Debt Free Life Hacks

It's all about choices, and there are so many incredible ways to enjoy your hard-earned cash. It can definitely feel overwhelming trying to decide what to spend it on. Sometimes, though, it's helpful to take a step back and really consider what truly matters to you.  Recently, I found myself in this exact situation. I was tempted to splurge on headphones that would have set me back around $300. Sure, they had some cool features that my current pair didn't have, but when I really thought about it, it didn't seem worth it. At the same time, I was also looking at flights to visit my family. And you know what? I was pleasantly surprised to find a round trip nonstop flight that cost less than those headphones. The decision suddenly became clear - the flight was the way to go. Even though I could have easily afforded both, I decided that the time with my family was more valuable to me. After all, memories are truly priceless, and who knows, the price of those headphones will ...

Time flies, doesn't it? We've reached the end of 2022. Where did the time go? It's been a year, and I know you've been busy, but you'll want to make time for this. Unused Dental, Medical, and Vision Benefits  Hopefully, you've been using your employee benefits throughout the year, but if you still need to, it's time to get on the phone and try to make some appointments. If you're lucky, you'll find an opening, or you'll be able to squeeze in on someone's canceled slot. It never hurts to try.  Here are some benefits that you may have forgotten about: Dental 🦷 - Most plans allow two cleanings every six months or twice a year. Have you been to the dentist this year? When was your last appointment? Are you due for a cleaning? Ask these questions of yourself and everyone on your plan.  Medical  🏥- We should be getting an annual wellness check or physical. Most plans will cover your annual exam in full. Getting an appointment this late in the yea...

700 Pairs of Shoes and a Closet Full of New Clothes While standing in line at a department store, I chatted with another customer waiting to check out. During this conversation, she shared that she had about 700 pairs of shoes and a walk-in closet full of clothes that still had their tags. I didn't know the why behind her shopping or the collection of merchandise she had acquired, but I couldn't help but wonder what type of thought went into the constant shopping that she alluded to. Have you ever gone shopping for an item or two and left with many other things you did not intend to buy? Why does that happen? Why weren't you able to stick to your list? It happens to the best of us, but what can we do to keep it from getting the best of us?  The ABCs of Making a Purchase I introduce the ABCs of Making a Purchase. The next time you're about to buy something out of the blue or just because, maybe consider the following: A sk and A rticulate✋ Ask yourself why. Why are you...

Words of Wisdom from a twelve-year-old. With a five-second countdown, I asked my twelve-year-old nephew to give me a topic to write about for the blog. He said that was too much pressure, so I turned around and gave him an additional three seconds. 😆The topic he came up with was to only spend money on necessary things. To say that I was impressed is an understatement.💕👍 First of all, many adults do not have this mentality, and if they don’t, it’s quite likely that their children are the same.  Adults who are responsible with money are likely to have children who are responsible with money. What does it mean to only spend on necessary things?  It means that once your basic needs are met, everything else is extra. Food , Clothing , Shelter, and Transportation are all important things. Beyond that, it’s easy to become a bit wasteful. We’re all guilty of it, but being mindful of how and why you’re spending helps you to gain more control. This does not mean that you should...

As we near the end of the year, the season of even more extreme consumer marketing is here. Already we've begun to receive mailers and emails about holiday savings which is the equivalent of holiday spending . RESIST!  The holidays should not be a race to spend all of your hard-earned money. Instead of money, try spending time with with family and friends. Make it about creating special memories together. Skip the lines and instead play games at home, cook and eat together, take pictures, tell jokes. Resist going store to store or shopping online to buy things you don't need or want just because it's on sale. The advertisements will be convincing, persuading, and call for quick action. Do not be fooled by the gimmicks. If you must shop, have a budget and stick to it. Shopping during the holidays isn't necessarily a bad thing. Just be sure to remember to spend wisely. Beware of the holiday marketing. Always manage your money like a boss especially during the ...

There's a great saying that I learned from my mother,   Treat yourself don't cheat yourself .  I'm all for this, and I enjoy a treat when well deserved. An important question to ask is, are you doing too much treating? People work hard and I believe that when you work hard, one should also play hard.  In this light, there is nothing wrong with rewarding yourself for accomplishments or reaching major milestones. The key is to make sure your rewards are reasonable and fair. Reasonable and Fair? You just successfully completed a challenging night course and to celebrate you decide to treat yourself to dinner at your favorite restaurant. That's a reasonable and fair treat. If you went out and leased a brand new car to reward yourself, that purchase is not as reasonable and is more a trick than a treat. The trick is you'll have payments every month, higher insurance, and more debt. Rewarding yourself once has now become a reoccurring expenses.  That exam...

