it so what you’re paying every month is tied into your income and family size. Often, this makes your monthly payment more manageable and could temporarily be as low as $0.
The Million-Dollar Retirement Question
Photo: Véronique Debord-Lazaro
One question I’ve received several times over the years is what I’ve jokingly called the “million-dollar question” to my wife. It comes in several variations, but generally boils down to two types.
The question is either this one:
How much would I need in the bank to live the rest of my life on the interest?
Or this one:
If I had a million dollars, what would I do with it so I could live forever on that money?
I combined the two into a single question: Could I live for the rest of my life on $1 million – and if so, how?
Can Cash-Back Rewards Beat Your Savings Account?
Are you tired of earning less than 1% on your savings? You’re not alone.
With interest rates hovering near record lows for the past few years, the average savings account in the U.S. is currently bringing in around 0.17% APY, according to GoBankingRate data. In other words, most people are earning next to nothing on their liquid savings. And you can shop around ‘til the cows come home, but for the most part, there are few places you can safely earn more than 1% on your cash cushion.
Fortunately, you can continue earning money on your spending, at the very least. All you need is a cash-back rewards card, the discipline to pay your balance in full each month, and the desire to earn at least something in this low-return environment.
This One Move Can Save You $1,000 a Year
In addition to saving you money, ditching your smartphone can reduce distractions at work and help you be more attentive around people you care about. Photo: Matthew G
It lets you shop endlessly on eBay. It keeps you tuned into the latest water-cooler gossip on Facebook. It allows you to follow photo stories of people — some you know, some you don’t — on Instagram. You can watch endless videos while waiting for the train. Access your email everywhere you go, and an entire music library right at your fingertips.
Anyone can reach you any time in a seemingly endless number of ways. Sounds great, doesn’t it?
Until you see pictures of teens and adults alike ignoring people in the same room because everyone is staring at their handheld devices.
The Best Home Insurance for 2015
If you’re looking for the best home insurance in 2015, there are plenty of national and local insurance companies that will want your business. However, it’s hard to decide which company to pick with so many choices.
Companies like Amica Mutual stand out in customer surveys, but they aren’t available everywhere. The best way to find fair rates on homeowners insurance is to get free online quotes from a variety of companies. This is the easiest way to understand what rates you might face.
There’s more to take into account than just price, but it’s a good starting point. I’ve included a quote tool below so you can shop around right away. Enter your zip code in the box and click “Get Quotes” and you’ll be presented with a list of 3-5 of the best homeowners insurance companies in your area. You can research policies from each provider and determine which is the best fit for your home and your budget.
12 Money-Saving Food Strategies My Family Uses
Instead of pouring out the last of the coffee, freeze coffee ice cubes to make a refreshing drink another time. Photo: Jimmie
Over the years, our family has steadily built up a number of little “food hacks” that we use to save money and time when buying food and preparing meals at home. Often, we don’t even really think about them, but sometimes, when we step back and look at our meal patterns, we see lots of little things that we do to save money on our food expenses.
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