tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8137260068217954532024-03-05T18:35:34.092-05:00A Dime and Her Nickels~Making a change by stacking my change~Carmeshahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09602696662633718631noreply@blogger.comBlogger63125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813726006821795453.post-10964810378827906932012-06-30T13:51:00.001-04:002012-06-30T13:51:06.740-04:002012 Financial Goals: Update<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitaMMAXcx8rrSpZdTgcaJHjRLswSgCMhtHX55j6xeJwNY1VNZBrQrT3AKA1G_IsjYdaCawx7XmHO3Vp5sa3R49Kt8OwuA5AVOYJ_Mjkk_D5QQhSS7uWgaDc9EY2Pz8P_0t0N8qakr-Jcg/s320/update.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitaMMAXcx8rrSpZdTgcaJHjRLswSgCMhtHX55j6xeJwNY1VNZBrQrT3AKA1G_IsjYdaCawx7XmHO3Vp5sa3R49Kt8OwuA5AVOYJ_Mjkk_D5QQhSS7uWgaDc9EY2Pz8P_0t0N8qakr-Jcg/s320/update.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
It's been a long time since I've done one of these but I'm back! I have had a lot of changes to my finances, mainly<b> I'm in the process of buying my first home!</b> From a purely financial standpoint this may not have been the best decision, however the home is in an ideal neighborhood, I <u>LOVE</u> the house and can see myself (and my fiance and future family) there for a long time, so I'm comfortable with my choice. <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Save $4000 by January 2013 </b>I've added about $2200 to my savings this year and so far I haven't touched any of the money that has been added to my savings account since I opened it. I'm scheduled to close on the house in about 2 weeks and unfortunately I will have to pull out about $1500 for closing. <br />
<br />
<b>Maintain a buffer of $100 in my monthly budget. </b>From March to May I maintained about a $400 buffer each month. In June I went on a vacation and had some minor expenses relating to the house (ex paying for a home inspection) so this buffer was only $49. I did put down a $1000 deposit to secure the venue for my wedding next year, but I didn't include this in my monthly budget because I have been saving cash and gifts from family members in an envelope labeled Wedding Fund (old school, I know).<br />
<br />
<b>Maintain $0 credit card debt.</b><br />
I used my credit card for my regular monthly expenses (grocery, gas, etc.) and pay the balance in full by the end of the month. So far this year I've gotten a $50 Gift Card using my credit card reward points and by next month I should have enough points for another $25 card!<br />
<br />
<b>Open a Roth IRA</b><br />
<div>
Haven't done this yet. </div>Carmeshahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09602696662633718631noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813726006821795453.post-84447858646226226312012-03-26T12:33:00.000-04:002012-03-26T12:33:31.483-04:00Money Lesson: Stay Busy<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.cartoonstock.com/newscartoons/cartoonists/mba/lowres/mban2843l.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="309" src="http://www.cartoonstock.com/newscartoons/cartoonists/mba/lowres/mban2843l.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.cartoonstock.com/directory/s/shopping_with_men.asp" target="_blank">source</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
I love the feeling of having plans. Nothing is more exciting--or makes the workweek go by more quickly--than having something to look forward to on the weekend. I also find that having weekend plans keeps my spending in check. On the days where I have nothing to do, my boredom leads me to the mall or browsing the aisles of Target...and we all know how tempting it is to spend once you set foot in the stores!<br />
<br />
I've also noticed that I'm more prone to constant snacking and mindless eating on those lazy days where I just stay in the house reading blogs and watching Netflix. There's a saying that goes "the Devil finds work for idle hands to do” and I think there may be a little truth to it. When there is something on my calendar, even if it's something like a visit from family or plans to attend an event, I'm usually occupied for a number of hours, engaged in some activity that doesn't require me to spend money, and I'm not even tempted to spend any money. Sometimes I get engrossed in a good book or working to craft a blog post and the next thing I know, I've had a "no-spend" weekend! <br />
<br />
If you are like me and are tempted to shop out of pure boredom, find ways to stay busy! Visit your loved ones, spend more time on hobbies, and find <a href="http://www.dimeandhernickels.com/2010/09/fun-budget-friendly-idea-generator.html" target="_blank">budget-friendly activities</a> to occupy your weekend!Carmeshahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09602696662633718631noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813726006821795453.post-60698877796864405402012-03-09T00:01:00.000-05:002012-03-09T00:01:00.709-05:00Money in your 20s: 5 Things Everyone Should Know<a href="http://womensmoneyweek.com/"><img alt="Women's Money Week 2012 Participant" border="0" height="125" src="http://womensmoneyweek.com/images/wmw-2012.png" width="125" /></a>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<em style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">I am participating in the first annual <a class="offSite" href="http://womensmoneyweek.com/" style="color: #2361a1; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" target="_blank">Women’s Money Week</a>, a project to empower women to take control of their finances. </em><em style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"> Today's topic is Money in your Twenties/Thirties/Forties/Fifties/Retirement. Check out the <a href="http://womensmoneyweek.com/" target="_blank">Women's Money Week 2012</a> website for more posts from some amazing Women Money Bloggers! </span></em><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> </span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">For some this period may
represent your glory days while others may refer to it as a Quarter Life
Crisis, but your 20s is a time of amazing transformation. The bridge connecting
adolescence and adulthood, your 20s may bring your first (full-time) job, first
love, first major purchase (ex- a new car), and first experience with recurring
bills (student loans anyone?). With all
these “firsts,” it is important to make sure you are making smart choices and
creating good habits to carry you through the rest of your life…ESPECIALLY when
it comes to your finances. Here are a few things that I believe everyone
should know about money before leaving your 20s to put you on the path to
financial security:</span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">How to create a budget.</span></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">You have probably heard this
before, but the budget is one of the basic principles of personal finance. For
some, this may be your first experience making enough money to actually support
yourself. In order to manage this new
fortune, you need to keep track of the money you have coming in (income), the
money you have going out (expenses), and make sure that your income is always
greater than your expenses. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Avoid the credit trap!<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">When I was in college, there were credit card companies all
over the campus offering free t-shirts, mugs, etc. just for signing up. In that setting I was eager to sign up for my first
credit card, but luckily I refrained from actually using the card for over a
year and truly considered it a tool to be used for emergencies (and the
occasional tattoo—don’t judge me lol). Your
20s is a time for establishing and building your credit. Because you probably
have little to no credit already, you probably won’t have the best credit rates,
so spending recklessly on your card and carrying a credit card balance from
month to month means that you may face hefty interest charges. That spring wardrobe you caught on sale might
not be that good of a deal if you buy it on credit and have to pay an extra
10-20% over the course of a year. Also,
don’t mess up your credit early by applying for a lot of different credit
cards, maxing out card, and missing payments. Not only do these immediately hurt your credit
score (which would affect your future interest rates on home/auto loans), but
they create bad financial habits that become more and more difficult to break.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
<a name='more'></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Understand the power (and pain) of interest.<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I already touched on how carrying
debt is costly (aka wasting money) due to interest charges, however interest <i>can</i> be a good thing if it is being paid
to you. Get into the habit of making regular contributions to an interest
bearing savings or checking account and earn free money (although you will have
to pay income taxes on your interest earnings). <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Time is on your side, so take advantage of it!<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">When it comes to saving for
retirement, it is best to start as early as possible. Even if
you can only contribute a small amount, the benefit will make it worth your
while, as there is a little thing called <b>compound
interest</b>. Compound interest means
earning interest, on the interest you have already earned. In essence, you could deposit money into an
interest<span style="font-family: inherit;"> bearing account, completely ignore it and years later you will still
have more there than you started with.