When it comes to expenses, there are things we have control over and others we do not. The key is eliminating unnecessary expenses whenever possible. Unnecessary expenses are those that we do have control over and that we bring on ourselves. I knew someone who would rent movies from the Redbox and forget to return them. She'd end up having to purchase them. While renting the movies is somewhat inexpensive if you keep them longer than the agreed-upon time, you could end up with some hefty fees. For each day that you keep a rental, you are charged an additional daily rental rate plus tax(if applicable). There is a maximum rental period for each type of rental. When you reach the maximum rental period, you're then charged the maximum charge.  This means that a $2 rental could end up costing you up to $70 dollars ($29.75 for a DVD, $34.00 for a Blu-Ray Disc, and $69.00 for a game). Yes...you read that right. Talk about unnecessary expenses! Just think if you had multiple rentals ...

With options for autopay and online pay, it's easy to make the mistake of putting managing finances on cruise control. While this is convenient, it's important to always check your accounts and your spending. Accidents happen, and it could be to your dismay.  When I paid off my student loans following my undergrad graduation, somehow the bank processed my transaction twice. YIKES! I was heated, I couldn't believe it. I'd called myself doing a good thing by paying off my debt and what did I get in return? Double billed! How dare they? Anyway, I was fortunate to not have an excessive amount in loans so my broke college student checking account balance covered me without an overdraft but it was such a hassle to go through the process of getting those funds back.  The point is, in our haste to cover all basis, we can sometimes miss things or do the same thing twice. I do not remember who was at fault, did I schedule a payment and then make a payment? Was the transaction...

Are you missing out? This week I talk about Employee Benefits. Check out the short video below!

If I knew then what I know now. My mom is a bargain shopper, so quite naturally I became one, but that was not always the case. As a child, my performance in the thrift stores was award-worthy. It was soooo below me, I would complain about the smell and to me the thrift store was "the itchy store". It made my skin itch, I couldn't breathe. Call it an exaggeration, but little ole me was suffering.  Fast forward many years later. That little girl grew older and wiser. I learned that thrift stores are often filled with hidden treasures. It no longer makes me itch and the smell isn't as bad as I made it. Maybe I'm just too excited by all the potential deals and savings that I just don't notice anymore.😆Not only can you find gently used items, you often can find brand new items but without the brand new price tags.  JACKPOT! For me, the rebirth of the thrift store took place when I discovered I could find board games for the low. Being that I hosted a ...

Small amounts can add up over time.  It's easy to overlook the small ways that you can protect your finances. Here are a few tips that can help you save money that may otherwise be wasted on fees.  Bank Accounts - Find a bank account that doesn't charge fees or find an account where you can meet the minimum requirements to have the monthly fee waived. Monthly fees vary, however, they can easily add up. Instead of paying the bank, that money could be added to your savings/rainy day fund.  Car Insurance - If possible, it's ideal to pay your full car insurance premium in full. Why? Typically, when you pay monthly (or other split methods) there is usually an extra fee charged to each payment. Many people do not pay attention or notice it, but it's there. Those fees go away when you pay in full and sometimes even with a discount.  Auto Pay Discount - Some cell phone companies (and others) offer a small discount when you sign up for auto pay. You no longer have t...

YOLO (You Only Live Once) We've all heard this phrase, and it definitely holds true. Another is "Life is short". Also, but only sometimes true. While we know that we only have one life to live and tomorrow is not promised, we cannot spend every dime we have to our name today because if we are fortunate enough to see tomorrow we still must be able to "live". This is not meant to be a dark topic, but in life, we must make complicated financial decisions. Because YOLO, you may want to enjoy life to the fullest, and that you should. This, however, is not an excuse to be irresponsible. Enjoying life to the fullest does not mean blowing all of your money on fun and entertainment. Yes, you can have a social life.  Yes, you can go on vacation.  Yes, you can treat yourself. Before you do all these things, just make sure you have some sort of plan in place. Create a budget for the major categories in your life. How much do you want to spend on fun and entert...

