One of the best things you can do for your finances long-term is to start a savings habit. For many of us, though, the idea of setting aside money in a life already cash-strapped seems daunting.

Saving is important, though. It should be a goal for you, especially considering that a rainy day fund can help stave off financial catastrophe. According to a recent Bankrate survey, 28% of Americans have no emergency savings at all. If you are in that group, it’s time to start a savings habit. Here are five tips that can help you on your way:

1. Start with Any Amount

Many people get discouraged because they think they need to set aside a certain amount of money each week, or it’s “not worth it.” The truth is that any amount that you can set aside is better than $0. If you can start with $1 per day ($7 per week), that’s what you do. It doesn’t seem like much, but the idea is to start a savings habit. You can move on from there. But the first step is to get into the mindset that you are going to save something — no matter what.

2. Review and Boost Your Savings

Once you have established that you will set aside money for savings, it’s time to review your amount and add it to your savings. After you become comfortable with what you’re setting aside, add more. If you’ve been setting aside $10 per week, boost the amount to $15 per week after a couple of months. Down the road, you can boost your savings even further as you become more comfortable.

3. Look for Things to Cut from Your Budget

Experts estimate that you waste between 10% and 15% of your household income each month. This means that you are probably spending money on things you don’t actually need, or even want. And even if you really need something, there are ways to spend less on it. At the very least, check out online shopping portals to see if you can find a discount. For example, let’s say you need to buy a bottle of lotion that you need for your skin. Instead of going directly to walmart.com, why not go to Capital One Shopping’s Walmart page to see if there’s a coupon or cashback offer first? Rather than wasting that money, consider putting it toward building your financial future. Look for wasteful spending to cut from your budget, reduce your spending, and then redirect that money into your savings habit.

4. Create a Rewards System

If you want to stay motivated, you can set up a rewards system for your savings habit. You do need to be careful about this because you don’t want your rewards to cost you money. Instead, think about things you can do that might be out of the ordinary, but that doesn’t cost. Maybe you can check out a new book or movie from the library after you save for a certain number of weeks. Perhaps you can reward yourself with a lazy weekend afternoon when you boost your weekly savings amount. Figure out what you would enjoy, and use it to reward yourself for your efforts.

5. Make it Automatic

Automatic savings can help you keep up without thinking about it. Arrange regular transfers from your checking account to your savings account. If you have the option, have money withheld from your paycheck each month and deposited into a savings account. It’s also possible to use a tool like Digit.co to use an algorithm to automatically figure out how much you could be saving and doing it for you. Look for ways to make it automatic so you don’t have to think about it, and you might be surprised at how fast your account grows.

Now that summer is here and the kids are out of school, you are probably looking for ways to save money. The good news is that it is possible to save money this summer if you plan ahead and consider what’s available for a low cost — or even for free.

1. Free Activities for the Kids

Sending the kids to the water park or taking them on a big vacation can get pricey. Instead, look around and see what’s available for free. Many libraries and zoos offer free reading programs and animal information sessions. Also, don’t forget about nationwide initiatives like Free Museum Day once a month.

You don’t have to limit yourself to free activities for the kids when you’re saving money this summer, either. Look for concerts in the park, and gallery walks. These can be great for kids, as well as for the adults.

Even if you can’t find a lot of free activities for the kids, there is the possibility that there are low-cost activities. Look for summer band programs through your school that might cost a fraction of private lessons, as well as low-cost workshops offered by local organizations.

2. Plan Staycations and Camping

You don’t need to go on a big summer vacation to make good memories. My son and I usually go camping three or four times a summer, including going with extended family. It’s an inexpensive way to have fun and make amazing memories.

Plan staycations as well. Sometimes we take a day trip to a nearby historical site. We pack a picnic and visit a waterfall a few hours away. It doesn’t cost very much, and it’s a great way to enjoy each other’s company and do something fun and out of the ordinary. At the very least, you can do something unusual like bring the laptop outside and stream a movie in a tent on the lawn or have a picnic on the living room floor.

3. Avoid Using the Air Conditioner as Much as Possible

One of the biggest money leaks you’ll have during the summer is the air conditioner. You can save money on utilities by doing what you can to make your home energy efficient and then running the air as little as possible. I usually open the windows at night and run fans to circulate the air. Then, first thing in the morning, I shut the windows while it’s still cool. It keeps the house manageable until mid to late afternoon. After that, we usually spend time downstairs, where it’s naturally cool.

You can also avoid using the air conditioner in your efforts at saving money this summer by leaving the house. If you have an inexpensive public pool, you can spend the hottest portion of your day there, or you can go to the mall (as long as you don’t spend your money buying things).

There are a number of tips and tricks that can help you avoid turning on the air conditioner for most of the day. I even find that going to the cheap movie theater once a week to stay out of the house costs less than running the air conditioner.

Combine different strategies, and you might be surprised at how much money you can save this summer.

Until my husband asked for a divorce a little more than a year ago, I hadn’t thought much about the impact of divorce on taxes. Now that I’ve been through a tax season with a brand new filing status, I’ve learned a few things about how your divorce can change your taxes.

Spousal Support is Income, Child Support is Not

One of the first things to realize about taxes and divorce is that spousal support should be reported as taxable income. If you receive it, it counts as income. If you pay it, you can deduct it from your income. My divorce decree doesn’t include spousal support, so it’s not an issue for me.

Child support is a different story. My ex pays child support, and he pays it happily. Because our country expects parents to financially support their children, child support isn’t considered income to the recipient, and the paying party can’t deduct it. However, it’s important that the money received in child support go toward the benefit of the child. I don’t spend the money sent for my son on anything other than taking care of him. My ex and I agreed that I’ll put half of what he sends in my son’s 529 account and use the other half to help with paying for his clothing and extracurricular activities.

New Filing Status = New Tax Bracket

In many cases, a new filing status can mean a new tax bracket. In my case, because I have custody of my son, I file as head of household. This means I don’t have quite the benefit I had when married, but my brackets are more favorable than someone filing single. My ex saw a jump into the next tax bracket because the gap in our incomes was closing just when he asked for a divorce. He found himself in the 25% bracket, instead of the 15% bracket, where we were as joint filers.

You also need to be clear on who is able to claim your children as dependents. Only one of you can claim your children. It should be spelled out in your divorce decree. Because my son lives with me 100% of the time, it was easy for us to agree that I would claim him. However, things might be different depending on how your custody works out. Someone who pays more in child support while having the kids 50% of the time might get the deduction. Or, if you have multiple children, you can each claim some. Others deduct in alternating years. However you do it, it’s important to be on the same page so that there aren’t mix ups at tax time.

SE Tax Increase

While my tax bracket didn’t change, my tax bill is going to be much bigger going forward. Because my business used to be run with my ex, we could assign income in a way that reduced my own FICA taxes. I had a lower self-employed tax. Now that I’ve had to dissolve my old business and start a new one, all of the income is assigned to me. That means my self-employment tax bill has gone up by quite a lot. So, even though I’m in a lower tax bracket than my ex, I will pay more in taxes going forward.

Carefully think about taxes and divorce, and consider consulting an expert if you aren’t sure how to proceed.

Most of us groan each month when it’s time to pay insurance premiums. Insurance is one of those things that matters a lot to your finances because it can protect your assets. Paying your premiums can protect you against a situation later on that results in bigger losses. Most of us can’t pay to replace a whole house, or handle the kinds of hospital bills you wind up with when you have a major injury.

Just because you have to pay for insurance doesn’t mean that you get nothing from it. Here’s how to get the most out of your insurance policies:

1. Understand What’s Included in Coverage

Pay attention to your coverage. You might be surprised at some of the items included in your coverage. Health plans are required to cover the cost of a preventative visit each year. There’s no reason not to go to the doctor for an annual checkup if it doesn’t cost you anything. Many car insurance policies offer coverage for rental cars. No need to pay for the extra coverage when you already have the coverage you need. From home insurance policies that cover theft (even when someone steals out of your car) to the trip cancellation coverage you might have just from using a credit card, understanding your coverage can help you use what’s already available to you. You’re paying premiums, so you might as well take advantage of what you’re entitled to.

2. Look for Flexibility

Some insurance policies are flexible and come with various riders that can make the product better work for you. Find out whether or not there are some flexibility, including some life insurance policies that come with long-term care riders. This can help you tailor your coverage a little bit so that you cover a long-term care situation in addition to ensuring that your family is protected in the event of your death.

You might also have other flexibility in coverage for your car or home insurance policies. Find out what is available to you so that you can get a policy that fits your needs.

3. Check for Discounts

If you want to get more bang for your buck, look for discounts. Many insurance companies will give you a discount if you have more than one policy with them. Look for ways to get a multi-line discount. On top of that, if you are married, some life insurance and long-term care policies offer couple discounts. If you both get a policy, you can see an overall discount. This can make sense in many cases.

When I was growing up, my parents got a discount on my car insurance coverage because I had good grades. Today, I am with an insurance company that refunds my 25% of my premiums when I go three years without a claim. Find out if you qualify for special discounts, and do what you can to maintain those. When combined with other ways to make the most of your insurance policies, you can save money, protect your assets, and do so without breaking the bank.

No matter how much we try to avoid materialism, at some point you will probably end up buying something. Purchases are necessary since few of us can grow or make everything we need. You probably even buy things that you want, even if you do try to limit the amount of stuff cluttering up your house.

Being a smarter consumer can help you save money and reduce unnecessary purchases. As you try to figure out what makes the most sense for you, here are 3 tips that can help you make better buying choices:

1. Start with What You Value

Before you buy anything, know your values. Figure out what is important to you. Too often, we make poor spending decisions because we aren’t clear on values and priorities. It’s easy to make impulse purchases when you don’t have a framework for deciding whether or not something is worth buying.

Sit down and work out your long-term goals, and identify your values. Then, create priorities for your finances and your spending. You will be a smarter consumer when you change your spending habits to match with what really matters to you. Before you buy something, ask yourself if it meets a need or helps you reach your lifestyle and financial goals. If a purchase doesn’t move you forward, don’t make it.

2. Comparison Shop

Looking for the best deal isn’t just about saving money. The cheapest item isn’t always the best choice for you, or the item that will save you the most money in the long run. Pay attention to quality as you comparison shop. When you decide you need to make a purchase, take the time to compare your options, and figure out what will offer the best quality in the long run. The fewer times you can buy something (like tools or shoes), the better off you will be in the long run. Comparison shopping is a good way to get an idea of what is likely to offer you the best bang for your buck. You want to be a smarter consumer who gets the most value for your money, rather than someone who just gets things because they are cheap. (And what happens when the poor quality means you have to turn around and spend more later?)

3. Look for Deals

Don’t forget about the deals. After you have shopped around, and you know your purchase is in line with your values, it’s time to look for deals. You can use coupon and rebate sites to find promo codes and savings. From free shipping to 50% off (or more), it’s possible for you to get even more out of your purchases. You can also use rebates and loyalty programs to stack deals and reduce your overall costs. Before you buy something, check to see if there is a coupon, discount, or rebate associated with it. Checking doesn’t take very much time at all, and you can stretch your dollars even further when you take the time to see if you can get a discount.

As you look for ways to be a smarter consumer, you will save money and enjoy higher-quality items — and a higher quality of life.

Good credit is one of the most important things you can develop in your financial life. Your good credit can open doors for financial opportunities — and not just for loans.

In the last couple of years, I’ve seen firsthand how beneficial good credit can be.

Save Money When You Borrow

The most obvious benefit of good credit is the savings you receive on your interest charges when you borrow. Years ago, when my then-husband and I bought a home, we saved thousands of dollars during the time we had our mortgage because our good credit scores qualified us for the lowest rates.

I also saved money the last time I bought a car. That loan will be paid off this year, and I’ve kept the loan this whole time because the low 1.9% interest rate is easily beat by putting what I would have put toward paying off the car early into investments. I’ve seen returns of much better than 1.9% annualized since borrowing for my car.

Even my credit cards and personal line of credit come with lower interest rates, thanks to my credit. I rarely pay interest on these accounts, but on the rare occasions that I do carry a balance, it costs me much less than it would if I didn’t have good credit and had to pay a higher interest rate.

Other Financial Benefits of Good Credit

I currently receive a discount on my monthly car insurance premium because I have good credit. That’s a nice perk to enjoy, and I get it even though I’m not borrowing from the insurance company.

My recent cross-country moves have also been made easier because of my good credit. When we moved to Pennsylvania, the luxury apartment complex we wanted to live in required a credit check. Likewise, I wasn’t able to move into my current rental home in Idaho until after I passed a credit check. Without good credit, you might not be able to move into the rental you prefer because you are rejected in favor of someone else. My utility company also required a credit check before hooking me up.

There is also an element of peace of mind due to my good credit. I have been able to have liquidity. This came in handy when I moved across the country, and it is comforting now that I have medical bills due to a recent injury and an unexpectedly high tax bill due to my recent divorce.

Knowing that I have options (even if those options require a little borrowing) provides me with peace of mind. While I don’t expect to max out all of my available credit, it’s nice to know that there’s a backup plan if I need it.

Even if you don’t plan to borrow for anything, your credit matters. It’s how financial services companies make judgments about you. Bad credit can cost you more than you might expect, and good credit can open doors and save you money — even if you aren’t working with a lender.

One of my favorite strategies for getting the most out of life or any experience, and definitely getting the most for my money, is loyalty stacking. It’s possible to use credit card rewards for frugal travel, and you can get even more when you stack your loyalty points and rewards. This works in areas other than travel as well.