In addition, you should also consider opening an investment account
(401k, IRA) to fund your retirement. While there is more risk involved than
with interest-bearing savings/checking accounts, the concept behind compound
interest also applies to investment returns</span></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; line-height: 115%;">. </span><a href="http://money.msn.com/retirement-plan/your-20s-planning-pays-off-richly-weston.aspx"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; color: #1198cc; line-height: 115%;">"Someone who puts $4,000 a year into
retirement accounts starting at 22 can have $1 million by age 62, assuming 8%
average annual returns. Wait 10 years to start contributing, and you'd have to
put in more than twice as much -- $8,800 a year -- to reach the same
goal."</span></a></span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Because you have
20+ years until retirement, the current economic downturn and volatile stock
market will not have as large of an impact on you as it will for someone who is
55 currently. You have the time to ride out the low points of the stock market
and when the market bounces back, you can reap the benefits. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://static.toondoo.com/public/j/o/h/JohnMurdockYP//toons/cool-cartoon-4191333.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="259" src="http://static.toondoo.com/public/j/o/h/JohnMurdockYP//toons/cool-cartoon-4191333.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://yp-blog.com/2011/11/30/meet-the-suit/" target="_blank">source</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<b><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Money doesn’t bring happiness.</span></span></b><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Money is important, and can
buy you all kinds of new toys and luxuries, but it cannot buy happiness. Focus less on material things and more on
things that would make you happy. Consider
your values—Do you value financial freedom, being able to work for yourself, or
having the freedom to travel? Do you enjoy time spent with family and friends
above all other hobbies? Acquiring “stuff” might make you feel good for a
moment, but it doesn’t match the feeling of joy you get from being with loved
ones, or the accomplishment of achieving financial independence. You may love
going out for dinner and drinks with your girls, but know that you would be just as happy having a girls
night in watching Sex and the City re-runs and catching up on good gossip. Always remember that while money can be used to
help you achieve your goals or pursue endeavors that make you happy, it is not necessary
to achieve that happiness. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-indent: -24px;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: x-small;"><span style="line-height: 14px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<br />
<br />Carmeshahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09602696662633718631noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813726006821795453.post-86379237491482573962012-03-02T09:45:00.000-05:002012-03-02T09:45:00.716-05:002012 Financial Goals: February Update<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitaMMAXcx8rrSpZdTgcaJHjRLswSgCMhtHX55j6xeJwNY1VNZBrQrT3AKA1G_IsjYdaCawx7XmHO3Vp5sa3R49Kt8OwuA5AVOYJ_Mjkk_D5QQhSS7uWgaDc9EY2Pz8P_0t0N8qakr-Jcg/s1600/update.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitaMMAXcx8rrSpZdTgcaJHjRLswSgCMhtHX55j6xeJwNY1VNZBrQrT3AKA1G_IsjYdaCawx7XmHO3Vp5sa3R49Kt8OwuA5AVOYJ_Mjkk_D5QQhSS7uWgaDc9EY2Pz8P_0t0N8qakr-Jcg/s320/update.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Save $4000 by January 2013 </b>I contributed $210 to my savings account this month through automatic direct deposit. I also took part of my tax refund along with some of my "buffer" in my checking account and added $600 to savings, so I've already saved about $1000 so far this year!<br />
<br />
<b>Maintain a buffer of $100 in my monthly budget. </b>I've really been sticking to this one, and February was almost as good as January. By the end of the month I had an extra $650 left over after expenses and savings!<br />
<br />
<b>Maintain $0 credit card debt.</b><br />
I used my credit card for my regular monthly expenses (grocery, gas, etc.) and paid the balance in full by the end of the month.<br />
<br />
<b>Open a Roth IRA</b><br />
<div>
Haven't done this yet. </div>Carmeshahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09602696662633718631noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813726006821795453.post-17180239279290781652012-02-23T11:07:00.000-05:002013-10-06T18:52:49.232-04:00Money Lesson: Stop Torturing Yourself<a href="http://mimiandeunice.com/2011/01/17/coping-mechanism/"><img alt="i'm gonna punish you / wait i'll punish myself for you / okay. at least i'm in control" height="174px" src="http://mimiandeunice.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/ME_290_Self-Punishment-640x199.png" title="ME_290_Self-Punishment" width="560px" /></a><br />
<br />
I have a confession...sometimes I procrastinate and allow issues to linger instead of tackling them right away. A few weeks ago, I was working on a task at my job but I just could not get myself to take the actions needed to finish it. For some reason, I felt this task was so daunting and so time consuming that I just wanted to avoid it at all costs. i knew I would have to finish the project eventually, but at the time I chose to let it sit on my desk for a few days while I kept myself busy with other work that was equally as important but probably less urgent. The problem is that each day it sat on my desk, my anxiety regarding the work increased and what should have been a proverbial "molehill" quickly became a "mountain" in my head. Finally, one day I came to my senses. I asked myself, <i>Why am I spending all of this time agonizing over this work when I can just buckle down and finish it?</i><br />
<br />
I've created similar scenarios while working on my finances. I know I have spent more hours worrying about how much I owe in studnt loans than actually creating a solid plan to pay them off quickly. I've purchased items that I quickly realize that I will never use, but instead of going to get a refund, I would just put things away in my closet as I worry about going over my budget for the month.<br />
<br />
Some of you may have the same problem that I have of putting myself through unnecessary suffering. Do you find ourself avoiding the mailbox because of the many final notices you get, or notice your heart racing when the phone rings for fear that it may be a bill collector...BUT you go shopping every weekend faithfully(and never coming home empty handed, might I add)? Or maybe you feel yourself drowning in debt, but rather than reaching out for assistance (negotiating new loan terms, exploring economic hardship provisions, getting credit counseling or financial planning assistance) you suffer in silence day after day.<br />
<br />
Well I'm here to tell you: Stop torturing yourself! Do whatever is needed to rid you of the burden of your financial worries. Action is the first step in obtaining freedom, so imagine how good you will feel when you trade in your procrastination, avoidance, and associated stress for knowledge, progress, and ultimate achievement!Carmeshahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09602696662633718631noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813726006821795453.post-45993183887284613712012-02-23T08:30:00.001-05:002012-02-23T08:30:06.660-05:00Featured Blogger of the Day! Yay!Today I am a featured blogger of the day at Bloggers.com! What an honor :)<br />
<br />
If you are on Bloggers.com, add me @ http://bloggers.com/Carmesha<div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSmpp1oYvnl7hDcf4r-sVnX8BpfWbUMQCeo6WZzm9POSbaNg0welo1iYYsuzuIdsAJ_IlSiCltZ_pbhZSe6YSmiTv0ggjDAdXFVuaMxLo11Y7s5nokJrQkdnl4IKlfMX4RW6G62434cQFr/s640/blogger-image-2101761159.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSmpp1oYvnl7hDcf4r-sVnX8BpfWbUMQCeo6WZzm9POSbaNg0welo1iYYsuzuIdsAJ_IlSiCltZ_pbhZSe6YSmiTv0ggjDAdXFVuaMxLo11Y7s5nokJrQkdnl4IKlfMX4RW6G62434cQFr/s640/blogger-image-2101761159.jpg" /></a></div>Carmeshahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09602696662633718631noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813726006821795453.post-40271081592778299452012-02-09T11:36:00.000-05:002012-02-09T11:36:00.126-05:00How Your Mindset Hurts Your Finances: 3 Examples<a href="http://www.layoutsparks.com/1/135556/make-it-rain-guys.html"><img alt="make it rain guys pictures, backgrounds and images" src="http://images2.layoutsparks.com/1/135556/make-it-rain-guys.gif" title="make it rain guys pictures, backgrounds and images" /></a><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>“I work hard to make
this money, so I’m going to enjoy it!”<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It’s true, you probably worked hard to earn your money. But think about all the hours you had to put
in to earn your salary…then think about how quickly money can fly out your
hands. It only takes minutes to swipe
your debit card and lose $50 on a “quick run” to Target, or to hit the checkout
button at Amazon and purchase the assortment of items that you’ve had patiently
waiting in the shopping cart. Spending money is easy-it’s quick, there are
so many ways to spend it, and lots of people who get paid to entice you to
spend. Because spending is so easy to
do, it is easy to get yourself in trouble by overspending, sinking into debt,
and racking up credit card interest charges or bank overdraft fees. Also, maintaining the habit of spending all your money is
risky; in the event of an emergency—such as illness, job loss, or needing
household repairs—you will not have the money to cover these unexpected
expenses, which would then lead you into debt.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>“I’ll worry about
tomorrow when it gets here!”<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If retirement is over
20 years away, it may not be one of the things at the forefront of your mind,
but ignoring it can have dire consequences.
You don’t want to work until you are 70 years old because that’s the
only way you will have enough money to survive.
There may come a time when you are no longer able to work to support
yourself; the decisions you make today can affect your financial security and the
quality of your life during that time. In
addition to planning for retirement and funding a retirement plan, it’s
important to consider what the future economy will look like. Consider inflation, which means that the
dollar you have to day will have less purchasing power in the future. Skimping on your retirement contributions or underestimating
how much is needed in the future will leave you with an unpleasant surprise
when retirement age arrives. Lastly,
procrastinating when it comes to retirement contributions—or even procrastinating
about adding to your savings account—means you miss out on the benefit of <b>time</b>.
