Have you had “the money talk” with your college-bound kids? Chances are you’ve been so busy navigating school applications, acceptance letters, and graduation parties that you haven’t carved out time for a heart-to-heart about financial health.  But now that your kids are about to be on their own, it’s more important than ever to teach them about managing money and avoiding debt.  This article covers: the most common traps college students fall into  how to prepare them to manage their finances tips and statistics for understanding Gen Z and how they think about money Ready? L ..read more

When your budgeting tools won’t do what you want or it takes a ton of time to maintain your budget, it’s time to find a new way to do it. Quicken Simplifi’s spending plan gives you the flexibility you need to track and watch your money, your way.  Do you have a particular budgeting method you’d like to stick with? No worries — Simplifi can work with any type of budget. Here’s a quick look at 4 popular styles. Zero-based budgeting Zero-based budgeting, also known as zero-sum budgeting, is a budgeting method that builds your budget from the ground up, accounting for every dollar you make. I ..read more

Do you want to help people? Save the environment? Cure world hunger? A nonprofit organization can be a rewarding way to take on social, environmental, or community issues and start spreading the good around. The process may look intimidating at first, but if you follow the steps below, you can start your own nonprofit organization — even if you don’t hire someone else to do the legwork. The tips in this article can help you choose a nonprofit structure, register your nonprofit in your state, stay on good terms with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), and much more! What is a nonprofit corporat ..read more

Organizing a pantry is easy — it can help you save time in the kitchen, feel blissfully organized, and even save money in the long run. Ready? Let’s go! 15 tips to help you organize your pantry These 15 tips can help you simplify your pantry, and your life. 1. Start with a blank slate If you’re organizing your pantry because of a diet or change in lifestyle, now would be a great time to donate all the food and grocery items you’ll no longer use. Also, check all the expiration dates and throw away anything that’s gone south. Take everything out of the pantry until you’re left with a clean ..read more

When it comes to managing a successful business — no matter the size – there’s one thing for certain: marketing is a must. What good is your product or service if no one knows about it, right? If you want to expand your customer base and increase your revenue, here are 25 small business marketing ideas to try. Note that these strategies vary in price, but most can be achieved with a modest marketing budget. 1. Create a Google Business Profile When you’re looking for a plumber, where do you search? Do you pull out a phone book and magnifying glass, combing through the white pages? Probably not ..read more

With over 170 million members in the United States and Canada, Amazon Prime is kind of a big deal. And while subscribers enjoy special savings, same-day delivery, and exclusive streaming all year round, the deals are even bigger on Prime Day. Introduced in 2015, Amazon’s 48-hour sale rivals Black Friday and Cyber Monday as the top holiday for online shopping. The exact dates are only announced a few days prior, but it’s usually held during the second week of July. Here are a few things to know before you start filling your cart. A method to the Prime Day madness It’s easy to get carried away o ..read more

Gross monthly income is the amount of money you earn monthly before anything is taken out of your paycheck. This isn’t the same as your take-home pay, which is what you get after taxes and other payments come out of your earnings. For example, Social Security and Medicare taxes, the cost of your health insurance, and retirement contributions might be deducted directly from your salary. Employers usually also withhold income taxes. Many employers offer jobs with an annual salary agreed in your contract. The biggest difference between a gross monthly income and a yearly income is the time period ..read more

No matter where you are, chances are that you have your phone on your person — you might even have it in your hands, reading this sentence! Once simply a means to stay connected (you remember your Motorola Razr, right?), phones are now so integrated into our lives that it’s hard to imagine leaving home without them.  Aside from using your phone to play music, organize your life, and engage in social media, did you know you can use it to make money online? Here are the best ways to stack some extra cash just by using your phone. 1. Sell photos  Whether you’re team Android with a Samsu ..read more

As a business owner myself, if there are people I know, it’s other small business owners. I love the relationships I’ve built and how I can work closely with them to help them reach their goals. I know from experience that sometimes we have to think creatively when starting projects or launching new products. For instance — we have to do market research, right? It’s one of those things that’s necessary for any business, and many companies hire agencies to do it for them.  That’s why the industry is expected to reach $90.79 billion in 2025. But what if you want to do market research yourse ..read more

When you read the word “vacation,” what comes to mind? Do you drift away to a white, sandy beach somewhere as the palms dance in the ocean breeze? Do you picture yourself walking down tree-lined streets in a European city somewhere? Maybe you’re standing on a mountaintop after a vigorous climb. No matter what kind of summer getaway you dream of, chances are you’re going to have to spend a few pennies to make it happen. However, going on a vacation doesn’t need to be synonymous with breaking the bank! If you want to travel this season, here are our top summer vacation ideas for travelers on bud ..read more