Blog - Page 2 of 236 - Making Sense Of Cents

Home Buying Tips You Need To Know Before You Buy

July 29, 2019 BY Michelle Schroeder-Gardner - 7 Comments

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through my links, at no cost to you. Please read my disclosure for more info.

If you are looking to buy a house, I have a bunch of home buying tips that will help you sort through all of your options, understand the real cost of a home (and help you save money), and make the right choice.

Buying a house is a huge purchase.

In fact, it is usually the largest purchase a person will ever make.

The median U.S. home value is $226,800 and the median price of homes currently listed is $291,900, according to Zillow. And, there are some areas that have much higher average home prices, like four to five times more.

Purchasing a house is a huge commitment, and it’s easy to get excited and forget to think about some very important things before plunking down a huge amount of money. There are just so many factors to think about, and not everyone will have the same concerns. [Read more…]

3 Super Common Legal Mistakes Bloggers Make (and How to Fix Them)

July 26, 2019 BY Michelle Schroeder-Gardner - 7 Comments

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through my links, at no cost to you. Please read my disclosure for more info.

Hey everyone! Today, I have a great article from Liz Stapleton. A licensed attorney since 2012, and a blogger since 2014, she has spoken at both virtual and in person conferences, including FinCon (my favorite blogging conference), on the importance of legally protecting your blog and business. She is the founder and voice behind Less Debt, More Wine – a personal finance site, and ElizabethStapleton.com, where she helps readers earn more money while making sure they are protecting themselves and their businesses legally. Enjoy!

When you first decide to start a blog, you are filled with ideas and inspirations and a long list of what you want to do. But chances are the legal compliance and protecting your blog aren’t high on that list if they’re on there at all.

After a while you realize there are probably some things you need to do to either protect or blog or to have it be compliant with the law.

Unless you went to law school, you’re probably stressing about what those things are and perhaps how much it would cost to hire a lawyer.

Well, I’m excited to be here to help you understand some of the most common legal mistakes bloggers make and what to do about them so that you and your blog are keeping things legit and your income is protected. [Read more…]

Five Things I Never Want To Run Out Of

July 24, 2019 BY Michelle Schroeder-Gardner - 7 Comments

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through my links, at no cost to you. Please read my disclosure for more info.

The following post is sponsored by TIAA. All opinions are my own.

There are five things that I never want to run out of. These include:

Travel and adventure – I always want to be able to RV, sail, hike, and ride bikes. I love being able to explore, do new things, and see what this amazing planet has.
Delicious food – Who doesn't love food?
Dogs to pet – This one is another no-brainer.
Time with family and friends – This sparks joy, of course!
Retirement income

And, today, I want to talk more about retirement. This is a personal finance blog after all!

Retirement is so important. [Read more…]

Are Excuses Causing You To Be Bad With Money?

July 22, 2019 BY Michelle Schroeder-Gardner - 5 Comments

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through my links, at no cost to you. Please read my disclosure for more info.

If it is important to you, you will find a way. If not you will find an excuse.” ― Anonymous

As a financial writer, I hear a lot of reasons for why a person can't pay off debt, save more money, retire, travel more, and so on. While some of these are legitimate reasons and there are people who are stuck in a bad situation, I find that some people are just bad with money.

I honestly do know that some people have a much harder life than others.

But, I’m talking about people who keep justifying poor financial choices with excuses that prevent them from living the life they want.

These are things like why someone “needs” a brand new car or huge house. Choosing those things doesn’t make you bad with money, it’s when you let them be the reason you aren’t able to work towards more important financial goals.

If you want to be better with your money, you’re going to have to stop making excuses and start making better choices. [Read more…]

2 Strategies and 3 Habits That Helped Me Pay Off $93,000 of Debt in 3.5 Years

July 19, 2019 BY Michelle Schroeder-Gardner - 12 Comments

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through my links, at no cost to you. Please read my disclosure for more info.

Hello! Today, I have a great debt payoff story from Heather O’Donnell of HappyHumbleHome.com. Enjoy!

These days, I’m a frugal living blogger at Happy Humble Home and I provide money saving advice and encouragement to others.

But there was a point in my life, not that long ago, when I thought I would be in debt forever.

When my husband and I got married in August of 2015, we had $105,000 of debt. Since then, we have worked very hard towards our goal becoming debt free and we have crushed $95,000 of our debt.

Along the way, we’ve used 2 different debt payoff strategies and we’ve learned 3 essential habits that have helped us be successful along the way. In this post, I’m going to give you an inside look at how I overcame my giant mountain of debt because I know without a doubt that if I can do this, you absolutely can too. [Read more…]

Can You Really Make Money With Paid Online Surveys?

July 17, 2019 BY Michelle Schroeder-Gardner - 7 Comments

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through my links, at no cost to you. Please read my disclosure for more info.

Looking for paid online surveys for money? Yes, you can get paid to take surveys – I have! Here's how you can find paid surveys and make extra money.

Not too long ago, one of the top ways I made extra money to pay off my student loan debt was by doing paid online surveys.

No, I didn't get rich from them, but I was able to earn some side cash by taking online surveys in my spare time.

The way I made it work for me is that I signed up for as many online survey sites as I could. Due to that, I was able to complete at least a few surveys each week.

There were many times when I would receive an easy $100 check in the mail from completing surveys in a one-month period. The work is really easy. It can all be done from home, on your own schedule and timeline, so it's a win-win! [Read more…]

6 Credit Card Myths You Need To Know The Truth About

July 15, 2019 BY Michelle Schroeder-Gardner - 5 Comments

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through my links, at no cost to you. Please read my disclosure for more info.

As someone who works in the financial space, I have heard tons of bad advice regarding personal finance. People just love giving others advice (sometimes it is good). And, some of the worst advice I’ve heard has been credit card myths.

I know that most people are only trying to help, but sometimes the advice is so bad that you wonder if that person is purposely trying to spread bad information!

Money is a funny subject like that, though.

Until we start having more open conversations about it and spend as much time learning about finances as some of us do reading the latest gossip, watching sports, or something else, then we still have a long way to go.

Talking about money, such as credit card tips and how to save money, can help everyone improve their financial life. After all, if no one talks about it, then you would never even know what mistakes you’ve made in the past. It would also be very hard to correct those mistakes. [Read more…]

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