Feed items
Making a “Daily Practice” Work for You
The single best idea I’ve learned this year came to me courtesy of James Altucher, who I heard as a guest on Episode 139 of the podcast Gweek. On that episode, Altucher talked about his book Choose Yourself, but also elaborated a bit on an idea he called the “daily practice.”
How to Make Money as an Airbnb Host
Anyone who has stayed at a nice hotel in the past decade knows it’s not cheap. When was the last time you stayed in a major city for under $100 a night? Or under $200 for that matter?
There is money to be made in the lodging industry. And it’s never been easier for average people to get a share of it, thanks to a disruptive startup called Airbnb that has rewritten the guidebook for travelers.
What Is Airbnb?
Airbnb is a new lodging option for travelers — and a new way to make extra money if you have some spare space in your home.
The Single Biggest Money Mistake People Make
Let’s just cut right to the chase. The single biggest money mistake that people make is that they put too much emphasis on the short term and not enough on the long term.
Whenever you splurge, you’re choosing the short term over the long term.
Whenever you buy something you don’t really need, you’re choosing the short term over the long term.
Whenever you kick back to watch a few hours of television, you’re choosing the short term over the long term.
Whenever you buy the cheap and energy inefficient light bulbs, you’re choosing the short term over the long term.
Don’t get me wrong – choosing the short term over the long term is a good thing some of the time. Little splurges and relaxing days are an enjoyable part of life.
The problem is that people choose the short term over the long term too often.
How to Insure Your Home Business
If you use your own vehicle to transport people or materials for your home-based business, you might need different insurance. Photo: Diamondback Truck Covers
A business is a business regardless of where it’s located. That includes home-based businesses, which is why decisions about insurance should be based on need and not location.
Each of the almost 40 million home-based businesses in the United States is unique. From the smallest part-time venture to multimillion-dollar international enterprises, they all need insurance to protect them and their owners from the perils that affect any other business.
Dear Mom, You Were Right
Photo: pixydust8605
Right after the first of the year, I’ll turn 35. And what a life it’s been so far.
My childhood wasn’t perfect, but I was raised by parents who showed me they loved me every day. I didn’t always like the lessons they taught me, but I know now that they were always coming from a good and honest place. And it was those lessons, the hard ones, that forced me to grow up and be… me.
Once I finished school and transitioned into adulthood, I fell in love — real love — with my husband. Several years later, we became the parents of two amazing children who light up my world. And in 2012, a lifelong dream of mine came true; I started a business that eventually allowed me to leave my 9-to-5 job and support my family as a solopreneur.
Ending the Cycle of Excuses
During my second and third years in college, I made some poor decisions regarding which classes to take. Those poor choices, during a period when I was no longer sure about my major, ended up tacking an extra year onto my college experience.
My response should have been to talk to advisors and figure out a way to minimize that extra year, cutting it to perhaps a semester or so. Instead, I just made up excuses, convincing myself that I really did need that extra semester or two and I hadn’t really messed up at all.
When that extra year rolled around, I didn’t have enough money to pay for my education, so I took out student loans. I took out a big enough loan to cover tuition, but then I found myself at a crossroads. How much more do I need?
My response should have been to get the smallest loan possible. Instead, I got myself a rather hefty one. I excused this, arguing that it would somehow cost me more to move to a smaller apartment.
How High School Students Can Financially Prepare for College
Keeping your grades up, taking AP classes, and preparing for the SAT or ACT can boost your chances of landing a scholarship. Photo: MC Quinn
Preparing for college can seem overwhelming. The truth is, it’s never too early (or too late) to take steps while still in high school. There are plenty of things you can do to prepare both academically and financially for your big college adventure:
Take Challenging Courses and Choose Wisely
Many colleges prefer that you take more than just the basic math and science classes, according to the U.S. Department of Education. And your high school graduation requirements may be far different from college admission requirements.
Debt and Your Marriage
Talking honestly about money — especially debt — can be difficult. But financial arguments and resentments can wreak havoc on marriages, so it pays to get it all out in the open. Photo: zenjazzygeek
When you marry your spouse, you’re merging lives. You’ll need to make room in yours for their books and furniture, sure, but also their family, maybe their pet — and, more often than not, their debt. In fact, seven out of 10 Americans enter into marriage with debt, according to debt.org.
To make matters worse, those first few years of wedded bliss are when you’ll most likely be racking up even more debt — between the wedding, a honeymoon, purchasing a home, furnishing your new love nest, and possibly expanding on your duo.
When Cheapness Goes Too Far in a Marriage
Sarah and I are frugal people. We like to cook at home. We fill our free time with lots of low-cost activities. Our social calendar involves a lot of potluck-style dinner parties. We often do things like make our own laundry detergent. We like to calculate the cost of everything.
Still, there are lines we don’t like to cross. We do not like to make other people feel uncomfortable in our home for any reason – we try really hard to treat guests as well as possible. We don’t skimp on things we truly rely on and will invest in things that will last for many years. We are pretty generous with gifts, too.
13 Times Cutting Corners Will End Up Costing You
By all means, shop around for a fair mechanic. But skipping scheduled and routine maintenance on your car can be costly. Photo: Sean Freese
Over the years, I’ve learned that being frugal does pay off. But sometimes, it just doesn’t pay to be cheap. (I’ve spent thousands of dollars to figure this out. Please don’t do the same.)
There was a time when I attempted to save every extra dollar that made its way into my bank account. Did the account balance grow at an exponential rate? Of course. Did I derive any major benefits from it? Not quite. Instead, I was resorting to extreme measures to save money, and following a deprivation budget.
Facebook
Become a fan
Twitter
Follow us
RSS
Subscribe