Using Rewards Credit Cards to Buy Through Rebate Websites

If you want to start stacking the savings, sign up for rebate websites and use your rewards credit card to make purchases. You can do this with sites like Ebates. I also use this strategy for Swagbucks. When shopping through these sites, you receive points or cash back when you make regular purchases. This can be one way to get a little extra money back on things you would buy anyway.

However, you take it another level when you pay with a rewards credit card. You’ll get the rebate, but you’ll also build more points with your rewards card. Those rewards will translate into more cash back or free travel down the road. When I know that I’m going to make a big purchase, I look to see if I get an advantage by shopping via one of these sites. A good example was a recent travel booking through Orbitz. I shopped using Swagbucks, which meant that I received extra SBs for each dollar spent. My purchase also resulted in Orbitz rewards for that separate loyalty program, and I made the booking with a rewards card.

In the end, I wound up with three different rewards for one purchase that I would have made anyway.

This strategy can also work well if you plan to buy clothing online, or make other major purchases. There’s no reason to enjoy the benefits of only one rewards program when it’s possible for you to take advantage of two or more programs with the same purchase.

A similar strategy can be used with partnership programs. My airline miles card comes with special discounts when I use particular partners. In fact, I was able to directly connect my airline miles program from my credit card with my rental car loyalty program and my hotel loyalty program. Even Amtrak was a partner. By connecting all of these accounts, I end up with special discounts and even extra points in all the programs just by making a regular purchase. While I don’t get as many loyalty points as for a direct purchase, the partnership bonus is still well worth it.

Being able to connect and stack loyalty programs has been a great way for me to accelerate my rewards accumulation and come out ahead overall. It’s a good way to save money on a variety of things. As long as you have a strategy, save up for big purchases, stick to your plan, and pay off any credit card bills before you end up with high interest payments, you should be able to save a little extra money without getting into debt.

You might be surprised at how effective credit cards can be when it comes to frugal living. Too often, we think of credit cards as a tool of debt. However, the reality is that with savvy use, credit cards can actually contribute to your frugal lifestyle. This is because many credit cards offer rewards programs. These rewards programs can provide you with cash back and other perks, just for spending money as you normally would.

One of the areas where credit card rewards can be especially helpful is when it comes to frugal travel.

Use Credit Card Rewards for Frugal Travel

Last Christmas, my son and I traveled back east to spend time with family. Because I used credit card rewards to help pay for my airfare our total cost was about $250 to fly. When you consider that round trip plane tickets between my hometown and my destination were about $600 apiece, you can see that we saved $950 on our airfare.

These savings came because I use my airline card for all of my regular spending. I even use it to pay my rent. As a result I build up rewards quickly and can use them to travel. As long as I keep with my regular spending patterns, and I pay off my credit card each month, I don’t have to worry about getting into debt and paying high interest rates.

I combined my credit card rewards with the loyalty reward from my preferred hotel chain, and manage to save another few hundred dollars on lodging.

My parents using branded rewards credit card for their hotels. As a result, they were able to stay for free when they traveled to England a few years ago. Being able to save money on travel is one way to live a frugal lifestyle. The reward you choose

The rewards you choose should match with your preferences. Make it a point to use your rewards credit card on everyday purchases so that you can save up your rewards to use and make your frugal travel dreams come true. Just make sure you actually have the money in the bank so that you can pay off credit card at the end of each billing cycle.

Other Strategies for Frugal Travel

For best results, combine your credit card rewards program with other strategies for frugal travel. Look for ways to save money using promo codes and special deals. I have a loyalty points for hotel chains, the train, and even at the travel aggregator Expedia. Using these points along with my credit cards, It means that I almost never pay full price for any trip.

You can also use a frugal travel strategies like going in the off-season, and being willing to fly red-eye. Is also a good idea to plan for food by shopping at a local groceries instead of going to restaurants or bringing your own food on a road trip. My family used to save a lot of money growing up because my parents planned ahead for food, rather than always buying it at expensive restaurants.

With the right planning, travel doesn’t have to break the bank. Combine credit card rewards and loyalty rewards with other frugal travel strategies, and you might be surprised at how far you can go.

One of the growing trends when it comes to making money is the so-called gig economy. The gig economy is the result of a rising technology that allows people to use the Internet and their computers to make money on their own terms to some degree. The gig economy is characterized by independent contractors and small jobs done one after another.

As a freelance writer, I am a major part of the gig economy. I take jobs as they come and get paid for that as I complete them. I work from home, set my own hours, and even set my own rates.

A new report from Thumbtack digs into the gig economy and what it means. The report breaks down different types of gigs and looks at the job satisfaction associated with different types objects in this growing segment of the job economy.

Skilled Professionals vs. Low-Skilled Professionals in the Gig Economy

According to the thumbtacks study, there are different marketplaces and platformsBased on whether or not someone is offering something skilled or something that requires less skill. Some of the skills-based platforms that Thumbtack looked at includes those that involve writing, graphic design, web development, and software development.

On the other hand, low skilled gigs include the kinds of things that you would find on commoditized platforms like Uber, Lyft, Taskrabbit, and Grubhub.

With both of these types of gigs, it is possible to use technology like computers and phones to find people willing to pay you for various tasks. However, when are you taking gigs on a commoditized platform, you are more likely to have someone else set your rate for you. When you develop the skills that allow you to do more advanced work, you are more likely to be able to set your own rate and make a little more money.

Another item that Thumbtack addressed in its report is the fact that jobs done by skilled professionals are a lot more likely to resist automation and outsourcing. On the other hand, on-demand gigs that require fewer skills might be subject to automation. Thumbtack cites the possibility of self-driving cars taking away the gigs currently available to ridesharing drivers for Uber and Lyft.

On top of that, the report found that skilled professionals are more likely to report higher job satisfaction. The study indicates that 84% of skilled professionals love what they do. On the other hand in the general working population, only 29% of Americans say they are engaged at work.

Skilled professionals also have better job opportunities overall, according to the survey. They are more likely to be able to do work independently and remotely. Many freelancers can take advantage of work done for those who live across the country or even on the other side of the world. If you are driving for a rideshare company, you are limited to your local area.

As you consider how you might fit into the gig economy, think about what skills and attributes you have. You might be surprised to discover that you can make a little extra money on the side by getting involved in the gig economy.

When it comes to frugal living, one the best thing you can do is look for some of the small things that are draining away your wealth. You might just be surprised at how much money you are spending on simple things like your checking account.

A few years ago, outrage over checking account fees forced the banks to slow down in their effort to raise rates. Now it looks like banks are ready to start raising rates again. A recent analysis by MoneyRates finds that the typical American household pays $159 per year in checking account fees. Interestingly, this analysis finds that this is the cost of maintaining the checking account, and doesn’t include overdraft fees or ATM fees.

While it might not seem like a lot to pay on a yearly basis, to someone committed to living a frugal lifestyle, it is clear that that money could be used for other purposes. It could be a car payment, or a week’s worth of groceries, or the fees for your child to participate in an extracurricular activity.

It’s More Difficult to Avoid Checking Account Fees

One of the reasons that these fees are on the rise is due to the fact that is becoming more difficult to avoid checking account fees. Many consumers avoid checking account fees by maintaining a minimum balance. Unfortunately, it is getting harder and harder to reach that minimum threshold. According to MoneyRates, in the last six months alone the amount needed to get a fee waiver rose by almost $800. Four years ago the average balance requirements to avoid a fee was $3,590.83. Today the average amount required in a checking account to avoid the fee is almost double that at $6,847.49.

When you look at the requirements, it is clear why some households are having trouble meeting the requirements and avoiding the checking account fees. MoneyRates reports that the average monthly maintenance fee free checking account is $13.29. Over time that adds up and can eat into your wealth and hamper your budget. This is especially true if you are on a tight budget and trying to meet goals like paying down debt.

Other Checking Account Fees that Will Cost You

While monthly maintenance fees can add up, other fees might be even more costly if you are careful. If you use an ATM that is out of the network you might pay almost $3 on average to get your money. If you regularly get money out of an ATM that is not your bank’s, those fees can add up fast. There are some banks that refund your fees, and they can be helpful.

You should also watch out for overdraft fees. Overdraft fees are some of the most expensive fees to consumers, and a major way that make money. Overdraft fees can cost as much as $45 per transaction, and that will really put you in the hole. It’s important to be careful to avoid spending more money than you have in your account so that you can avoid the fees that come with overdrafts, as well as returned charges.

If your bank is charging fees that are starting to add up and cut into your budget, it’s time to shop around for another bank. According to MoneyRates, almost 25% of checking accounts have no monthly service fee. These accounts are a good place to start.

Insurance is one of those things that you just need to purchase. In many cases, insurance is designed to help you protect your assets. In the case of car insurance, you are expected to purchase it. It’s the law in each of the 50 states.

As you move forward, though, your insurance needs might change. You don’t have to keep the same car insurance coverage year after year. Here are some signs that it might be time to change your car insurance coverage:

Your Car is Old Enough that Liability is all You Need

One of the biggest reasons that people change their car insurance coverage is due to the car’s declining value. In some cases, it might no longer make sense to keep comprehensive coverage on your car, especially as the replacement value drops dramatically. You still need to maintain collision coverage, which helps you manage your liability if you cause an accident, but you might be able to drop some of your other coverage.

If you decide to drop the comprehensive coverage, you can save money on your premiums, but you need to make sure you’re ready for other costs. You might have to be able to replace the car if you total it. Do you have enough money to buy a new or used car or to put a down payment on a car? If you don’t have the money, and you need a vehicle, it can make sense to keep the comprehensive a little longer so you get some sort of help getting a different car if you need one. Building a savings account can help you self-insure to some degree.

You Make Changes that Increase the Value of Your Car or Its Contents

On the flip side is the fact that you might make modifications to your car that make it more valuable. If you add a new stereo and speaker system, you need to change your coverage because you will want the cost of the stereo covered in the event that it is damaged or stolen.

Don’t forget to evaluate your coverage if you have a vintage car or some other vehicle that is worth more money. If you fix up a classic car, you will need to make sure buy the right coverage, and get the right amount since some of these vehicles can be quite valuable.

Your Family Circumstance Changes

Did you add another driver to your family? When your child is old enough to drive, you might need to change your coverage. You might also need to change your coverage if you get divorced or married or make another major change to your life. You want to make sure that the proper drivers are covered on your policy, and that the coverage reflects the risk profiles of the various drivers.

Even if you end up paying more for coverage, it might be worth it in the long run. You’ll have more peace of mind, and you can ensure that you don’t have to break the bank to replace a car or its contents.

This time of year is always a little stressful for home business owners. It’s tax time, and you need to be ready to prepare your taxes. As you get ready to complete your taxes, here are 3 things to consider:

1. The 1099-K Could Add Headaches

A few years ago, the IRS introduced the 1099-K to its arsenal of forms. The idea is that those who use third-party payment processors like PayPal might be fudging some of their numbers. The new form is issued by third-party processors to those with at least 200 transactions and $20,000 in receipts. The downside for independent contractors is that many of us are paid via PayPal, but our clients don’t realize they don’t have to issue a 1099-MISC anymore. This leads to double-reporting of income, the IRS demanding more money, and a headache as you try to prove that you have reported everything correctly. Keep careful track. If you use PayPal, consider downloading the reconciliation file to help you as your prepare your home business taxes.

2. Don’t Forget All of Your Tax Deductions

As you prepare your home business taxes, don’t forget about the deductions you have coming to you. While some of them, like office supplies and the home office tax deduction are fairly obvious, don’t forget about the following deductions, if they are applicable:

• Business travel
• Insurance
• Memberships in trade associations
• Costs associated with networking

You might also be able to a dependent care credit if your child is in daycare for part of the time. This can be a good tax break if you qualify since it is a better tax break than a deduction. A deduction reduces your taxable income, while a credit is a dollar for dollar reduction in what you owe — kind of like a gift card you can put toward your taxes.

3. An Accountant Can Be a Big Help

I’ve used an accountant for years to help me get my taxes done. If your tax situation is complex, or if you find yourself spending long hours preparing your return, it can make sense to use an accountant. I find that the time I spend preparing my taxes can be more profitably spent working. I make more during that time than the accountant costs. Plus, if an accountant is preparing your home business taxes, the cost is tax-deductible. Add up how much time you spend preparing your taxes. If it makes sense, you can consider turning to an accountant so that you have better use of your time.

Add up how much time you spend preparing your taxes. If it makes sense, you can consider turning to an accountant so that you have better use of your time. You still need to take care of some paperwork items, such as gathering records and preparing your profit and loss statement, but having an accountant do most of the work can help you stay better organized and save time and effort.

Plan ahead, organize yourself, and prepare. You’ll be glad you did when it comes time to file your home business taxes.

There’s a lot to talk about when you plan to get married. From where you will live to how to raise your children, it helps to be compatible in a number of areas. One of the most important subjects to talk about is money, though. Understanding how your potential partner feels about money, as well as creating a plan for spending, is very important.

Money is an essential part of life, and it’s one of the most important things that we all deal with every day. Your money situation can have a big impact on everything from your mood to your health, and a difficult situation can strain your marriage. Before you get married, it’s a good idea to make sure that you are on the same page financially. According to COUNTRY Financial, there are five main things to talk about before you tie the knot:

1. Spending

One of the biggest things to consider is your spending plan. Determine how much money you will make combined, and get an idea of what your joint expenses will be. Will you be able to meet your needs for housing, food, and other items? You should also talk about your spending priorities and figure out whether or not you are compatible. Do you prefer to spend on experiences or things? How will you handle large purchases? Will you divide up discretionary spending in a way that allows each of you to spend on what you want?

