Spending Wisely

  Managing your money is a complex skill, especially now that you no longer have to leave the house or even pull out your wallet in order to spend money. That’s why it is more important than ever for you to track spending and stick to a budget. But the old-school methods of budgeting can be far too onerous for the new Millennium. Hardly anyone wants to be carrying an old-fashioned ledger book around with them to record … [Read more...]

Budgeting for couples may require more effort and attention than budgeting on your own. But it's a habit many couples desperately need to learn. A recent Magnify Money survey of over 1,000 Americans revealed some alarming facts about marriage and money. One in five couples who responded to the survey regretted combining finances with their spouse. And 21% of respondents cited finances as the primary cause of their divorce. It's … [Read more...]

Frugality is having a moment. A lot of us are embracing frugal living these days, and for good reason. Frugality can open up a lot of opportunities in our lives. It puts us more in control of our money and helps us to determine what’s most important to us. Living frugally means making intentional choices with your everyday spending. It means mapping out your financial—and life—goals and then aligning your spending to help you … [Read more...]

  Feeling frustrated when it comes to money in your relationship? Often, it's easier to sweep things under the rug than have those tough financial discussions with your partner. Or maybe the talks themselves aren't difficult, but it's tough to keep track of all the little details that make up your financial life. You'd rather be enjoying your time with your loved ones, not checking to make sure the bills are paid or nagging … [Read more...]

At the YMCA where I used to work out, there was always a large stack of AARP magazines available for perusal during my 30 minutes on the elliptical or treadmill. Despite being in my 30s, it was always my favorite magazine to borrow for a workout—although I’d sometimes hide the cover like I was reading something illicit. I thought of AARP as an organization for...well, older people. It's called the American Association of Retired … [Read more...]

Editor's note: PT here. I'm happily paying BillFixers $27 a month ($324 in total) for the next year. Why? Because they saved me a total of $648 on my Internet service with AT&T! To see how BillFixers could work for you, check out our full review below... Bills, bills, bills! They can seem never-ending. From your cable bill to your lawn service, they just keep piling up. I am always looking for different ways to lower my bills … [Read more...]

This is my long-awaited My Body Tutor review. I've tried all sorts of diets and exercises over the last 20 years. Running and calorie restriction, the Atkins Diet, Weight Watchers... And every time I committed to something, I saw progress, but nothing permanent or life-changing in terms of the food I was consistently putting in my body. Looking back, I can see that what I was trying didn't last because it was missing long-term, … [Read more...]

I have long been a money nerd. As a small child, I used to empty my piggy bank, count everything that was inside, and put it all back in, feeling pretty good about my net worth as an 8-year-old. So, it should come as no surprise that the detail-oriented piggy-bank counter has grown up to use a pretty complex system for keeping track of my family budget. I mentioned to PT on our podcast conversation that I have an Excel spreadsheet that I use to keep tabs on every … [Read more...]