Personal Finance Archives

7 Steps to Paying Off Your Credit Card Debt in 2019

The following is a guest post from Conor Richardson, CPA is the author of MILLENNIAL MONEY MAKEOVER: Escape Debt, Save for Your Future, and Live the Rich Life and founder of MillennialMoneyMakeover.com, where he helps Millennials master essential money matters. If you’d like to submit a guest post to Money Q&A, check out our guest posting guidelines. Americans love credit card debt. The heady elixir of easy money is hard to resist. But as you enter into the New Year, carrying over a credit card balance from the previous year can sometimes make for a nasty financial hangover. With the average US credit card holder holding a balance of $5,839, it might take more work than you realize. How to Pay … Read more

How To Actually Keep Your New Year’s Resolutions This Year

by Hank Coleman

I’m horrible at keeping my New Year’s resolutions year in and year out. They typically fall by the wayside a few weeks into the new year. I don’t mean to give up on them so soon. Are you the same way? Do you know how to keep your New Years resolution this year? I continue to make the same mistakes when designing my New Year’s Resolutions year after year, but I am bound and determined to make this year different than the past few. Did You Make Too Many New Year’s Resolutions? Did you make too many New Year’s Resolutions? Do you make several in different categories of your life? For example, did you set the goal of getting out … Read more

Who Should Get a Christmas Tip? Your Mailman? Here’s Your Ultimate Holiday Tipping Guide!

by Hank Coleman

Every year I write an article about how I am not going to tip my mail carrier for the holidays. I’m not a fan of tipping my mailman, garbage man, and a long list of other folks. I typically take a lot of heat in the comment section for my anti-Christmas holiday tipping philosophy. There are several reasons that I refrain from tipping certain people in my life, like my mailman. But, there are those that I go out of my way to give a tip to such as my housekeeper, my barber, and my guitar instructor. I’m not going to tip my mail carrier this Christmas. Who are you tipping this year? A List of Popular Holiday Tipping Every year the … Read more

How to Tell Your Children that Santa Is Broke This Year

by Hank Coleman

What do you tell your children when times are tough? Is Santa affected by the recession too? How do you tell your children Santa is broke? One of the worst mistakes that we can make is to pretend that nothing is wrong and continue operating in the same manner that we always have during the holidays when our family is struggling financially. It becomes hard to maintain the status quo when times are tough, and it is especially tough around Christmas and the holidays. And, trying to continue the same way is a horrible mistake. We get used the good times with tons of presents under the tree, showering friends with presents, and decorating your home like an Oswald. But, … Read more

3 Simple Ways to Help You Live the Life of Your Dreams

by Hank Coleman

Note – The following post is sponsored by USAA. All opinions are my own. Do you have dreams for your life and your family? Of course, you do. We all do. And, our family finances play a huge role in living our dreams and living our dream life. How to Live the Life of Your Dreams We all have big dreams for our families. And, our finances play a huge role. Here are three simple ways to help you live a life of your dreams. 1. Spend Less Than You Earn Spending less and you earned is a staple in personal finance. It’s the number one goal that sets people apart from those who have success with their finances and those … Read more

How to Create a Budget You’ll Actually Stick To

by Hank Coleman

According to recent studies, just 41% of Americans have a budget. For the other 59% or so who just “wing it” when it comes to managing their money, they could be missing out on valuable opportunities to save money on everyday expenses, decrease their debt loads, and put more money into investments for retirement. If the idea of creating and sticking to a budget makes you grimace, either because you think budgeting is boring or you tried and didn’t like the results you got in the past, then here are a few proven strategies to help you really stick to a budget this time around. How to Make a Budget Be Realistic If you think budgeting is difficult simply because … Read more