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Category Archives: finances

Reasons to Invest in Cryptocurrency

Cryptocurrency is a digital asset used in making online purchases and various investments, and its use is only rising in popularity as the world becomes more computerized. The good thing about cryptocurrency is that you can swap it with someone else without the need for a middle man. Even when this is a foreign purchase, so its decentralized nature is rather attractive, and this is helping fuel its popularity. There are many types of cryptocurrency, the most famous of which is Bitcoin. Pretty much everyone out there would have heard of it as its value skyrocketed and made some lucky people pretty rich. Businesses now are in on the game and are beginning to invest in cryptocurrencies. The fact is computer advances are the future, and cryptocurrency is a part of that advance. So, without investment in this new currency form, it is possible businesses may fall behind competitors.

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Technological Advances

Blockchain technology is a type of decentralized database in a block format which is allowing the easy transfer of digital currency. Data stored in this way means that everyone has equal control as opposed to there being some person or institution in control. It makes economic activity far easier without reliance on anyone, such as a middleman. It is also a transparent form of interaction as each transaction can be viewed if necessary. It is speeding up and smoothing out the process of making transactions online and is particularly helpful in businesses such as logistics, shipping, and healthcare. By investing in cryptocurrency, you are essentially investing in the future of digital transactions. Potentially it can be very profitable, but like anything else, there are many risks attached to it – one may be that the decentralization aspect of it becomes more controlled by Governments, for example.      

The Ease of Investing

Clearly, no financial organization wants to be left behind in this modern age quasi gold rush phenomenon, especially after the Bitcoin extravaganza. So that means that as cryptocurrency rises in popularity, so has there been a rise in financial companies who specialize in helping people invest in cryptocurrencies. The Crypto super fund is one such find that makes it very easy for anyone to invest in this new currency and could be a great investment for that nest egg.  

Could be Great for a Long-Term Investment?

At present, the nature of cryptocurrency is without borders or control. There is also a fairly limited supply of cryptocurrency as it is not created and maintained by people but instead by a computer algorithm. Essentially this means that it is protected from any significant loss in value. Governments and banks are not able to meddle with the value of any types of cryptocurrency through financial manipulation of the value of a currency like inflation. Also, at the moment, there is no tax on cryptocurrency, which can make it even more valuable to investors. The banks do not store the money either, it is not on their books. All this makes it a rather attractive investment opportunity. However, be aware that both in-country and global laws are subject to change, which can affect the nature of cryptocurrency.

The Creeping Car Costs We Don’t Figure Into Our Budget

If you’ve been driving for any respectable amount of time, then you know likely know all the costs that you can easily budget for. Your car loan payments, your gas, your insurance and, if you’re prudent, you will budget for future car repairs and services, as well. However, there are some costs of driving and owning a car that we tend to forget to include in the budget. Here, we’re going to give them the attention they deserve.

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The car around the corner

Even if you’re still paying off your current auto, you should still be thinking about how you’re going to buy the next one. When most buy a car, they take out a loan for it. However, are you doing the legwork to put yourself in the position for the best deal available? Building your credit now is important for all major future purchases. Start by looking over your credit report for false records. Sensibly use credit cards or overdrafts to build a history. Ensure you’re current with all loans and credit arrangements. Better credit makes it easier to pay for the next car you buy.

Do you pay to park?

This will affect those who live or work in cities, but it’s still a good practice to get into. Tolls and parking should be added to your auto expenses, as it can cost hundreds or even up to a grand a month in the bigger, busier cities. Aside from figuring out what your average parking costs are and figuring them in the budget, you should use tools like Just Park, that could potentially help you find cheaper places to keep your car in the city.

Yes, you should even budget for tickets

Tickets will rear their ugly heads for even the most sensible and safe of drivers. Easy mistakes and overzealous enforcement can result in some unfair ticket handling. Aside from doing what you can to operate as legally as possible on the road, you should also challenge unfair tickets with the help of teams like GetDismissed ticket fighters. You might find that you have to deal with this particular unexpected cost less if you occasionally raise a fuss about it.

Don’t let breakdowns break you

No-one plans to get stuck on the side of the road in a broken-down auto, either, but it does happen. If you’re not prepared for it, the costs of getting yourself picked up and taken to the garage will add an even deeper sting to repair and replacement costs. For that reason, you should look at the protection you can get from roadside assistance. It’s not recurring bill to add to the budget, but manageable and predictable bills are much better than financial emergencies that can up-end your whole budget.

