Showing posts with label personal finance. Show all posts
Showing posts with label personal finance. Show all posts

Sunday, January 22, 2023

Cheapskate Review... Monthlies




This post is not for those who are trying to increase their monthly expenses. This is for the other group of humans who are trying to urgently reduce their monthly bills, so as to get a hold of their finances and have more money left at the end of the month.....that they can choose to spend freely in a manner that pleases them personally.


We live in an age of subscriptions. Everything can be ordered as a recurring monthly subscription program...... including cat food, online weight loss programs,  film streaming, social media memberships and gyms. If you don't pay attention, you may be paying for a lot more monthly subscriptions than you need or want.

So, let's pretend you are trying to completely eliminate your recurring monthly non essential services. What things can you do without?

Social media premium level memberships. Some social media platforms are requesting their users to buy a membership which "enhances" their usage to a "higher" level than the "freebie" loving general public. Do you really need this monthly bill? Is it really adding value to your life? I am not going to type in the actual name of these social media platforms, but you know which ones they are. You don't need to be paying for usage, if there is a basic "ad based" format still available.  That's maybe 2 or 2 monthly subscriptions gone from your monthly billing cycle.

(CHEAPSKATE HACK) I recently discovered a site which allows you to watch and enjoy everything that is currently on the ad-based format of a very popular social medial site.....but without the ADS! I was thrilled to discover this worked well. I noted that it did not have 100% of the same functionality of the ad based platform, but it worked well enough to allow me to watch and/or listen to many of my favorite recordings without the  distracting nuisance of ads. Ad blockers may also help you survive through other annoying ad filled apps. Be sure that the ad blockers are legit and do not add viruses to your laptop/PC.

Next, Do you really need to subscribe to a monthly film streaming service? Have you looked into cheaper and/or free options? There are several film streaming services that offer free or cheaper versions, such as Roku (with purchase of unit) or Tubi. I also just noticed an ad for a free streaming service called Plex. Is it any good? Have you used it?
Does your local public library have free access to streaming services? 
Does your local public library have free access to CD's and DVD rentals? Do you still own a DVD or Blue ray player that you can dust off and put to good use? Must we really pay a monthly fee for entertainment when free or really cheap offerings are all around us?

Thirdly, have you signed up for some kind of monthly delivery of certain goods? Certain foods, or hats, or wine or cheese tastings? There is nothing wrong with any of these expenses, as long as we can afford them. I have even seen monthly subscriptions to dress or clothing rental programs. Don't sign up for these type of things carelessly by just throwing them on a credit card. Use these type of services when you can afford to use them. These monthly bills add up. Do the math today and add them all up. Print up a statement, a hard black and white copy of one month of transactions on your bank accounts and credit cards. Write down each one that make a debit deduction on a monthly basis. Add them all up. How much is being deducted automatically from your bank accounts and/or credit cards? How many did you find?  
I want you to be sure that you really want or need the items that you are paying for on a monthly basis. When you take control of your monthly bills, you may discover that you have more funds left over at the end of the month that you can use for investing or vacations or for building up a reserve fund to pay for those things we can't always predict....such as car repairs or a new lawn mower, or a better health care option.

Make your money obey YOUR own  commands....not the expectations of the ad companies that have targeted you because of your income or lifestyle profile. Algorithms are ruthless in how they target us night and day. Use discipline and self control to choose when and how you spend/save your money. Make your money make sense.

Have you signed up for magazine or newspaper subscriptions that you rarely read? Cancel them unless you use them often. Public libraries offer free alternatives, many of which may now be accessed online in the comfort of your own home. You can also buy a newspaper straight from your local convenience store, without subscribing to anything. Keep freedom in your wallet, and buy things without a monthly commitment.

Charities may target you with their fund raising appeals because you live in a certain area code. They may specifically ask you to become a monthly automatic donor. Be careful of these type of arrangements. An automated charitable gift will have the right to take money from your account because you have authorized their organization to do so. The system then becomes dehumanized and will continue to take your monthly donations even if you find yourself in a tight financial bind. I am not telling you to become selfish. I am not telling you to not give. But I am telling you to give on your own time table and in your own style. Don't let the person or organization who is the receiver of your generosity, determine how you give. Don't be manipulated by promises of "special premium donor status" which try to convince you to give higher amounts of money. If you want to give large amounts of money away, please go ahead and do so, but do so because YOU have chosen to do so, not because someone has manipulated you into making you feel guilty for the blessings you have. Do the charities you sponsor show proper gratitude for your gifts? Thankfulness and gratitude for your generosity is essential. Make sure to expect and accept thanks from those whom have benefited from your charitable giving.

