Money Tips Network
Breaking the stress spending cycle
This article is by staff writer Kristin Wong.
Lately, life has been a little hectic. I have a full schedule of work. I’m trying to plan a surprise party. I’m working on three different passion projects. My laundry needs to be washed. Hell, I need to be washed. It’s noon and I haven’t even showered.
I don’t mind a packed schedule, and I’ve learned to better manage my time. But for those moments when a lack of time gets the better of me, and my stress level rises, I’ve noticed something unsettling: I have a really careless attitude about money.
In short, I’ve been stress spending. Some of it is emotional, and some of it is spending out of convenience. Here are a few examples of my recent stress spending:
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Instead of cooking, I’ve been ordering takeout.
Capital Gains Tax Gets More Complicated
The following is a guest post from Marotta Wealth Management. I have made my share of tax mistakes when selling assets, but have also used market downturns (like 2008) and charitable donations of stock (as he notes below) to strategically readjust my holdings. I should be in a place where I don't need to sell any assets for quite some time, but this is a topic that we all still need to be reminded of and consider from time to time. Not sure his "capital gains should be 0%" at the end is right, but it would make things much simpler.
How you deal with the new capital gains rates hinges on your tax bracket. The strategies to deal with capital gains differ for each level.
Silence Not Golden in Intergenerational Family Finance
The last time I ran into one of my favorite cousins, the conversation soon turned to which far-flung family members she had recently heard from. She divulged she hadn’t yet heard from my youngest cousin, her younger brother, about his recent trip to Southwest Michigan. That was not new, as she’d called another of my cousins, her older brother, two weeks earlier and had yet to hear back.
“Have you heard from my sister?” I asked.
“Nope.”
“Has my sister heard from you?”
“Nope.”
“Has Uncle Bill heard from Uncle Jack?”
“Nope.”
“Has the cat heard from the dog?”
“Nope.”
“And vice versa?”
“Nope.”
The One Word You Need to Get Rid of for a Better Life
Do you want to start living a better life today? I mean, right this very moment?
Then stop saying "should." That's it.
Don't just stop saying it out loud, but stop repeating it in your thoughts, too. Don't tell yourself what you should be doing instead of what you're actually doing or what you should have done in the past. (See also: How Doing Less Helps You Get More Done)
If you do this, your life will improve faster than you'd have thought possible.
Best Money Tips: The Insurance Edition
Welcome to Wise Bread's Best Money Tips Roundup! Today we found some of the best articles from around the web on insurance.
Top 5 Articles
7 Insurance Policies You Can Live Without — Chances are you can live without specialty disease insurance and extended warranties. [PopSugar Smart Living]
5 Ways to Save Money on Insurance — To save money on insurance, increase your deductible or boost your credit score. [Christian PF]
This Is How You Grill Pizza at Home
Now that summer is in full swing, you might be getting bored of standard hotdogs and hamburgers on the grill. Spice up your next party by trying something new and different — grilled pizza! I live near an old Italian restaurant that has built its reputation on its flavorful grilled pies. After eating many myself, I have spent years replicating them at home. (Related: This Is How You Make Restaurant Quality Pizza at Home)
Ask the Readers: How Do You Save on Summer Travel?
It's the height of summer! Many people take advantage of the school break (not to mention the Independence Day holiday) to do some traveling before the academic year begins again. It's also a great time to escape from (or to!) the heat. However, getting away at the peak of vacation season can be quite expensive if you just pack and go.
How do you save on summer travel? What apps or websites do you use to help keep travel costs low? What are your favorite budget summer destinations?
Tell us how you save on summer travel and we'll enter you in a drawing to win a $20 Amazon Gift Card!
Win 1 of 3 $20 Amazon Gift Cards
We're doing three giveaways — here's how you can win!
The Emotional Cycle of Change
As many of you know, I had a bit of a financial epiphany in April 2006. I came home from work one day, picked up the mail, and sat down to pay our bills, only to realize that we didn’t have enough in our checking account to pay all of those bills. Because neither of us would get paid for at least a week, at least a few of those bills were going to be late, and it was going to be a tricky balancing act to get out of it.
For some reason, that moment just set me off. I felt really ashamed of myself. Sarah and I both made a good income – why couldn’t we make this work? We had an infant son who relied deeply on us – shouldn’t we be doing better for his sake?
6 Personal Finance Books You Should Read
Trawl Amazon or the shelves of any bookstore and you will find a myriad of options when it comes to personal finance. It can be difficult to distinguish between them. Here's a list of six top-notch personal finance reads that make the cut. (See also: 17 Places to Buy, Sell, and Trade Books)
Ask Stacy: Can I Write My Own Will?