The earlier the save, the more <b>time</b>
you have to make your money grow. <a href="http://money.msn.com/retirement-plan/your-20s-planning-pays-off-richly-weston.aspx">"Someone who puts $4,000 a year into retirement accounts starting at 22 can have $1 million by age 62, assuming 8% average annual returns. Wait 10 years to start contributing, and you'd have to put in more than twice as much -- $8,800 a year -- to reach the same goal."</a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnWlNf4zELDwdaIKe7BjRh7e4NvqZCiI1z14ogFg8RudF_lfAi_fEksqLDlVwVfPBBLU1G3Ay8XNxVcNimIkYZ7Kfw3QuT_zbOXwmoESt0GAs64pmyDfKufono8bBWh9lLwNC7JD59uOP5/s1600/advantageofsavingearly.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnWlNf4zELDwdaIKe7BjRh7e4NvqZCiI1z14ogFg8RudF_lfAi_fEksqLDlVwVfPBBLU1G3Ay8XNxVcNimIkYZ7Kfw3QuT_zbOXwmoESt0GAs64pmyDfKufono8bBWh9lLwNC7JD59uOP5/s400/advantageofsavingearly.jpg" width="297" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.dol.gov/ebsa/Publications/10_ways_to_prepare.html">source</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>“I can afford that,
it’s ONLY $x (or $x per month)!” <o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A low purchase price may make you feel better about spending
your money, but make no mistake-there are more factors to consider when making
a purchase. A low price means very
little if the item you get is of poor quality and will need to be repaired or
replaced in the near future. Also, the
purchase price is hardly ever the “real” price of an object. Whether it is tailor fees for a jacket,
replacement ink cartridges for a new printer, or a data package for a new cell
phone, most purchase require additional service charges. Ignoring these additional costs can result in
a seemingly minute cash expenditure that creates a big dent in your budget in
the future. Likewise, signing up for
monthly subscriptions like gym memberships or cable services can negatively affects
your budget as you are increasing your
fixed monthly expenses, leave you more cash strapped each month. <b>You
are agreeing to regularly pay a guaranteed debt, while your future income may
not be guaranteed. </b> The future is
unknown, and in the face of an emergency, you may find yourself unable to meet
these financial obligations. There may
be fees for late or missed payments, and even penalties for cancelling these
services, so it is in your best interest to think long and hard before entering
into one of these agreements. </div>
<br />
<br />
<br />Carmeshahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09602696662633718631noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813726006821795453.post-10479990431468507642012-01-31T15:38:00.000-05:002012-01-31T15:38:00.531-05:002012 Financial Goals: January Update<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitaMMAXcx8rrSpZdTgcaJHjRLswSgCMhtHX55j6xeJwNY1VNZBrQrT3AKA1G_IsjYdaCawx7XmHO3Vp5sa3R49Kt8OwuA5AVOYJ_Mjkk_D5QQhSS7uWgaDc9EY2Pz8P_0t0N8qakr-Jcg/s1600/update.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitaMMAXcx8rrSpZdTgcaJHjRLswSgCMhtHX55j6xeJwNY1VNZBrQrT3AKA1G_IsjYdaCawx7XmHO3Vp5sa3R49Kt8OwuA5AVOYJ_Mjkk_D5QQhSS7uWgaDc9EY2Pz8P_0t0N8qakr-Jcg/s320/update.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br /><br /><b>Save $4000 by January 2013 </b>I contributed $210 to my savings account this month through automatic direct deposit. In the next week or so, I will transfer a lump sum ($300-500) into my savings account. Wondering where I'm going to get that lump sum? Keep reading...<br /><br /><b>Maintain a buffer of $100 in my monthly budget. </b>I did a great job of limiting my shopping and my restaurant meals this month. I went out to eat only 4 times this month and what shopping I did was from the clearance rack. By the end of the month I had an extra $700 left over after expenses and savings!<br /><br /><b>Maintain $0 credit card debt. </b><br />I used my credit card for my regular monthly expenses (grocery, gas, etc.) and paid the balance in full by the end of the month. <br /><br /><b>Open a Roth IRA</b><div>
Haven't done this yet. </div>Carmeshahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09602696662633718631noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813726006821795453.post-43808550746539740562012-01-10T00:45:00.000-05:002012-01-10T00:45:00.422-05:00Guest Blogging Round-up: December<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Last year I wrote about all things finance from the young adult’s perspective in a series called </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><b style="text-decoration: underline;">Pennies-Nickel-Dollars</b> over </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">at </span><a href="http://www.prettynaturaldivas.com/" style="background-color: white; color: #118899; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; text-decoration: none;">Pretty Natural Divas</a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Take a look at my posts from December: </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><a href="http://www.prettynaturaldivas.com/2011/12/hidden-costs-of-shopping.html">The Hidden Costs of Shopping</a> A purchase is never just a purchase. A warning about additional costs associated with shopping. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><a href="http://www.prettynaturaldivas.com/2011/12/6-money-saving-apps.html">6 Money-Saving Apps </a> 6 smartphone apps to make your shopping easier and save you money. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><a href="http://www.prettynaturaldivas.com/2011/12/on-web-money-article-round-up.html">On The Web: Money Article Round-up</a> Highlights of my favorite personal finance articles I found on the web. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><a href="http://www.prettynaturaldivas.com/2011/12/new-year-new-goals.html">New Year, New Goals</a> Goal-setting tips, just in time for the New Year!</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Happy Reading! </span></span>Carmeshahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09602696662633718631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813726006821795453.post-9987981981108024012012-01-05T10:54:00.000-05:002012-01-05T10:54:00.111-05:00Money Lesson: Don't Eat The Cookie!Recently I shared some of my financial goals for the year, but I didn't tell you all about the other life goals that I have. One is to improve my eating habits, and part of the way I've been doing that is to track calories and keep a food diary using the My Fitness Pal app on my iPhone. My motivation was tested when my fiance decided to make some chocolate chip cookies. I had space in my calorie count for the day to have a cookie, so of course I was ready to run in the kitchen to get one...BUT, I decided to enter the cookie into my food diary before actually eating it, and boy did this make all the difference.<br />
<br />
<div>
The app I use tells me how much progress you can make in 5 weeks if everyday you ate like you did today (in terms of calories consumed). By eating this 150 calorie cookie and getting into the habit of "splurging" on an extra 150 calories each day, the amount of weight I can lose in 5 weeks would be decreased by 1.5lbs. This was a light bulb moment for me...when it comes to health or even money, <b>each seemingly small decision you make is important, as they collectively form your set of habits that will either lead you to your goal, or lead you astray.</b> That afternoon vending machine break and the weekly trip to Target that leaves you $20 poorer each time may seem like small amounts of money, but added together can really hurt your budget. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Every time you make a bad decision, it becomes easier and easier to make another one. </b>Also, <b>each bad decision makes it easier to fall off the wagon </b>of change because even though we all know that you can make mistakes along our journey, we all have had times where we accept mistakes as failure and just stop trying all together. <br />
<br />
To commit to a lifestyle change, we have to first <b>commit to taking the journey one decision at a time.</b> At each "checkpoint" (decision), we have to decide whether to move closer to our goals, or to move further away. We will have missteps along the way, but we just need to<b> work on making those mistakes occur further and further apart. </b><br />
<br />
I think this commercial from <a href="http://www.fidelity.com/">Fidelity</a> illustrates my point pretty well:<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/U7atn5Zj5hY" width="420"></iframe>
<br />
<br />
<br /></div>Carmeshahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09602696662633718631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813726006821795453.post-85800758517789736442012-01-01T18:05:00.001-05:002012-01-01T18:05:40.803-05:002012 Financial Goals<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsnAx0jE9U-ITnzuWKSTUZyTAUrVJmSKuzxIcin2N3-kSwxDF3X-tqvEp6YMSKIfMR7pxQIeR3zNmBReUyw8FuFkv1o1QDZ8tP1unLfgQbq65wZN6nzyX1Q0F2_6imbLcD-HXySTGkW64u/s1600/2012-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsnAx0jE9U-ITnzuWKSTUZyTAUrVJmSKuzxIcin2N3-kSwxDF3X-tqvEp6YMSKIfMR7pxQIeR3zNmBReUyw8FuFkv1o1QDZ8tP1unLfgQbq65wZN6nzyX1Q0F2_6imbLcD-HXySTGkW64u/s320/2012-2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
It's a new year, so it is the perfect time for a new set of goals. I made awesome strides in my financial life in 2012, and I hope to continue that success into 2012. Here is a list of my goals for 2012, along with ideas for behaviors that I can do to help achieve them. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Save $4000 by January 2013</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<ul>
<li>Direct deposits to savings: Already set, with the current
setting can save about $2500 without doing anything else. May increase the amount saved each month.</li>
<li>Save 50% (or more) of tax refund. I saved a good portion of my refund last year
and used part of it to pay off credit card. </li>
<li>Increase income. This year I will be eligible for a promotion at work that comes with a 10% raise. Also use money
earned from <a href="http://www.swagbucks.com/refer/Carmesha102">Swagbucks </a>(gift cards), online surveys, and credit card rewards to
decrease some of my regular expenses instead of using it to buy frivolous stuff</li>
</ul>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Maintain a buffer of $100 in my monthly budget.</b> A few times in 2011 I went over my budget
(note: I think of my savings as a bill I have to pay, so I didn’t actually
spend more than I earned, just cut into the amount of money I put into savings
each month). After I build up a few
months of a buffer I will transfer that amount to my savings account.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<ul>
<li>Tell myself no when I’m lusting after an item in the store</li>
<li>Limit costly restaurant meals</li>
<li>Use cash when shopping for personal supplies, clothes, food,
etc to make sure I stick to the monthly budget.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Maintain $0 credit card debt. </b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<ul>
<li>Pay credit card balance in full each month</li>