Give when and how you choose, and in the amount you can afford.
If you prefer to write an old fashioned check, because it helps you balance your budget, then do that. You don't need to give in the manner that a certain charity prefers. Give as YOU choose, because God has given YOU authority over your own finances. There is a reason that you have what you have. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

Last, but not least, have you signed up for a gym membership that you never go to? I have heard a horror story about a woman who cancelled her gym membership only to discover that the gym still kept taking money out of her account every month. She finally had to go to the bank in person to have the matter dealt with. Some folks have had to cancel their bank accounts, because a gym refused to cancel their monthly bill payments. Be careful what you sign up for, especially if it requires a monthly payment. Some gyms allow you to pay up front for one day or one week of usage. This allows greater control over someone who only needs a gym once in a while.

Well friends, that's all for now. My rant is done. I hope that you are prospering and enjoying all the beautiful things and wealth that you have....on your own terms and on your own time schedule. Be well :)

Peace,
Carla. 
























Wednesday, January 17, 2018

A Hodge Podge of Mad Methods to Prosperity

Some folks use "cheapskating"....to coin a new verb, to "MacGyver" their way into a lifestyle that they feel is "successful" and sustainable. The family that comes to mind was dubbed
"America's Cheapest Family". Click on that name to see their website and books.

What was their method in a nutshell? To refuse to use debt to fund an unsustainable level of consumerism, and to intentionally get out of mortgage debt as quickly as possible. They have paid cash for cars and college and have intentionally crafted a simple lifestyle that they find to be fulfilling and teachable. They have written books and gone on various tv shows to document how to live a more thrifty and debt free lifestyle.

Then  there are those who cut their WANTS down to only NEEDS and postpone major spending until they have enough savings and investments that can carry them comfortably through their retirement years....with lots left over to pass onto their heirs. 

The gent that I think of that utilizes this strategy is none other than "Bernard Kelly " who
wrote quite a stunning compelling "how to " book about persona finance.( click on his name to view his book)
He suggests radical choices early on in life can have a huge impact on your ability to one day have the life of your dreams. One of his own personal fave choices was to defer car ownership until he turned 30. This one choice, in and of itself allowed him to put away a higher percentage of employment income into his choices of investments. This empowered him to have vastly more financial freedom later in life to pursue his lifestyle of choice.
The only thing I find irritating about his written tale, is that I can't seem to figure out what has happened to Mr. Bernard Kelly.... did he disappear? Is he still teaching and writing? Does anyone know?

Then there is the wonderful spendthrift and millionaire, the late Verna Oller,( click on her name to read about success of her estate)  whose thrifty ways included cutting her own hair and using an old zipper to tie her boots up so that she wouldn't have to spend any money to buy new boot laces. Her savvy investing granted her the joy of leaving her millions of dollars for the community she lived in to one day have their own community pool.

She is a literal inspiration especially for women like myself, because she taught herself how to invest by going to the library and borrowing copies of Barron's wherever she could. She hated the thought of spending good money to go buy her own books and magazines, but would travel around town to gain access to free copies of the best books and investing/business magazines in order to empower her investing.


Some folks take great risks and win big..... The Canadian Singer Alanis Morrissette made a killing when some stock she owned in a small company went public..... from stock worth less than half a million dollars to over 40 million dollars overnight in the year 2000. It always does the heart good to hear these stirring stories.

Do you know someone who has, through persistent creative thinking, carved out a beautiful and prosperous life? Do you find their style to be "replicable"? Do they teach others their hard won strategies?

When we, as fellow humans on this adventurous  journey called "life", discover ways and means to empower ourselves forward to achieve noteworthy success, I believe we are compelled to share our discoveries so that the rest of us can learn. Do you agree?

In peaceful productivity,
Carla.





Wednesday, July 26, 2017

Which Financial Tool is Most Important for Success?

Let's discuss this calmly shall we?

Which financial Tool is THE most important for your financial success?

Is is tithing? ( giving 10% of your income to church or charity)

Is it saving? (taking a preset portion of your income and hiding it away where you won't use it for other purposes other than savings and/or investing for the purpose of securing a future income streams)

Is it investing?(And no, investing is not necessarily the same as saving....but the two are very much connected)

It is reducing your personal COST of LIVING? ( mastering how to lower your monthly bills such as housing, utilities, insurance and food costs )

Is it paying off and down all debt? ( for this illustration I am lumping together all kinds of debt....both mortgage debt as well as consumer debt)

Is it putting aside funds for your own, your spouse's and your children's education?