2. Insurance

If you plan to start a family, it makes sense to talk about insurance. You want to make sure that either of you can provide for your family in the event of a death. Figure out how much coverage you will need, what kind of policy makes sense, and what you hope to accomplish with the coverage. Perform an analysis of how much insurance your family will need, and get as much coverage as you can afford.

3. Debt

Have a frank conversation about debt. It can be embarrassing to talk about debt, and reveal what you owe, but it’s important. You need a joint plan for tackling any debt that you both have. You should also talk about credit score and understand where each of you stands in terms of credit and debt situation. Make it a point to address these issues early on — and decide how much you can handle. In some cases, it makes sense to put off a wedding until you are both on the same page.

4. Saving

Talk about what you will put aside each month. What are your short-term and long-term goals? Are the compatible? Make sure that you understand how your potential partner thinks, and be sure to put together a plan that works for both of you.

5. Retirement

Not only do you need to figure out how you will save for retirement, but you also need to talk about what retirement will look like for you. You might not be compatible if one of you wants to stay at home and maybe hit the golf course on occasion, while the other wants to travel the world.

Getting these realities out in the open early on can help you decide if you really are ready to get married, and help you create a plan that you can work on together.

According to the results of a survey recently published by Student Loan Hero, one of the biggest financial resolutions made by Americans this year is to pay down debt. Many Americans feel saddled with debt, and are concerned by the restriction it represents to their financial freedom.

If you are one of those who resolved to pay down debt this year, here are some ideas for sticking with it, and not becoming discouraged:

Start Small

You might not be in a position to realistically expect to pay off all your debt this year. You might not be able to come up with an extra $500 a month immediately. Don’t let that stop you. Any progress is good progress. Start small. Look for ways to put an extra $50 or $100 toward your debt pay down each month.

Once you get comfortable with that small start, you can increase the amount that you put toward paying down debt. You can increase it by another $25 or $50, depending on what you can handle. You can also use the debt snowball method or some other type of debt reduction plan that works for you.

When you start too big, you set yourself up for failure. Be realistic about the situation and don’t get bent out of shape if you need to change things up a little bit. Tweaking your plan a little, while still moving forward, is better than quitting.

Acknowledge Your Progress

One of the best things you can do is acknowledge your progress. You don’t want to reward yourself by spending money, but you can reward yourself with a relaxing evening in. Or, just look at the progress you’ve made and congratulate yourself. You can also think about what you will enjoy moving forward. What will you do when you have more money because you aren’t paying interest to someone else? Consider these questions, and use them to feel better about your situation. When you look at how far you’ve come, it can provide motivation to stick with it, even if you are moving somewhat slowly. Know that your forward progress is an important step forward and use that to motivate you.

Start Over When You Need To

We all experience setbacks. One of the downsides to getting hung up on New Year resolutions is the idea that once you fail, you’re done for the year. Don’t think like that. While you can use the beginning of a new year to figure out what you want from life, and reflect, don’t get caught up in the idea that you can only make changes at the start of the year. You can set new goals and adjust course anytime. If you need to take a step back and re-evaluate, do so. Start over when you need to. When you need to rethink how much you put toward debt each month, or whether a financial setback means you need to start over in a couple of months, the important thing is that you get back up there and keep working on improving your financial situation.

Every year, many of us resolve to make the most of our money by spending less. Making more money might also be a major goal that many of us have.

No matter your goals, you can help reach them by practicing frugal living. Here are 5 tips that can help you with your frugal living objectives in the coming year:

1. Rethink Your Things

One of the biggest expenses many of us have is things. We buy things, and then we have to pay for the space to store them. Rethink your things this year. Before you buy something new, ask what you’ll actually do with it, and then consider getting rid of something you already have to make room.

At the very least, go through your storage unit and get rid of what you can. You’ll save on monthly storage costs, and if you sell some of the stuff you might even make a little money.

2. Cut the Cord

Finally, it’s time to cut the cord. If you have Internet, you can stream a lot of what you want to watch for much less than cable or satellite. I save about $150 per month since cancelling the satellite and going all-streaming for my TV-related entertainment. It’s amazing how much you can save just in TV costs when you change the way you manage your entertainment.

3. Know Your Priorities

This is an underrated way of saving money. Few of us think seriously about how we want to use our money, and what really matters to us. As a result, it’s difficult to keep more money in our pockets. Once you understand what really matters to you, and you stop spending on things that don’t matter to you, being frugal becomes easier. If you aren’t spending on things that don’t matter, chances are that you are spending much less.

4. Use a Waiting Period

Once again, it’s easy for us to lose track of what really matters to us when we’re in spending mode. Rather than buying something immediately, institute a waiting period. You can decide what works for you, whether it’s 14 days, 30 days, or 60 days. Anytime you want to buy something, put a waiting period on it. Revisit the item at the end of the waiting period. Chances are that you don’t actually want it badly enough to use your hard-earned cash on it. I find that if I can do without something for a month, I really probably don’t need it. It’s a good way to keep from spending more money on things that I don’t really care about.

5. Remind Yourself of Your Long-Term Goals

Finally, keep your mind on what you want to accomplish in the future. Remind yourself of your long-term goals. When you feel like spending on some pointless item, ask yourself what else you could be doing with the money. I find that reminding myself that I could go on a weekend getaway with the money I’d spend on TV keeps me more interested in setting the money aside than buying the TV. Whether you hope to be debt-free or travel the world, reminding yourself of your long-term goals can help you avoid spending money right now.

While few of us really like to think about insurance, and paying premiums. However, the reality is that insurance policies can protect your assets, and make it easier for you to manage large costs related to your property.

What many people neglect to think about, however, is disability insurance. Many of us don’t like to think about the possibility, but there is a chance that you could become sick enough or injured in a way that makes it impossible for you to work. In these cases, disability insurance is very helpful.

Short-Term and Long-Term Disability

There are two main types of disability insurance: short-term and long-term. Short-term policies are designed to help you manage conditions that might take you away from work for anywhere between three months and a year. These policies are designed to provide you with a portion of your salary for a short period of time. A short-term policy covers you for non-permanent disabilities, such as injury or major illness, or it can cover you during the waiting period required before your long-term policy kicks in.

Long-term disability is designed for those who measure disability in years. It might not be a permanent situation, but if you will be out of commission for more than six months or more than a year, a long-term disability policy might help provide you with salary replacement.

Policies differ on terms. You should find out what qualifies as short-term and long-term, and be clear about waiting periods involved before you purchase the policy. Your premium will be based on the percentage of income you will be provided, or the total amount that you are eligible to receive from the policy.

Can You Self-Insure?

It’s especially important to make sure that you are prepared for disability issues because if you can’t earn money and your family is relying on you, it can be difficult. Disability insurance can help you get through those tough times without destroying your finances.

However, disability insurance isn’t always necessary. In some cases, you can self-insure. You might be able to self-insure with the help of an emergency fund. If your emergency fund is large enough to cover your living expenses for a long period of time, insurance might not be necessary. Building up passive income can also help you self-insure, since you will have a source of income that doesn’t rely on your ability to work. However, building an adequate emergency fund or passive income stream can take years. If you are suddenly struck with a debilitating disease or injury, you might not have the time to marshall your resources.

Some consumers use an emergency fund as a short-term self-insurance option, and then purchase a long-term policy for the major possibilities. The emergency fund can bridge the waiting period. It’s important to carefully consider your options before you purchase a policy. I have a small disability policy designed to help me cover some of my income if something happens to me and I can’t keep writing. However, I also have other assets I can rely on as well. Consider your situation and decide what works best for you.

My favorite holiday is Thanksgiving. Many people prefer a glittery holiday like Christmas or Halloween, but there is something about Thanksgiving that I love.

While I certainly enjoy Christmas and Halloween, as well as, to some degree, Valentine’s Day and the Fourth of July, Thanksgiving is what I look forward to most.

Focus on Gratitude, Not Things

It’s harder and harder to reduce consumerism during the holiday season. The beautiful thing about Thanksgiving is that we have a chance to focus on gratitude. I love the recent movement by some retailers to remain closed on Thanksgiving. With Black Friday encroaching more and more on Thanksgiving, it’s nice to see some push-back.

The idea of Thanksgiving is that we offer our gratitude, rather than put our focus on things. We don’t (or shouldn’t, IMO) talk about all the things we want and all the stuff we wish we had. Instead, we focus on all that we already enjoy and recognize our blessings. I like this idea. I like the idea of enjoying time with family and sharing what we love most in life. So much of the time, what we love most in life has nothing to do with toys or trinkets. Or even electronics.

Family Togetherness

I’m blessed to have family nearby. There were years at a time where my ex and I hosted Thanksgiving in our home for the benefit of displaced siblings and cousins. I loved having family over. This year, my son and I are celebrating Thanksgiving with my parents for the first time in a long while. I’m excited to spend time with them, as well as my brother and his wife. It’s a great day for family time, games, and love. Even if we sit down to watch football, there’s something about that bond of being together and cheering for the same team that makes me feel good inside.

Sometimes, Thanksgiving is about friends and adopted family. No matter who you celebrate with, try to be with people you love and treasure — or even volunteer and make new friends with strangers. Thanksgiving is a great time to be with people and focus on your loved ones. It’s one of the reasons I love the holiday so much.

Food

Of course, we can’t overlook the food. One of the best things about Thanksgiving is the food. I love traditional favorites, like turkey, mashed potatoes, and gravy. I love apple pie and fluffy dinner rolls. Many other people like sweet potatoes, green bean casserole, and cranberry sauce. Whatever you love about the food, there’s plenty of it — and most of it is comfort food. It’s the perfect complement to the family and friends you spend time with, and the gratitude you cultivate.

All of these are reasons that Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. I’m glad it’s coming up. It’s something I look forward to. It’s a break from the hustle and bustle of daily life, and it’s a time where you don’t have to worry about presents and things and media. And that makes it my favorite holiday of the year.

Now that it’s open enrollment time, many are thinking about health insurance costs. Business owners and the self-employed have a number of considerations when preparing for open enrollment and deciding how to move forward.

The good news is that business owners and the self-employed can receive some tax deductions related to their health care.

Tax Credits for Employers Who Provide Health Care

If you are a small business owner, you can receive a tax credit when you offer health insurance to your employees. Here are some of the requirements for getting the tax credit as a small business, according to the IRS:

• Fewer than 25 full-time equivalent employees
• Average annual wages for employees are less than $50,00o per year (adjusted for inflation since 2014)
• Uniform percentage must be paid for all employees, equal to at least 50% of the premium cost of employee-only insurance

You can consult with a knowledgeable tax professional or check with the IRS to confirm your eligibility and see if there are other requirements your business needs to meet in order to receive the tax credit.

This is one way to attract high-quality employees to your business while receiving a tax benefit for your cost.

Make sure you understand the ACA requirements if you have a larger business as well since you don’t want to be caught in violation of the law.

Self-Employed Health Insurance: Tax Deduction

Even if you don’t own a business that employees others, you can still receive a tax benefit if you are self-employed. What you pay for your health insurance is tax-deductible to some degree.

Pay attention to your health insurance costs. Every year that I’ve had to pay for my own health insurance as a result of being self-employed, it reduces my business income. It’s not as valuable as a tax credit, which is a dollar-for-dollar reduction in what you owe, but it still can help reduce the sting of paying for it.

Also, if you qualify for a subsidy under the ACA, it can be worth going through your state exchange, or through the federal exchange to see what plans are available. The subsidy can reduce what you owe in premiums, and, in some cases, can result in a tax refund. Make sure you consult with someone knowledgeable who can help you see what you might be able to accomplish under the ACA.

High Out-of-Pocket Health Costs

If you have high out-of-pocket health costs, you might be able to get a tax deduction if you itemize. If your qualified health costs exceed 10% of your income, you can take a tax deduction. Check with a tax professional to plan your deductions and see if it is worth the trouble.

Another consideration if you have a high-deductible plan is to make use of a Health Savings Account. As you go through open enrollment, take a look at what coverage you need, and if a high-deductible plan could work for you. You can receive a tax deduction for your HSA contributions and the money grows tax-free when it’s used for qualified health care costs.

With a little planning, you can reduce the impact of health care costs on your budget with the help of tax benefits.

Lately, I’ve been making a bigger effort to focus on my health. I’ve made daily exercise a priority, and I’m in the process of baby-stepping my way to nutrition. I even make it a point to get adequate sleep and engage in self-care when I need it.

All of these things are combining to provide me with better health. I’ve noticed some benefits from this new focus on health — including learning more about how better health can help my finances.

More Energy

First of all, I feel better overall. Making my health a priority has allowed me more energy to accomplish other tasks in my life. I feel like I can get more done in the day without resorting to a nap. While I do make time for meditation during the day when I feel like I’m lagging a little bit, I no longer sleep away the afternoon.

This means I’m more productive with my work as well. My focus has improved — especially if I sit down to work right after I exercise. I am able to get my work done faster, which leaves time for other fulfilling activities like music practice and community involvement.

Better Mood

My mood has also improved, which is great in terms of the way I interact with my son. I’m more patient with my son, and calmer about other situations as well. It’s easier to maintain my equanimity when I feel more energetic, and when my exercise and nutrition allow me to be more clearheaded and make better decisions.

Exercise provides endorphins, and cutting back on junk food has also been good for my thought processes. I’m in a better place, and better able to cope with difficult situations. Sleep also helps with being able to cope with anxiety.

How Better Health Helps Your Finances

I also see the potential for better health to help my finances in the long-term. First of all, better health means fewer doctor visits and potentially less need for expensive prescriptions. This is a money-saver right there.

Additionally, my low health needs mean that a high-deductible plan is right for me. I can also use a Health Savings Account (HSA) for tax-advantaged health care savings down the road. I have lower monthly insurance costs and a tidy nest egg building because of my low health care needs due to improved health.