If you want to be financially healthy, then identifying the costs around the corner, even those unexpected ones that you could potentially avoid, is important. By budgeting for the worst-case scenarios, you can save even more in the best-case realities.

The Things To Pay Attention To Before You Buy A Home

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Buying a new house is a very big deal. After all, it’s a lot of money that you will be spending on a very big asset – it’s not a decision that you want to mess up, especially as it could be very expensive to move again straight afterwards! 

Thankfully, there are lots of parts of the whole purchasing process that have been put in place to help buyers by flagging up any potential issues that they need to be aware of. That’s the main reason why buying a house can be a very lengthy process – it takes time for your real estate attorney to go through all of the documents and details to make sure that you are aware of everything that you need to be.

So, once you find the house of your dreams, you need to know that there are certain things you will be told or given that you need to pay close attention to. Here are some of the most important ones. 

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The Price

One of the first things that you will know about a potential new home is the price. Hopefully, if you are being wise during your house hunting, you will only be looking for homes that fall well within your budget. That way, there is no chance of looking at and falling in love a property that is way too expensive for you. Once you do know how much the house you want to buy is priced at, you will need to start thinking about getting a mortgage and how much you will be able to borrow. For this, it’s worth speaking to a mortgage broker as they will be able to find you the best kinds of mortgage deals.

Real Estate Agent And Attorney Fees

Don’t forget that you will need to pay for a property attorney to oversee your whole property purchase. If you are also selling a house, you will also need to find a real estate agent to sell it through. Using these professionals is going to cost you money, and you will be expected to pay them in full on the day you complete the house purchase. So, make sure you don’t put all of your money into the house purchase as you will still need some leftover to pay these legal and estate agent bills.

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Documents And The Deeds

At some point during the purchase process, your lawyer should draw up a report that should be full of important information regarding your potential new home. It’s really important that you read through all of the documents in this report very carefully. If there are any potential legal issues, then they will be included in this report. For instance, the report should detail any previous attempts at getting planning permission for an extension that might not have been granted. You will also find copies of the property deeds in the report too, which will outline the legal boundaries of the property so that you are aware of exactly how much land will come with your home.

The Property Survey

It is also important that you get a property survey carried out on the house too. In fact, you might need this done in order to get a mortgage. For the survey, a structural engineer will inspect the property and let you know about any potential issues or repairs that might need to be carried out. For instance, they might recommend replacing old single-glazing with new double-glazed windows from this website. Most of the things they flag up shouldn’t be enough to put you off buying the house. However, if you do find that there is some structural subsidence or other expensive work that needs seeing to, then you might be better off walking away from the property and finding on that is problem-free.

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Urban Planning

Lots of people look for houses that have great views. For instance, a house in front of a large field will have some spectacular views out of the back bedroom windows. So, you might be very annoyed to find some builders starting to construct a new housing estate in that field just a few months after you move in! To make sure you don’t end up in this situation, ask your solicitor to look into nearby urban planning. They will be able to tell you if construction work is planned in the near future in the surrounding area.

If you pay attention to all of these things then you can be happy knowing your house purchase should be free from any issues!

Making Ends Meet As A Parent

There are obviously many challenges which you are going to face as a parent, and you will need to learn how to deal with them each in turn. One which is likely to be particular difficult for many people however is that of being able to keep your finances in tact while looking after your children. This process of looking after you money can be very difficult indeed, and it is something which you will probably want to try and approach from a number of angles in order to make sure you get it right.

In this post, we are going to look at what you might be able to do in order to ensure you make ends meet as a new parent. As long as you follow some of the advice laid out here, you should find that is easier than you might have thought.

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Thinking Ahead

With many aspects of parenting, you will find that it is beneficial to be able to think ahead as rationally and logically as you can. This is certainly true of taking care of things financially too, and the more able you are to look ahead and plan effectively, the more chance you will have of actually taking care of your money and therefore your children.

If you currently struggle to really think ahead in any meaningful way, then it is probably something that you want to learn to do at your earliest opportunity. Just try writing down all the things that you are going to have to budget for, and then make sure that you are panning for them in some reasonable way. You will soon see how much this becomes an integral part of looking after your children.

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Borrowing

From time to time, it might be important to borrow some money. This is true for many parents, and you should not feel ashamed if you do need to do this at any point. However, you will want to make sure, of course, that you do so sensibly, and that you do not allow yourself to get into any serious amount of debt. Avoiding debt is another hugely important aspect to making sure you can continue to be a fit parent, so this is hugely important.

