[…continued from January 29th’s post…]
As we have done (and will do) regularly around here, we are coming back to the real key to financial bliss, and ultimately, to using debt wisely: being a conscious consumer.
This is where Martin Lewis really hits the nail on the head, I think: the root of the problem of massive, [...]
Q: Why do we get into debt?
A: We overspend.
No, really. It’s that simple. The real question is, ‘why do we overspend?’ And that answer is, perhaps, a bit less simple.
I admit it: I have a crush on Martin Lewis. He’s a British blogger, and self-proclaimed “saving expert,” and his analysis of people’s collapse into [...]
Q: When is a bargain not a bargain?
A: When you are buying something you don’t need just because it’s on sale.
We all know this. Just like we all know that advertising, sales, and “bargains” are designed to make us forget this simple fact. And, boy, do we forget it.
I am (distantly, thankfully) related to [...]
Budgeting is discussed ad nauseum on personal and business finance blogs. It seems as though everyone has a method for guaranteed success. Why? Because budgeting is like saving – most of us are aware that it is something that we “should” do. But, far fewer people do it well.
Making a budget is simple; making a [...]
Most people know that living below your means — spending less than you make — is an important part of balancing the household budget. But, another great strategy is to live after your means: don’t spend money that isn’t already in your hands.
For example, suppose you are paid on the 1st and 15th of the [...]
Happy New Year!
2009 has arrived, for many, in a whirl of post-holiday debt, and anxiety about the economy. This is virtually guaranteed to add fuel to the New Year’s Resolution fire, as people attempt to deal with the possibility of job loss, and recession.
What’s your New Year’s Resolution? If you’re like many of us, at [...]