When you have good health, you are less likely to miss work due to sick days. This can help you be more productive and earn more money. You might even be able to show yourself ready for a promotion or raise because of how your attitude and abilities at work manifest. In my case, it just means that I am able to write more and receive better pay.

In the future, I expect that my focus on health now will mean a better quality of life. My retirement years will be healthier — and less expensive — because of my decision to work on better health today. I already enjoy the benefits I’ve seen so far, and I truly see my investment in my health as an investment in my future.

One of the best things you can do for your finances is to be careful about the way you approach debt. While it might make sense to keep some debts around for the entire term, the reality is that all debt is a drain on your resources. If you don’t have a way to more than makeup for that drain, you could run into serious problems with your money.

If you have multiple debts, and you are trying to get your financial house in order, it’s important to pay attention to which debts you should tackle first. Here are some things to consider when deciding which debts to pay off first:

Interest Rate

Your first concern should be the interest you are paying on your debt. Interest represents money that you pay straight into someone else’s pocket in order to keep carrying the debt. It doesn’t benefit you at all. The higher the interest rate, the greater your resources being diverted elsewhere. When deciding which debts to tackle first, those with high rates should be at the top of the list.

If you have high-rate payday loans or car title loans, these are the first loans to tackle. Credit card debt also usually comes with pretty high interest. If you have a lot of credit card debt, begin paying that down if you can. Getting rid of that high-interest debt can free up some of your resources for other uses.

Tax Breaks

You can also consider the tax break you can expect from the debt. Some debts come with tax deductions for the interest you pay. While a tax deduction isn’t a dollar for dollar reduction in what you owe, it can be helpful for you. You’ll reduce your taxable income, lowering your tax bill.

One of the great things about student loan debt is that it is often relatively low-cost, and it is also tax-deductible. However, you don’t need to itemize your deductions to take advantage of your student loan debt. Instead, you can take the deduction “above the line,” which is convenient.

Your mortgage interest might also be tax-deductible, but you have to itemize in order to take advantage of that deduction. In many cases, you’ll need the total of your itemized deductions to exceed your standard deduction to make it “worth it.” If you don’t have enough deductions to make itemizing worth it, you won’t receive a tax break for your mortgage interest.

The interest on business debt can also be tax-deductible. Check with a professional to determine what interest you can deduct.

If you are able to get a low-interest loan and it comes with a tax advantage, that reduces your costs. It might not be worth it to put your resources into repaying that loan fast if you can use the money you would have spent to invest and gain a higher return.

Run the numbers to see what works best for you, and what will help you sleep at night, and then base your debt pay down plan on the best option.

Many of us don’t like the idea of paying insurance premiums. However, the reality is that insurance can be a good way to protect your assets.

I recently moved across the country, and my state switch means that I’ve been making the rounds purchasing new insurance policies. From health insurance as a self-employed person to car insurance, I’ve been re-doing all of my policies.

When it comes to car insurance, it’s fairly easy to find discounts and savings. In fact, here are 3 ways that I save on car insurance:

1. Good Driving Record

The best way to save on car insurance is to have a good driving record. I haven’t received a traffic ticket in 14 years. Even though I was involved in an accident a couple of years ago, I wasn’t the at-fault party, and so it didn’t “count” against me for insurance purposes.

My good driving record means that I am eligible for lower premiums. (It also helps that I am female and over the age of 25.) Defensive driving is one way to ensure that you keep your car insurance costs low. I rarely speed, I am careful to observe traffic laws and I do my best to avoid dangerous practices. This conscientiousness might be boring, but it’s helped me avoid paying for tickets — and it’s helped me avoid higher premiums.

2. Multi-Line Discount

Many car insurance companies also offer other policy options. When you get additional coverage with the same company, you can usually get a discount on everything. My renters insurance is through the same company as my car insurance, and so is my term life policy.

Because I have multiple policies with my insurer, I get a discount on my car insurance. At some point, my son will drive and I will also receive a multi-car discount — although that might be offset by the fact that teenagers are notoriously expensive to insure.

If you have your policies spread out across different insurers, run the numbers. See if you can do a little consolidating and get a break on your car insurance premium. You might even get discounts on your other policies as well.

3. Good Credit

Finally, I save on car insurance by having good credit. Not all states allow insurers to use your credit history when determining your insurance premium, but I have been fortunate to see discounts on my car insurance just because I have good credit.

Some insurers view a good credit reputation as an indicator that you are generally responsible in multiple aspects of your life. This can translate to lower costs for insurance in some cases. I find it’s helped me, and it’s something that I am lucky enough to be able to control.

There are other ways to get discounts from your insurance provider. As you shop around for car insurance, find out what discounts are available, and what you can do to reduce your costs. From healthy living (for health insurance) to a lack of claims to the way you manage money, you might be surprised at the ways you can lower your costs while still protecting your assets.

One of the great things about running a home business can be the low overhead costs. Depending on what you’re doing for income from home, you can usually get away with small expenses. Even better is the fact that there are tax deductions available to you when you have a home business:

Business Use of Your Home

First of all, if you have a dedicated area for your home business, you can deduct its cost. This can be a percentage of your mortgage payment or rent payment. You can even deduct a percentage of your utilities. New rules for deducting your home office on your taxes make it even easier, offering a flat rate deduction. You can consult with a tax professional to decide whether to figure your deduction based on a percentage or based on the flat rate.

Office Supplies and Equipment

You can also deduct the office supplies and equipment that you buy for your home business. It’s important to understand that you need to keep good records, as well as make sure that you use the supplies and equipment only for your business. You aren’t supposed to deduct items that you use for personal purposes as well. Your business tax deductions should be based on what you use in your business.

Insurance Costs

If you are paying for your own insurance as a result of being self-employed, you can deduct some of those costs. I am able to deduct a portion of my health insurance since I pay for that as a result of running my own business. There might be other insurance costs that you can deduct as well. Check with your accountant or other tax professional to determine what costs are tax-deductible.

Trade Association Memberships

Joining a trade association or professional organization can provide you with networking opportunities and other business benefits. If you join an organization related to your business, you might be able to deduct the cost of the membership. Local membership in town that can help you advance your business, such as a membership to the Chamber of Commerce, might also be tax-deductible.

Travel

Even travel can be tax-deductible, as long as you are traveling for business purposes. When you travel to meet with a client or a vendor, or if you travel to attend an industry conference, you can deduct many of your costs. Airfare, hotel costs and even ground transportation costs can be deducted from your business income. It’s even possible to deduct a portion of your meals. In order to make these deductions, you should be sure that you are clearly traveling for business purposes and that you keep the receipts and other records.

You can deduct a portion of business meals that you eat with clients and partners as well. However, it makes sense to keep the receipt and make a record of who you met with and what was discussed. You need to show the IRS that you really have been benefiting your business with your choices.

In the end, it’s possible to deduct quite a bit when it comes to your home business. But, when in doubt, double-check and make sure you have good records.

In the world of personal finance bloggers, I’m something of an anomaly. While I think that paying down most debt as quickly as possible is a good idea, there are some debts that I refuse to get rid of early. There are types of debt that I think are worth carrying, rather than using my resources to pay them off ahead of time.

Low-Interest Rate Environment

To the chagrin of many savers, we are currently in a low-rate environment. This means that money is cheap. For savers, that means it’s harder to find a good yield. For borrowers, though, it means that it’s possible to get what you want for less.

Some of the loans that cost less right now are mortgages and car loans. (Paradoxically, student loans cost more now than they did before the financial crisis.) I currently have a car loan with a rate of 1.9%. I was also fortunate to consolidate my student loans and lock in an interest rate of 1.9% before the financial crisis. Because I have these low, low rates on my loans, I am in no hurry to pay them back. The student loan has the extra benefit of being tax-deductible, so it costs me even less.

Another loan that might not be worth paying off early is your mortgage. Many mortgage rates are at near-historic lows, below 4%. That’s pretty good, and if you itemize (like I did when I had a mortgage), you can benefit from a tax deduction.

These loans with super-low rates might not be worth paying off when you consider what else you can do with the money.

Investing Instead of Paying Down Debt

Rather than putting my resources into repaying loans (a guaranteed return of 1.9%), I put the money I would have used to pay off that debt early into investments. Most of my investments are modest, offering 6% or 7% annualized return. But, as you can see, that still beats the interest I’m paying on my debt plus average annual inflation. It’s true that there are going to be down years for my investments, but averaged out over a long period of time, I’m likely to come out ahead. It’s a risk I’m willing to take for the better chance of a higher return on my money.

It’s important to note that this thinking won’t work with high-rate debt. If you have high-interest credit card debt, it’s almost always much better to pay it down as fast as possible. It’s reasonable for me to expect a 6% annualized return on my index fund investments. It’s not reasonable to expect a sustainable 17.99% return that will beat what you pay on your credit cards. In fact, if you have one of the more expensive student loans and are paying 6% or more, it can make sense to retire those loans as quickly as possible.

Finally, don’t forget to factor in peace of mind. I’m comfortable carrying low-rate debt for my car and education. Some people just like the freedom of being debt-free, and there’s nothing wrong with that. That’s something you can’t put a price on, so it makes sense to pay off debt — even low-rate debt — quickly if it helps you sleep better at night.

One of the difficulties of being a saver in a low interest rate environment is the fact that you don’t receive a good yield for the money in your account. In many cases, the money you are saving for use during emergencies or for short term goals like travel or a down payment on a home isn’t meant to provide you with a good yield. The priorities for such money are usually liquidity, accessibility and safety.

However, if you can stomach the risk involved, you can increase your chance of a higher yield by keeping money for such goals in a taxable investment account.

Better Returns Until the Money is Needed

I actually use taxable investment accounts for my savings goals. I contribute regularly to an account that serves as my emergency fund, as well as to an account that I recently started as a travel fund. These accounts offer the potential for much better returns than what I see when I contribute to the “regular” savings account with a much lower return. (The money contributed to the “regular” account is meant for paying quarterly taxes, so I like it to be readily available with the capital not at risk in any way.)

This allows my money to grow at a better rate until it is used. In the case of the emergency fund, I like that it has the potential to keep growing for years. I continue to add money to it each month, and it grows through investment returns as well. With my travel fund, I expect to use the money a little more regularly, but I will keep replenishing the account with automatic contributions. Once again, I have the potential realize better returns on the money, boosting the amount I have available to use for travel down the road.

The flip side, though, is the risk. With recent volatility in the stock market, it’s easy to see how it can be nerve-wracking to keep money for your goals in an investment account. I try to limit some of the risk by using index funds and ETFs, as well as by using a slightly larger allocation of bond funds than I use in my retirement account.

Tax Deductible Spending

Another reason I like this arrangement is due to the potential for tax deductible spending. The last time I had to use the money in my emergency fund, I had to sell some of my shares at a loss. Because of how much I had in the account, it didn’t significantly deplete my fund, so it didn’t bother me. In fact, I was able to get the capital I needed to for the emergency, and then, because of the loss, I was able to gain a tax deduction for the investment loss. I haven’t used my travel fund yet, but if I have to sell at a loss, I will have another tax deduction. The prospect of being able to cover my costs, and get a tax deduction to boot, helps reduce some of the potential pain involved in selling at a loss.

This method isn’t for everyone; you should carefully consider your risk tolerance and your financial situation before employing such a strategy.

I’ve been self-employed for 10 years. Up until last year, I had to pay for individual health insurance because my husband didn’t have a job that offered benefits. Last year, though, he started a new job with benefits, and I found out what it’s like to have access to employer-subsidized health insurance. It was great.

Now, with my circumstances changing again, it’s back to being responsible for my own health insurance. I’m not looking forward to the process, but I know it’s possible to get good coverage at an affordable cost, especially since my son and I don’t have a lot of health care costs.

Start with the Health Care Exchange

One of the first stops I’m making on my quest for self-employed health insurance is the health care exchange. Even though I’m pretty sure we don’t qualify for subsidies to help cut costs, it’s still worth it to compare costs and coverage and to see what is available to us. This option didn’t exist 10 years ago when I first started buying health insurance for my family, and I’m glad that there is something like this now.

Check with Other Insurance Aggregators

Of course, the health care exchange isn’t the only place to look for health insurance. There are a number of health insurance aggregators out there that will help you find a policy that meets your needs. Enter your basic information and different options with different premium amounts will appear. You can compare those options with what is available on the health care exchange.

Consider a High-Deductible Plan

One of the things I’ve noticed about employer benefits is that they often cut the cost of health insurance by about half. As a self-employed person, any advantage you can find is worth pursuing. In my case, a high-deductible plan and a Health Savings Account makes the most sense. My son and I don’t need a lot of health care services, so a high deductible doesn’t really affect us. We can save money each month on premiums and put the savings into a tax-advantaged HSA. This option doesn’t make sense for everyone, so carefully consider your needs before moving forward.

Don’t Forget the Tax Deduction

If you are paying for health insurance as someone who is self-employed, you should be able to deduct a portion of what you pay in premiums on your taxes. While this won’t completely offset the cost of your coverage, it will take away some of the sting. Don’t forget that your HSA contributions are tax-deductible as well. If you qualify for the HSA, you can benefit a little more.

Having a tax deduction isn’t as great as having an employer subsidize a significant portion of the health care costs, but it’s better than nothing. And, as a self-employed person with no intention of giving up freelancing, the tax deduction is one way to reduce my health care costs.

It’s possible to obtain health insurance as a self-employed person, and there are some ways to make it more affordable. But you should still be careful as you consider your options and do your homework so that you get the best possible coverage for the lowest possible price.

