Money Tips Network

Graduation is the theme all around my neighborhood. It is a time of excitement and big dreams. Unfortunately in most cases, personal financial sense is not a taught at college. Once out of college, going from living broke to a big paycheck every month can easily encourage lifestyle inflation and a downward spiral of bad financial habits. Hence, it is essential to establish a good personal finance foundation to avoid getting trapped in a lifetime of debt. Here is a checklist I would hand over to a new graduate to make sure they start on the right path.

Earn

Stuff happens. Life happens. And setbacks are inevitable, especially when  it comes to frugal habits, money and savings. So I don't think I'm alone in confessing that I've fallen off the frugal path.  And I won't be alone as I try to build up my savings and rebuild healthier financial habits.

I'm not alone. I have emotional support from my family and a few good friends. Plus, in this space, I have public accountability to help with my personal accounting.

Please follow my new online journal as I adjust my personal balance statements.

I created this video 7  years ago (wow!) to demonstrate my favorite cash management system – the envelope system.

I have been using the envelope system for nearly a decade and it really is a great system for managing cash and household expenses.

Watching this video always makes me smile. The quality is so cheesy-awesome – but the concept is so super-simple. My Dad says that the opening reminds him of Napoleon Dynamite!

Side note -

I’ll soon be making more videos – with improved graphics and audio! – so visit the NCNBlog channel and subscribe!

The channel will focus on money-saving ideas, tips, and strategies, as well as DIY projects, frugal living, and home maintenance. Be blessed.

It’s been a while since I listed my favorite history podcasts.  There are a number of high quality, entertaining, free podcasts available and these are my favorites:

History Podcasts -

Revolutions – Mike’s awesome podcast, covering the revolutions which shaped the modern world.

The History of Byzantium – This podcast tracks the history of the Eastern Roman Empire.  This is a subject about which I learned very little in school – and I am fascinated by this podcast.  Good stuff.a

Myths and History of Greece and Rome – This podcast takes an in depth look at the Greek and Roman Empires – from their foundations.  I listen for the information – and the awesome accent!

Welcome to Wise Bread's Best Money Tips Roundup! Today we found some amazing articles on ways to watch movies for free, bridal shower gift ideas, and motivation and money.

Top 5 Articles

11 Ways to Watch Movies for Free — To watch movies for free, go to the library or use SwapADVD. [POPSUGAR Smart Living]

5 Bridal Shower Gift Ideas Under $50 — A gift basket or spa certificate are just a couple bridal shower gift ideas that won't break the bank. [One Smart Dollar]

I don’t hang out at money.stackexchange as much as I used to. No hard feelings, though: I’m glad to see that the site finally made it out of the 3+ year beta purgatory it was stuck in.  They even sent me a cute little green piggy bank for being one of the more active users (for a time, anyway).

The people there — myself included, I hope — genuinely do want to be helpful.  And I give a lot of credit to people who come with basic questions and who are humble enough to ask.

Questions that make you flinch a bit

There were a couple of questions recently for which giving the answer is a bit hard.  The questions were basic, and you just knew that the person wasn’t going to like what you had to say, even if it was exactly correct, and what they needed to hear.

If you spend your day in an office, a cubicle, a dark room, or behind a desk, chances are good that — at some point — you are going to lose focus, your productivity is going to decrease, and your energy level will plummet. Combating those problems can mean the difference between staying ahead of your work or getting behind, getting out of the office on time or staying late, or even impressing your boss or getting on her bad side. (See also: Science Shows You Need to Work Less)

If you can work in breaks, whether they are small ones or a full hour, it is possible to keep your level of productivity and attention to detail at its peak. Here are eight ways you can do just that.

Whether you are at home, at work, or out with friends, there's no escaping financial stress. It's the kind of stress that stays with you until you do something about it. It takes over your life. You end up spending a lot of time thinking about your finances which causes you to be unproductive in other areas… and not present in life. It limits your freedom. (See also: The 7 Worst Money Mistakes Married People Make)

Let's take a look at some of the specific mistakes that you may be making that add stress and frustration and limit your time and enjoyment!

Making Excess Purchases on Your Credit Card

This can also fall under a category called "careless spending."

This article is by staff writer April Dykman.

There are a lot of really good reasons to have a life insurance policy, no doubt.

If you have children, they’re dependent on your income. You want them to be taken care of should something ever happen to you. If your spouse stays at home with the kids, he or she is dependent on your income. If you stay home with the kids, your spouse is dependent on your “childcare services.” (Obviously, you’re more than just a service provider when it’s your own children, but should something happen to you, your spouse would have to pay for childcare, which, as most parents can tell you, isn’t cheap.)

Those are just a few examples of why life insurance might make sense.