<li>For major purchases and wedding purchases, create separate savings account/sub-account to take care of it instead of using credit card.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Open a Roth IRA</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<ul>
<li>Read blogs, books, etc to research options</li>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol;"><br /></span></div>Carmeshahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09602696662633718631noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813726006821795453.post-41073632810313803052011-12-12T14:03:00.000-05:002011-12-12T14:03:00.237-05:00Guest Blogging Round-up: November<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Every Thursday, I write about all things finance from the young adult’s perspective in a series called </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><b style="text-decoration: underline;">Pennies-Nickel-Dollars</b> over </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">at </span><a href="http://www.prettynaturaldivas.com/" style="background-color: white; color: #118899; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; text-decoration: none;">Pretty Natural Divas</a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Take a look at my posts from October and be sure to check me out each and every Thursday! </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.prettynaturaldivas.com/2011/11/pennies-nickels-dollars-managing.html">Pennies-Nickels-Dollars: Managing Student Loans</a> Tips to help you minimize and manage student loans before, during, an after college.</span><div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.prettynaturaldivas.com/2011/11/no-job-no-savings-could-you-survive.html">No Job & No Savings, Could You Survive?</a> A look at the online game Spent that simulates the feeling financial hardship. </span><div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.prettynaturaldivas.com/2011/11/5-ways-cleaning-out-your-closet-can.html">5 ways cleaning out your closet can make/save you money </a> How to find money in your closet!</span></div>Carmeshahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09602696662633718631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813726006821795453.post-15164909111416459682011-12-05T13:56:00.000-05:002011-12-05T13:56:00.773-05:003rd Update: Short Term Goals<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's been a while (6 months!) since my last update, but I've made a lot of progress in some of my goals, mainly the financial ones!</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; line-height: 18px;"><u>Financial</u></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span><br />
<strike><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 22px;"><b>Create a $1000 emergency fund by September 2011</b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 22px;">. </span></strike><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 22px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">2/11: 75% of the way there! Woo Hoo!</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 22px;">6/11: Savings account balance: $3175.48 Woo Hoo!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm going to wait until September to <i>officially </i>set a new savings goal, but with automatic savings I should be at around $3500 even by then :)</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 22px;">*I almost forgot about my bank that I mentioned in the <a href="http://www.dimeandhernickels.com/2011/01/making-savings-fun.html">"Making Savings Fun"</a> post, we've raised about $54 in change lol <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px;"><b> </b></span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">12/11: On December 1st I broke the $5000 mark in my savings account!</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 22px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px;"><b></b></span></span></span><br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 22px;"><b>Have a "no-spend weekend" every month. </b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 22px;"><b></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 22px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">2/11: I started off well, but I didn't plan ahead so some weekends I needed to buy groceries, ran out of supplies around the house, or was too lazy to cook. </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 22px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 22px;"><b> </b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 22px;">6/11: Honestly I haven't been thinking about this goal at all, but in reviewing my bank statements it looks like I've been unintentionally meeting it. Every month it seems i hit a period where I go about 10 days straight without spending money, now if I can keep stretching that...</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; line-height: 22px;">12/11: Goal #fail. I forgot about this one.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 22px;"><br /></span></span><br />
<strike><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 22px;"><b>Double my 401k contributions by December 2011.</b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 22px;"> </span></strike><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 22px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">2/11: Doubled it starting February 1st!</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; line-height: 22px;">12/11: *NOTE I did increase my contribution amount in July. </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 22px;"><br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 22px;"><b><strike>No credit card debt by September 2012. </strike></b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 22px;"><b></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 22px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">2/11: About this one...I discovered online shopping over the Christmas holiday and spent more than I should. Everything I put on my credit card in November and December I paid off by the end of the month...but I didn't increase the total amount I paid each of those months so the balance remained pretty stable. On the bright side, I've revved up my monthly payment since the new year (and contributed part of my tax refund to the credit card) so I'm on-track to meet my goal, probably even hit it earlier. </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 22px;"> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 22px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;">6/11: I haven't used my credit card at all since the last update, and with the amount I'm paying monthly my bank's paydown estimator shows that I can pay it off in February 2012. 7 months ahead of schedule!</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6aa84f;"> </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 22px;">12/11: If you've been reading the blog then you know that at the beginning of November I had a <a href="http://www.dimeandhernickels.com/2011/11/credit-card-paid-off.html">$0 balance on my credit card</a>!</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 22px;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 22px;"><b>Set a wedding budget (and date) with an action plan for saving the money to pay for it by January 1, 2011. </b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 22px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">2/11: I'm a slacker, haven't gotten to this yet. </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 22px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;">6/11: I've decided to postpone this one. My main focus now is keeping the relationship strong, ring shopping (exciting!), and saving as much money as I can. Once I'm officially engaged then I can start the planning. </span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 22px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">12/11 My, my, my! So much has changed since 6/11! <a href="http://www.dimeandhernickels.com/2011/08/engaged.html">I got engaged</a> in August, then in October I finally created my <a href="http://www.dimeandhernickels.com/2011/10/wedding-cost-estimator-my-wedding.html">wedding budget/cost estimate</a>. I haven't set a plan to find the money to pay for it yet, but I have ramped up my savings each month. I'll talk more about my savings in another post. </span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 22px;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; line-height: 18px;"><u>Personal Growth</u></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 22px;"><b>Read 1 book a month from now until December 2011.</b> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 22px;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">2/11: So far, so good! For February, I'm reading "The Millionaire Next Door."</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 22px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;">6/11: <u>Fail.</u> For some reason it took a lot for me to get through "The Millionaire Next Door." I didn't finish it until the end of March. I've started 2 books since then but I'm nowhere near close to finishing either of them. </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 22px;"> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 22px;">12/11 I've only read about 3 books since my last update. I just started reading </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Real-Cost-Living-Making-Choices/dp/0399536442">The Real Cost of Living: Making the Best Choices for You, Your Life, and Your Money</a>, so my mini-goal is to finish reading it by the end of the year. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 22px;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 22px;"><br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 22px;"><b>Identify 1 skill that I have and create an action plan (certification? Books/other resources? Practice?) with a timeline to develop it.</b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 22px;"> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 22px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">2/11: I've narrowed down a few ideas/skills, done a ton of research, and came up with some action steps, BUT I haven't set it to a timeline yet. </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 22px;"> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 22px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;">6/11: When I originally set this goal, my intent was to develop a skill to turn into a side hustle or make me more marketable for a career change. But over time I've started to enjoy my current job more and realized that there are more personal aspects of my life that need to be developed, so now I'm choosing to focus on my health, motivation to finish things that I start, and developing a selfless attitude. I have a fitness plan, but with the other two areas my approach (for now) is to just be aware of my behavior in daily situations and modify my actions as they occur. </span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; line-height: 22px;">12/11 My focus has not changed much since June. I am currently involved in a holiday health challenge with a family member, and have done some sort of charitable donation each month since August. </span></span><br />
