Living for today - Planning for Tomorrow
Recently I read an article about recession fatigue. It’s a feeling of financial exhaustion that many Americans are dealing with right now. For over two years, we’ve been faced with a lot of economic uncertainty. The pandemic caused many workers to get laid off and record levels of inflation have strained our budgets. Now we may be heading toward another recession in 2023. It’s been
Believe it or not, my favorite personal finance book isn’t loaded with money-saving tips. It isn’t even a personal finance book at all. It’s called Dopamine Nation by Dr. Anna Lembke, and it’s about neuroscience (dopamine specifically) and how to find balance in our age of instant gratification. Reading it fundamentally changed my relationship with money and helped me stop overspending, so I wanted to
After a long day of work, most of us just want to melt into the couch and binge our favorite shows on Netflix. Enjoying a lazy day every now and then can be restorative and make you more productive when you get back to work. But if laziness turns into a habit, it could cost you a lot of money. If you frequently take shortcuts
Shopping secondhand is a great way to save money and benefit the planet by giving discarded items a second life. However, there are some items that simply aren’t safe to buy used, such as bike helmets. And depending on the item, it may be better to spring for a new version from the store that will last longer and give you more years of use
Previously, I’ve written about the ways that being a minimalist can save you money. Practicing minimalism can help you buy less, stay organized, and give you the mental clarity you need to focus on your financial goals. Decluttering may also make it possible to downsize to a smaller home or apartment to save money. But there are also some downsides to minimalism that are worth
Like most other millennials, I’m an avid social media user. My favorite social media sites are Reddit, YouTube, and TikTok, which I just discovered a month ago and haven’t been able to put down since. I’ve been scrolling through TikTok for an hour before bed and have mainly watched interior design clips. I’ve noticed that consuming lots of decorating content on TikTok has made me
I used to think mantras and meditation were kind of silly. I didn’t think repeating a word or phrase over and over in my head would be enough to improve my mental health. But when my therapist suggested I use daily affirmations to help with my financial anxiety, I decided to give it a shot. After all, it didn’t cost me anything but a few
Many people swear by paid budgeting software like You Need a Budget. They say YNAB helped them get in control of their finances and save thousands of dollars, so it’s worth the cost. But I can’t justify spending money on budgeting software, no matter how many useful features it has. Budgeting is all about eliminating unnecessary expenses and saving more money for the future. So
Every year before Christmas, my parents would ask me to write a list of things I wanted so they could give it to Santa. I was always surprised and delighted to see a few items from that list under the tree on Christmas morning. But I usually didn’t get everything I wanted, which taught me to be patient. If I was really pining for something
It’s probably no surprise that summer is the most expensive time of the year. The cost of road trips, outdoor concerts, and summer camp for the kids adds up. A study by MassMutual showed that half of Americans spend more money during the summer than other seasons. Women were more likely than men to report that they spend more in the summer months, especially due
