Budget Archives - Making Sense Of Cents

Pros And Cons Of Tiny Houses (Is It Right For You?)

Last Updated: January 2, 2023 BY Michelle Schroeder-Gardner - 1 Comment

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.

Wondering what the pros and cons of tiny houses are? Thinking about living small?

Tiny homes are becoming more and more popular each year. Plus, there are so many different options for tiny homes.

You could live in an RV, boat, van, treehouse, build a small home, and more.

After several years of living in smaller homes, I feel like I am a pro at it – haha! When I was just 18 years old, the first place I rented was a very small house (it didn’t even have a bedroom, the bathroom was tiny, and my head almost touched the ceiling in the basement). I have also lived in a camper van, RV, and sailboat.

All of those places have been much smaller than the average house size.

In fact, according to the National Association of Home Builders, the average new single-family home is 2,561 feet.

After living in tiny homes for so long, the average size house sounds big, even though I know most people don’t feel that way.

When we were thinking about living small, we weighed up the pros and cons of tiny houses and chose it because we wanted to travel with our home. Being able to bring our home with us and travel at the same time meant that we could bring everything with us and visit new places.

Some people decide on a tiny house because it can help you save money, or perhaps, you simply want to live in a smaller space with less stuff. Maybe you know that you don’t need much space to be happy!

I am obviously biased, but even I will admit that living in a tiny house isn’t always easy.

So, what are the disadvantages of a tiny home? Are tiny houses really worth it? Is it cheaper to build or buy a tiny house? How do tiny houses get water and electricity?

These are all questions that I will answer in today’s article about the pros and cons of tiny houses. [Read more…]

Your 2023 Financial To-Do List (15 Things To Check Off)

Last Updated: January 23, 2023 BY Michelle Schroeder-Gardner - 3 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.

Do you have money tasks that you need to do but you keep putting off? Today’s financial to-do list will put you back on track so you can start checking things off your list.

Managing your whole life, especially your financial life, can be difficult.

There are so many things to remember and so many things you’ve said you’ll get to – I know I’ve been there.

If you’re like many people, you either procrastinate or you simply can’t find the time to squeeze everything in. If this is you, then this financial to-do list checklist will help you make the time to get stuff done!

The purpose of this to-do list is to help you take control of your financial life. The items on this list will help you save more money, plan for the future, budget, protect your family, pay off debt, and more.

I believe that everyone should have a financial to-do list, and if you’ve never made one, today’s article will give you an idea of what should be on yours.

Now, you definitely do not have to do everything on this to-do list, but this list will give you ideas and motivation for making and tackling your list. You may also find some things you would normally forget about or overlook.

After reading through this article, you will be prepared to start checking things off your list! [Read more…]

10 Budget Friendly Meals (Easy, Delicious, & Affordable Recipes!)

Last Updated: January 2, 2023 BY Michelle Schroeder-Gardner - 2 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.

Are you looking for delicious and easy budget friendly meals?

Finding affordable meal options can be a huge help when you’re trying to save money.

Because the cost of food has gone up so much in the past couple of years, nearly everyone can benefit from having ideas for recipes for budget friendly meals.

In fact, food prices have gone up by over 11% in the past year, but there are still ways to eat delicious food without going over budget.

In today’s post, I have ten recipes that will help you save money as you prepare tasty meals for you, you and your partner, or your family.

The recipes in this post are for all different tastes and diet types. There are vegetarian options, gluten-free meals, kid-friendly meals, and more. [Read more…]

65 Life and Money Tips That Will Change Your Life

Last Updated: December 26, 2022 BY Michelle Schroeder-Gardner - 1 Comment

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 each year ends, I like to round-up all of my blog posts on Making Sense of Cents from the past year in one easy spot so that you can check them all out and see what interests you.

I have divided all of my blog posts into the following categories:

Freebies you can sign up for
Make money or work from home
Money saving tips
Personal money stories (early retirement and debt payoff stories)
Money management tips
Make money blogging
Life, motivation, and inspiration
Travel

Also, I have a private community group for readers of Making Sense of Cents. If you want to improve your life and your financial situation, join here and let’s all help one another out!

Enjoy these life and money tips!

