The Newlywed’s Guide to Managing Money

As I mentioned last week when I wrote about saving money on your wedding, your wedding day is just one day out of your entire marriage. Today I want to talk a bit about managing your money to make the rest of your marriage as smooth as possible. Being responsible with your finances includes looking […]


Planning Your Dream Wedding on a Budget

Wedding Season Approaching! My in-laws had a wedding last summer that was absolutely beautiful, and it didn’t break the bank. It didn’t happen by accident, though, as it took some planning on their part. Everyone there had a great time and I think they did a fantastic job organizing it. Now that the peak wedding […]


Avoiding and Reducing Mutual Fund Fees and Expenses

Investing in mutual funds is a wonderful way to grow your investments, but all the fees associated with such investments them can be a financial drain. Learning about these expenses and how to reduce or eliminate them is a relatively easy way to increase your returns. Taking the time to mark smart decisions and plan […]


Learning About Mortgage Escrow Accounts

I just checked the balance on our mortgage to make sure this month’s payment went through. I’m excited about accelerating our mortgage payments and seeing the principal decrease. We’re still waiting on first-time homebuyer’s tax credit, and will be using that $8, 000 to take a chunk out of our mortgage. While looking at the […]


Setting Up Your Freelance Business

As I’ve noted in the past, I’ve been generating a decent amount of freelance income over the past couple of years. After I resigned from my “real” job in 2008, I actually took the plunge and started freelancing as a full-time job. Today I want to talk a bit about how I got everything set […]


Improve Cash Flow by Paying Off Long-Term Debts

Increasing your monthly your cash flow can be financially empowering. So many people are burdened by high interest credit card debts that represent a big chunk of their monthly expenses. Credit cards, though, aren’t the only debts you need to eliminate from your budget to increase your cash flow. Normal debts and cash flow Have […]


How to Handle Irregular Income

It’s been a busy last couple of months, but I’m amazed at how well everything is going so far in 2010. Among other things, I just received a small windfall from my freelance and blogging business. My freelance income has otherwise been fairly steady, with some irregular income for bigger projects and other things. I […]


Saving Money on Car Insurance?

Our homeowners insurance (and now life insurance) agent gave called last week. He wanted to see if we would let him price an auto insurance policy for us as “rates have gotten more competitive.” He seems determined to get us to use him for all our insurance needs. I told him that would be fine; […]


Encouraging Family and Friends to Improve Their Finances

Is money a taboo subject with your friends? I’m not sure about anyone else, but I don’t think it’s taboo to talk about money. I do, however, recognize that it may be awkward and thus considered a bit wrong by someone to talk to others about how they should handle their finances. Thinking back on […]


Options for Reducing Your Student Loan Payments

I recently ran across an article about a woman with over $500, 000 in student loan debt. While I’m amazed at the sheer amount of debt she is in, I know that’s she’s not the only person struggling with student loans. This is especially true for those who have been laid off or otherwise had […]