If you look around, you will soon notice that there are many online loan lenders to choose from, or you might be able to find someone in your life who can help you instead. In any case, it’s worth being aware of these and keeping your options open, should it become necessary for you to borrow any money.


Cutting Back

Remember too that there are always things you can do to reduce the amount you spend on anything, and the more adept you are at doing that, the easier you will find it to make ends meet. If you can find a few sensible areas in which you can reduce your expenditure, you will soon have the ability to have more money in your account – which ultimately means more money to look after your child with.

Could You Do More To Safeguard Your Money Today And Tomorrow?

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The short answer is probably “yes”, especially if you have a family to support in a financial sense. Maybe you have a partner or a family member who contributes to the household income, but financial stability depends on more than having multiple earners in the family. It’s about planning more than earning. Bringing in a good income is important, of course, but the essential thing is deciding how to use your income well in your current situation

and any future situation. In this article, we’ll look at a few ways to safeguard your money today and tomorrow.

Protect your information.

If you want to protect your money then you need to protect your information. This is an important piece of advice to take on board because thieves are always coming up with new ways to steal information. Increasing numbers of people are falling victim to theft and fraud. You might want to do some research on preventing credit card fraud to see if there’s more you could be doing.

It’s important that you take all necessary steps to safeguard your bank details. In this digital age, you should definitely take steps to protect yourself online too. You might want to use a VPN (Virtual Private Network) to shield your computer, phone, or tablet screen from hackers who might be trying to watch what you’re doing to steal personal information. If you want to safeguard your money then you need to safeguard all the platforms you use to spend it.

Assess your monthly bills.

Most people squander their money simply by failing to lead a fiscally responsible lifestyle. If you want to protect your personal finances so that you have disposable income to set aside for savings and investments then you might want to look another look at your basic costs. You should regularly assess your monthly bills to see if you’re wasting money.

You’ll probably find expenditures that you could easily reduce without having to drastically change your lifestyle. If you’re not compromising on your quality of life then doesn’t it make sense to simply save some money? It’ll improve your financial situation for your family today and tomorrow.

Maybe you like having a warm home, for example, but you could get thicker glazing for your windows, insulate the walls, get draft protectors, and put throws on couches. Those solutions are all much better than turning up your thermostat.

It’ll massively reduce your monthly energy bill. As for shopping, you should always search for coupons and discounts to use in the present and the future. You’ll be buying the same goods for less money. This one needs no explanation. The point is that you could have much more available money in your bank account if you assessed your monthly bills and reduced unnecessary expenses.

Ensure your family has a secure financial future.

Obviously, you can never predict the future. You might win the lottery, or you might end up in a job with a lower wage. But whatever your financial future holds, you can create safety nets for the family. Building up some savings, for example, is always a smart move. But there are other decisions you can make today to ensure that your family has a better tomorrow. Even if you’re still young, you could write up your will.

That way, you’ll be able to make plans to ensure that your family has a secure financial future. You want to make sure that you’re the one who decides what to do with your assets.

Protecting Your Family’s Finances

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Image Source – Are you taking enough care with your finances?

Money isn’t the most important thing in this world, but it’s hard to survive without it. So, every parent should take the necessary precautions to ensure that their financial situation is under control. This doesn’t mean that you have to be rich. Instead, you’re looking for stability and security.

Keeping your family’s finances in good health will provide peace of mind and allow you to focus on more important factors. Here are five ways to make it happen.

Live a cost-efficient life

There’s nothing wrong with spending money in this world. However, wasting money is something that everybody should try to avoid at all costs. From using grocery coupons to running price comparisons on utility bills, those simple steps can make a big impact. When the sum of money leaving your bank account is reduced, a huge weight is lifted from your shoulders. Above all else, it’ll provide a sense of self-confidence that can spur you on to success in other areas.

Understand your situation

Protecting your family finances largely revolves around maintaining a sense of control. This is almost impossible to do if you haven’t painted a full and fair picture of your financial health. Getting organized is essential and can be achieved by listing all of your incoming and outgoings on a spreadsheet. Meanwhile, you must not ignore key issues such as your tax implications. Otherwise, you could be hit with a nasty surprise when those bills hit you.

Fight for entitlements

As a parent, you’re probably eligible for some help from various government schemes. However, only you can make things happen and must take a proactive approach to ensure that you are awarded those fees. On a separate note, you should know how to gain financial support when life throws tough moments your way. Finding wrongful death attorneys with years of legal experience could make a huge impact if you lose a loved one. Fighting for financial justice is a must.   

