Why you need a sinking fund and how to start one

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Why you need a sinking fund and how to start one

There are certain expenses you cannot plan for, an unexpected death, a debilitating illness, a car crash. But there are some expenses you can prepare for. 

You know eventually you will need a new car. 

You know that your home will need a new bathtub, new fridge or (in what we're dealing with right now) a new roof. 

That is why you need a sinking fund. 

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How to make your first budget

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How to make your first budget

Let's be 100 percent truthful here. The word budget doesn't exactly conjure up warm and sunny thoughts. It sounds boring. There, I said it. It just sounds boring. 

I think the idea of living on a restrictive budget that is going to limit fun just makes people NOT do it. But actually a budget is freeing. 

First you have to get started. It doesn't have to be a complicated process. 

Grab a piece of paper a calculator and a pencil. 

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How do I talk to my spouse about budgeting?

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How do I talk to my spouse about budgeting?

Marriage can be tough. Just ask any married person. If you're straddling to communicate with your spouse about money it can make things more difficult, more tense, more troubling. 

I get this question a lot: How do I get my husband to budget? Or how do I get on the same page with my spouse? 

Recently I sat down and talked to Jason about his thoughts on getting a couple to think in sync when it comes to finances. 

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Build a budget with the EveryDollar Budget App

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Build a budget with the EveryDollar Budget App

It can be hard to build a budget and it can be even harder to stick to one. I know, I've been there.

But part of paying off debt or building toward savings goals is learning to live on a budget.

You just have to suck it up and do it.

My husband is a pen and paper person when it comes to making our budget. He likes to see all the numbers all at once.

I need immediate results, meaning I need to track my expenses as they happen. If I carry receipts around chances are they will get thrown away. And while I think cash envelopes are fantastic, I would just rather use my debit card.

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8 Ways to slash your cellphone bill

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8 Ways to slash your cellphone bill

Over the past year our family has cut our cellphone bill by 35 percent. We cut our bill by around $50 a month saving us $600 a year!

Today I thought I would share with you some tips and tricks for cutting cellphone costs. 

1. Consider a discount provider. When our contract with Verizon was up we diced we were done with the "big four" (Verizon, AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile.) We had been under contract with two out our of those companies for nine years and our cell phone bill was ALWAYS too much. 

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