Debt Free Life Hacks: Managing Money Like a Boss

Sometimes we get so caught up in the day-to-day, that we never take a step back to see the full picture. You may be paying your bills on time, taking care of your responsibilities, and saving, and while those are all good things, are you fully protected? Let's talk a little bit about risk management. What is Risk Management?💭  Sometimes bad things happen, things outside of our control. Simply stated, Risk Management is about reducing the financial impact of adverse events. Some common examples include auto insurance or health insurance. Despite your best efforts to drive safely or eat right and exercise, sometimes emergency situations occur. The financial impact of these occurrences will depend on the ownership and adequacy of the proper insurance, in the case of this example auto insurance or health insurance. A lack of either of the two would cost you more if something were to happen than having the proper coverage.  When we think about Risk Management, we key in on how pro...

Did you know that the government incentivizes taxpayers for certain things? It's true. Take, for example, the Retirement Savings Contribution Credit, commonly referred to as the Saver's Credit. This is a tax credit for taxpayers who invest in their future by saving for retirement. It helps reduce your taxes while at the same time helping you and incentivizing you to save for retirement. How much is the credit? The credit is up to $1000 (up to $2000, if Married Filing Jointly). While this may not seem like very much, every little bit helps, especially when reducing tax liability.  How does it work?  Based on your Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) and your filing status for taxes, you can receive a credit of 10%, 20%, or 50% of eligible contributions to a 401(k) or to an individual retirement account (IRA). This is a non-refundable credit that will help reduce the amount of taxes due but cannot be more than the amount of taxes owed.  Who qualifies for the credit? Individu...

  Saving money is great, but watching your money grow is even more rewarding. The rate at which your cash grows depends on the vehicle used to save and invest. When you look at the typical savings account, we can see by the meager interest rates ( if any ) that our money won't do a lot of growing - at least not fast.  So how long will it take to double my money?  There's a simple trick to estimate how long a particular investment will grow based on the interest rate earned; it's called the Rule of 72 . Basically, you take the number 72 and divide it by the interest rate (rate of return) that a particular investment would earn.  Years to Double  = 72/Interest Rate  So if you have a $5,000 investment that will earn 6% per year, then using the Rule of 72, 72/6 tells you that it would take approximately 12 years to double the investment ( $10,000 ). Of course, the higher the interest rate, the less time it would take to double the investment.  Doubling the...

Saving is hard. Especially if it isn't something that you're used to doing.  Maybe you don't have much to save, don't know how to save, or don't see the point in saving. All of these things can make it even more challenging or make it seem impossible. Let's address each of these reasons one may choose not to save. I don't have much to save: Guess what? It is okay to start small. If you're barely making ends meet, you may have to get creative to save, but it is not impossible. Look at your budget and spending and determine what a reasonable savings goal could be. Maybe you'd start off by saving an extra $5 each payday. If you get paid once a week, that's about $20 a month, which adds to $240 a year.  I don't know how to save: I get it; sometimes, we're lucky to just have something left over after paying all the bills and taking care of responsibilities. At that point, if you have something remaining, you may be inclined to go ahead and ...

What if I told you you could buy something without spending any money? You'd probably look at me crazy, but just hear me out. Here's an idea that may work if you are patient. Say you had a laptop that you were looking to replace by the end of the year.  Instead of earning money and saving or putting the laptop on your credit card, you could take a different approach. We'll call this approach the Buy Without Spending Challenge .  Buy Without Spending Challenge 👀 Instead of using earned income to make a purchase for the Buy Without Spending Challenge , you would use the money you already spent to pay for the new purchase. Stay with me now. You'll determine how much you need to save for the purchase and then sell items you own and no longer use until you've saved up enough to purchase the new item. It's like recycling ♲ your dollars; you already paid for the item(s) and so whatever profit you make is like having a second chance to use some of the money you spent. ...

