The spring season may be short, but taking the time to truly clean your home now will reap benefits all year. Add these ten tasks to your household to-do list and save big on emergency service calls all year. As Family Handyman says, “think of these small steps as vitamins for a healthy home.” Happy […]
“This week is stressing me out. Time for a vacation.” If you’ve been saying that to yourself lately, it’s probably true. Vacations aren’t just about letting loose and having a good time — they’re actually necessary for your health. In fact, the Global Commission on Aging and Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies found that women […]
The biggest fear many students hold about finishing college is the idea of having to pay back all of the loans it has taken to get to that point. It can be hard when you already have so many new things to budget on top of loan payments such as rent, food and other necessities […]
One of the most effective ways to protect your retirement savings from the high price of assisted living, in-home care or a stay in a nursing home is long-term-care insurance. But recent premium hikes have many baby boomers worried that coverage is no longer affordable. The median cost of one year in a private room […]
When it comes to sticking to a budget, there’s something to be said for balance. A smart budget will take care of all your needs while satisfying some wants, and will prepare you for the future while helping you live it up a little today. “No matter how aggressive your savings goals are, make sure to […]
In a survey from Credit Karma, 39 percent of millennial respondents said they spent money they didn’t have to attend social functions with friends. And while fun experiences are one of the best ways to connect with friends, they’re not worth going into debt. After all, if you can’t afford it, the stress could keep […]
Setting a budget and sticking to it is really hard and The Spinoff Parents regularly gets asked to pull together budget tips that real parents use. Here are the best crowd-sourced tips from parents in New Zealand. We’ve tried to split this series into parts – because we were sent so many tips. This week we’ve compiled […]
How do you spot a truly independent financial adviser? Well, it’s tricky. The $4.6 billion financial planning industry is characterised by a complex web of allegiances and opaque reward structures that, as the Hayne royal commission has demonstrated, do not always serve the best interests of consumers. While it is impossible to guard against fibs […]
Understand the style you want. Photographers are not all created equal. This goes for everything from budget to the shooting style to the editing style of the photographer. If you are a big fan of a particular photographer’s style, hire them or find someone similar. Don’t choose your photographer based solely on budget. We all […]
If you’re planning a wedding and your savings is slowly dwindling as a result, you’re not alone. According to The Knot, these days, couples spend an average of $35,329 on their wedding. But making your day special doesn’t have to break the bank, or leave you starting your marriage in debt. Plus, a penny saved […]
If you’re going to write a book about personal finance, Job One is to say something different than the hundreds of books already covering the topic. Novice author Gordon Stein aced this test. “Most personal finance books say save 10 per cent and invest it,” the author of Cashflow Cookbook told me when I met […]
If you have R150 in your bank account once all your fixed monthly expenses have been paid, would you typically spend or save this extra amount? If you are like many South Africans, you’ll feel that R150 is just too little to make a dent in your home loan or retirement savings so you’ll end […]
