Wedding Budgeting from a Personal Perspective: Part 2
August 25th, 2008

We got engaged in May and wanted to get married as soon as was practically possible. So, we first decided to decide on a date, in the hopes that it would help other things to fall in line as well. We knew there was a lot to plan, and at first, we were overwhelmed. While there are web sites like The Knot and indiebride to help you deal with specific questions, there's really nothing to tell you exactly where to start planning your wedding.

Wedding Budgeting from a Personal Perspective: Part 1 August 18th, 2008

This series of articles is meant to chronicle my slow descent into insanity-otherwise known as wedding planning. As I give some tips about how to stretch your dollar when you get married, I'll tell you about my own experiences with the process so far, which may or may not be helpful to your own planning. Please feel free to leave any comments or questions!

Savings Bonds April 14th, 2008

This website has covered many aspects of budgets and financial planning, from online savings accounts, to tax help. To eating out on a budget. One thing that is not discussed very much in the world of personal finance is government bonds. These can be a great addition to your portfolio, especially in periods such as this one that are full of financial uncertainty.

Minimizing Banking Risk during the Credit Crunch April 7th, 2008

If you've been reading our articles and preparing your personal budget, creating retirement investments and saving money, you should have a sizable amount in the bank (or at least some money to go off of.) With everything that's been going on in the news lately, you might also be concerned about what would happen if your bank defaults much in the way Bear Stearns, Countryside, and lots of smaller financial institutions have.

Rising food prices March 31st, 2008

Chances are if you frequent a lot of the same restaurants, you have seen prices for your favorite dishes increase over the past several months, especially at pizza restaurants. This phenomenon is a result of exploding food prices. Food and non-alcoholic beverage prices have risen 4.7% in 2007, with wheat prices and milk prices being the highest, as a result of higher oil prices and the deflating dollar. What can you do about it? There are several ways to save on food prices and still stay within your monthly budget.

Tax Preparation March 24th, 2008

The taxman cometh. Are you ready? Technically, you should have already at least finished your taxes, if not mailed them in. However, if you are like this author, you are still sweating. Well all know, taxes are important, especially this year, when you are eligible for a refund. But what if this is your first year paying taxes, and you don't know where to turn, or where to start? In order to fit taxes into your budget planning, here is a small guide, which by no means replaces talking to your parents, a financial adviser, or just a really good friend that's an accountant.

What is an IRA? March 17th, 2008

When planning for a sound financial future, IRAs are a great way to go. They can be confusing, especially if you've never heard of them. But, they don't have to be intimidating. With a little bit of exposure, you can find a way to figure IRAs into your monthly budget planning and into the larger picture of your financial life.

What are CDs and IRAs? March 10th, 2008

Banks are most commonly known for services such as savings accounts, but it seems that every time you walk into a branch (or glance at a bank's website,) that they have other services available, in particular, IRAs and CDs. While they may seem uninteresting now, learning about these two products and other long-term services your bank offers can be a great help in the long-term. It's easy to get confused between these two products, so here's a breakdown:

Time Equals Money March 3rd, 2008

You know the old saying, 'Time equals money.' It's been used so much that we usually say it without giving any thought to the meaning. But if you really think about it, this expression is so true, especially when budgeting and beginning to live on your own after college. Here's an example: you want to live close to work in the city. This usually entails rent more expensive than what you would usually pay. However, you save money on transportation and on going to work every day, which equals money.

Managing Monthly Bills Part 2 of 2 February 25th, 2008

This article is the second of a two-part article examining how to manage your monthly bills.

Managing Monthly Bills Part 1 of 2 February 18th, 2008

In college, the only things that were constants were exams. In the real world, it gets worse. There are bills. At first, it can be overwhelming to be expected to pay certain expenses every month, without fail. The harder part is probably to budget them into your monthly expenses. Speaking from personal experience, I can say that the first time I was expected to shell out over $1000 for my one-bedroom apartment (I live in the DC area), then, on a different day, $50 for my cell phone, then Internet, I was definitely overwhelmed.

