April 2018 Archives - Personal Finance (MB)

Spring Clean Your Finances With 5 Easy Steps

March 4, 2019April 30, 2018 by Money Beagle

Spring has been pretty much absent here in Michigan. Last weekend we had an ice storm. Temperatures have been about eight degrees below average for the month. Snow showers and accumulations are still a regular occurrence. Still, spring has to come sometime, right? We’re still hoping. But, even if the weather isn’t cooperating, spring is still on the calendar. Now’s a perfect time to spring clean your finances. Here are a few easy tips to get started.

Calculate Your Net Worth

We calculate our net worth every month, so this is easy. But if you don’t do this regularly, now’s the perfect time. Net worth is an easy calculation. Simply add up all of your assets. Then add up all of your debts. Subtract debts from assets and that is your net worth!

10 Things I Loved About Our Disney World Trip (And 2 I Didn’t)

March 4, 2019April 26, 2018 by Money Beagle

We recently went down to Disney World. This was the second time for our family. It was a great time. We actually spent a few days in Florida at the beach, so it was like two trips in one! It was a fantastic trip, for the most part. Disney World can definitely be the most magical place on Earth, though magic means that you’re tired, that’s for sure.

Here are ten things I loved and two I didn’t.

Things We Loved About Disney World

Our Hotel

We stayed at the Port Orleans French Quarter hotel. This was our first time staying at a moderate. We loved it. Compared to just about every other resort, it’s very small. The rooms aren’t decorated with Disney themed decor, but more New Orleans decor. At first my 6-year old daughter was not impressed. However, by the end of the trip, we were all in love. It was a very peaceful and relaxing place to stay. We took a stroll along the riverside, which was practically right outside our door.

Why FIRE Never Would Have Worked In The Past

July 24, 2019April 23, 2018 by Money Beagle

The latest buzzword in the personal finance blog community is FIRE. Many of the most successful blogs now talk about FIRE. For those that don’t know, FIRE stands for Financial Independence, Retire Early. The blogging community now has many blogs where people achieve financial freedom at a young age, and can retire well before traditional retirement age. Many boast of retiring in their 30’s.

This is a pretty cool movement, especially in the age where Millennials are breaking many of the molds created over years past.

I started thinking about it. I came to the conclusion that FIRE probably wouldn’t have been embraced by generations past.

Here’s my take on what I think generational mindsets are regarding FIRE.

Force Yourself To Slow Down For Better Results

March 19, 2019April 16, 2018 by Money Beagle

Have you ever had to force yourself to slow down? What about if you’re looking for better results? This seems counterproductive, but sometimes it’s quite necessary. For me, I’ve had to recently go through this when it comes to exercise. Specifically, with my running.

My Wife The Motivator

I was never a runner at all until a few years ago. In seventh grade, I joined the track team and dropped out a week later. It was just never my thing.

Musings On Smoke Alarm Batteries

March 4, 2019April 9, 2018 by Money Beagle

The switch to Daylight Savings Time was about a month ago. This is the traditional time to change smoke alarm batteries. Though I’m a little late, I thought it’d be a change to talk about a few questions that have come to mind. Yes, I actually think of such things.

And since this is a few weeks past the switch, maybe it’ll remind some stragglers!

Do You Change Your Batteries Twice Per Year?

The traditional advice is that you change your batteries around the time switch. This would mean changing them twice per year. I’m curious how many actually do that. And, given that they changed the dates a few years back, the times are no longer even at all. Daylight Savings Time lasts almost eight months now. That’s hardly even.

9 Money Goals Everyone Should Have

March 4, 2019April 2, 2018 by Money Beagle

Rich or poor, working or retired, blue collar or white collar. None of those things or any other will get around the simple fact that money is important. As such, there are certain things that everybody should do with their money. These don’t mean that everybody should approach money the same way. It just means that in some fashion, each of the below items should be on everyone’s list of money goals.

Have A Rewarding Career

Don’t hate your job. It’s just not worth it. You don’t have to love every minute of the day that you’re at work. That’s just not reasonable.

But you should enjoy what you do. You should feel that you’re making a difference.