Money Beagle - A Personal Finance Blog

Deciding When To Replace CFL With LED Bulbs

January 17, 2019January 23, 2019 by Money Beagle

This blog has been around long enough that I wrote about CFL bulbs when they were new. Now, they’re yesterday’s news. The newest standard is LED bulbs. I’ve been having a debate about when to replace CFL with LED bulbs. Read why.

Do You Replace CFL With LED Bulbs Before They Burn Out?

Way back when, in 2011, I started replacing incandescent bulbs with CFL bulbs when our electric company started subsidizing them. Our local Home Depot offered them at about half price, with the electric company ‘paying’ the difference.

Now, they’re doing the same thing with LED bulbs. They’re on sale for a little over a buck per bulb. That’s really cheap, so I’ve been buying a few at a time (there’s a limit per number of bulbs you can get in a transaction at a discount).

Check Vacation Prices Even After You’ve Booked Your Trip

January 17, 2019January 21, 2019 by Money Beagle

Our family has a tradition of going to a water park during mid-winter break. This break falls in mid-February every year. The kids love it and we enjoy the getaway as well. Until last year, we’d gone to Great Wolf Lodge every year. Last year, we tried Kalahari, a much bigger place. This year, we’re returning to Great Wolf Lodge, though at a location we’ve never been.

check prices — Check vacation prices before and after you book to get the best deal.

Check Vacation Prices When Booking Your Trip

We always look around when it’s time to book our trip. Typically, we’ll book in the November or December time frame. This is when we usually start getting e-mails with promo codes that apply to our desired dates. We get these promo codes because we’ve stayed there before.

How to Prepare for a Successful Tax Season

January 23, 2019January 19, 2019 by Money Beagle

There’s just something so fresh and motivational about January. Between New Year’s resolutions and fitness goals, renewed commitments to organization and financial responsibility, the list of things we can accomplish in January seems almost super-human.

Use this heightened motivation and momentum to prepare for tax season, too! While you’re not required to file for a few more months, it’s best practice to take a look at your taxes now so you’re not scrambling come April. There are a few steps you should take to proactively prepare for a successful tax season. Let’s take a look.

preparing for tax season — Know what you’re up against when preparing your taxes.

Our Old Carpet, Old Furnace, And Other Worn Out Stuff

January 17, 2019January 16, 2019 by Money Beagle

Our house is 20 years old this year. That’s getting to the point where many things original to the house are wearing out. We already replaced our roof a few years back. That was no fun! But, now we’ve got a list of things that are getting old. These things are probably soon ready for replacement. All of the items are original to the house OR original when we bought it in 2007.

Our old washing machine is one of many items wearing down.

Our Old Furnace And Other Items That Are Getting Old

I came up with seven items around our house that will need replacement at some point. Obviously, other things could break down, but based on their age or current status, these are things I expect will need attention.

11 Tips To Excel At Work This Year

January 23, 2019January 14, 2019 by Money Beagle

Have you set your goals for 2019 yet? I’m sure everybody has at least some, right? Do your goals include any that tie to your career? Do you really have what it takes to excel at work?

Truly show up and engage at meetings. This is one way to excel at work this year.

The Importance Of Success At Work

Success at your job is key to a happy and prosperous life, right? Some will tell you that working less is the key to a longer life. Others will say working additional years helps you live longer. Whatever you believe, there’s one thing we can all agree on: Being happy at work is important. Happiness can come from being more productive. Here are some tips to excel at work this year.

I Finally Bought A Smart Thermostat

January 17, 2019January 10, 2019 by Money Beagle

We have a programmable thermostat that came with our house when we purchased it. The thermostat is a Honeywell, and it’s worked pretty well. I have always heard about a smart thermostat, but have resisted for a variety of reasons. I was waiting for the perfect set of circumstances to upgrade. Guess what? Every box on my list got checked, so I’m now the proud owner of a smart thermostat.

We were happy to wait. Sometimes delayed gratification is worth it, especially when we found a thermostat that meets all of our needs!

Our Ecobee 3 Lite Smart Thermostat

The thermostat I decided upon was an Ecobee 3 Lite. I saw as a sale item in last month’s Costco ad, and started doing some research. I was happy to see all of the benefits that it offered. The items below are precisely what we were looking for in a smart thermostat.