Tips to Throw an Affordable Socially Distanced 4th of July Party
In 2017, CNBC estimated that Americans would spend over $7 billion on cookouts and other 4th of July celebrations. With most firework shows and beach bashes canceled for the summer of 2020, this year might look a bit different. It can be a challenge to throw a last-minute party on a budget, especially one you're putting together with the coronavirus pandemic in mind. But it's not impossible.
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Save Money and Eat Well This Summer with These Healthy Tips
Most of us are operating under the assumption that it’s too expensive to eat healthy. And if you’re only browsing the premium aisles at Whole Foods, this might be true. But otherwise, it doesn’t have to be this way. It is possible to save on groceries and have healthy meals on a budget. You just have to be ready to do the extra work. Choosing convenience over all other considerations is what tends to get us in trouble. When you make cautious and mindful decisions, your wallet and your health will thank you!
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10 Money Saving Tips for Your Summer Vacation
We’ve all been eagerly anticipating its arrival, and the official start of summer is just a few days away. From June 20 through September 22, summer usually means more time with family and friends, longer days, more time spent basking in the sunshine, and for most American families, a summer vacation. In recent years, surveys have revealed that over 60% of Americans plan on taking a summer vacation. And this year, though travel is anticipated to be down due to ongoing concerns related to coronavirus, many Americans will indeed be taking a summer vacation away from home.
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5 Great Ways to Save Money on a Staycation
Whether you’re saving for a major life event, catching up on debts, or you have a limited number of vacation days each year, it’s easy to spend a lot of time longing for a vacation. But the great thing about vacations is that they can be just about whatever you want them to be! With a little bit of creativity and pre-planning, you can enjoy some time off outside of the restrictions that larger vacations impose. When you need one, staycations are a great way to rest, recharge, and give yourself the break you deserve. And the best part: they’re often much more affordable, too. So, you can put that money you saved aside for something better.
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How to Make Your Home More Energy Efficient in the Summer
In today’s technology-driven age, it’s becoming increasingly easy to find ways to live more efficiently. We have apps that track our steps and make sure we get enough exercise. Other apps remind us to stretch and drink water, and others still alert us to meetings, phone calls, and mindfulness practices. It seems like there’s an app for everything these days. But where are the apps for making our homes more energy-efficient in the summer?
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Avoid these 5 Mistakes by Using Better Money Management
We’ve all made a financial misstep from time to time. This is especially true for people who are just starting out. The problem with money mistakes is that they can affect today’s finances and tomorrow’s, too. Even the worst money moves made in your 20’s can take months or years to fix, so it’s important to do what we can to avoid them. This will save you money, anxiety, and one of our other most precious resources: time.
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Budgeting for your Investments
As you know by now, we’re big fans of the 50/20/30 budgeting system. This particular budgeting method allocates 50% of your post-tax income toward needs like housing and food, 30% toward your wants, like Netflix and take-out, and 20% toward your investments, which speak for themselves. Focusing the majority of your money on what you need and want gives you the confidence, flexibility, and understanding you need to make the most of your budget.
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Budgeting for your Wants
The 50/20/30 budgeting system is one of the easiest and most effective budget strategies to follow. Under this method, 50% of your post-tax income goes to needs, 20% to savings or investments, and 30% to wants. Your biggest percentage should always go toward essential needs like housing, bills, and groceries. This is the easiest category to define. But the other two categories are a bit more ambiguous.
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Budgeting for your Needs
Earlier this year, we talked about a highly effective way to update or set your budget called the 50/20/30 budgeting system. As a quick reminder, this budgeting system allocates 50% of your income (after taxes are taken out) to your needs, 30% to your wants, and the remaining 20% to savings or investments. The biggest percentage goes to your needs, like your housing, bills, and food. That’s what we’ll focus on here.
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How to Get Financially Fit at Home
Let’s face it - people all over the world right now are spending time at home, figuring out a new normal as the world seeks to stop the spread of coronavirus. This has resulted in the need for people of all ages to get creative. Those fortunate enough to do so are working from home. Educators are looking for new ways to provide teachings to their students through webcams and other technology. Fitness enthusiasts are setting up home gyms so that they can stay in shape.
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