I’m so excited that October is finally here! It’s one of my favorite months – the weather gets comfortably cooler, and we get to enjoy what feels like the last of the sunshine before winter comes. Halloween is also one of my favorite holidays, so I love to look for little ways to celebrate all month long.
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Savings Challenge Check-In: Halfway There!
I’ve finally reached the halfway mark of the 52-Week Money Saving Challenge! Beginning this past April, I consistently added to my savings on a weekly basis ($1 during week one, $2 during week two, and so on…) in addition to what I’ve been saving towards my emergency fund. I’ve collected a total of $351! It amazes me that in six more months, that number will grow to just under $1,400 when the challenge is complete at the end of March.
Prepping Your Budget for the Holidays
It’s finally starting to feel like fall! Now is the time of year that I start to think about all of the things the change of season brings. The holidays will come way faster than you think, and I both look forward to and dread them at the same time. I love heading indoors, staying warm, and spending time with family and friends. I’m not so crazy about some of the financial tolls winter brings with it (don’t even get me started on our gas bill…).
Save Money By Taking Advantage of “Hidden” Benefits
If you’ve been following along with the blog, you’ll note that I’ve had an unusually busy summer year. I’m officially down to my final trip (unless I can convince the husband otherwise), scheduled for October. Since I don’t have too much going on in September, I’ve decided to take this time to do a “financial re-grouping” of sorts, a time to re-evaluate my budget and savings goals to make sure where I’m headed is still where I want to go.
Stop Overspending to Save More
Planning a budget is easy enough, but following through with your plans can be the tricky part. It’s not uncommon to find yourself in situations where you’re tempted to spend more money than you had planned, so if you can identify some of those scenarios beforehand, you can anticipate how to handle them.
Save or Spend? Tips for Getting Through a Financial Pickle
When I write posts to share with all of you, I try to write about things that not only could apply to just about anyone, but also about topics and tips that I can apply to my own financial plans. I try to follow all of my own advice, and writing about ways to be a better saver and stick to a budget has made me more financially responsible than I’ve ever been.
6 Tips For Creating And Sticking To A Budget
Budgeting is the best way to monitor your finances and be sure that you’re not spending more money than you make. Whether you’re starting out for the first time or you’re making some adjustments, keep some of these tips in mind to build a budget that you can use to guide yourself towards financial success.
How To Be A Successful Saver
We all know how important it is to save money, but how do you become a successful saver? Sometimes it takes a bit of trial-and-error to figure out how saving fits into your budget, but it’s definitely something that needs to be accounted for, no matter how much or how little you’re able to contribute – just contribute something!
Hidden Fees and How to Save By Avoiding Them
I’d like to think I’ve gotten pretty good at working within my budget and monitoring my expenses, but sometimes little things can sneak up on you. Advertised costs aren’t always what they appear to be – hidden fees are popping up more frequently now than ever. They’re the charges that aren’t included in the up-front payment price, and they can be as small as a buck or two, or as much as a few thousand dollars (obviously depending on what you’re purchasing).
8 Ways to Save A Dollar A Day
So you’ve set some savings goals for yourself and devised a budget to help you reach them. You’re on the right track! I’m not sure about you, but sometimes when I think about my financial goals, they seem so far off into the future, and I feel like I’ll never save enough. I’ve tried to find little ways to contribute a little extra cash to my savings every month to help myself get there just a little bit faster. Can you apply any of these small gestures to your day-to-day spending to grow your own savings account?
