5 tips on finding the best wedding ring for your money

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“WILL you be part of my life?”

I resoundingly replied, “Yes, I will spend the rest of my life with you.”

While it was a breeze to say “Yes” to a life-changing decision, looking for the engagement ring that I wanted was not.

Even if you’re not a big fan of jewelry like I am, you still need to do your homework. Here’s what you need to know when shopping for an engagement or wedding ring:

1. Set a budget. Your soon-to-be bride may not be too keen about wearing an expensive ring but as Robin said, from centuries back, a ring (usually a diamond ring) traditionally serves as a betrothal gift to the bride and that traditionally, the price tag is equated to the kind of love he has for his bride. Seguir leyendo 5 tips on finding the best wedding ring for your money…

What it means to be truly wealthy

Would you be able to recognize a rich person just by looking at him? Probably! Most people can clearly imagine how a wealthy person would look like; someone with a huge salary, nice clothes, expensive jewelries, nice big house, drives a car, eats at fancy restaurants and mingles with the famous and powerful people in society. Such a person could really be rich but not all of them are! Some of them could also be suffering from financial difficulties and “baon din sa utang” just like many Filipinos.

If you can’t say for sure that a person is rich based on his looks, his actions & what he appears to own, ika nga “mukhang mayaman”, how then can you tell with certainty if someone is wealthy or not? We use a simple rule and it’s neither spiritiual nor philosophical in nature; just plain economic common sense:

          “You are truly wealthy if you can continue to live comfortably your desired
           way of life even if you stop working for a living!” Seguir leyendo What it means to be truly wealthy…

10 ways to simplify your life in 2008

With a little upfront effort, you can streamline how you bank, pay bills and track your money. Now is a good time to set up a financial system that will pay off all year long.

It’s not your imagination. Managing your money is getting harder.

You have to make a lot more decisions than folks did a generation or two ago.

Instead of one health plan, you may need to choose from half a dozen — if you can afford coverage at all. Instead of an employer-provided traditional pension, you have to manage your own 401(k) and figure out not only how much to save but how to invest.

Instead of a single credit card with a relatively low rate — all that was available to most households in the 1970s — you probably have a wallet full of options, all with different rates, terms and due dates to monitor. Seguir leyendo 10 ways to simplify your life in 2008…

5 steps for coming to terms with your financial situation

So I am an active listener of the Dave Ramsey show and I listen to it religiously everyday via iTunes. After hearing caller after caller come to Dave for their financial advice I have come to the conclusion that many of these people which most likely represent all of us really need to come to grips with our financial situations. Many of times you know the answers to these problems, whether it be debt, changing careers, retirement concerns, etc.. We know our situation better than anyone else and many times we know what needs to be done. However, we need a kick in the butt to start thinking about it.

So lets begin. Lets start thinking about.

1. Put it on paper

First thing you need to do is put your situation on paper. Find out where you really are at. Sure you have an idea floating around in your head somewhere but you really need to see it all laid out to begin building a foundation.

2. Come clean with others you may be affecting

If you are keeping financial hardships from your spouse or significant other (only if they are directly involved) you need to come clean. Now. You need to create a plan together and work through it. You will feel better and they will feel better (maybe not at first). Seguir leyendo 5 steps for coming to terms with your financial situation…

I Am Glad Oil Prices Are Rising

I know this is selfish and evil, but I need to get this out of my system.Of course, the rising oil prices cause sharp momentary pain at the gas pump and gradually increasing pain at retail stores; but, there is a silver lining to this dark cloud that I am discovering about now.

If you head over to a campus recruiting department at any college around this time of the year, you will know what I am talking about. Companies are picking up students like hot cakes - full time, part time, interns, and co-ops.

