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From Young and Broke - view blog entries - visit this blogDecember 11, 2020 at 12:00 pm ET
I received an email over the weekend from a reader, Lauren, asking if I had a comprehensive list of retailers that offer discounts to college students. While I have no such list, I realized - what a great research project this would make! Hopefully, over the next month or so, I can gather a list of stores that offer money off for students, much like the 10% discount that Lauren told me college students can get at J.Crew just for showing their ID! Who knew!
On the same subject, a great site I'm familiar with is called Student Savings Club. Basically, ... ( more)
From Young and Broke - view blog entries - visit this blogDecember 8, 2020 at 11:09 am ET
With the end of the year looming, and holiday spending and all kinds of other financial nonsense, now is a better time than any to check out some more frugal entertainment options for keeping yourself busy in your spare time (if you're lucky enough to have any!). Here is one tried and true Young and Broke idea... feel free to add some more comments after the jump!
- Potluck Party: Last Friday, Josh and I attended a friend's birthday that another one of our pals took care of organizing. Basically, it was a BYOB potluck party, and it was so much ... ( more)
From Young and Broke - view blog entries - visit this blogDecember 7, 2020 at 11:35 am ET
This week's Young and Broke Young Money Questionnaire features Nori, 26, from Fort Campbell, KY, who has a degree from Murray State University and works for Branch Banking & Trust. Nori is married and her husband is currently deployed, which I imagine would make for an interesting financial situation.
As usual, my questions are below in BOLD, Nori's answers are normal, and my comments are in italics. If you are interested in participating in the questionnaire, please send me an email at amandagleason773@hotmail.com!
How much do you spend on food weekly?
My husband is currently deployed, so I'm able to follow a pretty ... ( more)
From Young and Broke - view blog entries - visit this blogDecember 6, 2020 at 1:00 pm ET
The Man of Leisure blog is up, fully functional, and full of posts for your reading enjoyment!
Go check out my better half's much more interesting and entertaining blog about life's pleasures...
... ( more)
From Young and Broke - view blog entries - visit this blogDecember 6, 2020 at 10:27 am ET
I noticed an article yesterday on CNN Money that claims businesses will be increasing bonuses overall this year. Before you start celebrating, however, it seems that they are cutting back in other areas as well.
Apparently, this year 49% of companies - an all time high - will dole out bonuses to their employees, both at the managerial level and below, with a median bonus being higher than the past $200-$300. Yet, simultaneously it looks like companies are reducing the number of paid-time-off days available to their employees, leaving us worker bees with less time to spend our bonuses on gadgets ... ( more)
From Young and Broke - view blog entries - visit this blogDecember 5, 2020 at 10:45 am ET
Right about know, you and everyone you know (well, everyone celebrating Christmas or Channukah or any other gift-giving holiday this month) are knee deep in holiday shopping for your family and friends. So, like last year, I'd like to take a few moments to promote some very special gift ideas that will make a huge difference in many peoples lives.
I try to encourage charitable giving all year round, not just around the holidays, however, this is also a time of year when people are buying a lot of presents for each other - so why not promote buying philanthropic gifts ... ( more)
From Young and Broke - view blog entries - visit this blogDecember 4, 2020 at 11:45 am ET
One of the terms that makes me squirm most in this world is when people refer to clothing is "investments". When I first graduated from college, I worked very briefly in the St. John department at Neiman Marcus. St. John knits, whose suits and separates run around $1500 - $3000 for a jacket, are frequently refered to as "investment dressing" by the sales reps and customers alike. The reason for doing so is because you're supposed to pay a lot for the items, which are of high quality, and where them for many many years to come.
Here's the flaw: like ... ( more)
From Young and Broke - view blog entries - visit this blogDecember 1, 2020 at 11:00 am ET
This week's Young and Broke Young Money Questionnaire features my interview with Laura, a 26-year old living in Vancouver, Canada (I must be big with the Canadians - this is my second interview with one!) with her boyfriend, another roommate, and their 5-month-old puppy. Laura graduated from the University of Geulph (in Ontario) majoring in Hospitality and Tourism Management and has been working in the same industry since as an associate consultant.
As usual, my questions are in BOLD, Laura's answers normal, and my comments in italics.
How much do you spend on food per week?
We have a grocery store here called ... ( more)
From Young and Broke - view blog entries - visit this blogNovember 29, 2020 at 11:26 am ET
As I've mentioned before, I hate shopping in stores. I think it's the combination of crowds, salespeople, feeling rushed by my shopping partner(s), not being able to compare from brand to brand, etc. Thus, the majority of my shopping - and ALL of my holiday shopping - is done online.