One of the ways that I manage my money more effectively is to use online banking to help keep on top of my bills, as well as to ensure that I get all the information I need from my financial institutions. According to the 13th Annual Fiserv Consumer Trends Survey, I’m far from the only person to use online banking. About 80 percent of households with Internet access use online banking.

How Online Banking Helps Your Finances

Online banking is great for your finances because it helps streamline the process, and can even help you avoid problems that can come with hard copies in the mail. Here are some of the ways that online banking helps me better manage my money:

• Automatic bill pay: Automation is one of my favorite aspects of online banking. I don’t have to worry about remembering to pay my bill because it is done automatically. This is especially helpful when I travel. I don’t have to worry about missing payments when I’m out of town because it’s taken care of.
• Online access from anywhere: I also like the ability to check my accounts no matter where I am. It’s possible for me to check my balances, monitor my accounts for fraudulent charges and make needed transfers when I use online banking. While you do need to be careful about using public Wi-Fi and other networks when you are away from home, you can usually find someplace secure to check you accounts and engage in banking.
• Electronic statements: I like receiving electronic statements for my bank accounts because it makes it easier to ensure that I receive the information. There is a lot that can go wrong with a hard copy statement delivered to your mailbox. This is especially true when you move. After moving across the country twice in less than a year, it’s nice to know that all of my information comes right to my email inbox, rather than experiencing worries about forwarding and theft. This is also helpful when it comes to bill pay, since I don’t have to worry about missing things when I move.

Keeping everything straight is one of the best features of online banking. It allows me to quickly see where I stand, and make efforts to keep up to date with my bills and other obligations. With online banking, you can also stay on top of payments so that you don’t end up missing payments and seeing your credit score negatively impacted.

Pitfalls to Avoid with Online Banking

The biggest pitfall to avoid comes with automation. What happens when you automate your finances, but your cash flow doesn’t match? Make sure that the money will be in your account when the bills are due. Automating doesn’t mean you ignore your finances.

Another concern is what happens if you switch banks. You will need an accurate list of all the accounts you have so that you can change the payment information. You can run into trouble if you miss a transaction that tries to withdraw from an account you have closed.

Online banking can be a great way to manage your money and stay on top of your finances. As long as you properly plan, it shouldn’t be a problem.

One of the things I’m working on right now is the attempt to make time for what’s truly important in my life. What do I want to do with myself? I’ve had to rethink my entire life, thanks to the circumstances that led to my second cross-country move in a year.

I left a lot of stuff behind when I moved, but I’m also trying to decide what non-tangible things I should leave behind. I’ve got some emotional baggage that probably ought to be unloaded, and there are a number of habits that I think I want to get rid of as well. On top of that, there are some things that I think are really important that I want to work on.

As I’ve lived out of a suitcase for the last six weeks and tried to decide what to do next, I’ve been considering how I can make time for what’s truly important. Then I realized that I probably already have that time available to me. I just haven’t been using it very wisely.

Are Distractions Eating Up Your Time?

After spending time on the road, and being without a schedule, and spending time with family and my son, I realized that there are a lot of distractions eating up my time. Most of these distractions come in the form Internet rabbit holes. I get stuck on Facebook, or I go off on a tangent when I should be researching information for an article for my work. It also became apparent that I was letting entertainment (but not even entertainment I really care for) get in the way.

Plus, I found that I was distracted by obligations I didn’t care about. I spent a lot more time than I needed to worrying about what other people thought, and trying to make things work around others’ schedules. While it is sometimes important to re-arrange my own schedule to help those I care about, sometimes I was doing way too much of this for inadequate reasons.

Moving has allowed me to identify the distractions impacting me and my time and think about cutting them out. In fact, I am cutting them out and moving forward.

Putting Purpose First

I also decided that it was time to move forward with purpose. I realized I was treading water for the last two years, and I didn’t really have something to work toward. Sure, I was writing and providing for my family. However, I didn’t have another purpose, and I was just maintaining the status quo. Now I’m in a position to live with a little more intention. I want to be able to develop my talents a little more, and I want to feel as though I’m contributing to my community.

Plus, looking at how my son’s extracurricular activities are sure to pick up has me thinking about making sure to have time to support him — because that’s important to me. Restructuring my life hasn’t been easy, and it’s still a work in progress. But I’m finding time for what really matters in my life, and I feel better about things in general. And that’s something to be happy about.

One of the best ways to maintain a frugal lifestyle is to use coupons and discounts in your every day shopping. The good news is that you have more options than ever when it comes to using coupons. Forrester Research recently released a study that indicates that digital coupon use is on the rise, and that different generations are more likely to use coupons for different items.

How Do You Use Your Coupons?

I’m a big fan of using coupons when I go out to eat, and also for things like movie tickets and amusement parks. It wasn’t surprising, then, to discover that younger consumers are more likely to use coupons on travel and entertainment. When I look for discounts, I frequently look for promos related to hotel stays, car rentals and activities like museum admissions.

However, the older generation is more likely to use coupons for food and beverage purchases. They are more likely to see coupons as tools to help them save money when they go to the grocery store. I rarely use coupons at the grocery store. It seems like a lot of effort to spend the time to look through coupons and sales fliers for the hope of saving $5 on groceries.

Digital Coupons and Smart Phones

Another interesting finding of the study indicates that digital coupons are increasingly popular, and many consumers like the idea of being able to store coupons on their smart phones. Digital coupon redemption increased by 141% from 2012 to 2013. I like digital coupons because I am more likely to shop online, so having digital coupons handy to save money makes sense. On top of that, I often book my travel and entertainment (including for movies) online. Digital coupons and promo codes make it easy for me to reap the savings when I am doing my shopping.

I haven’t tried using coupons in my digital wallet, though. While I often store movie tickets and airline boarding passes on my smart phone, I haven’t tried redeeming coupons this way. However, it looks as though there more consumers are using mobile devices as part of their couponing strategies. Apple’s Passbook application, along with Google Wallet, are two places to store coupons so that they can be retrieved at the grocery store.

On top of that, there are mobile apps that help you search for and save mobile coupons on the things that you are most likely to buy. This can be a very convenient way to store and manage coupons. Some apps will even automatically delete expired coupons so that you don’t have to do it yourself. On top of providing coupons, it’s also possible to find apps that will alert you to deals, help you compare prices, and perform a number of other helpful money-saving functions.

While I use digital coupons online, I have yet to use them in conjunction with my smart phone when I go to the store. However, if I can find an app I like, and that makes sense for me, I might start employing this easier (and less time consuming) way to save money.

I’m in the midst of my second cross-country move in less than a year. As a result, I’ve had to, once again, decide which items to leave behind. This process was made a little easier due to the fact that we didn’t buy much while we were living in Pennsylvania, and we had discarded close to 75% of our belongings when moving from Utah.

However, the reality of the situation once again has me considering what to keep and what to leave behind. In our consumer culture, it’s easy to think that we need to keep a lot of what we have — and it’s also easy to keep adding to our belongings. Two moves have taught me that maybe I don’t need as much stuff as I thought. In fact, as I get ready to set up house once again, I’ll be pausing to reflect before replacing some of what I left behind.

Is It Necessary?

One of the first things to ask yourself before keeping something is whether or not it is necessary. I left behind sets of pans because I know that one set of pans is sufficient for what my son and I do in the kitchen. There’s no reason to have duplicates of our well-made pans and other dishes. The same can be said of many of the things that we keep in the house, from bedding to old, unused electronic gadgets.

I also like to consider whether or not something is useful. While some things that I keep are beautiful and perhaps not useful, most of what I like to keep has some purpose. If it’s not something I’m going to use, and if it isn’t part of my emergency supply, I’m more willing to leave it behind. I’m pretty minimalist when it comes to furniture these days, preferring only to keep what I know I’ll use. This has the added advantage of opening my living space and allowing it to feel less cluttered overall.

What About Sentimental Value?

While there are certainly items that might have some sentimental value, the reality is that I don’t actually need to keep these items, and some of them are connected to the same events. If there is something I really enjoy looking at, or that is associated with a treasured memory of a lost loved one, I’m happy to keep it. However, I only need one item to represent many of these memories or people. I can leave the rest behind as I move forward.

Simple Collections

Finally, I like to focus on simple, inexpensive collections that don’t take up space. My son and I began collecting refrigerator magnets because they are inexpensive, easy to transport and can be a fun way to remember a trip without getting crazy. I started getting rid of collections that just took up space and were expensive. Now the things I collect are easy to manage and don’t cost very much, and have been getting rid of everything else.

It can be difficult to decide what to get rid of. However, when you are forced to make choices, you have the chance to reduce your own consumerism and save more money in the future.

My son turns 13 this year. As I consider what it means to have a teenager, I’ve also been thinking about what comes next. And, even though the event is still three years away, I’ve been considering the reality that my son will be driving soon.

As children grow, it’s clear that they become more expensive. Extracurricular activities cost more, and they never seem to stop eating, putting strain on your grocery bill. But it’s the car insurance that you might really need to plan for when it comes to budgeting for your growing teen.

According to research from InsuranceQuotes.com, adding a 16-year-old to your policy can result in a 96% spike to premiums. While the impact decreases over time, it’s still only a decrease to 60% by the time your teen reaches age 19. That’s pretty substantial.

Another consideration is the gender of your teen. Because I have a son instead of a daughter, I can expect to see higher rates than otherwise. While there are some states that don’t allow insurers to consider gender, the state I’ll be living in — Idaho — allows insurers to charge more for males than females. As a result, I’m likely to see a higher average increase in my premiums when my son starts driving.

Blunting the High Cost of Insuring Your Teenager

There are ways to reduce the cost of a teen driver when it comes to insurance. First of all, encourage your teen to drive responsibly. Accidents and traffic tickets only mean higher rates down the road. Over time, experience can lead to lower premiums when it doesn’t involve unsafe situations.

Another way to reduce the cost of insurance for a teen driver is to ask for a good student discount. Many insurers offer discounts to students that maintain good grades that average a B or higher. If your student manages to get even better grades, you might be able to see a bigger discount. A good student discount won’t completely offset the higher cost of insuring your teenager, but it can blunt some of the financial pain.

You can also encourage your teenager to take ownership of the situation. Make it clear that any increase to insurance premiums that come as a result of your teen’s behavior when driving has to come out of his or her pocket. So, if your child gets a speeding ticket and the insurance premium goes up by $50, that’s something your teen is responsible for. Many teenagers are more likely to behave responsibly if they know that they will have consequences to their actions — especially if money is involved.

It’s also possible to provide a reward. If your policy offers a good student discount, make it a point to provide your teen with some sort of compensation for helping keep the insurance rates lower. You can split some of the premium savings with him or her. This provides an incentive for your child to maintain good grades as well as make efforts to drive responsibly.

While there is likely no getting around the higher insurance costs of a teen driver, there are some things you can do to reduce the pain and ensure that your budget isn’t completely overwhelmed.

As I prepare to move (again), I’ve been thinking about my living arrangements. I prefer renting to buying, since I like living in an apartment or condo community. I like the idea of someone else handling all of the maintenance, and having access to amenities like a community pool and a fitness room. I also prefer communities that are within walking distance of conveniences like groceries, shopping and public transit.

Unfortunately, I might not have the option of renting something I want when I move to a new town. While the cost of living is low, the town I am moving to is lacking in amenities, and there aren’t a lot of choices in the part of town I need to move to. As a result, I am thinking of buying — although it pains me to consider the possibility.

Getting ready to buy means that I need to consider the following 4 things before I pull the trigger:

1. Affordability

The first thing to think about is affordability. How much house can you afford? And it’s not just the principal and interest you need to worry about. Don’t forget about the property taxes, home insurance costs, utility costs, maintenance costs and repair costs. You can use the 30% rule as a starting point to get an idea of what you might be able to afford each month, but you need to be careful with these types of rules of thumb. Be sure that you are comfortable with your monthly cost. I like to keep all of my housing related expenses to 25% of my monthly net income. That leaves me a lot of breathing room — even if it means that I can’t get something big.

2. Other Debt

Part of the affordability equation is debt. Do you have other debt? How much do you have? I’m not uncomfortable buying even though I have student loan debt and a car loan. My payments are affordable, and the interest rates are low. In the case of the student loans, the interest is also tax deductible. However, if you have a lot of high interest credit card debt, saddling yourself with a huge mortgage probably isn’t the best idea. Get rid of some of that debt first.

3. Lifestyle

Once you have a good idea of where you stand financially, you can start thinking about other factors that are likely to influence your buying choice. Lifestyle is a big consideration when you are buying. I like flexibility and freedom, so tying myself down to a home seems like a bad move. On the other hand, I plan to remain in one place for several years, so stability during those six years is a big deal. Buying can provide that.

Other lifestyle considerations include what amenities you like to have, and whether or not you want to take care of maintenance issues yourself. I am looking into buying a condo or twin home. These often have HOAs involved that will at least take care of snow removal and the lawn. Many communities also come with clubhouse amenities that I like. It’s not ideal, but it works when renting isn’t an option for me.

4. Location

Finally, make sure you are happy with the location. My son will need to go to school, so I am buying near the schools he will attend. Additionally, I will be on the side of town closer to my parents and other members of my support system. This is important in my situation. Other considerations might include proximity to dining, entertainment and shopping. I don’t have much of a choice in these areas, and public transit is practically non-existent, so these aren’t considerations for me, although they might be for someone else.

What do you look for when you are shopping around for a home?

I’m getting ready to move across the country again. It’s not under the happiest of circumstances, and it’s not my first choice, but it’s the most practical thing for me to do, mostly because I’ll be moving to a place with a lower cost of living.