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">I'm thinking of creating a new set of goals for the New Year. I'll be sure to share those in January!</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span></div>Carmeshahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09602696662633718631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813726006821795453.post-7293309178945736612011-11-28T09:13:00.000-05:002011-11-28T09:13:00.221-05:00Money Lesson: Be ObservantLast weekend, I needed to do a little shopping so I headed out to Target. I saw a large package of toilet paper was on sale for $12 so I quickly grabbed one and headed to the checkout line. The cashier rang up my purchase and called out the total, but as I pulled out my debit card and began to swipe, I paused..."Could you repeat that total?" Turns out the toilet paper rang up as the original price of $15... <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Ur_IIYtosYaw-QtkUeb-IjLbzU-lHaaM9WaxMNGya5CkjniLBVIPsvkzdZIqYgFXeEpReFX8W407kT8iElQTSO_ND1HLrLcY_TsN0mWuVSCHvEUhORUnaHdQskFL7BAdZsj3o1BF7nCx/s1600/cash_register.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Ur_IIYtosYaw-QtkUeb-IjLbzU-lHaaM9WaxMNGya5CkjniLBVIPsvkzdZIqYgFXeEpReFX8W407kT8iElQTSO_ND1HLrLcY_TsN0mWuVSCHvEUhORUnaHdQskFL7BAdZsj3o1BF7nCx/s200/cash_register.gif" width="200" /></a></div>
<br />
The same night, my fiancé and I decided to go out to eat. We had great food, a really nice waitress, and everything was going fine...until the bill came. There was an extra item listed on our receipt and--had I not noticed--we would have been overcharged by about $5!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXGmEor2sx9DUJx_aHxUpDli9qW_iT4zDi2DOAOQsTQCEYfH4PuPY1lRsFER2SCQSq-bmJEEV2ZJ45To2IbDBkp_Ni-Zg0QeXTliq60Jf68T4_cDlUU998JpaiG4L_fozVWq-xoXmjULXz/s1600/waitresscheck.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXGmEor2sx9DUJx_aHxUpDli9qW_iT4zDi2DOAOQsTQCEYfH4PuPY1lRsFER2SCQSq-bmJEEV2ZJ45To2IbDBkp_Ni-Zg0QeXTliq60Jf68T4_cDlUU998JpaiG4L_fozVWq-xoXmjULXz/s1600/waitresscheck.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
So, there were mistakes on two separate occasions in the same night that could have cost me money...BUT, by paying attention as the transactions were taking place, I was able to catch these mistakes and save a few dollars. It may not seem like $3-5 is a lot of money, but considering all the purchases you make every single month, if even a few result in you being overcharged then that $3-5 can add up! Make sure you observant when making purchases and review all your receipts!<br />
<br />
<br />Carmeshahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09602696662633718631noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813726006821795453.post-48436107055519625642011-11-10T18:54:00.001-05:002011-11-10T19:03:34.565-05:00Guest Blogging Round-up: October<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Every Thursday, I write about all things finance from the young adult’s perspective in a series called </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><b style="text-decoration: underline;">Pennies-Nickel-Dollars</b> over </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">at </span><a href="http://www.prettynaturaldivas.com/" style="background-color: white; color: #118899; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; text-decoration: none;">Pretty Natural Divas</a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Take a look at my posts from October and be sure to check me out each and every Thursday! </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><a href="http://www.prettynaturaldivas.com/2011/10/daily-deal-sites-dos-and-donts.html">Daily Deal Sites: Do's and Don'ts </a> Tips to make sure you are making the most out of daily deal sites like Groupon and Living Social. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.prettynaturaldivas.com/2011/10/budgeting-101-free-budget-template.html">Budgeting 101 + Free Budget Template</a> A beginner's guide to making a budget, with a free template available for download.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.prettynaturaldivas.com/2011/10/things-retailers-dont-tell-you.html">Things Retailers Don't Tell You </a> A discussion of insider retail secrets used to trick shoppers into spending more. </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.prettynaturaldivas.com/2011/10/my-favorite-cheapie-under-10-hair.html">My Favorite Cheapie Hair Products</a> A rundown of my favorite hair products priced under $10.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>Carmeshahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09602696662633718631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813726006821795453.post-91010471738586852592011-11-07T20:24:00.002-05:002011-11-07T20:24:38.191-05:00Credit Card Paid Off!<br />For the first time since 2005, I checked my credit card statement online and saw this:<br /><br /><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQWmXZXZdKmW2RPGvpC5rNSRJglcyhgQEvyuA1iruWxYyDjwZDv8gi2z_blSIVeJwGoMPjS-O5B1VOM61r2Ue-DYtRoGO8rfH2TEeqnHFAxa0hEoLaNxHCQlMWp_-yXCS7RAUyq_mwpANv/s1600/ccstmt.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="115" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQWmXZXZdKmW2RPGvpC5rNSRJglcyhgQEvyuA1iruWxYyDjwZDv8gi2z_blSIVeJwGoMPjS-O5B1VOM61r2Ue-DYtRoGO8rfH2TEeqnHFAxa0hEoLaNxHCQlMWp_-yXCS7RAUyq_mwpANv/s400/ccstmt.bmp" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
Woo Hoo!!!<br /><br />Now I have to decide where to go from here. Originally I had planned to start using my credit card for all my monthly purchases and just pay the balance in full each month. This was due to the maintenance fees and check card fees that Suntrust bank were planning to implement, but now that they have decided not to charge these fees, I don't have a reason to stop using my debit card. I'll figure it out eventually, but for now I'm going to enjoy the feeling of the $0 balance : )<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Carmeshahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09602696662633718631noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813726006821795453.post-87388488885868550122011-10-31T10:33:00.000-04:002011-10-31T17:01:55.794-04:00Layaway: Good, Bad or In Between?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0UKPh7_Z3KGeA6sDzux7ajqPmMmhwcYZLtXhpVqLKl7-y41X43FGYoNDQ6nWcesOESfNHfeqcc728c9a0wwXQR48iyxTjETuTvrUbxP4roKsxWRGtVScMppz0r363IwhQ65qWINm4t1lh/s1600/layaway.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0UKPh7_Z3KGeA6sDzux7ajqPmMmhwcYZLtXhpVqLKl7-y41X43FGYoNDQ6nWcesOESfNHfeqcc728c9a0wwXQR48iyxTjETuTvrUbxP4roKsxWRGtVScMppz0r363IwhQ65qWINm4t1lh/s1600/layaway.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
With the holiday season quickly approaching, I’ve noticed some major retailers advertising the return of their Layaway programs. These programs work by allowing a customer to make a small down payment on items they want to buy, and make a series of payments over the course of a few weeks to finish paying for the items. In return, the retailer will guarantee that the item is in stock when it comes time for the customer to pick it up after the last payment is made. There is a service fee associated with layaway, and a customer may be faced with cancellation fees if they miss payments or decide to cancel the layaway plan. However, from looking at both the Walmart and Kmart layaway plans, service fees generally are between $5-10, and customers can get a refund if they decide to cancel the layaway. <br />
<br />
I’ve never used layaway before and I’m not planning to use it in the future, but I am curious to know if it is a truly a benefit for shoppers. I can think of a few “pros” for using layaway:<br />
<a name='more'></a> <br />
<ul>
<li><b>Low, upfront fees. </b> As long as a customer makes their payments, they can get their items with as little as $5 in fees. Compared to using a credit card, this may be a better deal if you have a high interest rate, purchase a large amount of merchandise, and stretch out your credit card payments.</li>
<li><b>You can’t sink yourself into a debt pit. </b> With credit, a customer gets an item upfront and can pay for it over an indefinite period of time. The longer it takes to pay for an item purchased on credit, the more money is owed. With layaway, there is an agreed upon time limit for payments; if these payments are not met, the customer loses out on the items and may incur cancellation fees. The nature of the layaway system basically creates a debt limit, as the most that you are required to pay is the cost of the items and the initial service fees.</li>
<li><b>Layaway does not affect credit score.</b> Layaway is essentially the opposite of credit, so it doesn't affect your credit score. For this reason, it is a better option than getting a store credit card to make holiday purchases.</li>
<li><b>Provides help for those living “paycheck-to-paycheck.”</b> Let’s face it, some people have very little money at the end of each month to pay for a major purchase at one time. Layaway provides an opportunity to make purchase with little money down, and make steady payments with each upcoming paycheck. </li>
</ul>
<br />
As with anything, there is also a downside to using layaway. Here are a few “cons” to consider: <br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><b>The fees aren't that low. </b>When you consider the percentage of the total purchase price that is going towards service fees instead of the dollar amount of the fees, the fees really aren't that low. Walmart requires that a layaway purchase must be at least $50 and you must pay a $5 service charge and put down a 10% down payment. Cornell University professor Louis Hyman shows an example of this when considering a mother who purchases $100 on layaway at Walmart, paying the $5 service fees and paying a $10 down payment. In paying off the remaining $90 balance over the next 2 months, <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/12/opinion/wal-marts-layaway-plan.html?_r=1&adxnnl=1&ref=todayspaper&adxnnlx=1319977621-jzrOjrhb1SPjEwHq9lPn1g">"in effect, she is paying $5 in interest for a $90 loan for two months: the equivalent of a credit card with a 44 percent annual percentage rate, a level most of us would consider predatory."</a> For a customer buying only $50 in merchandise, the equivalent credit card annual percentage rate would be even higher!</li>
<li><b>The hassle of making payments.</b> When a customer uses layaway, they enter into a contract with a number of required payments in a fairly short (8-12 week) time period. It may be easier for some customers to miss a payment, as it is not on the standard monthly payment that we are used to. Also, payments must be made in person at the retail store, so that means more frequent trips to the store and more temptation to buy additional items. </li>
<li><b>The risk of ending up empty handed.</b> If something happens and a customer misses payments, they will not receive the layaway items. This means that they would have paid the upfront service fees and the initial down payment, and end up with nothing to show for it. </li>