I imagine that more people would shop online if they felt more comfortable with the security of their information on the web. Truly - shopping online can be risky IF you don't know the proper steps to take to protect yourself. Once you do, spending on the web is a piece ... ( more)
From Young and Broke - view blog entries - visit this blogNovember 28, 2020 at 11:50 am ET
Check out this cool post from the Credit Card Lowdown blog - they offer Lessons from Mom: 33 Easy Cost-Cutting Tips!
... ( more)
From Young and Broke - view blog entries - visit this blogNovember 28, 2020 at 11:35 am ET
When I decided to change jobs, one of the first things I worried about was "What do I do with my 401 (k)"? You see, my last place of employment was also my FIRST place of employment since graduation, so I had never experienced the joys of transfering a work-sponsored retirement plan before. I had to research my options and during that process, discovered that there were three paths to consider:
- I could leave my funds where they were, with my old company's plan. They would continue to be invested and managed by the same people as when I worked ... ( more)
From Young and Broke - view blog entries - visit this blogNovember 27, 2020 at 11:21 am ET
Wow - where did the year go? I don't think it quite hit me until this weekend that 2006 was coming to a close. All of a sudden it was like - wham! - it's almost Christmas/New Years, which means we all have a lot more to do than just buy presents.
The end of each year is a time that is well spent reviewing your finances from a number of different perspectives. You'll need to start thinking about how you spent your money throughout the year, what major expenses you have coming up in the next one, how you're going ... ( more)
From Young and Broke - view blog entries - visit this blogNovember 22, 2020 at 10:12 pm ET
Happy Thanksgiving, one and all!
What am I thankful for? The following...
1) My husband. A great, kind and goofy man.
2) My family. They're smart, caring, and FUN - I couldn't ask for more.
3) My friends. They are of the top-notch, high-caliber friend variety.
4) Squash. That's right - you heard me. Butternut, acorn, pumpkin and even sweet potatoes. I can't get enough and it would be thanksgiving without you.
5) YOU! That's right - you, reader-friend. Writing this blog is my favorite hobby, and I'm thankful for your feedback and readership.
Now, tuck in!
... ( more)
From Young and Broke - view blog entries - visit this blogNovember 22, 2020 at 10:31 am ET
Pretty much every night when I enter our building's mailroom, I encounter a ledge beneath the mailboxes absolutely littered with miscellaneous mail. I often sort through it, just to check and see if any belongs to Josh or I, but I think that it is generally just mail for old residents who've moved out and haven't left forwarding addresses. I can understand why the mailperson would just leave it there - they can't just throw it out and they also don't want to take it with them - however, it kind of poses a problem.
There's a reason why people tell ... ( more)
From Young and Broke - view blog entries - visit this blogNovember 21, 2020 at 5:19 pm ET
...or those who aim to be!
Josh, my better half, is kicking off his new blog - and it's going to be much more fun and interesting than this one! Man of Leisure is a site for all people (men and ladies alike) who enjoy both the finer things in life (a great bottle of wine) as well as life's simple pleasures (some White Castle sliders). Josh's hobbies have always revolved around doing things that pretty hedonistic (eating, drinking, traveling, relaxing, etc.), so this will really be the perfect arena for him to share his passions with the world.
Check it out ... ( more)
From Young and Broke - view blog entries - visit this blogNovember 21, 2020 at 3:34 pm ET
I loooove Target. Target has, unlike other mass merchandisers, just totally taken it to a new level in terms of low-price, high-quality products. They've got their GO International clothing collections, designed by famous couteuriers (not to mention the Isaac Mizrahi staples), in addition to great looking furniture and electronics. Needless to say, I've already purchased a good number of my holiday gifts from Target.
However, as I've mentioned before, I never shop online without hunting down a coupon first. The best place, I've found, for Target coupons and discounts is at Coupon Chief - they round up all the active deals ... ( more)
From Young and Broke - view blog entries - visit this blogNovember 21, 2020 at 10:46 am ET
The USA is a tipping nation. In almost every other country I've visited, tipping is less of the norm (or even unacceptable). However, here in the States the bigger the tip, the better, and almost no tip is ever refused.