Sure, you can write your own will. But why would you?
How I paid less in property taxes
This article is by staff writer April Dykman.
Today I present the second and final installment of my property tax saga — the informal hearing. (You can check out the first post here.)
To briefly recap, I’m a new homeowner and my assessed property value shot up by 31 percent from last year. So that, along with the fact that I have a tax-protesting father to please, landed me in County Appraiser Brad’s cubicle for an informal hearing.
The bad news
First, County Appraiser Brad pulled up three comparable properties, meaning they were in my general area and fairly close in size, year built, etc.
The 5 Best Inkjet Printers
While a lot of work is done through the Internet these days, printers still play an important role in our day-to-day lives. Whether it's to print out homework, business proposals or photographs, inkjet printers remain the go-to devices for versatile, all-purpose printing. With that in mind, Wise Bread is here to help you get the best bang for your buck when purchasing a new inkjet printer.
Best Money Tips: The Retirement Edition
Welcome to Wise Bread's Best Money Tips Roundup! Today we found some of the best articles from around the web on retirement!
Top 5 Articles
All You Need to Know About Saving for Retirement — When you start saving for retirement, try to save 10%-15% of your income. [Get Rich Slowly]
5 Ways to Avoid Outspending Your Income in Retirement — Planning for longevity can help you avoid outspending your income in retirement. [Len Penzo dot Com]
11 Things You Can Do in Philadelphia That You Can't Do Anywhere Else
Philadelphia is nestled snugly between the nation's capital and New York City, the largest city in the U.S. Like a middle sibling that's often overshadowed by its other siblings, it's no wonder the city of brotherly love is often overlooked or — even worse — gets a bad rap. (See also: 9 Fun and Affordable Vacation Ideas)
Despite the fame and illustriousness of its east coast neighbors, this surprisingly large city (it's the fifth largest in the nation) has plenty to boast about. If you're looking to spend a day (or five) in town, check out these 11 things you can only do in Philadelphia.
1. Recreate Rocky Balboa's Run Up the Steps
How I Became a Used Car Dealer, for a little while
This is the beginning of our 2003 update. This update I am doing a little bit different, I am breaking it up into several consecutive posts and on the last one I will post the net worth update for 2003 followed by a glance at our 2003 budget. By doing it this way I can […]
The post How I Became a Used Car Dealer, for a little while first appeared on Gen X Finance.
The post How I Became a Used Car Dealer, for a little while appeared first on Gen X Finance.
When is it NOT okay to spend money?
The blog A Young Pro had this year-old article in his Twitter feed recently. The title: “When is it Okay to Spend Money?”
He recounts the story of a really bad week with his car. He gets in an accident, and then locks his only set of car keys in the car, while the car was running.
If it were I, the only thing more depressing would be finding out that my daughter has started listening to Hanson.
But then there’s “the list”
So, naturally — and reasonably! — he wrote a list of things that, to him, were worth spending money on.
And, naturally — and reasonably! — “spare keys” was at the top of the list. (That was his only set that he locked in his car!)
Completely for fun, though, I’m going to take his list, and turn it upside-down. I’ll argue that these are awful things to spend money on.
How to Attend a Wedding for Cheap (Without Actually Looking Cheap)
Summer is wedding season, and if, like me, you're at that age when all your friends are tying the knot, it can be a nightmare for your pocketbook. Modern weddings seem to be more elaborate than ever, piling on the costly obligations for guests who just want to show the happy couple some love. (See also: How to Shave $5,000 Off Your Wedding Expenses)
If you're tired of whipping out the credit card every time an invitation lands in your mailbox, this list of money-saving tips is for you.
Questions About Clotheslines, Old Credit Cards, Pens, and $2 Bills
What’s inside? Here are the questions answered in today’s reader mailbag, boiled down to five word summaries. Click on the number to jump straight down to the question.
1. Buying a house for mom
2. Is Roth IRA enough?
3. Serenity prayer
4. Ice machines and hotels
5. Using a small clothesline
6. Question editing
7. Wealth and tactics
8. Guilt from covering needs
9. Buy it for life: pens
Hate Budgeting? How a Percentage-Based Budget Might Work for You
I've heard just about every excuse in the book for not making a budget. I've even excused my own way out of budgeting more times than I care to admit. What I've learned in the process is that just like diet and exercise plans or productivity goals, budgets aren't one-size-fits-all. In other words, the style of budgeting that helps you get your personal finances on track might be a disaster for someone else. (See also: Build a Better Budget in 5 Minutes Flat)
One very simple and easy-to-follow budgeting style is percentage-based budgeting. Is it a fit for you?
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