Freebies you can sign up for

[Read more…]

20 Best Money Saving Apps (I’ve Used Many Of These Apps!)

Last Updated: January 10, 2023 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.

Looking for the best money saving apps and websites?

When it comes to using technology to save money, there are a variety of money saving apps and websites to choose from. I’ve sifted through the best personal finance apps to find which ones will help you save the most money, and I’m sharing a list and summary of your best options.

What I love about these kinds of apps is that you can easily keep track of your savings. You can simply pull out your phone and see what’s happening with your finances.

Whether they make managing your money easier, allow you to make or save more money, simplify financial tasks, cut your expenses, or something else, there are many benefits to the apps I’m sharing today.

Saving money is so important, but it can be difficult to do with the rising cost of things. That’s why every little bit counts when it comes to saving money!

The money saving apps and websites below will help you:

Save money from your phone
Save/earn money when shopping online
Manage your money online
Side hustle online
Save when you grocery shop
Set and reaching savings goals
Invest for your future
Improve your spending habits
Cut your expenses

And more.

The apps I’m sharing will work on Apple iOS, Android, laptop, and/or tablet. You should be able to sign up for them through your phone’s app store or by visiting the company’s website.

In today’s article, I am going to explain the top money saving apps and answer frequently asked questions, such as if money saving apps are safe, why these apps are willing to pay you cash, and more. [Read more…]

How We Paid Off $189,000 In Student Loans In 4.5 Years

Last Updated: December 16, 2022 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! Here’s how Sarah DeShaw and her husband paid off $189,000 in student loans in 4.5 years. Please enjoy this debt payoff story.

Learning how much student debt my husband had was one of those moments in life that is absolutely seared into my memory.

We were on the beach. I was 20, he was 26. We were in love. We were both born and raised in the Midwest, but he moved to the coast of southern Georgia while we were dating and I had traveled to visit him.

Although we hadn’t been dating for too long at the time, we both knew this was a special connection – marriage material if we wanted.

My strategy while dating my husband was to ask as many hard-hitting questions I could – each a test of sorts to make sure I liked his character and instinctual responses.

I was trying to protect myself by asking what I felt was all the “hard stuff” up front.

He always passed with flying colors.

We’d never really talked about our financial situations and I knew we needed to start the conversation if we were thinking about joining our lives together one day.

I was nervous. I thought he might be disappointed in how much money I didn’t have. I didn’t have any debt, but I didn’t come from money either. I had maybe $7,000 to my name from working summers and around my school schedule. [Read more…]

70+ Goal Ideas For 2023: Make This New Year The Best Yet

Last Updated: January 1, 2023 BY Michelle Schroeder-Gardner - 4 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.

What are your goal ideas for 2023?

Do you want to improve your finances? Focus on your health and fitness? Want to build better relationships with your friends and family? Are you looking for inspiration to reach your life goals?

There are so many different yearly goal ideas, and since 2023 is almost here, now is a great time to start thinking about yours.

Whether you want to call it a New Year’s resolution, a New Year’s goal, or simply just a goal, setting personal goals for 2023 is a great way to start the year.

Your goal ideas can give you a fresh start and focus your energy on what you want in the new year.

Setting goals for the new year comes with many benefits, and you’re probably well aware of that.

Your New Year’s goals for 2023 can keep you motivated toward improving your life and trying new things, and goals can also keep you excited about your future.

Goals can help you grow, give you motivation, help you learn new skills, improve yourself, and more. There are so many benefits!

For me, I enjoy setting goals. I may not reach all of my goals, but they give me an idea for how I’d like my life to look in the future.

It’s also an exciting feeling to set new goals for myself!

Setting goals helps me create some sort of plan, and honestly, the planning aspect is something I really enjoy as well.

Now, that doesn’t mean that goals are easy to keep. Good things don’t always come easy! In fact, they usually require some hard work, but that’s what makes it feel so good when you achieve them.

Today, I am going to share some great 2023 goal ideas and tips for making each one attainable. If you’ve been wondering:

What are some ideas for goals?
What are some fun personal goals?
How do I set goals that I can actually reach?

Then this post is for you! This is a long list of goals for 2023.

With the New Year’s goal ideas on this list, you will be ready for a motivating and exciting new year. [Read more…]