That's not to say that tipping isn't inherently confusing. When I became old enough to handle my own money, around high school, I remember grabbing my parents giant copy of Emily Post's Etiquette and reading through the entire section on "Gratuities" just so that I would never have to be embarrassed. Even though it's not necessarily necessary, I often over-tip. Someone ... ( more)
From Young and Broke - view blog entries - visit this blogNovember 20, 2020 at 12:00 pm ET
I have bad eyes. When I was 14, I started squinting to see the blackboard and consequently bought my first pair of glasses. Finally, when I was 19 and a sophomore in college, my mom allowed me to get contacts (I don't think she realized until then that I really couldn't see ANYTHING without my glasses - I think she thought it was just for driving). Thus, for the past 5 years, I've been spending around $110 a year, plus the cost of annual eye exam ($20 copay) and new frames/lenses ($50 - $150).
So, now I'm thinking, maybe it's time ... ( more)
From Young and Broke - view blog entries - visit this blogNovember 20, 2020 at 10:23 am ET
I caught a story this morning on CNN.com revealing that the US mint will be promoting people to acquire and use a new $1 coin (article here).
I'm all for the dollar coin. Having lived in two other countries (Australia and the UK) where "dollar" coins (and $2 coins) were completely the norm, I find them very efficient. You can use them in parking meters and vending machines, whereas here in the states, if you don't have any quarters but have a dollar bill, you're often out of luck. I also find it much easier to deal with just using ... ( more)
From Young and Broke - view blog entries - visit this blogNovember 17, 2020 at 11:50 am ET
Each month Bankrate.com runs a Frugal $ense contest in which readers can submit their frugal tips and potentially win $100. For this Frugal Friday edition, I'll share some of their top tips, with my comments, for you here. If you've tried any of these pointers before, please comment - do they work? Is it worth it?
- Therapeutic dog bed - The winning entry claimed that by replacing her dog's old bed by stuffing the old cover with Memory Form, she was able to fashion a new - and healthy - bed for her eldery canine.
- Make your own vegetable stock ... ( more)
From Young and Broke - view blog entries - visit this blogNovember 16, 2020 at 1:15 pm ET
This week I interviewed Albert, a 25-year old mechanical engineer who's a little bit different than most young and brokers, I imagine. Albert has been married since he was 19 and now has a 2-year-old son. What's more, he has an MS in mechanical engineering and a savings rate of about 25% of his gross income (yowza). His wife is a stay at home mom who recently started working part-time for about 15 hours a week. So, when Albert contacted me - I was intrigued. How do they do it?
As usual, my questions will be in BOLD, Albert's answers normal, ... ( more)
From Young and Broke - view blog entries - visit this blogNovember 15, 2020 at 12:37 pm ET
I recently received an email from one of the co-founders of a most excellent site: Early Earners. I'm a big fan of making finances simple and spreading the word about starting savings young, and Early Earners does just that.
The site started out directed towards kids, teens and their parents, but has recently expanded to include a "Save for Yourself" section that is geared towards our demographic here at Young and Broke: young adults interested in learning more about saving and personal finance.
One of the key features of Early Earners is that it connects people with accounts that will work best ... ( more)
From Young and Broke - view blog entries - visit this blogNovember 14, 2020 at 2:14 pm ET
Although I try to stay away from making this blog "All About Me", I feel like it's important for me to interject some tidbits here and there about my own personal finances because I think it is that sharing of personal experiences that makes blogs so unique.
On a quick side - but relevant - note, some of you may have noticed that I do not, like other PF Bloggers, post my monthly net worth. There are multiple reasons for this:
1) I do not intend for this blog to be a chronicle of my life and my finances. I think it ... ( more)
From Young and Broke - view blog entries - visit this blogNovember 13, 2020 at 2:10 pm ET
It's really amazing to me how so many personal finance blogs can be in existence now - with more and more popping up every day - and yet, each one (generally) has a unique tone, an independent perspective...
Sure, I think that we overlap one another on topics from time to time, but it's the personal experiences that we share that make each blog interesting and one of a kind. I came across Free the Drones recently, a personal finance blog that is broad in it's scope of topic, and I think it's going to become a regular read for me. ... ( more)
From Young and Broke - view blog entries - visit this blogNovember 13, 2020 at 12:21 pm ET
Some of the benefits of shopping online:
1) No lines
2) No salespeople
3) The ability to compare and contrast items/prices
4) Coupons!
Coupons, indeed. Pretty much anywhere you shop online these days offers some kind of cash back, rewards points, or online promotional codes that allow you to receive small to significant discounts on your order. As I've mentioned in earlier posts, I prefer online shopping for all the reasons above - and more - and I almost never order anything without first checking to see if I can get a coupon.
How can you save big on your web purchases? First of all, ... ( more)
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