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April 2017

Why We Downsized Before Retirement

Money Management, Retirement / By

Recently I was reading an article on Trulia entitled, 8 Reasons Why You Should Buy A 1,000-Square-Foot House and it reminded me of many of the reasons why my wife Lisa and I decided to downsize even though we weren’t ready to retire yet. We were living in a 3,200 sq. ft. house on 3 acres in the countryside near Richmond, VA. The house was beautiful, we had spent years getting it just like we wanted it. We bought it when our two children were small and the house was only 1,200 sq. ft. Then we added an addition on that included a Master Suite, Living Room, Two Car Garage, and large home office. As the children grew we gradually added four raised bed gardens surrounded by a chicken run and chicken coop. We had every tool imaginable in our two garden sheds, and two double carports.

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These Numbers Should Make You Mad and Get You Motivated

Budgeting / By

It seems like a national epidemic… One of the biggest challenges that people face today is dealing with their personal debt. According to NerdWallet the average American family has $16,748 worth of credit card debt, $176,222 worth of mortgage debt, plus an auto loan debt of $28,948. All of this is on top of $49,905 worth of student loans (almost $25,000 per adult)!

According to Federal Reserve data in 2014 the Median household income was $53,718 and it rose to $56,516 in 2016. Unfortunately, that is the most recent data we have, but even if median household income rose to $60,000 in 2016 that is a lot of debt to be carrying on that amount of income.

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How to Coupon the Modern High-Tech Way

Frugality / By

You’ve probably heard fantastic stories of professional “couponers” who descend on a grocery store line with a stack of coupons an leave the store with a truckload of merchandise for a couple of dollars. Although coupons can often mean tremendous savings, getting this level of discount is time consuming and requires almost obsessive planning and organization. Most people like to get things for free or at a discounted price, but they don’t have the time to take couponing to this level. Fortunately, technology has made it a little easier to use coupons and to reduce our everyday expenses without having to be obsessive to do it.

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Credit Cards Out of Control? 3 Ways to Get You Back on Your Feet

Money Management / By

Interest on your credit cards adds up fast. An initial purchase of $1000, with an interest rate of 18%, could take years to pay off, assuming that you make only the minimum payments each month. In fact, if you make even a few late payments the penalties could result in NEVER paying it off, as you’ll see in a moment.

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4 Tips For Finding Deals On Everyday Necessities

Frugality / By

Finding deals on everyday necessities is much easier than you think. Many are shocked to find they are overpaying for groceries, health services and other essentials. When you take advantage of local deals, coupons, mobile apps and web-based subscription services, you can save money on the items you purchase daily. Check out these great tips to start saving money today.

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Energy Finances 101: How to Decrease Your Bills By 10 Percent or More!

Energy / By

Next to your mortgage, energy costs are one of your major monthly expenses. The average U.S. household spends about $325 on heating and cooling a month, and that is less than half of your total energy bill… of course this amount varies drastically by location, size of home and individual lifestyle.

It is understandable that families want to cut some of these costs, especially when money is tight. The following are just a few tips to help your family reduce their household bills.

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