While it might not feel like it, if you don’t have to pay money for something, it’s almost the same thing as saving said money. The best example of this is interest that you pay when you borrow money (and carrying a balance on your credit cards from month to month IS borrowing money). Over the last two-plus years I have talked about interest on many occasions, but I shared one of my favorite analogies in a post in August 2019. I invite you to revisit “ EarnIt or Pay It–You Choose ” and survey the shape of your boat. I can hear the questions whispered under your breath, “What is she talking about?” Go check it out and see. Happy America Saves Week, everybody.  

Did you know that my youngest child was born the same year as the web? She is 27. That makes me a little older than 27.  I find it interesting that there is an entire generation that does not remember what it was like before the internet existed. But we are not here to talk about that. This week we are talking about saving, because today is day four of America Saves Week, and we are celebrating! Thanks to the internet, almost 20 years ago I started selling on Ebay. I did not make tons of money selling items on the side, but I did alright. About two years later, I discovered third-party selling on Amazon. I didn’t do too badly there. Having this “side gig” helped me get out of debt and save like never before. I have a friend whose daughter LOVES dogs. She has opened her own doggie daycare, if you will. She is more than supplementing her income–it’s become her family’s main revenue stream. I have always suggested that everybody needs a home-based business if for nothing else bu...

I have had a habit for years, and I have no intention of kicking this one–I am at a point in my life that I actually like to exercise. Weird? Maybe, but I’m also at an age where I just don’t care what anyone else thinks. 😉 Now, this habit has caused me to learn a few things about myself. One of them is this: when I exercise, I am not hungry, even if I was before I started. “And just what does this have to do with finances and America Saves Week?” my favorite followers are wondering. I’m getting there.   When I want to eat something that I probably shouldn’t, and that DOES happen from time to time, if I get up and do something physical, like, go for a walk, the urge to eat leaves. Nice, huh? Shopping and overspending are SO EASY to do these days. I mean, we’re constantly on the computer being bombarded with ads that enable us to make a few clicks and voilà, ecco qua, or before you know it, something cool arrives in our mail boxes! Of course, one must pay for those impulse b...

I do realize that since Covid, cash, especially coin, has become a little scarcer than it used to be. That being said, it is still out there. And change and small bills can be a good way to save money. If you happen to be using Dave Ramsey’s “envelope system” then you just might have some cash lying around. I happen to have a huge water bottle (the kind that goes into the water cooler around which everybody congregates, gossiping, at the office) into which I throw my change and small bills. Is there much in it right now? Well, no, but it’s all ready should I have some change or small bills to toss in there! Today I suggest you have some kind of “system” for accumulating small change and bills. It might take a while, but it does add up.

Apparently, America Saves week has been a thing since 2007. I took this right off their website , “Since 2007 America Saves Week has been an annual celebration as well as a call to action for everyday Americans to commit to saving successfully.” How did I, as your Financial Friday blogger going on three years now, not know this before yesterday? What rock have I been hiding under? I did a little research and found that this year, they aim to help in Building Financial Resilience which “includes being conscious of your own financial landscape, being aware of available resources, and being willing to seek out and take advantage of opportunities that will support and increase your financial wellness.” This is awesome. I do think we need to devote more than five days per year to this effort. However, this is a good start. Now, AmericaSavesWeek.org has a tip a day for five days. Because I am not a plagiarist, I have come up with a list of my own. Here’s today’s tip (in graphic form, jus...

I have a new person in my life. We have quite a few things in common, one of which is the fact that both of us like to schedule things out. He told me his nickname is Captain Plan-It–if you say you want to go to San Francisco to see Alcatraz, give him a few hours and your debit card and he will have plane tickets, reservations for the ferry at Pier 39, and an itinerary within a few hours. Sounds like my kind of guy! Speaking of traveling (stop me if I've told you this), I’ve been on a handful of cruises in my life. I think I’ve planned all of them at least a year in advance. You know I don’t do debt, and having a goal like this gives me something to work (and save) toward. Even my adult children know that I don’t do last-minute very well. One of them recently called and asked me more than a MONTH in advance to babysit one of my grandchildren. Okay, I’m not really THAT bad, but I do appreciate the extremely early heads up. Now, there is a deadline looming. Most adults really d...

I have a friend who, like me, has had a lot of different jobs in his lifetime (my comprehensive list just might astound you). One of the careers on his resume makes me shudder to think about–sales. Now, if you’re good at sales, you can make a lot of money. I have never considered myself to be in that category. That being said, one of the things this friend told me about sales kinda stuck with me. He said, “If you don’t ask, the answer is  NO.” I have had personal success with that–asking for something–myself and receiving what I’m asking for, albeit not in the area of sales. So I don’t knock the idea. In fact, I’m going to encourage you to get out of your comfort zone and make a query. If you are still on your debt-free journey and have a credit card with a balance, it’s time to give the financial institution a call and ask for an interest rate reduction. That’s right, many times credit cards will do that for you just because you asked. If you don’t ask, the answer for sure wil...

Have you ever had to write a blog post on something that you didn’t necessarily agree with or get behind 100%? Probably not. I wrote a blog post about a year ago on this same subject, and I’m afraid I haven’t yet learned to care (shame on me). I mean, I know it’s important in this day and age, but if you totally adhered to the principal of using cash for everything, the subject of a credit score would be moot. But because everybody seems to worship their credit score (insert eye roll and sarcastic tone here), I suppose it might be important to do what one can to protect it. So, let’s talk about that. I hope you don’t mind if I quote myself–my advice is still quite relevant. “Check out annualcreditreport.com for reports from each of the three credit reporting companies. Make sure they are accurate. Reach out to them if they are not. Close old yet still open accounts with zero balances. Even consider freezing your credit since you are no longer relying on debt and, like me, don’t in...