When you’re trying to live a frugal lifestyle, one of the best things you can do is pay attention to the cost of living, and attempt to live in a place with a lower cost of living. You’ll find it easier to save money when you consider location, since it’s often easier to make your dollars stretch in a place that doesn’t charge high prices for everything.

Smaller Income Doesn’t Always Mean Lower Disposable Income

One of the reasons that some people are reluctant to move to a place with a lower cost of living is due to the fact that incomes are often smaller as well. However, just because a smaller income is involved it doesn’t mean that your disposable income is lower.

If you’re living in an expensive city, you might have to pay 50% of your income each month on housing, and another 10% on food. That’s 60% of your income right there. If you are making $4,000 per month, that means that you spend $2,400 on housing and food, leaving you $1,600 for other costs.

Now consider living in an area with a lower cost of living. You can actually find housing that only takes 25% of your income and you spend 5% of your income on food. If you are making $2,500 a month in this town, you still end up keeping $1,750 for expenses other than housing and food.

This example isn’t far-fetched. I had a relative who experienced this difference when he moved from an expensive California city to a town in northern Utah. He had an extra $150 every month, and it was easier to save in other ways, too, since everything from entertainment to transportation was cheaper, and his state taxes were lower. In the end, he was able to live more comfortably on less than he did when he had a higher salary.

My decision to move to Idaho isn’t even going to come with a specific drop in income because I work from home. However, I am still experiencing a drop in household income, and I know that my situation will be easier to manage if I can move to an area that is less expensive. I want my dollars to go further, and I want to be able to travel and maintain my lifestyle. Moving to a less expensive place will allow me to achieve these goals.

Not everyone has the luxury of being able to choose when and where to move. However, if you have the chance to decide where you are going to live next, carefully weigh your decision. You might be surprised to discover that cost of living matters so much more than income, and that your frugal lifestyle is easier to maintain when your location isn’t constantly draining your budget with the cost of simple survival.

When we think of using coupons, we often see the coupons as the frugality strategy designed to put more money in our pockets. But what if you could save money using coupons and promo codes and get cash back? That’s the idea behind cash back sites like Ebates on top of its coupons and promo codes.

Buying Through Cash Back Sites and Getting a Discount

When you make a purchase through these sites, you get a portion of what you spent back in rewards. If you spend $100 at a store that offers 4% cash back, the site explains, you get $4. One of the things I like about these program is that you don’t get this money as an account credit or promo credit. This cash back is actually made as a payment to you. You can choose a check or PayPal to receive your money.

It is important to note, though, that there is a lag when it comes to receiving your cash back payments. Your payment won’t be processed until after the return period (usually 60 days, or after the travel is completed in case of travel purchases). That means that it might take more than two or three months receive cash back payment, as long as you meet the payment threshold of $10 for the month being processed. Once you get into a rhythm, the process tends to smooth out a bit.

Different stores come with different cash back offers, ranging from less than 1% cash back to 5% cash back. On top of receiving the cash back, you can also still apply coupons and promo codes. If you really want to boost your rewards using these sites, you can pay for your purchase with a cash back credit card. You’ll still get your cash back through the cash back site, enjoy whatever discount you qualify for, and be able to get cash back from your credit card as well. It’s a great way to maximize any savings that you are looking for when shopping online.

Of course, no matter what program you are using for cash back or coupon savings, you do need to be careful. It’s important only to buy what you would normally purchase. Don’t go out of your way to make new purchases just because of a coupon or a cash back opportunity. As long as you are careful to create a spending plan or budget, and you use these tools in conjunction with your planned spending, you can come out ahead. And, if you use a credit card, don’t forget to pay off the balance. A month of interest can wipe out any of your cash back rewards and other savings.

Once again, I am moving across the country. It’s been less than a year since my last cross-country move, and this isn’t my idea of a good time, but here we are. The good news is that many of the lessons I’ve learned in past moves are still fresh in my mind. Not only that, but I’ve got some good advice from consumer expert Andrea Woroch. As I pack up my belongings (and leave some behind), I’m considering ways I can spend less on this move. Here are 5 tips that Woroch has for saving money on moving costs:

1. Haggle

The first rule of saving money on anything is comparison shopping. This works in the world of moving as well as anyplace else. “Call around to gather quotes from moving companies and haggle for the best deal,” says Woroch. “Make sure to give the company a precise estimate of boxings and furniture you are planning to move.”

Woroch points out that if you end up moving more than you mentioned in your estimate, you will be charged. Many moving companies will send someone out to look at your belongings and estimate a move price. You can use this guide when approaching other companies.

Next, make sure that you haggle prices. I recently called a moving company and haggled them down on price. The result is a savings of more than $2,000 total on my move.

2. Use Coupons

Even when it’s time to move, you can use coupons. If you plan to rent a moving truck and drive it yourself, look for coupons and promo codes. You can also ask about referrals. I decided to use a “pack it yourself” service with storage containers this time. However, with a referral from the company, I can save 25% off when hiring professional packers.

3. Hire Packers and Other Helpers

The hybrid move is growing in popularity. This type of move involves you renting a moving truck and preparing to drive it, but paying for professionals to help you pack. Woroch says that companies like Hire A Helper can provide you with affordable packing help. You can haggle and use coupons when hiring these helpers as well. It’s a nice way to get the convenience of professional movers, without having to pay the costs.

4. Choose the Right Time

My moving company is dropping off the storage containers on a Tuesday and picking them up on a Wednesday. This mid-week move means a lower rate than a move that would take place over the weekend. “If possible, schedule your move for the beginning or middle of the month to find cheaper truck rental rates as well as savings on professional services,” says Woroch. Ask for different rate quotes based on different days.

5. Packing Supplies

We still had a number of boxes from last year’s move, so packing supplies aren’t a problem for me. Woroch suggests asking neighbors for boxes. You can also visit stores for their discarded boxes. When buying bubble wrap and packing tape, use store brands instead of name brands. You’ll save money and still get the job done.

Planning and preparation, plus a little creative thinking, can help you save money on your next move.

Many of us have a goal to pay off debt. However, when you’ve been working toward the goal of paying off debt for a long time, it can be difficult to adjust once you have reached your objective. This is especially true if you have taken a long-term approach to your debt pay down, employing the debt siege method.

Now that you’re debt free, it can be tough to figure out what to do with the money that used to go toward your debt payments. Here are some things to consider as you try to figure out how to remain debt free and put that money to good use.

Don’t Increase Your Spending on Other Things

One of the most tempting things to do in this situation is to increase your spending on other things. Now that you no longer have to make debt payments, it’s easy to get carried away in dreams of new furniture, more date nights, and more eating out. However, before you start spending this money, take a step back.

You are probably used to a more frugal lifestyle now, and that isn’t a bad thing. While there’s nothing wrong with celebrating, you don’t want to turn the fact that you are now debt-free into a situation in which you engage in lifestyle inflation. Remember that there is a good chance that out of control spending is what led to your debt situation to begin with, so you don’t want to end up back where you started. Think twice before spending that “extra” money each month — especially if the spending results in a long-term lifestyle upgrade.

Put That Money Into Something Else

Since you are already used to making monthly payments, now is a good time to put that money into something else. Increase your retirement account contributions. Boost your emergency fund. Start a 529 account for your child’s college education.

You don’t even have to put the entire amount toward the same thing each month. You could easily divide the money up. Put part of it toward the future, and then start setting the rest aside for other specific goals. You can use the money to save up for a vacation, or to save up to buy a new car. You might even begin saving up for a down payment on a home. Even if you use the money for something like a vacation or car, it helps that you are saving up for it, rather than using the money for some sort of instant gratification or expense that will add to your monthly burdens.

Before you start spending the money, sit down and make a plan for it. Think about how your goals and priorities have changed since you have paid off your debt, and think about what you want your financial future to look like. Set new goals based on the future, and you will be able to come up with a better plan for your money than simply frittering it away on things that don’t really matter to you in the long run.

One of the most powerful things you can do for your finances is to track your spending. The reality is that many of us spend money without really thinking about it. When we don’t stop to think about our spending, it’s easy to lose track of how much we’ve really spent. The widespread use of credit and debit cards adds to this since swiping plastic takes away the awareness that comes when you use cash.

An interesting app that was recently brought to my attention encourages you to track your spending each time you make a purchase. On top of that, the app, called Family Fortune, syncs up the purchase with the rest of the family. That way, you can keep up with spending. I can see where this would be useful; there have been many times when my husband has bought something at the same time I’m spending money elsewhere, and there have been snafus.

Track Your Spending Quickly and Easily

Family Fortune is designed for iOS and Android. You can download it and so can other members of your family. When you make a purchase, simply open the app and record it. Your budget situation is instantly updated, and those synced up with you see the information in real time. That way, you’re all on the same page.

While I like the planning aspect of Family Fortune, what I really love is the tracking aspect. Expense tracking is very important if you want to see where your money is going. This app can allow you to see where you are spending your money, analyze your patterns, and see where you need to make changes. This is vital if you want to make long-term improvements to your finances.

Since many of us don’t know where our money is going, it can be difficult to identify problem areas. Additionally, just the act of pausing when making a purchase can help you re-evaluate it. Consumerism has become too easy in today’s world. Today, it’s too simple to swipe a card and not think about your purchase. If you can use an app to enter your spending in immediately, it forces you to consider what you are doing.

Is the purchase really important to you? Is it necessary? What will you really get out of this purchase? Processing this information is important if you want to start paying attention and making better choices with your money.

Coordinating with Your Family

Finally, Family Fortune can make it easier for your to coordinate with your family. You can keep everyone on the same page and up to speed in a way that makes sense for all of you. This way, before you spend, you can make sure you have the money available in a certain budget category — or in the account. Many accounts have been overdrawn due to the fact that spouses are spending money without consulting each other. With a synced app, it’s easier to make sure you are all working for the same things. I also like how this app can help you set goals, and then work toward them together, since you are all looking at the same information.

This app is free to download, and has the potential to change the way you and your family deal with money.

When it comes to money, we all seem to be in different places. That’s okay; after all, personal finance is very personal. Confidence, though, plays a factor in how well we do over time with money. And, if you’re a woman, there’s a good chance that your lack of confidence when it comes to money — especially investing — is holding you back.

Women are Less Confident about Money

According to a recent study put out by Fidelity, women are less confident about money, and talking about money, than men. Only 47 percent of women say that they are confident about discussing money and investing with a financial professional on their own.

Women are also hesitant when it comes to investing. Research indicates that women are more likely to carefully consider investment decisions — and hesitate because they are unsure. However, even though many women have savings habits, 60 percent of them worry about not having enough money to last through retirement.

Part of this confidence gap in terms of having enough money has a lot to do with the fact that, in our society, women are still more likely to be caregivers and stay home. Their earnings are often lower, and they don’t have a lot to fall back on. As a result, they have a harder time saving up for retirement, and miss on earning power. Add that to a reluctance to invest, and that can make it difficult for women to build for a solid financial future.

Get More Involved

Whether you are a woman or a man, it’s a good idea to be involved in your finances. Fidelity’s research indicates that many women are ready to get more involved with their finances. According to the survey, 83 percent want to be more financially involved in the next year, and 92 percent want to learn more about financial planning. This could also indicate an interest in understanding investing a little more.

Knowledge and involvement can help build confidence. No matter where you are at when it comes to money management, and no matter how little confidence you feel right now, the reality is that you can be more involved, and you do have the opportunity to boost your abilities. Just learning about how money works and taking a more active role can help you improve your chances of success down the road.

Once you know more about investing, especially how beneficial (and easy) long term investing strategies like indexing can be, it’s easier to feel confident about your abilities. You don’t need to turn into the world’s greatest stock picker, or be in charge of every aspect of your family’s finances. However, if you know what’s going on, and you have a solid grasp of the situation, you will be more confident about your retirement future. You will also be more confident if you have to step in to manage money, perhaps due to your life partner being incapacitated in some way.

When it comes to money management and investing, knowledge and confidence can go a long way. Do what you can to cultivate your own abilities and you’ll reap the benefits.

If you’ve ever talked to a real estate agent, you’re likely to come away thinking that buying a home is the best investment you’ll ever make. Buying a home can be a good forced savings plan (at the end of your mortgage, you have a big asset that you can tap into later, usually be selling for a large chunk of capital), but the home you live is rarely a true financial investment.

It’s even worse in certain circumstances. I bought my home thinking of it more as an emotional investment, and something that could allow us to break even over rent. In the end, while it did provide some emotional satisfaction and stability, it ended up costing more than I would have liked — and costing more than we would have spent in rent for the years we were in the house — with no return.

Before you buy, says Rocky Lalvani, a Financial Coach and MBA, carefully think about the situation. There are 4 red flags that indicate that buying a home is probably not the right move for you:

1. You Plan to Move Soon

This is one of the biggest reasons to avoid buying a home. Lalvani says you should plan to live in an area for five to seven years if you plan to buy. “By the time you pay selling costs and everything you spent on making the house yours, it’s hard to get ahead,” he points out.

2. You are in a Low Rent Area

Lalvani says that if you live in an area where rents are considerably less than your monthly mortgage would be, you should think twice. This is especially true if the taxes, upkeep, and insurance far outstrip rents. You might be better off renting and then taking the difference and investing it. You are more likely to see real gains over time, including gains that beat inflation.

3. The Home You are Considering is Expensive for the Neighborhood

You don’t want to buy the most expensive home in a neighborhood, says Lalvani. “The cheapest home tends to do best on a resale.” If the cheapest home in a neighborhood isn’t quite what you want, look for something that is midrange. Stay away from the high end, because you’ll want to sell it, and buyers may not go for the expensive upgrades.

