After many years of flipping through hundreds of never-watched channels, you decided to pull the cable or shut down your satellite dish in order to save money. Now the decision is whether or not you should invest in a video streaming subscription. Since more and more households are turning to these services and away from the standard-bearers of cable and satellite that kept us enthralled for so many decades, your friends are probably trying to make the same decisions at the same time. To help everyone finalize their choice, here’s a breakdown of four video streaming services.… Continue Reading
Get to Know Your Travel Accommodations
Vacation season is about to heat up, and with it comes a dilemma – where to stay while you travel. Unless you decide pitch a tent at the state park or drive an RV across the country, you’ll need a place where, at a minimum, you and your young family can lay down for a good night’s sleep. With so many accommodation options to choose from it’s hard to determine what will be the easiest on your travel budget. Below are some brief descriptions of each type of temporary residence.… Continue Reading
Pink Slips: Budgeting While Unemployed
It arrives when unexpected – a call or email from the manager’s office leading to a clearing of your desk. You’re now unemployed, and it causes momentary panic as hundreds of questions circle your brain. How much will your unemployment benefits be? How will you feed your family? How much savings will you need to use? It can all lead to some tense moments as you head home. Yet, there are ways to survive and budget while unemployed. Here are a few tips to ease your nerves.… Continue Reading
The Good and Bad Sides of Coupons
The art of couponing made a resurgence when the Great Recession overturned the budgets of many individuals. Needing to save as much money as possible, families took to clipping coupons and printing them from websites. There was even a cable series about extreme couponers who were able to purchase several hundred dollars worth of items for only a few dollars. Even though the economy is continuing to strengthen, couponing is here to stay.… Continue Reading
Happy Birthday: Budgeting Your Child’s Birthday Party
We recently held a birthday party at our home for one of our children, and after years of throwing such shindigs we’ve almost perfected our routine. We plan ahead, send out early invitations, and only purchase what we need in the form of decorations, snacks, gift bags, etc. In the end, the kids have fun and a dent is hardly made in the budget.… Continue Reading