It’s difficult to trace the exact routes of all the excessive oil profits, but I guess you can observe some end effects when it comes to recruitment stats. Big companies, small companies, service companies, manufacturing companies, software companies, and many other companies … the money eventually trickles down to all of them and then they all try to get a piece of the action. Seguir leyendo I Am Glad Oil Prices Are Rising…

To Merge or not to Merge…

When my spouse and I first moved in together (yes, before we were married) we kept everything generally separate. We opened a joint checking account, and we each deposited a set amount into it per month to cover all of our joint bills, like rent and utilities, and groceries (I cook, he doesn’t, so our groceries became joint). That sort of worked. Except my spouse and I split all the bills 50/50 and my income was a third of what his was (I was in graduate school). I had left my graduate student housing to move in with him, and it was significantly more expensive than where I was living before.

Eventually, my spouse’s mother set him straight on what a financial burden he was creating for me (without any input from me - she just assumed he was paying more than I was and her assumption made him think about the actual reality) and we had a big talk and we decided to completely merge our finances. By this point we were engaged and the wedding was only a few months away so it wasn’t as big a step as it could have been. I took on his credit card debt, he took on mine, and we sailed off into the sunset… or at least, to where we are now. Seguir leyendo To Merge or not to Merge……

Things I’ve Learned About Money by Not Having a Lot of It.

Last week I told you about my biggest financial success:  becoming a stay-at-home mom.  Today I’d like to expand upon the things I’ve learned along the way.

When I quit my job a month before our first child was born, nearly half our income went away.   We were left with $19,000 a year to live on.  Yes, $19,000.  Right now you might be saying that me quitting my job was possibly the stupidest thing I could possibly have done.  But I think it was a smart decision.

I learned really quickly that I had to prioritize financial obligations.  Sure, it would have been nice to have lived in a single family 3 bed/2 bath home with a big yard.  Instead we chose a single wide manufactured home in a park.  The price was right, and the park was family friendly.  Yes, we lived near a rock quarry, but when my daughter became a toddler, she LOVED looking at the trucks from our kitchen window. Seguir leyendo Things I’ve Learned About Money by Not Having a Lot of It….

35 Minutes to Wealth

In the October issue of Money Magazine, one of the cover stories was 47 ways to get on track to a rich life in 35 minutes or less. Of the six plans they offered,the best one is “Building Lifetime Wealth” in 35 years.

1. Own stocks. Since 1925, the S&P 500 has gained 10.2% a year. In the short run, stocks are riskier than bonds and cash but you have 35 years.

2. Pay Less. The 1.5% annual fee you are paying on your mutual fund may seem small but over 35 years, this can take a big bite out of your account balance. If you have a $10,000 balance, the difference between a 1.5% fee and a .2% fee is over $50k over 35 years. Seguir leyendo 35 Minutes to Wealth…

7 Ways To Get A College Degree For Less

In addition to starting a 529 college savings plan for our son, I also have been looking at alternatives if my wife and I couldn’t reach our savings goal. These alternatives may come in handy if we run into some unforeseen financial difficulties. Aside from the usual financial aids (e.g., scholarships, grants, work-study, student loans, etc.), here are 7 alternatives that can help us spend less for college:

1. Opt for a less expensive school

In general, state universities are the best value for in-state residents; representing a good balance between costs and quality. To look for the best value, Kiplinger’s Best Values in Public Colleges Database is a good place to start. Seguir leyendo 7 Ways To Get A College Degree For Less…

10 Ways To Completely Ruin Your Credit

This post is inspired by one of my readers, whom I will call Mr. M. This is not the usual list of improvement tips, so don’t follow these. If anything, please do the opposite. Here are 10 ways to completely ruin your credit score, waste a lot of money, and get yourself in trouble:

1. Respond to every pre-approved offer you can lay your hands on; especially those in-store cards
2. Buy everything you ever wanted with credit
3. Pay your bills late
4. Don’t pay your bills if you can’t afford it
5. Let your accounts go to collection
6. Don’t pay your landlord
7. Don’t pay your taxes — who cares about tax liens
8. Use your bills as firewood when they turn off your electricity
9. Use payday loans as an emergency fund
10. Declare bankruptcy

Are you doing any of these?

Source: http://www.paidtwice.com/2007/10/17/10-ways-to-completely-ruin-your-credit/