budget tips

How-To: Break 5 Bad Financial Habits

Everyone has a bad financial habit.

Everyone has a bad financial habit. We live in a country that spends billions on advertising to make us want to make purchases; However, if you are looking to make change and break your bad financial habits use these tips. Remember: even though the habits are hard to break and require conscientious effort, there is payoff. Note the emphasis on the word payoff.

  1. Pay bills when you receive them. Think of all the stress and anxiety (not to mention late fees) that you experience when you put off paying your bills. When you receive the email notification or open the bill in the mail, take care of it. It will only take five minutes, and you won't be swamped with bills at the last minute.
  2. Use cash and not your card. You need to save up for a trip or need to pay off a credit card, but you have a hard time controlling the amount of swipe purchases you are making. Minimize this urge by using your ATM card once a week to withdraw the amount of money you have allotted yourself for the week. Keep your cards at home, and even stow your credit cards in a hard to reach place in your closet to keep you from using them.

See more ways to break your bad financial habits.

budget tips

Does a SodaStream Really Save You Money?

There's nothing more refreshing than a bubbly drink, but sipping that beverage can bust your budget — even if you're drinking plain mineral water.


There's nothing more refreshing than a bubbly drink, but sipping that beverage can bust your budget — even if you're drinking plain mineral water. I admit to having a pretty severe sparkling water obsession. It's sans calories, fat, or additives, and is satisfying with a splash of fresh juice, which made checking out the SodaStream pretty enticing. With the help of a carbonating cartridge that costs $15 per refill, the SodaStream promises up to 60 liters of bubbly beverages. So, did it deliver?

Read on for the review.

career

Unemployed? 9 Dos and Don'ts of Getting Laid Off

So, you got laid off.

So, you got laid off. It happens, and it doesn't have to be the end of the world. Sure, it might feel good to lie on the couch for a week and do nothing, but you eventually have to get things into gear! Our friends at LearnVest are here to share all the dos and don'ts of the unemployment world:

Most of us wouldn't think to associate the words "joblessness" and "fun," but unemployment coach Katie DeVito says she wouldn't have it any other way: "The best thing that ever happened to me was getting laid off."

After the loss of her communications position at a nonprofit, DeVito dispatched a tweet to find out how many fellow New Jerseyans were also out of work. With that tweet, she found her calling: the overwhelming response inspired her to found NJ Unemployed, a support group for job-seekers in the Garden State to facilitate the exchange of stories and advice for moving forward professionally after the loss of a job.

Now the site has over 1,000 members, and DeVito says being part of the community helped her not only find a new job, but also put her fate in perspective. That's one way not to let a pink slip get you down.

We also spoke to experts to find out several key unemployment dos and don'ts when you want to get back on the career track. Heed these tips, and you, like DeVito, could wind up even happier than you were before.

Read on for more

consumerism

19 Lottery Winners Who Blew It All

Although it seems like winning the lottery would solve your problems, this isn't always the case.

Although it seems like winning the lottery would solve your problems, this isn't always the case. In fact, for a lot of previous winners, they ended up right back where they started from, or worse! Our partner site Business Insider has collected lottery horror stories about winners who didn't really win in the end:

As America salivates over the $590 million Powerball prize won by a Floridian, we're reminded that winning the lottery will not solve all problems.

In fact many people's lives became notably worse after they got super rich, and they managed to lose it all in no time.

RELATED: This Man Is A Shining Example Of What To Do If You Win The Lottery

  • The Griffiths bought their dream home then life fell apart
  • Before they won a $2.76 million lottery jackpot, Lara and Robert Griffith hardly ever argued. They bought a million-dollar house and a Porsche.

    But 18 months ago, six years after their win, Robert drove away in the Porsche after Lara confronted him over emails suggesting he was interested in another woman. Their 14-year marriage was over, a freak fire gutted their house, and every penny of their fortune was gone.

  • Tirabassi is back in the working class after winning $10 million nine years ago
  • In 2004, Sharon Tirabassi, a single mother who had been on welfare, cashed a check from the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp. for $10,569,00.10 (Canadian). She subsequently spent her winnings on a "big house, fancy cars, designer clothes, lavish parties, exotic trips, handouts to family, loans to friends" and in less than a decade she's back riding the bus, working part-time, and living in a rented house. Luckily Tirabassi put some of her windfall in trusts for her six children, who can claim the money when they turn 26.

