Mark Twain said this once, “It is from experiences such as mine that we get our education of life. We string them into jewels or into tinware, as we may choose. In other words, we all have experiences that we can learn from or ignore. But what about learning from the experiences of others, particularly when it comes to money? I think Twain’s quote applies here too, because we can learn and apply financial wisdom shared by others or we... Read more
Throughout this past year, I’ve been hearing about an investment company called Betterment, so I decided to take a look to see what they’re all about. If you’re not familiar with Betterment, they’re a brokerage firm with one goal: make investing better. How? By simplifying the process. There are a lot of people who want to invest, but they just don’t know where to start, what type of account to open, and how to manage their investments. If you have... Read more
I found this infographic from mint.com and thought it would be fun to share with you guys. I’ve written about the cost of a dog and pet health insurance, so when I saw this, it reminded me of how much pet-loving-people will spend on animals. I’m curious, if you have a pet, how much do you spend on it each month? We budget about $50, but with unexpected vet visits, I’m sure we’ll average around $800 each year for fido.... Read more
What words come to mind when you think of this phrase: The love of money is the root of all evil. Greed? Corruption? Vanity? What about when I simply say the word money? Do those descriptors still come to mind or do you think of ways that money can be useful – payment for hard work, tool for doing good, a transfer of value. The truth is that money in itself isn’t evil. The phrase “money is the root of... Read more
Remember the days of layaway? I remember being a kid and watching my parents put some things on layaway around the holidays. I had no clue why, but I knew that we would come back and get the stuff later. My parents would make the payments and without fail, the toys would be freed from layaway jail. I’m not exactly sure what it cost twenty years ago to use layaway, but I think it’s relatively the same as today. Most... Read more
If you’re struggling to pay off student loans, there’s something called Income Based Repayment (IBR for short) that you should know about. If you’ve already heard of IBR and think that you don’t meet the criteria to lower your student loan payments, keep reading because some important changes have been added since July 1, 2010. What is IBR? Income Based Repayment is a repayment option for your federal student loans that lowers the amount you pay each month. It does... Read more
If you’ve ever rented a car, you know how expensive it can be. It’s not uncommon to pay upwards of $250 to use a rental car for 4-5 days. I’ve used a rental car at least a dozen times this year for work and noticed a few extra ways to save while renting a car. 1. Comparison shop, then Priceline It I like certain brand for rental cars because some are just easier to deal with. But at the end... Read more
Retail gas prices affect everybody and everything, from individuals to big businesses. The rising cost of gas prices has many consequences that go beyond having to pay more at the pump. Big businesses are often deeply affected by the cost of fuel. Transportation companies such as the airlines industry are very sensitive to the cost of fuel. If the cost fuel goes up, it will reflect on the ticket prices, and the cost of service. Similar to the domino effect... Read more
Your alarm goes off – it’s 6:30 in the morning. You’re faced with a decision: do I hit snooze a few times and get up at 7:00, or should I start the day now? Your bonus check comes in at work. Should you pay down debt, or buy a few more groceries? Your boss needs a few shifts covered. Do you stay late or go home and enjoy your evening? You live in a third world country. Do you use... Read more
The prosperity gospel (or health and wealth gospel) started as a movement in the 1940s. It teaches that God wants Christians to be prosperous financially, physically, spiritually, and in every other aspect of life. The supporters of this gospel have influenced millions of eager listeners who are desperate to hear the promising message of the prosperity gospel. If you’ve ever listened a prosperity preacher, you’ve probably heard some of the outrageous lines, often broadcasted to millions via televangelist and Christian... Read more
Faith and Finance
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