The Lola Retreat is not just a women’s financial conference. Melanie Lockert of the award winning blog Dear Debt is throwing not just a conference on finances, but a retreat where women can gather and learn about personal finances. She explains the details and why you should check it out below. 1) What is the Lola Retreat? Lola Retreat is a women + money focused retreat happening in Portland, Oregon…
Saving money can be hard, but it doesn’t have to be. It depends on how you’re doing it. Let’s talk about how to save money easily. Most of us aren’t saving money just for saving money sake. You’re stacking up money for a reason. Perhaps you’re working on a rainy day pile aka an emergency fund. Or you have a short-term goal like a vacation or a down…
I said I would give them a super simple wealth formula. I was having a conversation with my brothers and sisters and the conversation naturally turned to saving more money, paying off debt and of course building wealth. They asked for a plan and I said “sure, whoever wants in on the plan, I’ll shoot off an email with it.” Of course everyone said I want in so…
I’ve been hearing “it’s cute that you tell us to have discipline, but I’m going to spend this holiday season.” I’ve also heard “I have the money to spend, but I still want to be savvy with it. How can I get the best out of my money?” Basically that’s saying how can you stretch it and get the most for every dollar you spend. Whichever category you fall into,…
I decreased my food budget by 79% and it didn’t have much to do with couponing. Food can be one of the more expensive categories in your monthly budget. It’s not a fixed expense, the amount is dependent on you. But that’s also the problem, the amount is dependent on you. I review my budget every month to see how well I did with sticking to my estimated amounts. As…
I’ve seen a number of articles announcing that you can now pay for your airline tickets using a payment plan. I’ve been people exclaim “awesome, great idea! I’m definitely going to use this!” My reaction? I cringed. Hard. No seriously, I cringed really hard and thought about the trouble this will bring. These aren’t payment plans in the strictest sense of the word. You’re not taking the amount that…
It’s that time of year again, for your personal finance mid-year checkup. Financial progress is a long-term endeavor. Every day, month, and year you make decisions that affect your financial goals and financial security. It’s time to dive deep into your finances and see how much progress you’re really making, while you still have time to make adjustments for the year. 1) Retirement Preparation Do a quick assessment on…
Have you ever thought, “when should I use my savings?” You hear you should save. Save. Save. Save. However, when do you use those savings. What are some good rules to follow to know when it’s time or you’re justified in dipping into your savings? Let’s dive into them. 1) You’ve reached your money goal for an item. If you were saving a certain amount of money for…
As The Money Scientist, of course people talk personal and business finance with me all the time. I get to hear people brag about great deals they’ve found. I hear about personal finance stories of triumph and failure, lessons learned. I also hear so many personal finance myths that masquerade as truth. These myths are causing damage. They hinder your wealth building and quest for financial freedom and security. …
Now is the time to save on taxes before the end of the year. Owe, just right, or refund. That’s the game for taxes. We would like for it to be just right (own nothing and receive nothing). However, most of us fall into the owe the government or refund from the government groups. With the tax rules for benefits and deductions changing almost every year, it can be hard…