"Money Explained - Credit Cards" Do you pay off your credit card balance in full every month? If so, your credit card company may consider you a deadbeat. According to the Credit Cards episode of " Money Explained," a Netflix series, transactors are deadbeats. So what exactly is a transactor? The episode's narrator defines a transactor as "someone who pays their bill in full every month." 😲Shocked? I know I was. But, once I learned what a transactor was, I realized I am a deadbeat, and I guess I'm alright with that.😂 Credit card companies don't want people who pay back their money every month and they don't want people to never pay back their money. It's OK to be a Deadbeat😮😉 What's wrong with paying your bill in full every month? While bankers and creditors may benefit from you carrying debt from month to month ( they call these customers revolvers ), how does that actually benefit you? It does not.  Typically it's better...

You work hard for your money, and the unfortunate reality is that individuals work hard to take it. As consumers, we must do what is in our power to protect our finances/identity.  SCAM is an acronym introduced by the Justice Department that provides rules/tips on protecting your identity.  SCAM stands for: S - Stingy & Skeptical:   Be stingy and skeptical about giving out personal information ( online and in-person ). C - Check:  Check financial information often (alerts, accounts, etc.) A - Ask:  Ask for credit reports and review them regularly. M - Maintain:  Maintain careful records.  The point is that you want to protect what is yours. It's so easy for information to get into the wrong hands these days, so using these tips could be a great way to help protect yourself. Being s tingy just means you are careful about what information you give out and to who. C hecking your accounts is important because you can potentially catch things early ...

Try not to get too excited, but this week we're talking about taxes! 😆What do you know about FICA? Have you ever noticed the deduction on your pay stubs and wonder what it was all about? FICA stands for Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA); put simply, FICA is a federal payroll tax. FICA is the money that comes out of your gross wages to pay social security taxes  ( old-age, survivors, and disability insurance ) and Medicare taxes ( hospital insurance tax ).  How much comes out of your check? The total amount that you pay is 7.65% of your gross wages. 6.2 percent goes to social security tax , and the remaining 1.45 goes to Medicare tax . Unless you're self-employed, your employer helps out by matching your contributions bringing the total to 15.3%. Self-employed individuals are responsible for the total amounts. Keep in mind that everyone's situation is different, these amounts apply to many, but there are exceptions. Individuals over a certain income threshold may ...

 In one of the previous posts, I talked about some DIY automobile maintenance. This video is an example of one simple car maintenance item that can save you a little money on labor.  In this video, I change my engine air filter for the first time. I purchased my engine air filter from the dealership, but you could save even more if purchased elsewhere. Enjoy! Managing your Money Like a Boss sometimes means getting your hands a little dirty (in a good way ) to save more and spend less! 

 I was having a conversation with a young lady who shared that she was living paycheck to paycheck but didn't understand why. I suggested she create a budget to see exactly where her money was going.  She said she didn't need a budget as her expenses hadn't changed, but she just didn't have enough money. I get that, but a budget could still be helpful. For a long time, I did the math in my head. I knew what I made and what my typical expenses were. Looking back, that was silly; the truth is, having it in your head is not the same as having it in some visual or written format. It really is an eye-opener once you visualize where your money is going. You may be surprised by the results.  You can only spend 100% of what you have. A pie chart is a great way to visualize income and expenses. It allows you to see how much of the pie ( income💰 ) goes to each of your expense categories. This can help you better manage your finances.  % of Income Spent Say y...

Have you ever really looked at your credit card bill? Carrying a balance, even a small one, can add up over time when you consider the interest. Sometimes, statements will include your balance, the minimum payment due, the interest/intersest rate, and the amount of time it will take to pay off the debt if you only pay the minimum - granted, you don't make any new purchases. It can be a little scary and even more reason to pay it off sooner than later.  Take a look at the example below: It’s a good idea to pay attention to your bill - in this case, the creditor is very transparent. Here’s a card with a relatively small balance, a high-interest rate (25.24% ), and a disclaimer. Highlighted in green, it states, “ If you make only the minimum payment each period, you will pay more in interest and it will take you longer to pay off your balance .” Given the facts - it would be in my best interest to pay more than the minimum - even if I can’t pay it all. Why? Because paying just the mi...