<li><b>The risk of over spending. </b> With low down payments and not having to haul around heavy shopping bags, there is a temptation to buy more than you would if you had to pay full price upfront. </li>
</ul>
<br />
I try to avoid fees like the plague so, as I said, I’m not planning to use layaway. I guess I can say that layaway isn’t the worst option when it comes to making purchases, but for now, I’ll stick with saving money little by little to buy what I want! <br />
<br />
<br />
<i>Have you ever tried layaway? Planning to use it this holiday season? Feel free to share in the comments!</i>Carmeshahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09602696662633718631noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813726006821795453.post-54818739525786681932011-10-19T21:45:00.000-04:002011-10-19T21:45:28.132-04:00Is Your Workplace Affecting Your Wallet?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://singlemindedwomen.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/holiday-office-party-dos-and-donts1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://singlemindedwomen.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/holiday-office-party-dos-and-donts1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />Let me start off by saying I am absolutely grateful to have a job, but I can't help but notice how the office is affecting my budget, and I'm not even considering transportation and costs to maintain a professional wardrobe. First there is the pressure to go out on group lunches, which are much more expensive than my homemade or frozen lunches. Then there is the office party. At my office, we celebrate birthdays, holidays, weddings, boss's day, employee appreciation week, and I'm probably forgetting some other party occasions. We take up a small monthly collections to help with the costs of parties and for office supplies like napkins and cleaning supplies, but each party requires that we either make a potluck dish or pay for catering, and contribute money for gifts. Each party may call for a small donation, but these $5-$10 add up! <br />
<br />
I have to admit, I do love the parties so I always choose to take part in them, but I have come up with a few ways to keep work spending in check:<br />
<br />
<u>Office Parties</u><br />
<b>Suggest a breakfast or afternoon snack party </b>instead of one where the party food is serving as lunch. This limits the amount of food everyone needs to bring, and everyone can contribute to cheaper food items than meat items or large sandwich platters.<br />
<b>Offer non-monetary donations.</b> Bring in decorations, handmade gifts, or games you already own to serve as entertainment.<br />
<b>Suggest consolidating parties.</b> Instead of celebrating several birthdays individually, have a joint birthday party for co-worker's whose birthdays are in the same month or season. Likewise, have one big holiday party instead of having back-to-back parties for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's.<br />
<br />
<u>Group Lunches</u><br />
<b>Take advantage of lunch specials</b> offered during the day to get menu items for a cheaper price. <br />
<b>Split an entree </b>with a coworker to save on costs and keep you both from over-eating :)<br />
<b>Swap a restaurant meal for B.Y.O.L (bring your own lunch) get-together </b>in the break room or at a nearby park.<br />
<br />
<i>So, is your workplace affecting your wallet? How much do you spend on average each month for work related expenses? Feel free to share!</i>Carmeshahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09602696662633718631noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813726006821795453.post-66171610577729176282011-10-06T19:45:00.000-04:002011-10-15T15:50:14.289-04:00Wedding Cost Estimator + My Wedding Budget<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXI64i1CiqyU_L4xOCjWEYp4Edb543CHlZGMB2YhVl8kuwWK0rGq4oHxcJKJ1k2pknorJotZ58T0bZG6KT-KHf-KIPZ8mga5bG2osrTzUpIpN4VyRfYmG1dT34EnVZe6wmwa2LGLCKrmsU/s1600/wdngmny.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXI64i1CiqyU_L4xOCjWEYp4Edb543CHlZGMB2YhVl8kuwWK0rGq4oHxcJKJ1k2pknorJotZ58T0bZG6KT-KHf-KIPZ8mga5bG2osrTzUpIpN4VyRfYmG1dT34EnVZe6wmwa2LGLCKrmsU/s1600/wdngmny.jpg" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
In the many hours I've spent googling wedding stuff, I found a really cool <a href="http://www.costofwedding.com/index.cfm?action=costest.index">Wedding Cost Estimator</a> tool. The website <a href="http://www.costofwedding.com/">CostOfWedding.com</a> has polled women all across the country about their wedding expenditures, and used their responses to create a wedding cost calculator that factors in your location. <br />
<div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_1880310317"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE0i_2NiWeV930TgNl65CB8wkQzfjhCdyLtj4B2CxVUQZv-zMXsUelYp08cIUvtEtmpnJxVMFk16iDctcSn1SYYSs6D9RIXeWQZQcUFKHefpeXR3D6IUAb70B25wnWEOnVhueLks2_GBGO/s400/WeddingCostEstimator.jpg" width="397" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.costofwedding.com/index.cfm?action=costest.index">Click to go to the calculator</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Just enter your zip code, answer a few questions, and with just a few clicks the tool will spit out a cost estimate for your wedding that you can print or export to an Excel spreadsheet. Here's my estimate based on the info I put in:<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br /><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBoDfUUfYE9eBI1gH-hJopx1YSXGgCbNDDe2aisdj_isTrWXQ_5-Ozam2roMFJnKRytZc3b0QBTomxM8ROFcDN6geUHkPwgBOyPG0Aufe4TFxL3HDKNJaHMYZ_ZPHoUNVg-_sLr2mS0uUE/s1600/MyWeddingCostEstimate.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="366" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBoDfUUfYE9eBI1gH-hJopx1YSXGgCbNDDe2aisdj_isTrWXQ_5-Ozam2roMFJnKRytZc3b0QBTomxM8ROFcDN6geUHkPwgBOyPG0Aufe4TFxL3HDKNJaHMYZ_ZPHoUNVg-_sLr2mS0uUE/s400/MyWeddingCostEstimate.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Click pic to enlarge</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
It's nice to get an idea of what other people are spending, but let me just say there is NO WAY that I'm spending $38,000 on a wedding! Here's a detailed look at my budget so far:</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<b>Attire
& Accessories
$1,823 </b></div>
<div>
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">I'm limiting my dress, veil, and shoes to $1000 max.</span></b><b><br /></b><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div>
<b>Beauty
& Spa
$350 (Hair Service
$140
Makeup Service
$117
Manicure & Pedicure
$93)</b></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><b>My hair alone will probably be about $200 because I'm definitely getting extensions; I'm not sure about the price of make-up yet but I know I can get a mani/pedi for much less than the estimate through Groupon. I'll stick with the overall estimate of $350.</b></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div>
<b>Entertainment
$1,372 </b></div>
<div>
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">I will have a DJ, not willing to pay more than $500 for that, but I'm sure I could find one cheaper than that through family connections. </span></b></div>
<div>
<b><br /></b></div>
<div>
<b>Flowers
& Decorations </b><b>$2,280 </b></div>
<div>
<b>(Boutonnieres, Corsages
$147
Bridal Bouquet
$152
Bridesmaid Bouquets
$197
Ceremony Decorations
$244
Ceremony Flower Arrangements
$310
Flower Girl Flowers
$94
Flower Petals
$96
Reception Decorations
$298
Reception Flower Arrangements
$361
Reception Table Centerpieces
$381) </b></div>
<div>
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">I'm considering getting flowers from <a href="http://www.costco.com/Common/Search.aspx?cat=3605&whse=BC&Ne=4000000&Ntx=mode+matchallpartial&N=5000043+4001055&cm_re=1_en-_-Top_Left_Nav-_-Top_search&Ntk=Text_Search&Nr=P_CatalogName:BC&lang=en-US&search=roses&Ntt=roses&topnav=">Costco</a> to make the bouquets myself. My fiance's mother has access to archways and columns that can be used to decorate the ceremony. I LOVE <a href="http://www.bronzebudgetbride.com/magazine/read/diy---yellow-rose-centerpiece-seen-on-wetvs-platinum-weddings_488.html">these centerpieces</a>, and I'm definitely going to try to D.I.Y or ask my aunt, who arranges silk flowers, to make it for me. I can also make some smaller version of the floral centerpieces to decorate the aisle, like in this <a href="http://eterneljourney.files.wordpress.com/2010/09/41.jpg">photo</a>. Overall, I think I can get the floral/decoration costs down to $1000-1500 using all real flowers, or much cheaper by using the silk ones. </span></b></div>
<div>
<b><br /></b></div>
<div>
<b>Gifts
& Favors
$993 </b></div>
<div>
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Haven't thought about gifts for the parents or my wedding party yet, but the wedding favors I've seen that I like are about $3-4 per guest. I'll round the estimate up to $1000 although I'm pretty sure I'll be way under that. </span></b></div>
<div>
<b><br /></b></div>
<div>
<b>Invitations
$853 </b></div>
<div>
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">I plan to use either a template from <a href="http://www.downloadandprint.com/">Download and Print </a>($25) or find one I like at <a href="http://www.vistaprint.com/">Vistaprint </a>. Either way, I will use Vistaprint to print out the invitation sets and maybe add some ribbon or something to personalize it myself, so I estimate about $250, plus about $150 (?) for postage. </span></b></div>
<div>
<b><br /></b></div>
<div>
<b>Jewelry
$5,687</b></div>
<div>
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">My fiance and I talked about his wedding band and he does not expect it to cost over $1000, if that. I've heard that the bride is responsible for buying jewelry for the bridesmaids, so if I do that I guess maybe $300 for jewelry for me and all of the girls.</span></b></div>
<div>
<b><br /></b></div>
<div>
<b>Photography
& Video
$5,770</b></div>
<div>
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">I don't want a videographer. I've found a few photographers with wedding day packages at around $1000-1500 and engagement photos for $500 or less. Let's just say $2000.</span></b></div>
<div>
<b><br /></b></div>
<div>
<b>Transportation (limo rental) $513 </b></div>
<div>
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">I haven't fully thought this one out yet, so I'll just say $500. </span></b></div>
<div>
<b><br /></b></div>
<div>
<b>Venue,
Catering & Rentals
$18,161</b></div>
<div>
<b> (Ceremony
Accessories
$209
Ceremony
Location
$1,719
Ceremony
Officiator
$401
Hotel
Room for After Reception
$515
Reception
Accessories
$206
Reception
Bar Service
$2,240
Reception
Food Service
$4,404
Reception
Location
$4,898
Reception
Rentals
$1,378
Rehearsal
Dinner
$1,506
Wedding
Cake/dessert