4. The Area is in Decline

One of the best things you can do before you buy a home is research the location. Real estate is very local, and you want to take a look at the neighborhood. What’s nearby? Have home prices been stagnant? Are they in decline? Are a lot of people moving out to be in better school districts? You don’t want to jump on board a sinking ship; you might not be able to get rid of the home later if the area continues to decline.

In the end, the decision to buy is very personal. Carefully consider your options, and don’t be afraid to decide to rent if that will work out better for your situation.

When it comes to travel, I’m always looking for ways to spend less money. This is important to me because I like to travel. If I can save money on one trip, I can use that money for another trip. The more I save, the more chances I have to travel. As I look for ways to spend less on travel, here are 3 ways that I manage to save:

1. Get Someone Else to Pay

This is the best possible way to travel. If you have a company that requires you to travel, you can see new places on someone else’s dime. You might not be able to choose your destination, but at least you’ll get to see something new. Another drawback of relying on someone else to pay for your travel and make arrangements is that you might not get to choose your flight times. This has happened to me before. I’m not overly fond of taking a red-eye, but I’m willing to deal with it in the name of travel.

I’ve had others pay for my travel in the past. There have been times when clients want me to travel to meet them, and they have paid for my airfare and hotel. When I speak at conferences, I am comped for various expenses. From meals to hotel to airfare, if you can get someone else to pay for at least a portion of your trip, you are winning.

2. Travel During Unpopular Times

If you don’t mind going on a family vacation during the school year, it’s possible to pay less when you go to various destinations. Additionally, there are certain days of the week, and times of the day, that are unpopular. As a result, you can get lower rates on your airfare to travel during these times so that airlines can fill more seats. This same principle applies to hotel rooms as well. Your mid-week rate is likely to be lower than your weekend rate. If you are flexible in your travel, you can save a surprising amount of money — even hundreds of dollars. This has worked well for me in the past. It’s good that I have a flexible “job” so that I can take advantage of these opportunities.

3. Discounts and Loyalty Programs

Finally, I like to take advantage of discounts and loyalty programs. I’ve been able to get free flights using credit card rewards and frequent flier programs. I have a credit card reward program attached to my most used airline and I earn free flights faster. On top of that, I get free hotel stays through a hotel loyalty program. I even signed up to earn points and rewards through one of the travel aggregators, further reducing my costs. In the past, I’ve used a coupon code, then applied points to reduce the cost of a travel package.

Also, pay attention to partner programs with your loyalty points. Sometimes, you can get a discount on rental cars, or earn double points for certain transactions. Watch for sales, promo codes, and activity specials with your programs so that you can snag applicable deals when they show up.

By combining these strategies, I’ve made travel more affordable than I ever thought, and saved thousands of dollars over the last several years.

Sometimes, when you start living a frugal lifestyle, the focus starts to revolve around cost — and cost alone. However, cheaper isn’t always better. Cheap isn’t the same as frugal, and when you don’t know the difference, it can mean problems down the road.

Pay Attention to Quality

One of the big problems comes when you are so focused on price that you forget to think about quality. These are the times that you truly do get what you pay for. Getting something cheap can sometimes mean that it breaks sooner and you have to buy more of the item. In some cases, being cheap can be more expensive in the long run because you are constantly replacing poor quality items. If you buy something high quality, it might last you much longer — saving you money over time.

Consider the items that you use most often in your daily life. These are items that you might want to spend more on so that they last longer. I don’t worry about getting an expensive blender because I don’t use it that often. A cheaper model will do. However, I do use my saucepan quite a bit. I spent much more on a high-quality saucepan that will last me for several years.

From cars to furniture to clothing, think about the quality of your purchases. In some cases, it’s a better value to pay a little more up front for high-quality items that will last longer and provide you with peace of mind.

Experience and Peace of Mind Matter

Sometimes, cheaper isn’t better when it comes to experience and peace of mind. We regularly have a car service bring us to the airport when we travel. The great thing about the car service is that we don’t have to drive ourselves and then try to find parking. We are dropped off at the curb at the airport. I often use the valet parking garage at the downtown train station when I go into Philadelphia. Do I pay more? Yes. But I also don’t spend a large chunk of time looking for parking and worrying about what will happen to my car in the meantime.

When possible, I also like to travel at more convenient times because it reduces stress. I don’t have to get up early or catch a red-eye. It’s much easier to travel, especially when I have my son with me, when I pay a little extra for a time that works better for me.

Of course, this approach comes with its tradeoffs, and I’m not always willing to pay the extra. If I have to pay $50 extra to avoid leaving at a time I find inconvenient and uncomfortable, I will do that. To me, the cheaper flight isn’t better if it adds too much stress. However, since I’ve moved, I’ve discovered that sometimes it makes sense to go with cheaper. When the difference is $200 or $300 per plane ticket to fly the red-eye, I’m willing to put up with the inconvenience.

Peace of mind is another consideration. My husband and I often paid for a more expensive babysitter for our son because we wanted the peace of mind that comes with knowing that the sitter can drive, and that he or she has First Aid training. Sure, one of the 12-year-old neighbor kids would be much cheaper, but it doesn’t inspire a lot of confidence. The fact that I was babysitting other people’s children when I was that age doesn’t really make me feel better, either.

Carefully consider what your time and your experiences are worth, as well as the cost of peace of mind. You might discover that, in the long run, skimping on cost isn’t the best option. Going cheap might actually cost you more — and cost in something other than money — in the long run.

Have you procrastinated on your taxes too long this year? This is the longest I’ve ever waited to complete my tax paperwork. Part of it has to do with the fact that I moved across the country, and I have a lot more paperwork to do. Since we moved partway through the year, we’ll have to pay taxes in two different states, and pay our federal taxes.

If you are looking at your timeline and realizing that you need to get your taxes together, here are some tips for getting your taxes done last-minute:

Make an Appointment

Now is the time to make an appointment with a tax professional. I have an accountant, and I’ve made my appointment with him. One of the great things about making an appointment is that it forces you to acknowledge a deadline. It might be difficult to get an appointment right now, but you can still squeeze in before tax day if you call around right now.

If you are concerned about cost, you can check to see if you qualify for VITA. This is a tax prep service offered to those with low incomes. You might also be able to find affordable help when you have your taxes prepared by a service like H&R Block or Liberty Tax. The reality is that having a professional help you double-check the documents you need to bring can be very helpful. Plus, that deadline means that you have incentive to get your documents organized and ready to go.

Block Out Time to Gather Documents

Put together a checklist of documents you expect to need to complete your tax forms. Then, block out time to get everything together. One of the great things about hiring someone else to prepare your tax return is that you don’t need to be particularly organized (although it can help). Just make sure you have everything on your checklist and take it in. Set aside two or three hours to look for what you need and gather it all up. Then you can bring it into a professional. When you are pressed for time, trying to desperately do everything last minutes has a great chance of ending in disaster.

Consider Last-Second Tax Breaks

Finally, don’t forget about last-second tax breaks. If you are eligible, you can still make HSA and Traditional IRA contributions for last year. It might help you lower your income and save you money on taxes if you can boost your last-second tax breaks. Consider it as you prepare to file your tax return.

Organize for Next Year

If you want to reduce your stress level this time of year, do yourself a favor and get more organized for next year. Set up a folder and put all of your documentation inside it immediately. Once you do this, you will have less worry about hunting for what you need. Also, take the time, after you get through tax time this year, to plan ahead. When you plan your deductions and credits in advance, it makes life easier, and you are less likely to leave money on the table.

Every year, The Knot analyzes the cost of a wedding, and in 2014 Americans spent an average of $31,213, according to CNN Money. Wedding costs are on the rise. Additionally, I suspect that the economic recovery is also inspiring a little more confidence in some couples to spend a little more money.

But would you be willing to spend more than $30,000 on your own wedding. When I married a little more than 14 years ago, my wedding cost a little more than $3,000. Even then, though, my wedding was less expensive than the “going rate” ($23,000). One of the reasons was the fact that my religion doesn’t charge for marriage services. The venue for the wedding cost nothing, nor did the venues for both of my receptions. Additionally, marriage officiators don’t accept money. Not even a tip under the table. That fact alone dramatically reduced the cost of my wedding.

My family and my husband’s family also did a lot of DIY planning for the wedding. My husband’s family had a potluck reception with every bringing homemade dishes. The reception put on by my family involved desert and light drinks, and my numerous aunts, uncles, and cousins helped out — much as I helped out at my own cousins’ wedding in previous years. My mom sewed my wedding dress, and my former band teacher brought his jazz trio to provide the music. Because of the great support system I had, and because I really don’t care for things to be fancy and overdone, the whole thing cost a small amount, especially when you consider that the cost included airplane tickets for family members that flew across the country.

Deciding What’s Most Important to You

Of course, a big wedding wasn’t important to my husband and me. We have other priorities. For some people, though, a big wedding is important. If a big wedding is important to you, and you are willing to spend the money, it makes sense to figure out what items are “must haves,” and what items you can live without.

This is especially true if you don’t have the capital on hand to pay for your wedding. You might have to look for ways to cut costs, or attempt to raise money in other ways, such as through loans or with the help of crowdfunding campaigns. Some couples even get sponsors for their weddings. There are a lot of options for paying for weddings without resorting to loans that require you to pay interest for years after you are actually married. Even with the prospect of interest, though, there are some couples who feel that a loan is worth it in order to have the “perfect” wedding day. It’s up to you to decide what you think is worth spending money on, and what you might be willing to give in order to make your dream wedding a reality.

In the end, it really is about your long-term goals, and what’s important to you and your partner. But before you decide to spend a large amount of money on a wedding, carefully consider your options, and what you want your big picture to look like.

My family now has a dental plan. It came as part of the benefits package associated with my husband’s job. Prior to this job, we had always paid for dental costs out of pocket because buying dental insurance didn’t make sense. The benefits package makes dental insurance a no-brainer now, though.

If you don’t have dental insurance, saving on dental costs can be elusive. Here are 4 ways you can save on dental costs if you aren’t using insurance:

1. Non-Insurance Dental Savings Plans

These plans can help you reduce the cost of procedures. You pay a lower cost, and you get access to discounts on procedures. Be careful, though: Not all dental savings plans are good deals. In some cases, you pay the fee, only to find out that what you thought was covered really isn’t. And you should realize that these savings plans aren’t insurance, so you still have plenty of out of pocket expenses.

2. Research and Negotiate

You should research costs for common dental-related procedures to get an idea of what things should cost. We have an orthodontics rider on our insurance since my son will doubtless need braces at some point. However, we will still probably have large out of pocket expenses. As a result, we are already considering options. FAIR Health is a site that can help you find the costs in your area for procedures, and give you information needed to negotiate.

Many dentists will give you a discount if you don’t have insurance. We routinely received a 10% discount on dental services back when we didn’t have insurance. Negotiate for procedures, and know your stuff.

3. Dental School

If you live near a dental school, you can check out the student work. Many students work under the supervision of a professional and you usually are worked on by the latest tools and equipment. The advantage is that you usually pay a much lower cost when you are willing to let students work on you. Realize, though, that appointments often need to be scheduled well in advance, and that there are limited spots, depending on the procedure you are hoping to have done.

4. Take Good Care of Your Mouth

Dentists regularly tell me I have great teeth and good oral hygiene. I’ve never had a cavity. When you take good care of your mouth, you a smaller chance of paying for expensive procedures. You can spend thousands of dollars on filling cavities, having root canals done, and replacing crowns. It’s much cheaper to just practice good oral hygiene now. I also took the precaution of having my son’s teeth sealed. Even though it cost a little bit more now, it is likely to help him fight off cavities and save us money in the long run.

Save Up for Dental Costs

We routinely saved up for dental costs. Our Health Savings Account was a geat help to us and can still be accessed for co-pays and deductibles. And, since we know that our son will likely need braces, we are preparing for that. Just as you need to look ahead to any other expense, you need to think about what’s coming in terms of dental procedures.

When it comes to paying off debt, we are told that we need to get rid of our debt as quickly as possible. However, sometimes we get so wrapped up in speed that we forget that our debt reduction needs to be manageable for the long term.

One of the problems with paying off debt quickly is that it doesn’t really allow for truly changing underlying financial habits — especially if you view everything you do to get rid of your debt as temporary. Research indicates that many people who pay off debt quickly find themselves back in debt again, simply because they feel like they have new freedom to spend.

In some cases, depending on your situation, slower debt reduction can make sense. The idea is to make your debt reduction manageable while you reform your other money habits. That way, when you pay off your debt, you have other financial practices in place to improve your situation.

Paying Off Debt Over Time

When reading stories of consumers who paid of tens of thousands of dollars of debt in less than a year, it can be tempting to think that you need to do that, too. However, that setup doesn’t mean success for everyone. While rapid debt pay down can be effective for some people, it doesn’t always work well for everyone. Here are some of the risks that come when you try extreme debt pay down:

• Begin to feel deprived. After a while it weighs you down and you might not be able to keep with it. Even if you do manage to finish, there is a chance that you will overreact  and spend your way back into debt because of the freedom you feel — and your desire to “make up” for all the sacrifices you made.
• Overwhelmed by debt plan: Another problem is that you might feel overwhelmed by the pacing. Sure, you might be able to keep up with the frantic pace for three or four months. But after awhile, it is easy to become overwhelmed, feel like a failure when you can’t manage it one month, and give up altogether.
• So much focus on debt that other aspects of finances are neglected: Finally, there is the chance that you will focus so much on debt pay down that other aspects of your finances are neglected. You might not have an emergency fund, so a setback could mean more debt.