Is it about "Asset Allocation" .....( deciding precisely where and what investment product you put your money into)

Is is about having sufficient funds set aside separately just for emergencies?

Is it about saving cash to finance a prepaid vacation, so that you won't be tempted to use debt to pay for a vacation?

Is it about delaying the purchase of a home and renting for more years so that you may build up a greater nest egg?

Is it about refusing to finance a car by saving up and paying cash for a second hand modest vehicle?

It is about learning to live without credit cards?

Is it about learning to live without the trendy "stuff" that your friends and neighbors seem to say are "sooooo important for appearances"?

Is is about being aggressive in business opportunities/investment opportunities when we find them?

Do we work hard to make our money work hard?

How much risk is reasonable?

Have your given someone else control over your finances? How trustworthy is that person or organization? Can that person or organization be trusted to protect your best interests?

Are we investing in ways that limit and/or reduce our taxes?

Have we done a will to protect our assets for future generations after our passing?

Are we reading something daily/weekly/monthly which will add to our personal arsenal of accurate financial information?

Are we getting to know people who have succeeded financially and humbling ourselves to learn and listen from their example?

Are we reading books or listening to audio books regularly written/recorded by those who are well respected in the arena of personal finance and/or investing?

When we  come up with "unknowns" do we write down our questions and seek out the answers? Or are we content to live in ignorance because we have become comfortable with living passively?

Are we teachable......or do we live as if we have "arrived" and no longer need to learn more about personal finance?

Or is it all of the above? Who is going to lead us into wisdom in these arenas of life?

It is possible to get God's wisdom, as He gives wisdom to those who ask it of Him, according to the scriptures "who giveth to all men liberally".

May God's Spirit use these questions to stir up some good and important discussions in your home and family.

The more you talk and read about personal finance, the more questions you may have. But don't get overwhelmed.... Don't get discouraged. Becoming educated about personal finance is a journey......not a one stop destination.It is going to bear great rewards for you and for your future descendants who may, depending upon your choices, be able to learn simply by following your excellent example.

Peace,
C.













Monday, June 13, 2016

Income Sharing Agreements Instead of Student Loans?

I was reading an article from Kiplingers Personal Finance Magazine
"AN ALTERNATIVE TO STUDENT LOANS, Income-share agreements swap debt for a portion of future salary" by Kaitlin Pitsker (July 2016 issue)
 
 about how some  American students are wiggling their way out of student debt by signing
"Income Sharing Agreements".
These contracts force students to fork over a certain percentage of their future incomes to pay off any student debt. These contracts can last as long as 15 years into your career.

Without rehashing the article, I am wondering if any of the Canadian universities are considering adopting similar methods? Do you think this is  a reasonable concept? Is it in the students' best interests? Or is it just another cash grab, foisted on those young and financially vulnerable?
Does it like "Lunch bag let down" for newly educated young adults pouncing on their first great job?

Or could it be a realistic solution to preventing debt overload?

Looking forward to hear your comments as always,

Peace,
Carla

Thursday, March 19, 2015

Canadian and American Finance Authors

I don't know about you...but I latched onto that catch phrase "Readers are Leaders" and so it has become a habit to inhale books just as often as I can.

Therefore, in case your reading list, particularly in the realm of finance and investing, has become a little stale, permit me to share with you some of the finance authors that I have dabbled with in reading their books or speeches over the past decade. If any of them have also piqued your curiosity and provided meaty motivation, please go for it and share your feisty opinions in the comments section.
 Peacefully productive,

Carla.

Derek Foster "Aka, the Lazy Investor" has published several investing books written for the common folk. 
    to see his titles, go to his website www.stopworking.ca

The Millionaire Mind by Thomas J. Stanley

The Millionaire Next Door by Thomas J. Stanley and William D. Danko

The Richest Man in Babylon by George S. Clason

The Wealthy Barber by David Chilton

Robert Kiyosaki ----a large number of books....too many to list...check out his websites by googling him....or start with his breakout book  entitled "Rich Dad Poor Dad".

Donald Trump and Robert Kiyosaki wrote a book together called 
"Why We Want You to be Rich: Two Men One Message"

Napoleon Hill's "Think and Grow Rich"

Tony Robbins new book "Money, Master the Game"

Tim Ferriss---lifestyle hacker/author of the breakout book "The Four Hour Work Week"

Gail Vaz Oxlade--personal/family finance coach from TV seminars (Canada centric eh)
all major book sellers will carry her books.

David Bach--check out his website --www.Finishrich.com