Have you ever taken your vehicle in for some routine maintenance only for the service advisor to provide you with a full list of things you should have done? I'm sure this has happened to many of you, and typically we're prone to think that they know what's best, and although you were getting a simple oil change that was under $100, you'll just go ahead and get all these recommended services now nearing the $400 mark.   Pump Your Brakes Before you agree, find out exactly what is going to be done. If it's an urgent issue that needs immediate attention, by all means, use your best judgment, but if it is seemingly minor items or services you're unfamiliar with, it's best if you do some research.  Doing Your Research Ask the service advisor to explain each of the recommendations. Ask if the recommendations are from the manufacturer or the repair shop. Ask for a printout of the recommended services. Only get what you came in to get and then research the recommend...

Auto-Pay Blues 😨 I'm a big fan of auto-pay. It ensures that bills are paid on time to prevent late fees and interest. Most of my bills are scheduled for payment using auto-pay, and typically it works just well. Recently, however, I discovered that bills I thought were paid through auto-pay had not been paid. How did that happen? I can only blame myself. You see, setting up auto-pay is great, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't be paying attention; I learned that set it and forget it is not the best approach. Why my utility bill was over $400 ?😱 I received an email from the utility company with the balance of my utility bill. When I saw the number, I nearly lost my mind. It was over $400, the highest utility bill I'd ever received. Yes, it had been freezing, but this couldn't be right, could it? After some investigation, I learned that the bill was 3 bills in one. The previous bill, stacked on top of the current bill, stacked on top of the final utility bill from ...

There are some things that we have no choice but to spend money on. If you want your car to get you from point A to point B, you have to keep it fueled. The same thing with your body; if you want it to perform, you must feed it. Just because we must spend money on these necessities doesn't mean we can't still save money. Here are some ways to save on everyday spending. Save on Gas While gas prices have been low for a good while, we know that gas doesn't go on sale. There are still ways to save. It's your duty to take advantage when you can. For example, as a T-Mobile customer, I benefit from T-Mobile Tuesdays . It's a weekly opportunity to get free stuff and other deals. One of the frequent deals is 10 cents off per gallon of gas using the Shell Fuel Rewards app. This is just one example of how you can save on everyday expenses. Now, of course, you'd still compare prices. If the gas station across the street is cheaper even after the savings, your best bet is to...

So it's settled; another round of stimulus checks are making way to the mailboxes and bank accounts of eligible individuals. Don't know if you're eligible? Find out more by visiting the Economic Impact Payments page on the IRS website.  Extra Money, How will you spend it? Depending on your circumstances, this extra check can help in various ways. If you suffered a job loss or a cut in hours, the extra money could help you make ends meet. If you are fortunate to still be doing okay during these trying times, the check could help you in other areas. The key is not to be wasteful.  Here are some ideas on how to spend your stimulus check for those without an urgent need: Emergency Fund  💰- If you do not already have a fully-funded emergency fund, consider putting some or all of your stimulus check into an existing emergency fund. If you do not have one, start one with these funds.  Pay Down Debt ➖- Have some bills or debt you need to take care of? This is an excellent o...

 Happy New Year!  It is now 2021, a new beginning. Did you reach your financial goals last year? Maybe, maybe not. If you did, that's great! If you did not, that is alright too. Successfully reaching last year's goals should give you a feeling of accomplishment and, hopefully, the motivation you need to keep going. If you were unsuccessful, that's no reason to give up. You have to figure out where you went wrong and come up with a plan that really works. Maybe you set the goal too high; maybe you were hit with some unexpected expenses. These things happen, and that is no reason to quit.  Setting Financial Goals Every year, I set some type of financial goal. A few years ago, I learned about a savings plan to increase your savings amount by a dollar each week. Week 1 - save $1, week 2 - save $2,  week 3 - save $3, etc. This became my travel fund. I would save all year and use the money saved for vacation and travel. The second time I did it, I decided to increase each ...