Yes, you want to get rid of debt. However, sometimes a measured approach is best. Be realistic about what you can use for debt repayment. Additionally, make sure you have some sort of emergency cash cushion so you don’t have to fall back on your credit cards if you need a car repair or some other unexpected expense comes up. If you make steady progress, you will also have the chance to fix the underlying problems that caused your debt in the first place.

Changing your money habits over time so that they become part of your lifestyle is essential if you want to maintain success after you pay off your debt.

We spend a lot of time disparaging millennials. I know that, as a “mature” and “thoughtful” member of Gen X, sometimes I shake my head at members of Gen Y. However, just because we give millennials a hard time it doesn’t mean that we can’t learn something from them. In fact, according to David R. Smith, with Kaiku Finance, millennial strategies for spending less every day can benefit the rest of us.

Creative Cost of Living

Cost of living can be one of the biggest drains on your finances. If you want cheaper living, you can employ some of the strategies that Smith says millennials focus on. “They create and share life hacks to lower their utility bills, stretch their grocery budgets, and more,” he says.

These life hacks might be seemingly small changes to living, such as getting a programmable thermostat or using online coupons to save on groceries, in order to watch the small savings add up to bigger savings over time. Many millennials are more aware of how their actions can lead to greater costs, and are willing to make changes to their lifestyles in order to reduce the cost of living.

“Millennials are also more likely to be renters who use public and alternative transportation, such as bikes, to avoid the burdens of mortgages and high car payments,” Smith says. Being able to look around the community and look for alternatives to high-cost modes of transportation, as well as getting creative with housing costs by living with roommates or taking on lodgers, can be ways to reduce your cost of living.

How Much Stuff Do You Need?

One of the things that Smith points out that really resonates with me is the idea that many in Gen Y aren’t as interested in stuff as some of those of us in previous generations. “Millennials tend to value community, simplicity, and experiences above work and material possessions,” he says.

To some extent, I can see how that can help you reduce your expenses every day. If you aren’t worried about how much stuff you have, you tend to spend less on things (saving money), and you don’t need large living spaces. Since downsizing to an apartment, I’ve seen this in my own life. We don’t need to spend as much money on taking care of our stuff, and we are also fortunate in that our new location offers us easy and inexpensive access to a number of cultural experiences. There’s a lot to see and do, and we don’t need to spend as much to be entertained.

The millennial strategies of living with a little more simplicity and relying more on alternative transport and arrangements can make a lot of sense for the rest of us. While I still think it’s a good idea to cultivate a regular source of income and work hard for it, I can see the value in a situation that allows you to choose your hours (after all, I’m a freelancer working from home).

What other lessons can we learn from millennials?

I love experiences. I’d rather go out to eat or attend a concert than buy a new TV or purchase some item for my home. I feel life is enriched by experiences. However, it’s not always cheap to enjoy experiences. When you want to attend sporting events or concerts, you can expect to pay a price.

The good news, though, is that there are ways to save money on concert and sports tickets. If you know where to go to get cheap tickets, you can reduce the overall cost of your excursion, and still have a great experience. Here are some of the places I like to go when looking for cheap tickets:

1. StubHub

One of my favorite places to look for tickets on the secondary market is StubHub. It’s possible to find deals on sports, concerts, theater, and more. I’ve bought tickets to see comedians through StubHub, but I’m most likely to get sports tickets this way. You can usually have the tickets delivered electronically, although in some cases you need to have hard copy tickets sent to you.

I also like that there is a loyalty rewards program with StubHub. The last time I bought tickets, I ended up saving an extra $50 because of my rewards.

2. Flash Seats

Flash Seats is great because there is no paper involved. You can swipe an electronic ID (such as a credit card) at the gate to get your seats. It’s also very easy to transfer your seats to others, and get reasonably-priced seats that are guaranteed. It was a little strange to get used to the way Flash Seats does things, but if your venue uses the service, it can be worth learning the ropes. You can get access to concerts, sports, and more. Search by your favorite team, or by location, to find the event you’re looking for.

3. Vivid Seats

One of the cool things about Vivid Seats is that it’s possible to combine your sports, concert, or theater tickets with travel and hospitality packages. This means that you can get transportation, VIP access, and customized add-ons for different events. You can even put together party packages and corporate group events with the help of Vivid Seats, which includes road trips and even luxury tailgates and field passes. You’ll pay more for some of these experiences, but it makes it easy to really have the experience of a lifetime.

4. SeatGeek

If you are looking for tickets to an event, SeatGeek can help. It allows you to search for tickets for sporting and music events, and more. It’s an aggregator that allows you to compare ticket prices from around the web. It includes interactive seating charts, so you know exactly where you will be. Another great feature of SeatGeek is the fact that you can see when something is a great deal. A green dot indicates that you are getting an amazing deal. SeatGeek makes it easy to see where you will sit, and access great deals from around the web — from one easy website.

One of the ways that you can reduce your overall costs in life is to improve your health. Cutting your health care costs is often a matter of comparison shopping and engaging in healthier habits. Unfortunately, according to information reported by LabDoor, resolutions for health habits are the ones we are most likely to break.

What are the Most Common Resolutions?

The most common resolutions, according to LabDoor, are:

1. Lose weight
2. Get organized
3. Spend less and save more
4. Enjoy life
5. Stay fit and healthy

It’s no surprise that these items are among the most popular resolutions every year. After all, they are what many of us would like to improve on in our own lives. However, actually following through with these resolutions is easier said than done.

As a result, the most common resolutions that we break are:

• Eat healthier
• Lose weight
• Minimize stress

These are health resolutions that can help us live better, true, but also help us save money. Many of the actions that we take in order to eat better, lose weight, and minimize stress can also save us money. Plus, there are savings that come with needing fewer health care services.

Unfortunately, it’s now February, and for many of us the excitement of setting resolutions has passed. In fact, “real life” might have set in and put us in a position where we feel like we’ve failed in our goals.

While you might have gotten off track, it’s important not to view yourself as a failure. Instead, realize that you are a work in progress. Just because you’ve had a setback it doesn’t mean that you won’t be able to eventually reach your goals. Don’t wait for another year to start to make new resolutions; get back on track right now.

How to Reset Your Health Resolutions

First of all, don’t fall into the trap of believing that you can’t improve once you’ve “failed” on a goal. It’s not like you can’t start all over again. Think in terms of ongoing progress. That way, you can measure how far you’ve come, rather than getting hung up on the fact that you “slipped up.”

Next, evaluate your goals. Why do you want to achieve them? I want to lose weight and eat healthier because I know that I’ll feel better and have more energy. Plus, the exercise will improve my mood so that I have better relationships with my son and husband. Finding reasons to encourage changing for the better can help you stick with it, and be motivated to keep moving forward.

Finally, take baby steps. You don’t need to lose 10 pounds by next month to be successful. Instead, make small and achievable changes in your every day life that will result in lost weight by the end of the year. Step up your efforts. Say you’ll exercise 10 minutes a day for two weeks before stepping up to 15 minutes, and then to 20, and so on. Most of us can’t just add exercise to the daily routine without stepping up slowly. And that’s true of most things, whether it’s healthier eating or adding meditation to reduce stress.

Once you are realistic about your expectations, and you decide to press forward now, you’ll be more likely to get back on track.

Chances are that you understand that you need to invest if you want to build wealth for the long haul. However, it can be difficult to feel confident about investing when you feel like you don’t have enough money to get started. It’s true that you can start investing when you have as little as $25, and can spare as little as $50 or $100 a month. But what happens when you don’t think that you have enough to do even that?

Acorns is a relatively new investing site that helps you start investing with your spare change. It’s an interesting idea that suggests that you can use your spare change to add up to something serious over time. It’s kind of like putting your spare change in a jar at the end of the day. However, rather than waiting for a coin jar to fill up, you can be earning compound interest on your change from the very beginning.

How Acorns Works

Basically, Acorns sets up as a fee-based account. You can open an account with as little as $5, and there are no minimums. If you withdraw and end up with a $0 balance, Acorns won’t charge you a fee, which is kind of cool. The fee structure is very straightforward. You pay $1 a month if your account balance is less than $5,000, and you pay an annual fee of 0.25% on accounts with more than $5,000. It’s fairly inexpensive, although once you get to a really large account, other similar services might charge less. For example, Betterment only charges 0.15% a year when you have an account balance of $100,000 or more.

You can choose to have a set amount of money put into the account each month, helping it add up over time. Or, if you want, it’s also possible for you to arrange so that your purchases are rounded up to the next dollar and the spare change is deposited into your Acorns investment account. Either way, it’s automatic. No matter how small an amount you have, you can start investing — and do it automatically.

Who Acorns Works Best For

Acorns works best for those who want to get started investing, but don’t feel like they have a lot of money to get going. It’s a good way to get your feet wet.

You can also get a lot of benefit from using Acorns if you want to use it as an emergency fund. I keep my emergency fund money in an investment account, and it’s worked out well for me. If you are looking to build up your emergency fund, with a small amount of money, this can be a great way to do so. However, you want to make sure that you are aware of the implications that come with doing so. I like using an investment account like this because it provides you with a way to boost your returns (better than a traditional savings account), while at the same time providing you with a tax deduction if you happen to end up selling at a loss when you need the money for an emergency.

Overall, Acorns is a great tool for those hoping to get started investing and who hope to start with a small amount of money.

One of the hardest situations that many consumers face is trying to deal with debt collection. Not only is having the debt stressful, but it can be even more stressful when you aren’t able to repay the debt, or if the debt is the result of a financial catastrophe, such as a lost job or a medical condition. Adding to the stress of having the debt might be the phone calls from debt collection agencies and others. While you might feel hopeless in these situations, the good news is that you have hope. You do have rights, and it’s a good idea to know them.

Phone Calls to People You Know

Sometimes, when you aren’t answering the phone or the mail, a debt collector might call your relatives, work, and friends. First of all, there was a time when debt collectors would tell people you know about your debt, embarrassing you and possibly hurting your standing in your community. Now, though, thanks to the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), collectors can’t tell others about your debt. However, they can still call and ask how to get a hold of you, without mentioning the debt.

When it comes to work, you can tell debt collectors not to call you at that location. Additionally, it’s possible to ask them to stop contacting you by phone. Send a request in writing, and they are supposed to contact you via mail. You can even ask them to stop contacting you through the mail. When you do that, they can only send you information related to a legal proceeding (if that’s what they decide to do).

While it’s hard to think straight when you have all these calls and letters coming, you still have rights. The debt collectors shouldn’t be telling others about your debt, and they shouldn’t keep calling your workplace after you tell them to stop.

Threats and Demeaning Language

The FDCPA also has regulations against what debt collectors can say to you. First of all, watch out for those who try to intimidate you by saying that you could be arrested. You can’t be arrested for failing to pay a debt, and it’s against the law for collectors to make those threats. Other threats against you, as well as demeaning language, are also forbidden by law. Debt collectors also can’t lie and pose as someone else (such as an attorney or credit counselor) to convince you to pay the debt or share information.

If you are being treated rudely by a debt collector — and this includes calls outside the mandated times of between 8 am and 9 pm local. So if you are getting calls early in the morning or late at night, someone is violating the FDCPA.

When you are subject to unfair practices, you can report the debt collection agency. Keep track of when these abuses occur, and what happens. Then, you can hire an attorney and sue in your own turn, or report to the right federal authorities. If you want more information about your rights when it comes to debt collection, you can visit the FTC web site.

Advertisement matching with competitors is one way retailers keep you, the customer, in their store and not somewhere else. With the popularity of this kind of savings, more retailers are jumping on the bandwagon and broadening their ad-match policies to better accommodate their customers. While this is a win-win situation for consumers, it’s important to remember that ad-match policies vary widely from one retailer to the next, and this will affect your savings potential. Here are a few nuances from a few of the major retailers you probably shop with on a regular basis.

Ad match to another competitor’s price. This is the most basic form of ad matching, and is fairly universal from one retailer to the next. The main difference lies in whether or not the competitor requires you to present proof of the advertisement in a flyer or on your smart phone. Wal-Mart, for instance, no longer requires you to present ads at the register. You can even use a new feature they call Savings Catcher to scan your receipts and let them do the ad matching for you. Other retailers such as J.C. Penney are still old school and want you to bring in the paper flyer or email showing the advertisement price. Because this varies from one retailer to the next, it’s always a good idea to have some proof of the sale price with you when you purchase the item or request a reimbursement.

Retroactive price drops. Sometimes you notice something goes on sale after you’ve already purchased it, or is featured at a discounted price at another store. The good news is that you can still take advantage of the savings. Some retailers retro-actively honor competitor (or changes in their own) pricing for a period after your purchase, such as two weeks to a month. Keep your receipts and some proof of the price difference if you notice an item cheaper somewhere else after you’ve already purchased it.

Ad match an online price. This is where it gets tricky. Few retailers used to offer ad matching to online prices, but with the increasing presence of major retailers online, and the trend of shoppers towards online purchases, this category is opening up. For instance, Best Buy offers ad matching for specific online competitors, including themselves; Wal-Mart honors its .com pricing as well as major online-only retailer Amazon.

What you can’t price match. In spite of the increasing range of ad matching, some situations still aren’t accepted at most retailers, such as buy-one-get one offers without a retail value,  clearance or closeout pricing, or specific offers such as gift cards or other incentives. While these are understandable, it never hurts to ask, since policies changes continually.

Additional perks. Some competitors really go the extra mile with ad matching, such as Home Depot’s promise to match and beat their competitors’ prices by 10%. This has some restrictions, such as in-store shopping only, but is still a great way to save.

The key to successful ad matching is to know the policies (if you don’t, simply look them up online) since many employees aren’t thoroughly versed on them. In any case, it never hurts to ask for the lower price, because they might just give it to you anyway.