A survey noted that 48% of American couples have arguments about their finances. That’s nearly half! The clash is the result of being on different pages about money. Over time, it can certainly put a strain on your relationship. One way that can be a big help in turning this around for financially feuding couples is making a budget. It’s a great way to alleviate the stress of money-centered conflict and it offers an opportunity to build a strong financial foundation together. It’s also no secret that when both partners are on board with making a budget and sticking to it. Reaching your joint g ..read more

Whether you’re new here or not, you have probably learned quickly how much I like budgeting. Things weren’t always this way. I used to be very anti-budget. Back in 2013 when I started thinking about improving my finances, I had a very low income. The idea of making a budget and actually using it seemed pointless. Then, I hit rock bottom and had nowhere to go up. After realizing I’d much rather be in control of what little money I had at the time vs. letting it control me, I decided to start budgeting. From there, I went on a journey of truly understanding my relationship with budgeting and dev ..read more

Longtime readers of this blog know that my income hasn’t always been great. Even when I had a low income, I knew that budgeting was the answer if I wanted to get better with money and improve my situation. Some people believe that budgeting is hard when you have a low income because there’s not much to go around and your budget limits what you can do which makes you feel even more deprived. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Your budget doesn’t determine your current situation or keep you in a situation that you don’t like. It’s actually designed to do the opposite and empower you by hel ..read more

Do you ever wonder how much it truly takes for you to live each month? Sure, you might have a rough budget in place, but do you truly know how much money you’d need just to cover your basic living expenses. It’s one thing to budget, but a general budget includes basic monthly expenses along with categories like savings, debt payments, and personal wants. When you have a financial hardship or money is tight, you can rely on a bare bones budget to help you get through. A bare bones budget can even be a great way to help you strip down your expenses so you can focus on paying off more debt or max ..read more

Committing to a budget is one of the best things I could have done to improve my finances and get out of debt. I know most people cringe when they hear the ‘B’ word, but that’s because they’re probably doing it all wrong and making common budgeting mistakes. A budget is basically a spending plan for your money. In other words, it involves you regaining control and telling your money exactly where to go instead of wondering where it went. It’s pretty empowering actually. I read a book a few months ago from a very prominent person in the personal finance space and I was shocked to see that they ..read more

Should I pay off debt or travel first? There’s a narrative we’ve all heard at some point on financial blogs like this one: Pay down what you owe, then you can enjoy experiences like travel and dining out. On the surface, the stance seems clear and undebatable. But life is not black and white. In my personal opinion, I’d recommend you don’t wait too long to travel and enjoy yourself – even if you have debt and other financial obligations. I know this view is controversial but I want to explain why I think that seizing certain opportunities you value right now is just as important as managing yo ..read more

I realize I haven’t mentioned any side hustle opportunities in a while. So I’m back with another interesting way to earn money – this time with your car! If you work from home, don’t use your car much, or are trying to downsize to become a one-car family, you may be interested in renting your car out for cash. Let me explain. With the growing popularity of ridesharing programs like Uber and Lyft, along with sharing your home via AirBnb, it should come as no surprise that people may want to rent out your car as well allowing you to earn some extra money. This can be done safely and effectively ..read more

CreditKarma has been around for almost 20 years, and has grown in popularity in the last decade or so. But, should you be using CreditKarma on your personal finance journey? Here’s our honest CreditKarma review. The main feature that CreditKarma offers is its ability to provide you with free credit reports and scores. These consist of your Equifax and TransUnion reports; your Experian score is not included. You can view your credit score, upcoming bills, minimum payment due dates, and outstanding balances on the company’s app. And, the company is consistently making changes to its website, app ..read more

Let’s be honest, times have gotten hard for many. And with rising inflation, constant layoffs, and having to jump through a bunch of different hoops just to get an interview, many people are worried about money. But what happens when you’re unemployed and still need to pay your bills? Or maybe you’re unable to work a regular job due to other reasons outside of your control but still need to earn some money. Here’s what you need to know about how to make money without a job. Tips on How to Make Money Without a Job Before we dive into things you can do to earn money, let’s first discuss how to g ..read more

This post is by our regular contributor, Angelique. Food is at the center of our lives. Each day we make meal choices that nourish our bodies or indulge our cravings. While we all love a great meal, our budget and time constraints can sometimes leave us with a lack of desirable culinary options. Creating a list of go-to meals that don’t break the bank, take hours to make and yet still satisfy in a big way is a great tool to have in your financial and time management toolbox. These tasty and frugal meal ideas below will have you coming back to them time and time again—even after your budget inc ..read more