Read on for more.

consumerism

9 Tricks to Negotiate Anything

Negotiating is tough, especially when you're inexperienced.

Negotiating is tough, especially when you're inexperienced. It seems like most of us are afraid to try simply because we don't know the ins and outs. Lucky for us, our partner site DailyWorth has some tricks that could help you land an excellent deal!

My husband was on the phone with a nursing home he and his siblings had chosen for their parents, when I heard him ask, “Can you do anything for me on the price?”

My jaw dropped. My husband — who’s a nice guy, by the way — has a mantra: everything’s negotiable. But really, a nursing home? I was shocked that he took on a big company like that — but I can’t quibble with the five percent discount he got on the room rate.

Many women (like me) recoil from negotiating, whether it’s big-ticket items [i.e., $200 and up, from necklaces and cameras to couches (and nursing-home rooms)] or their own salaries. You’re either afraid of looking like a tightwad or haggling seems too mysteriously hard to do. Right?

Read on for more.

budget tips

How-To: Save on Everything You Do This Weekend!

The weekend is finally here, but don't get carried away and start spending like there's no tomorrow.

The weekend is finally here, but don't get carried away and start spending like there's no tomorrow. No matter what you do this weekend, there are plenty of ways to save, so be sure to keep these budget-friendly tips in mind.

If you're grocery shopping . . .

Practice simple tips like buying store brands, not falling for supermarket tricks that get you to spend more, and avoid overbuying. If you bought too much, you can share them with a friend before it goes stale. Be sure to skip the nongrocery items because the prices are often marked up!

If you're looking for a good book to read . . .

Go to your local library and pick out a book to read. If you rather read from the comfort of your own laptop or Kindle, check out $1 ebooks by indie authors on Amazon.

If you're going to do some dry cleaning . . .

The weekend is the best time to get your chores out of the way, and if you're thinking of doing some dry cleaning, be sure to do research to scout out a dry cleaner's that will give you the best bang for your buck. You can even dry clean your clothes at home with certain products. Check out other tips to help you save on your dry cleaning!

Read on for more ways to save this weekend.

budget tips

Clean Your Coffee Grinder With Stale Bread

Is your coffee grinder in need of a cleaning?

Is your coffee grinder in need of a cleaning? If you have some stale bread on hand, it's the perfect ingredient for a grinder quick-clean. All you have to do is tear up stale bread into chunks and throw them in the coffee grinder. Grind it for a few seconds, open it, and you'll see coffee bits sticking to the bread, which you can then dump out.

Photo: Sarah Lipoff
consumerism

14 Gifts Any Graduate Will Appreciate

It's graduation time! This also means a time for buying graduating family members or friends gifts for accomplishing one of the many milestones of life.

It's graduation time! This also means a time for buying graduating family members or friends gifts for accomplishing one of the many milestones of life. I asked a few of my graduating friends what they would want as presents and it seems that most of the gifts are tailored with job hunting in mind. It's not surprising since finding employment is the most pressing item on any graduate's mind right now! Read on for ideas on what to get graduates.

budget tips

Spray-Paint Flea Market Finds to Make Them Look Brand New

Along with finding helpful living essentials at your local flea market, you can also pick up really cheap home decorations.

Along with finding helpful living essentials at your local flea market, you can also pick up really cheap home decorations. You might be surprised at how those $1 table vases and figurines can be transformed into seriously chic accent pieces. Here are a few tips for spray-painting your flea market finds:

  • Search for ceramic or wood vases or plates to use for spraying. You can also spray-paint glass jars and containers with really cool results. Try not to be distracted by the colors of the original item, and concentrate on the shape and form of the figurine. We couldn't pass up these finds at our local flea market that rang in at $1 total!

  • Before painting, wipe down with a damp paper towel, removing any grime or dust stuck in the grooves. Allow the item to completely dry, and then select a color to use for spray painting. White is elegantly chic, while using a pastel blue or green is fun and fresh too.
  • Take the items outdoors, and lightly spray with paint. You'll need to apply at least three to four coats to get a nice and solid covering of paint. Don't rush, and do light coats; they keep the paint from dripping or pooling, which can alter the shape and design of your cool figurines.
  • Let completely dry before handling, which can take several hours. Display the painted figurines on bookshelves, mantels, or special corners of your home.