Interest Rates/online banking February 11th, 2008

The recent economic instability has a direct impact on your finances in the form of interest rates. You may have heard that Ben Bernanke cut interest rates last week, by half a point, and two weeks ago, and by .75 of a point two weeks ago to stave off the recession, which at this point, looks pretty much impossible.

Bang for your buck when going out February 4th, 2008

There was recently an article in the Washington Post about how much people from 21-35 spend when going out. Basically, a group of 20 and 30-somethings were asked to manage their personal budget for two months (Play Money) and then do a breakdown of their expenses. Some of the responses were astounding, "When Paxton Styles goes clubbing with friends, his drink of choice is Crown Royal whiskey. That, he says, is not good for his finances. In two weeks, he spent $680.43 on his social life. Much of that -- $296.16 -- went towards bar and nightclub tabs. Happy hours cost him $133. Dinners and late-night munching were another $94.92."

Valentine's Day Budgeting January 28th, 2008

You think you have budgeting all figured out. You have your monthly budget all planned, you have a bill manager or some sort of budgeting tool set up, and you are on track with your purchases. Then, BAM-the holidays. More specifically, Valetine's Day, at this time of year, invades your life with flowers, chocolates, chocolate-dipped flowers, teddy-bears, chocolate-dipped teddy bears, and all the rest. How do you deal with Valetine's Day? More specifically, how do you deal with any interruptions in your regularly scheduled life?

Generation Y January 21st, 2008

If you've just graduated from college within the past five years or so, you are part of Generation Y. This demographic group is making headlines for their unique way in which they seek jobs, choose life paths after college, and behave towards other generations such as the baby boomers.

Beginning Investing January 14th, 2008

If you've recently started to live and work in the dreaded real world. You may have started making money and started hearing your coworkers or friends talk about investing. Although it can be intimidating to manage your money in such a risky way, especially if you are not sure what you are doing. However, there are many great places you can start looking for investing tips.

Learning to Budget January 7th, 2008

You've learned astrophysics, biochemistry, and sociology. Now, you've graduated and need to learn Cooking 101, Networking at work, and, probably most importantly, budgeting. If you have an automated expense manager, this is an easier task. No matter how you do it though, it's an important life skill to learn, and it's never too late to start.

Consolidating Loans December 31st, 2007

Graduating from college is a big accomplishment. But, so is paying your student loans afterwards. If you have entered the real world not only having to adjust to living on your own and working, but paying huge monthly payments, you are not alone. Millions of graduates start "real life" without monthly budgets, any way to manage their bills, and all of their student loans scattered, a huge burden to take on alone.

How to Cut Down on Book Expenses December 24th, 2007

Books: you can't study without them, and you can't save any money with them. True, bookstores are evil and the publishing companies are Satan himself. But complaining about the books will not make them cheaper. Here are some ways you can outsmart them and feel smug while you're doing it.

Finance Basics for College Students December 17th, 2007

You just moved away from home and you're starting to get bombarded with credit card offers, bank offers, loan consolidation, bill planning services, and you also have midterms coming up. How do you make sense of it all?

Ways to Make Money in College December 10th, 2007

So you've run through all of the funds from the bank of Mom and Dad, your savings from your summer job, and your friends won't lend you any more. It's tough being a college student. Not only do you have to focus on going to classes and (gulp) graduating eventually, you also need money for just about everything.

Budgeting Without a Constant Income Stream December 3rd, 2007

Budget, budget, budget is the key word for many personal finance websites. It's pretty obvious that you need to plan in order to manage your money successfully, but also pretty hard if you're a college student with few ways of obtaining an income. During my sophomore year, I irregularly rewrote class notes for people, did some laboratory research and hung up flyers for beer and pizza money. It was close to impossible to keep managing my bills for books, tuition payments, visits to the doctor, and entertainment costs when I wasn't sure when or where the money was coming from.

Wedding Budgeting from a Personal Perspective: Part 2 August 25th, 2008