$685) </b></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><b>I've narrowed it down to 2 venues. One is about $2500 just for the ceremony and reception site with ceremony chairs. I would need to rent everything else, find a separate caterer and wedding planner/coordinator. I found one planner who has a catering service said they could create a nice wedding at this location for my budget of $7000-8000 including food. The second venue I'm considering costs only about $1300 for the ceremony and reception site, and has a catering package for $50 per person that includes linens, chairs, plated dinner with </b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><b>Hors d'oeuvres</b></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-style: normal; line-height: 16px;"><b>, </b></span></em></span><b>drinks (non-alcoholic), and cake cutting. I'm budgeting $500 for the cake. I'm still on the fence as to whether or not I will have a bar at the reception. I'm not sure about the cost of a ceremony officiator so I'll use the estimate from the cost calculator. Overall, my goal for this area is $8000.</b></span></div>
<div>
<b><br /></b></div>
<div>
<b><br /></b></div>
<div>
<b><br /></b></div>
<div>
So my grand total is <b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">$16550</span>!!!!</b> Wow things add up so fast! </div>
<div>
<b><br /></b></div>
<div>
My goal is to get it down to $12000 (I would love to get it to $10000), and as I do more planning and thinking about what's most important to me, I'm sure I'll be able to trim some costs. </div>
<div>
<b><br /></b></div>
<div>
<b><br /></b></div>
<div>
<b><br /></b></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div>
<i>Am I forgetting anything? Anyone else planning a wedding or already married? Share your wedding cost or estimate in the comments!</i></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
</div>Carmeshahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09602696662633718631noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813726006821795453.post-42732683535601903652011-10-02T21:05:00.000-04:002011-10-02T21:05:05.967-04:00Guest Blogging Round-up<div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">For the past month, I’ve been a guest blogger at <a href="http://www.prettynaturaldivas.com/">Pretty Natural Divas</a>. Every Thursday, I write about all topics finance from the young adult’s perspective in a series called <u><b>Pennies-Nickel-Dollars</b></u>. Take a look at my posts from September and be sure to check me out each and every Thursday! </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://www.prettynaturaldivas.com/2011/09/starting-your-financial-journey-in-4.html"><b>Startingyour financial journey in 4 easy steps</b></a></span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 115%;"> </span>A beginner’s guide to creating new financial habits</span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.prettynaturaldivas.com/2011/09/whats-your-shopping-style.html"><b>What’sYour Shopping Style?</b></a><span> </span>Find your unique approach to shopping and how to overcome the pitfalls associated with your shopping style <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><b><a href="http://www.prettynaturaldivas.com/2011/09/pennies-nickels-dollars-financial-role.html">Pennies-Nickels-Dollars:Financial Role Models</a> </b><span> </span>Lessons learned from my financial role models <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://www.prettynaturaldivas.com/2011/09/pennies-nickels-dollars-hair-splurge.html"><b>Pennies-Nickels-Dollars:Hair Splurge!</b></a></span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 115%;"><b> </b></span><span><b> </b> </span></span>Reflections on a recent hair product purchase</span></div>Carmeshahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09602696662633718631noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813726006821795453.post-15569420458409817152011-09-28T10:30:00.002-04:002011-10-15T15:52:06.229-04:00What about your Friends?<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span">"If every player in your clique is rich your clique is rugged</span><span class="Apple-style-span"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span">Nobody will fall cause everyone would be each others crutches" -Jay-Z</span></span></i><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5Pq4bYhNyiXPeeg2saJvkkt_JJyLlr3kmOW6PWkJYHghKbFz2Jvkm1YhkodrwkQEFSOwWZsO9XCx_IGg6rEAZgNfXNiC98olK1kJsPfA991AtgBpR8A0qx394OLq2WRWuhIRrFzwgiQNs/s1600/courtside.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5Pq4bYhNyiXPeeg2saJvkkt_JJyLlr3kmOW6PWkJYHghKbFz2Jvkm1YhkodrwkQEFSOwWZsO9XCx_IGg6rEAZgNfXNiC98olK1kJsPfA991AtgBpR8A0qx394OLq2WRWuhIRrFzwgiQNs/s320/courtside.jpg" width="221" /></span></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Like the old saying “birds of a feather flock together,” you can tell a lot about a person by looking at who they spend the most time with. Think about your core group of friends…you shop together, eat together, and share common interests. However, some of your bonding activities might be hurting your wallet, and steering you away from your financial goals. The regular girls' night out at the hot downtown restaurant or the weekly shopping excursions may be fun, but once you start monitoring your spending, you may find that A) you can’t afford it! or B) it’s hard to say no to these indulgences when everyone else is doing it...after all, it's what you guys normally do! <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So what do you do now? De</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">cline all invites from your crew? Replace your old friends with new frugal ones? No!</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<a name='more'></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">How about letting your friends in on your financial journey! Share with them how you are working to improve your financial situation, and try to strike a balance between keeping your friends from breaking your wallet and encouraging them to make better finance choices too! Here are some ideas to help:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Motivation: Encourage each other to make good financial decisions, and hold each other accountable during moments of weakness.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<ul>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Start a book club centered on personal finance books to learn money management skills and to spark ongoing money conversations with your group.</span></span></li>
<span class="Apple-style-span">
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Host a savings or debt loss challenge. Getting out of debt or building an emergency fund is a long process, and friendly competition can help you stick to it when it feels your goal is nowhere in sight.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Swap recipes to get new, tasty meal ideas without the restaurant price tag.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">“Check” each other regularly. You should feel comfortable speaking freely to your friends and be able to give and receive of constructive feedback, so speak up if you see your friend about to blow their budget on a shopping trip! Share tips about money management that you have learned, and be open to ideas that your friends’ have for you. </span></li>
</span></ul>
<span class="Apple-style-span"><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Cost Reduction: There is strength in numbers, so use that power to help everyone save money. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<ul>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Clothes and product swaps allow you all to trade items that you don’t (or can't) use instead of spending money on new stuff.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Group shopping saves money as you compile your shopping lists, buy items in bulk, and split items among the group. Buying in bulk usually means a discounted price per unit, so instant savings for everyone!</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Find <a href="http://www.dimeandhernickels.com/2010/09/fun-budget-friendly-idea-generator.html">free or low cost ideas</a> for fun. Let’s face it, any activity can be fun as long you are together! Host a night-in with Netflix or a potluck; or if you do go out, start your fun earlier during happy hour or lunch time when price specials are available!</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Fundraising: Get your friends together, pool your resources and ideas, and use them to fatten up everyone’s pockets.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<ul>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Organize a group sale, such as a yard sale or an online shop. By working together, you will have a greater selection of items for sale that will attract more buyers than you would have individually.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Start an investor club. Learn about the stock market together, without having to put up a lot of money upfront. Best case scenario, you all earn money! Worst case scenario everyone loses money, but with the small initial investment, it’s not as big as of a burden as if everyone made investments individually. Learn more about investor clubs <a href="http://www.investopedia.com/articles/basics/04/091704.asp#axzz1ZCs3NLdb">here</a> and <a href="http://moneysmartlife.com/investment-club-benefits/">here</a>.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Start a business. Find a way to utilize everyone’s talents—whether it be providing a service (ex. cleaning, styling), creating a product (ex. sewing, jewelry making), managing a project, or a knack for selling—and get paid for it.</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="apple-style-span"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Have you shared your financial journey with your friends? Can you think of any other ways to make saving or earning money a group activity? I’d love to hear it! </span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial; font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span>Carmeshahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09602696662633718631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813726006821795453.post-24981204503987425372011-09-07T09:53:00.000-04:002011-09-07T09:53:24.934-04:00September Dine In Challenge<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixp8754C4BF0gDdcR9bQuGTbDxCUpGJT1RNA3ZXauMAWhsKSuERVYgERDNdVjpsjPG8HfRF9uee3WA2sI_JNMh37TKUB36m1LOxYc8DuXAEBLDOMSwUAx3cwHlT6GvZe5UYzQiLspWJVKn/s1600/septDIC.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixp8754C4BF0gDdcR9bQuGTbDxCUpGJT1RNA3ZXauMAWhsKSuERVYgERDNdVjpsjPG8HfRF9uee3WA2sI_JNMh37TKUB36m1LOxYc8DuXAEBLDOMSwUAx3cwHlT6GvZe5UYzQiLspWJVKn/s320/septDIC.jpg" width="320px" /></a></div><br />
This month, I'm challenging myself to eat more meals at home. I originally just wanted to curb my fast food habit, but figured why not see if I could avoid all restaurants! For the month of September, I'm giving myself only 2 free passes to eat a meal that is not prepared at home (mine or someone else's lol). And when I say free pass, I also mean that I'm only going to eat at a restaurant if I can <u>eat for free</u>. September is my birthday month, so I've racked up more than a few birthday coupons giving me free items. Now free items are good, but a free meal is even better! With that being said, I'm planning to use a birthday certificate for <a href="http://assets.fbmta.com/clt/stknshk/lp/join/join.asp">Steak 'n Shake</a> that gives me a free double steak burger with fries. Also, during the week of September 6th through 10th, <a href="http://www.chick-fil-aforbreakfast.com/Start">Chick-Fil-A</a> is offering a free breakfast entree, so I will probably use that as my other free pass. <br />
