11 Financial Habits I Wish I’d Started In My 20s

Financial lessons I wish I'd learned in my 20s

I wish I had…

It’s a sad statement that every one of us has said or thought at some point. Most of us could finish that sentence a dozen different ways.

The truth is, we all live with regret. Maybe your regrets are about money, many of mine are. I can think of a dozen things I wish I’d started doing 15 years ago.

Keep Reading

Why I Drive a $500 Car

Driving a $500 Car

Sadly, I had to replace the Smurf Turd last year. 🙁

I am 32 years old, and I’ve owned more than 30 vehicles.

This includes cars, trucks motorcycles and scooters that have varied in quality from not-even-close-to-roadworthy, through to brand-new off the lot.

For the last year and a half, I’ve been riding a brand new motorcycle. I bought it off the lot and justified the expense as “worth it to have something reliable”. I also told myself that I work hard (which is true), and I deserve a new toy (which is not true).

Keep Reading

7 Ways To Lower Your High Electri Bill

High Electric Bill

Introduction

Being on the receiving end of a super high electric bill can be a frustrating experience. When you get your cell phone bill, the usage is broken down item by item so you know exactly what you did to cause the extra charges.

The power company can’t provide you with that data. They simply take a reading off of your meter and send you a bill. This can leave you mystified as to what you’ve done to cause the extra charges.

This happened to me recently. About a week ago I got the highest electricity bill I’ve ever had. It was nearly double what we normally spend. A typical power bill at our place is around $200 for two months. Still too much in my opinion but manageable.

Keep Reading

How To Negotiate The Best Deal On Craigslist

how to negotiate on craigslistDo you like to buy things used to save money? Keep reading to learn how to negotiate on Craigslist.

Living on a budget is what I’m all about. One of the cornerstones of living on a budget is buying things on the used market rather than buying new.

Of course you can’t buy everything used. There are a few things that should always be purchased new – toothbrushes, underwear and sandwiches are a few examples.

For most other things, you can get a way better deal on the used market, and there’s no better used market for most things than Craigslist. Learning how to negotiate a deal on Craigslist is relatively easy. Most people are willing to be bargained with if you’re respectful and informed.

Keep Reading

How To Deal With Unexpected Expenses

unexpected expensesAs a relatively new homeowner, I’m still learning how to deal with unexpected expenses of the residential variety. Home ownership brings with it a higher level of financial risk than most other things.

Yesterday, I came home to a leaking hot water heater. I’ve been looking at the thing since we bought our house two years ago, knowing that it was well past it’s life expectancy. Somehow, I was still caught off guard when it started leaking last night.

Keep Reading

8 Good Reasons Not To Buy A New Car

reasons not to buy a new carSo here you are, seriously considering purchasing a brand new vehicle. The truth is, you’re probably already looking at new cars. You may even be planning to buy one shortly. Before you do, first consider the reasons not to buy a new car.

You probably have a lot of friends that drive new vehicles. You’ve been in them. They’re comfortable, classy, sexy and probably destroying your friend’s finances for the foreseeable future.

I’m glad I caught you before you take the plunge. I have been down this road before, 3 times to be precise. Partly because I’m a sucker for a slick salesman and partly because I used to care deeply what people think of me. That was what drove me to buy new vehicles.

Keep Reading

25 Things You Should NEVER Pay Full Price For

Things you should never pay full price for

Who doesn’t love a good deal? In this post, I’m going to show you how to save hundreds of dollars per month on things that you already buy. Do you ever think about how many times in a week you just whip out your credit card and pay what a store is asking?

Do you realize you could be throwing away hundreds of dollars per month?

I’m always on the hunt for a good deal, I guess you could say it’s in my blood. My father is a salesperson’s worst nightmare.

My dad will walk into a store, approach a group of salesmen and ask: “who wants to wish they’d called in sick today?” He does this of course, because it works. The sales staff know he’s not messing around and nine times in ten, he gets the deal that he’s after.

Keep Reading