Build a rainy day fund

Savings are a crucial ingredient in the recipe for long-term stability. However, your 401k plan is merely the start. Studies suggest that the average family would struggle to deal with an unexpected bill of $500, and this is something you need to change. Have a savings pot or a separate bank account and slowly add funds as and when you can. This will prepare you for those unforeseen issues, allowing you to avoid payday loans and other desperate measures.   

Protect your personal details   Taking the right steps on an individual level is one thing, but you must not ignore the influence of outside factors. The harsh reality is that a lot of fraudsters will try to get to your money. Being aware of the various scams doing the rounds will help you stay protected. If you use online banking or have a smartphone App, you must be sure to embrace solid data protection. Even if your insurance firms will cover any losses, the stress it causes is huge. Prevention is always the best protection.

The Financial Steps Every New Mom Should Take

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Being a new mom brings lots of responsibilities. Including some financial ones. The cost of having a new baby in the house can be more than some had bargained for. With healthcare and diapers costing quite a bit before you start on anything else. What other financial matters should you as a new mom be considering?

Purchase Term life Insurance 


If the worst happens to you, how would your family cope financially? Suddenly they have to face many extra costs, as moms do so many things for free. There could be childcare and babysitting and other expenses associated with children.

 There are the expenses that would be incurred if you died, such as your funeral. If you discover more about getting insurance cover for these circumstances now, you can have peace of mind over this matter. You might think you don’t need to worry about this stuff now.  The better prepared you are the better it will be for your whole family.


Life insurance need not be as expensive as you think, especially if it is for a set number of years. Most parents have Term life insurance to cover  their children until high school.

You should also consider long-term disability.  In the event of a serious accident in which you become disabled, any income you lose is partly covered for a while at least.



Make a Will

Everyone has some assets.  even if they are not worth a great deal. You should make a will to ensure that whatever assets you do have go to the people you want them to. Without a will, there can be lengthy legal battles after losing someone they loved. that is the last thing a family should have to go through.

You could also take the opportunity to specify who you would want the legal guardians to be in the event that both you and your partner were killed in a road accident. 


Start Saving

 Start saving some money for the future. It does not have to be large amounts, but as you see your money grow, it will encourage you to save even more. It could be that it is to be used for your children’s college education, for their wedding or maybe for your retirement. Once you get into the habit it becomes easy and for some people turns into an obsession.

 

Build an Emergency Fund


It makes financial sense to have some money behind you in case of emergencies. Keep this money should in a separate account aim to save enough for six months living expenses. Then if while your children are growing up, you have to change your job or find yourself out of work, you will have a breathing space to get things in order before your finances get out of hand.

When your family starts, you will have so many things to think about that finances could be the last thing on your mind. You should find the time at some point though to sit and sort all these matters out, or at a later date, you might regret that you didn’t.

Financing Your Family: Earning Money Around Raising Children

Raising kids while earning money can be a difficult balance to get right. While most of us want to be around for our children as much as possible, we need to earn enough to pay the bills- and also keep our skills sharp for our own sake in some cases. Thankfully there are ways it can be done, here are a few ideas.

 

Work part time

If you have the option to work part time, this can be a great way to keep building your skills without feeling like you’re missing out on raising your children. You could either return back to your previous career or workplace part time, or look online and see where is hiring which offers hours that would work for you.

It doesn’t have to be the most amazing job in the world and it doesn’t matter if it’s not what you want to do forever. It’s a way to earn money in the here and now, and hopefully build skills that will look good on your resume. It also prevents you having large gaps in your employment history.

If it’s something local and isn’t too stressful then it’s worth considering- if you’re the kind of person that likes to be out and doing things, it can prevent you from getting cabin fever by staying at home too. Just be sure to workout your childcare options, unless you’re getting help from family and friends it’s not always worth working since the childcare costs can outweigh what you’re earning. But definitely something to consider.

 

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Study from home

If you’ve chosen to be a stay at home mom, there are things you can be doing to help out towards your career in the long run. Take online study for example, you can do this in any free time you get and it’s completely flexible. You could study for a degree which would open plenty of new doors when you come to apply for jobs later down the line.

If you’ve already got your degree, an online masters would allow you to specialise. If you’re qualified in a nursing field for example, an msn leadership degree would allow you to get a higher, and higher paid position when you come to apply.

 

Start your own business

If you want to earn money but can’t, (or don’t want to) leave the house where you’re caring for your children, why not start a home business? It’s very possible to earn a good living doing so these days, and you don’t even need any particular skills.