<br />
Hopefully by the end of the month I'll save both money and calories, and maybe even become a better cook!<br />
<br />
<i>Feel free to join me! It's never too late!</i>Carmeshahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09602696662633718631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813726006821795453.post-90457342088181432142011-08-22T12:47:00.000-04:002011-08-22T12:47:46.648-04:00Benefit$ of a Long Engagement<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYPh91NY28L9dMsFjh-d0PVhUwHc1AIlqqDEEwG4aqr10f3xnP0U9Wdd1h58Fm1I4fJyARtF-Olx2MYw4mNy8Lh4nHfworEpa5cC9C69iSOudTdvk_NvgKo3tUYG8vsE7hrjh13OxRJ0q9/s1600/wdngpgybnk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYPh91NY28L9dMsFjh-d0PVhUwHc1AIlqqDEEwG4aqr10f3xnP0U9Wdd1h58Fm1I4fJyARtF-Olx2MYw4mNy8Lh4nHfworEpa5cC9C69iSOudTdvk_NvgKo3tUYG8vsE7hrjh13OxRJ0q9/s320/wdngpgybnk.jpg" width="320px" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">For as long as I've thought about getting married, I've always imagined having a long engagement. For years I dreamed of a 5 year relationship plan-3 years dating, 2 years engaged, then happily married forever :) I've relaxed the plan a little bit, but my <span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 16px;"><em style="font-style: normal;">fiancé and I have both agreed that a 12+ month (probably more like 18 month) engagement is right for us given the time of year we want to get married and our budget. Now every couple is different, but I do think there are some major benefits of having a long (I define long as 9+ months) that are worth considering. </em></span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 19px;"><b>More time to save $$$! </b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Having a long engagement gives you more time to save up money for the wedding, instead of choosing to "swipe now, pay later." There is no reason to go into debt for this one day, and by planning a wedding for 9 months or more you have enough time to set aside a reasonable amount of money each month without having to live on a Ramen and water diet, and can enjoy your wedding/honeymoon without worrying about the bills waiting for you when you get home :) For me, I know that paying for a wedding right now would completely wipe out my emergency fund (a financial no-no!), but with a tentative wedding date of spring or summer 2013, I'll have more than enough time to raise money for the wedding, maintain my emergency fund, and have room in my budget for a little bit of fun here and there ;)</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 19px;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 19px;"><b>More time to plan!</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">A long engagement period can also reduce the stress-and cost-of wedding planning. Give yourself time to picture your dream wedding, and research different venues and vendors that can make it happen. Popular ceremony sites may begin booking dates a year in advance, so the earlier you can make that decision, the better! Compare prices for caterers or photographers, and follow them on social media sites to see when they have specials and discount prices. If you choose to save money by going the D.I.Y route for items such as invitations or wedding favors, you will have plenty of time to make them perfect! </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><br />
</span>Carmeshahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09602696662633718631noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813726006821795453.post-34763576483836952292011-08-17T13:44:00.000-04:002011-08-17T13:44:22.950-04:00Engaged!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">August 6, 2011</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgluz7QYOK_uuU_lH8-oOYau1aGOFyeWPtFEiz0sbNrdEoJ2nI60VuQNNQujEvSsoEud3mLK6GQ4MPCg_FfoIfCYUlvt7BLB__wJRTDE4EbjWVt7WC9-MWUMywNAB9VjRSqZjiDYRvtBZ_r/s1600/IMG_20110806_152138.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239px" naa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgluz7QYOK_uuU_lH8-oOYau1aGOFyeWPtFEiz0sbNrdEoJ2nI60VuQNNQujEvSsoEud3mLK6GQ4MPCg_FfoIfCYUlvt7BLB__wJRTDE4EbjWVt7WC9-MWUMywNAB9VjRSqZjiDYRvtBZ_r/s320/IMG_20110806_152138.jpg" width="320px" /></a></div><br />
<br />
He took me here:<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfWneE41zGm1wtH4ElJPj2N0r5lw8G5gLJDIzMmQYynvh1a9XR8U-4PPsvXoRRzTF7VfAlGA3l31MceNYGGXsEZ8_7Q40f6VhGeozcTwpZ3vgT1U-I24-5WC49_gn835ChDlgNU08lfMWD/s1600/lowes-approach_1_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240px" naa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfWneE41zGm1wtH4ElJPj2N0r5lw8G5gLJDIzMmQYynvh1a9XR8U-4PPsvXoRRzTF7VfAlGA3l31MceNYGGXsEZ8_7Q40f6VhGeozcTwpZ3vgT1U-I24-5WC49_gn835ChDlgNU08lfMWD/s320/lowes-approach_1_1.jpg" width="320px" /></a></div><br />
<br />
<br />
...and gave me this:<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7hPuXO3mH8GP9k_pEO4GWoFz_jdMlOfOkhKGO4LcQLbfjsQPVG1IxMdrRWYhKXj61xP63yiKiaED_rpWI17VYpCtCW7o4n7rTenehe6tE3QrI8vng9eWlzGrvjqNd_MfmPw-B3Gx-4k3G/s1600/IMG-20110810-00096.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" naa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7hPuXO3mH8GP9k_pEO4GWoFz_jdMlOfOkhKGO4LcQLbfjsQPVG1IxMdrRWYhKXj61xP63yiKiaED_rpWI17VYpCtCW7o4n7rTenehe6tE3QrI8vng9eWlzGrvjqNd_MfmPw-B3Gx-4k3G/s320/IMG-20110810-00096.jpg" width="240px" /></a></div>Now the work begins! Expect upcoming posts about wedding budgeting, savings tips, and an update in my <a href="http://www.dimeandhernickels.com/2011/06/2nd-update-short-term-goals.html">goals</a>. Carmeshahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09602696662633718631noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813726006821795453.post-71163016579755990592011-08-11T20:01:00.000-04:002011-10-15T15:52:53.251-04:00Loaning Money Without Ruining a RelationshipIn every relationship, there is a pivotal event that forever changes the course of that relationship. One such event is "The First Request for a Loan". Many friendships have ended, and families have torn apart over money, so it is no surprise that introducing the topic of money into any relationship can be a serious and stressful occasion. But loaning money to a friend or family member doesn't have to result in a ruined relationship. Follow these tips when considering giving a loan to a loved one, and you will be able to get through this process without hurting the relationship: <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBud13Mz6xA27Za_Fj03yv0CX36Bxzmwi9YqFbkvcKWs_ZQXCzPwRSWt-kaXw1ZzydT9uvmwd7rrqTgjYBm4QmHxtk6QIiMmfW6Afc1DBpcFxsLzl7f05lkG5K6qQFhEm6kut_JNpnZEHB/s1600/lafm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBud13Mz6xA27Za_Fj03yv0CX36Bxzmwi9YqFbkvcKWs_ZQXCzPwRSWt-kaXw1ZzydT9uvmwd7rrqTgjYBm4QmHxtk6QIiMmfW6Afc1DBpcFxsLzl7f05lkG5K6qQFhEm6kut_JNpnZEHB/s320/lafm.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br /><br />
<b>Be honest about your current financial state. </b> Talking about money is taboo, and some love to keep up appearances, but if you are struggling yourself, don't try to hide it from others. On the contrary, if you are actively saving for a goal of some sort, let the people close to you know. Not only can they keep you motivated to make good financial decisions, but they are aware that you either don't have money to give or that your money is already going to something important, which may prevent them from asking unless they are in dire need. <br />
<br />
<b>Consider the borrower: are they loan-worthy?</b> Most of us have an innate desire to help people, especially those we are close to, but lets be real....some people are more of a risk than others. If the banks have stopped issuing them credit, or have denied them for a lone, maybe you should too. Likewise, if your loved one is constantly avoiding collection calls, flippantly throwing away billing statements, or dodging certain stores because their picture is hanging up for worthless checks...It might not be in your best interest to loan them money. Now, if this person seems to generally be responsible, trustworthy, and seems to truly be down on their luck, go for it! Everyone has rough times, despite the best laid plans (or the biggest emergency fund!).<br />
<br />
<b>Consider offering a gift or bartering arrangement.</b> This option gives you the satisfaction of being able to help a friend while taking away the stress of having to worry about when someone is going to pay you back. Also, some things are more valuable than money. For someone who is too busy to cook, a healthy and delicious dinner prepared by a friend may be more appreciated than returning whatever sum was borrowed. Having a handy family member check out your washing machine that seems to have a mind of it's own would be more valuable than a monetary repayment in that it could also save you hefty repairman fees. By utilizing the strengths of each each party involved, you can find a solution that keeps everyone happy. <br />
<br />
<b>Never loan more than you are comfortable with. </b>There's a saying that goes "Never loan more than you can afford to lose." Whenever you let someone borrow money, there is always the risk that you will never get it back. If your budget cannot handle losing a certain sum of money, don't loan it out. Also, If someone asks you for an amount that you cannot comfortably give, remember that you are not obligated to loan them the amount that they request. Even credit cards have a limit! To someone in need, something is always better than nothing, so it is okay to offer them a smaller amount.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3_jyDjqzchy1Db1_XCWWYL37nQmUNc6FbsfYRnhbQUHDOF5gUaw92aQEEgWcxtEu5QVxDuqDtR-mGdByvySvlv31YRXPi4983mtAhKHeqvKBAiKQkhT4QDTLEKSqAg1AB_jjFhYlSu8IE/s1600/aaaf.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="254" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3_jyDjqzchy1Db1_XCWWYL37nQmUNc6FbsfYRnhbQUHDOF5gUaw92aQEEgWcxtEu5QVxDuqDtR-mGdByvySvlv31YRXPi4983mtAhKHeqvKBAiKQkhT4QDTLEKSqAg1AB_jjFhYlSu8IE/s320/aaaf.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<br />
<b>Set a date for repayment.</b> We've all heard a variation of this scenario before: <i>John borrows money from Jane. Jane sees John spending money frivolously, yet John has not paid Jane back yet. Jane gets increasingly angry with every dollar John spends. Jane blows up at John or stops speaking to him. John has no idea why.</i> You can avoid this scenario by treating the loan as you would treat any formal business transaction: set the repayment terms. This can be a monthly installment or one lump sum, as long as both parties agree to the terms. Once it is set, you can rest easily until the agreed upon date. Now if you see your buddy wasting money on that day or they miss your payment...then you might have a problem (and can send them the angry letter with the red "Final Notice" warning...j/k), but anytime before that you have no reason to get upset. <br />
<br />
<i>Have you ever loaned money to a loved one? How did it turn out? Let me know! </i>Carmeshahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09602696662633718631noreply@blogger.com1