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…]

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…]

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…]

Bask Bank Review: Earn Airline Miles For Saving Money

Last Updated: December 7, 2022 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.

This Bask Bank Review is in partnership with Bask Bank.

Are you looking for a savings account that will allow you to travel more and help you diversify your savings?

Bask Bank offers a new and unique way to save money. With a Bask Bank Savings Account, you can actually earn airline miles instead of interest just by saving your money in a savings account.

Yes, Bask Bank will pay you to save!

Bask Bank is helping people reach their savings goals by offering three ways to save – a Mileage Savings Account rewards account holders with 2 American Airline AAdvantage® miles for every $1 saved annually, an Interest Savings Account that earns 15 times the national average APY* (as of December 1, 2022, you can earn 3.85% APY with the Bask Bank Interest Savings Account) and a Certificate of Deposit Savings Account.

That is a very competitive interest rate and one of the highest that I have ever seen.

Sounds great, right?

If you have questions, such as the below, then this Bask Bank Review is for you:

What is Bask Bank?
Is Bask Bank safe?
Can Bask Bank help me travel more?
What is the Bask Bank Mileage Savings Account?
How many American Airlines AAdvantage® miles do I earn with a Bask Mileage Savings Account?
Is Bask Bank FDIC insured?

You can learn more about Bask Bank by heading to their website here. [Read more…]

How We Bought A House And Only Pay A $116 Monthly Payment

Last Updated: November 18, 2022 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.

Hey everyone! I have an update to share from a reader named Nichole. She first shared her story in August of 2021 about how she went from -$20,000 to a six-figure savings by 26 years old. Today, she is sharing her story on how she bought a house and has a low monthly payment.

The following will outline the steps my husband and I, both 27 at the time of purchase, took to buy a house during a high market.

We did a previous post titled How We Saved Over $100,000 By Age 26. Although we did not reach our original goal of paying all cash for our home, we did get our monthly payment down to $116!

Yes, you read that correctly, one hundred and sixteen dollars.

I encourage you to read our story above before reading this one, as this is an update to the previous post. My husband and I have lived in a room the past 3 years with our 3 cats, and yes, it is as bad as it sounds. We are happy to announce we are living in our own home and our cats are very happy to run around and even have their own catio (cat patio)!

First, let’s start with the house details! Below is a short description of the purchase of our home. We bought early 2022 during a hot market in Southern California. [Read more…]