Did you know? Did you know that in some situations the best time to shop is before you even need a product? These items include toiletries, paper products, drug items, canned goods, etc. You actually have more buying power when you buy your items in advance. Why? You ask. The reasons: You have more flexibility more options you can shop around you can take advantage of sales and you can also make use of coupons. What's wrong with buying items only when you need them? The truth of the matter is, everyone cannot afford to buy in bulk but the real truth is you cannot afford not to. The initial investment may seem greater but when you exercise your options you can do so much better than when buying things when you need them. Think about convenience stores, most of the time there is a huge markup on items; do you know why? Because they can, you pay for the convenience. If you just went in the bathroom and realized you are down to your last roll of tissue and you have a ...

The Potential Curse Ever been tempted to purchase an item because they promise 18 months same as cash? Or perhaps you're shopping at your favorite department store and the cashier asks "would you like to apply for a credit card and save 25% percent on your purchase today?". Desperately in need of a new car, have you walked into the dealership focused solely on getting the monthly payment you can afford? Warning!! Proceed with caution.  What sounds like a great way to SAVE money could actually COST you in the long run. The truth is any of these situations can work in your favor or have a totally opposite effect. What comes into play is interest rates. Bankrate.com defines an interest rate as: the proportion of an amount loaned which a lender charges as interest to the borrower, normally expressed as an annual percentage. It is the rate a bank or other lender charges to borrow its money, or the rate a bank pays its savers for keeping money in an account. Why d...

If you're shopping online and not getting cash back something is wrong, something is very wrong. Online shopping is great, you don't have to leave the house and can still get great deals. One thing all online shoppers should be aware of is cash back offers. You can find coupons and deals and also get a little something back after qualified purchases.  One of my favorites is Ebates, but there are others. On Ebates, you'll find c oupons, promo codes, and cash back opportunities.  👉 👈 Gotta love cash back emails!👏 Hey...if you're going to make the purchase anyway, it doesn't hurt to get a percent back! The cash back could be used later towards other purchases or just extra cash in your pockets.  Another oldie, but goodie is  RetailMeNot  . Similar to Ebates, you'll find c oupons, coupon codes, promos and more. These sites are likely to be great ways to save while shopping online and even some in-store. 

No matter how much money you make, what matters most is what you do with it.  Whether you make a little or make a lot, the way you manage your money can make or break you. Did you know that there are people who have high incomes but still live paycheck to paycheck? Did you know that there are some people with low incomes who live comfortably and do not live paycheck to paycheck? 😲It's true! 😲 Higher income doesn't always mean that one is rolling in the money and lower income doesn't always mean that one is stuck on broke. The key is to not live above your means.   Living above one's means is often a recipe for disaster. Do you really need a brand new car, a massive home, and the newest cell phone all at the same time? All those things come with hefty price tags and additional considerations. You want to minimize your expenses and maximize your income. Your income and expenses should NOT be equal and your income surely should not be lower than y...

Let's take a moment and think about small changes that can make a big difference in your finances. Are you ready? Let's go! Are you blessed with free meals at work? If no, please continue reading.  This week's tip is to bring your lunch and snacks to work.  While it's true some companies offer free meals  (or meal vouchers) to their employees, most of us do not receive this uncommon fringe benefit.  The rest of this post would be applicable to the "rest of us".  Do you bring your lunch to work more often than not? This is important for a number of reasons.  The truth is spending money every day  on lunch and snacks isn't doing you any favors. Face it, fast food has very little to no nutritional value and most often no financial value at all . You may argue, "I order from the value menu"; while it may not hurt the finances as much, it  could be harmful to your health, which actually can later hurt your finances, but I digress.  E...

The title is a little scary huh? Sounds like you can't win when it comes to money. One phrase that has become popular is "more money, more problems", but even those with no money or very little money often share this feeling. So what can you do? Does money really equal problems? Well it can, but it doesn't have to. What is this blog about? Why should you care? This blog will post weekly topics concerning money and money management. How can you get the most bang for your buck? How to avoid over paying? How can savings turn into big rewards?  There is a lot to discuss. How you manage your finances and responsibilities will determine the type of "money problems" you will have. How about having some extra dollars after paying all your bills? Now that's a problem worth having!😏 Stay tuned!