Buying and selling stock for a profit for example could earn you a decent income, of course if you do have skills then you could make you own things to sell. Whether it’s occasion cakes, jewellery, homewares or more. Since you’re the boss you can decide on the hours you want to work, and you can really fit it around your parenting and other things you need to do during the day.

Futureproof Your Family’s Finances

Keeping a roof over your family’s head, making sure they’re fed and have everything they need is an essential job as a parent. So when money is tight, making ends meet can be stressful. Here are some of the ways you can improve your money situation which will benefit you in the here and now, as well as later down the line.

 

Get out of debt

Being in debt is expensive. Because things like loans, credit cards and store cards all charge significant interest, every month that you carry a balance you’re paying out extra money. One of the best things you can do in terms of your finances is pay off your debts. Sell things you don’t need to raise money, cut back on luxuries for a while and take on some extra shifts at work.

At the very least, consolidate debts with one loan or card which has a smaller interest amount so you’re paying less overall. If you’re in serious trouble with debt then speak to a debt management agency. They can liaise with your creditors and arrange more affordable monthly repayments as well as get interest frozen.

 

Save money

Once you’re out of debt, your next step to giving yourself a secure financial future is to save money. Have an emergency fund that’s only ever used in true emergencies– this will stop you from falling into debt or getting in a pickle if you’re landed with an unexpected expense. You can always have a separate savings account for things like luxuries that you want to buy- new technology, a new car, a vacation etc. But keep your emergency fund in tact.

 

Get insured

To prevent getting stung with certain expenses, it can be worth getting insured. Medical, dental, pet and home insurance can all prevent you from being left out of pocket if the worst were to happen. While these will be an extra expense that you will need to work into your monthly budget- however it could save you thousands in the event of an incident. While a good injury lawyer will be able to get you the compensation you’re entitled to if you have an accident, medical insurance will pay out while you’re waiting for the claim. That way you don’t end up in tons of debt and go broke waiting for the claim to pay out as this can take some time.

 

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Establish a side hustle

You can work a job for years and years and feel totally secure, but what happens if one day the company goes into administration? What happens if they’re bought out by someone else and decide to get rid of you as an employee, or you lose your job over unforeseen circumstances? This is a worry for everyone, but one way you can protect yourself is to build up a side hustle. Something that you can do in your spare time (and ideally is fun and enjoyable) but earns you a second income.

Even if it’s not a full time wage, having a second income to fall back onto can be a lifesaver during a difficult time. Start an eBay business, write a blog, or build up your ratings on freelancing site so you can always get some extra work when you want it.

Take Charge of Your Financial Future With This Great Advice

Bossing your finances is such an essential part of day to day life, and you have to make sure you get it right. Think about what it takes to improve and bolster your money, as well as how you can improve your credit as well. There are so many costs you have to worry about in 2018, and it always seems like it is difficult to make ends meet; this is why you need to take action.

 

Think about the different expenses you’re going to face in your life, and how you can tackle these in a positive way. There are so many amazing things that you can do to get a better handle on your money and stay on top of things. Check out this great advice that is going to help you make the most of your money as well as strengthening your financial future moving forward.

 

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Consult With Financial Advisors

 

Do what you can to consult with financial advisors and experts who know what you need to do to make the most out of your money. Head to a site like The Ascent and use the advice and facilities they have to help you gain more control of your money. This is something you need to prioritize on a daily basis, especially if you are someone who isn’t good with your money.

 

Stop Spending So Much

 

You also need to get real about your spending and try to cut down on it as much as possible. This is something that can have a huge impact on your money, and if you are bad with finances spending is probably your biggest vice. Start being more disciplined and trying to do what you can to improve the way you are spending. Prioritize what matters, and then think about disposable income and what you can use it for moving forward.

 

Prioritize Your Debt

 

There are so many things to keep in mind when it comes to keeping on top of your money, and prioritizing your debt is one of the biggest. There are so many things to consider here, and you need to look at how you can keep your debts in check. Prioritize and make sure you clear the most pressing debt first. If you feel like you are drowning, a debt management company is definitely the way to go.

 

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Get Rid of Some Expenses

 

Getting rid of some of your expenses is a really great way of working toward making the right choices to make you financially stable. There are definitely going to be some expenses in your life that are not needed and are just eating into your bank balance every week. Figure out what these are and start getting rid of them as much as you can to free up more money.

 

These are a few of the best ideas you can use to help you take charge of your finances better. This is something that can be challenging in this day and age, but you need to make sure you keep better financial control. This will help you and make your family more comfortable in the future, so you have to ensure it is a priority.

 

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