Personal Finance Advice

There are many people in this economy who have legitimate reasons for not saving money. But there are also a lot of other people who claim that they’re incapable of saving money when saving money would only require them to make some small changes to their finances or spending habits. Some of the common excuses [...]

February 25 through March 2 is America Saves Week which was created to promote better savings behavior so that individuals can put them in better financial shape. Getting all your different financial accounts in order is an important step in putting all of your savings onto the right track. Part of that effort is having [...]

Financial experts often talk about the necessity of having an emergency fund. An emergency fund can help cover any expenses that arise when unexpected problems or emergencies crop up in your life. Unfortunately, the unexpected does happen, and it’s important to have made preparations when this happens. Here are a few reasons that it’s worthwhile [...]

We all have financial goals. Maybe you want to retire early, travel more, pay down debt, or save more money. Having goals is what drives us forward and keeps us from staying in the same place. Unfortunately, many of us haven’t really articulated our goals. We carry them around in our heads as vague notions. [...]

Click image to enlarge or print here (pdf) If you’re looking for a great way to start saving money right now that will net you over $1300 in 1 year, we’ve put together an easy system which offers a good amount of flexibility to give you the greatest chance of success. This is a hybrid [...]

Not too long ago my neighbor needed a new water heater. After it was installed, we went on one of our daily walks and she moaned about the expense and hassle. “Well,” I said, “at least you covered it out of your emergency fund, right?” I’ve heard her speak about their emergency fund so I [...]

With the New Year, people are always looking for new ways to save money that isn’t difficult or complicated, and that can keep them motivated throughout the entire year. It seems like Facebook has provided a simple plan (courtesy of Kassondra Perry-Moreland) this year that anyone can follow and it’ll result in over $1300 worth [...]

While some people think it’s better to avoid making New Year’s Resolutions, it’s important to get specific as possible if you do decide to do make them. If you’re they type where New Year’s resolutions help motivate you to achieve those goals, here are some that you should consider relating to your finances: Save More [...]

One of the most important assets that anyone can have when they are attempting to get their personal finances in order is an emergency fund. As any adult knows well, even the best laid plans rarely turn out exactly as planned. The unexpected happens and when it does, it usually costs money. An emergency fund [...]

A couple of weeks ago I wrote about how the “Emergency Fund” should really be called something else, since so few financial events are really emergencies. Regardless of what you call it, you need to be setting money aside to cover car repairs/replacement, appliance replacements, home maintenance, medical expenses, and all those pesky problems of [...]

Financial writers (myself included) often talk about the “emergency fund.” This is money you set aside so that you can pay for things like medical expenses, car repairs, home repairs, or some other sudden, necessary expense. Having extra money set aside means (ideally) that you don’t have to pull out the credit card to pay [...]

Managing your money is hard and the current times make it more so. The fact is, though, it’s never been more important to get a handle on your personal finances than in today’s economy. Regardless of whether you’re a wage earner or one of the growing number of self-employed individuals, knowing where you stand financially [...]

I have a relative who is at the mercy of every tiny financial bump in the road. When the dog has to go to the vet, or gas goes up two cents, or the power bill is higher than expected, or the car needs new tires, he is thrown into chaos. He hasn’t got the [...]

I have a friend who recently lost her job. She’s not the only income earner in the household, but she does contribute a good bit to the family’s finances. Fortunately, she has a three month emergency fund saved up. However, her proposed management of that fund leaves me scratching my head. On the day she [...]

This is a series of posts about what you will find in Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University course. This is week three (week one and week two) The lesson for this week was cash flow planning, also known as budgeting. You could see everybody approaching this lesson with trepidation. Not only does it mean more [...]

When I heard that Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University was being taught at my church this year, I was intrigued. I’ve read Dave Ramsey’s books and heard his show on Fox Business channel, but I’ve always found myself wondering exactly what about him and his advice makes people shell out $100 for the thirteen week [...]

We all know (or should) that living above your means for the long term is a recipe for financial disaster. Living above your means is spending more than you earn on a consistent basis. When you do it occasionally, as in the case of an emergency or a planned splurge, it’s not detrimental. However, it [...]

I’ve noticed that some respondents to my previous articles seem to think that I’m living a life of deprivation because I choose to save money aggressively and live debt free. I want to set the record straight: A debt free life is not a poor life; it’s not a life of deprivation and suffering. It’s [...]

When people find out that I’m debt free, the thing they most want to know is how it’s possible and how they can achieve it, too. Quickly. They want the crash course or the quick fix to debt free living. I tell them that there really is no quick fix. There’s no magic pill that [...]

Over my years of debt free living I’ve learned that procrastination is a huge enemy to staying debt free. We all tend to say, “I can take care of that tomorrow,” and put off things we don’t want to (or can’t) deal with right then. The problem is, the longer you put things off, the [...]