Staying healthy is a long term goal for many of us, if not all of us. How often do you go to the doctors? How about specialists? How often do you have to pick up a prescription? The more doctor visits and prescriptions you take, the more it costs you. Whether you have a deductible to meet or having to pay co-pays for every visit, this can add up. I’ve had my share of medical expenses in the past. Even…
Ever think that a huge company like Microsoft would be in the business of giving you rewards for taking pictures of your receipts and interacting with their services? I didn’t until I came across Microsoft Rewards. Microsoft is trying to bring people to use their products and services so what better way than to offer a rewards system. You earn points by taking polls, quizzes, uploading receipts, searching with Bing, and others. Microsoft has a legitimate rewards program. I’ve been…
With the end of the year coming to a close, we now have to prepare for the new year. That means to create or review what your goals are, review your strategies, assess how you did this year, what changes you can make for the new year, and so on. Whether you had a good year or a bad year, you should try to make it a habit to take the time and check on yourself and your progress. This…
Christmas season is here which makes your wallet cringe a little from all the spending you’ll be doing. This doesn’t have to be a worry all the time. There are a few things I do around the holidays to help my wallet out from a few holiday hacks I’ve learned over the years. What to do with those unwanted gifts? If you received a present that is not exactly something you want or need, don’t worry. Here are a couple …
The end of the year is a time of celebration with Christmas and New Years. You may have your to-do list like shopping for presents, buying holiday meals, getting ready for get togethers, and so on. Don’t forget the other end of year to-do list that involve your financials. Before the year is over, there are some things that has to be done and can’t be done in the new year. For example, if you wanted to do a Roth…
Does your work give you perks or benefits just for working there? Do you know the perks and benefits of memberships you have or just for being a customer? If not, you might want to inquire, ask a colleague, or even your Human Resources (HR) office. What kind of perks am I referring to? Here’s some that I’ve experienced. Discounts for my cell phone plan All the large organizations I used to work for, they had relationships with cell phone…
Lunch is the time you get to take a break from work, go out with co-workers, and enjoy a meal. It’s a time to mingle, socialize, and be part of the many people waiting in line to get food. It feels good seeing other people in a loud restaurant or food hall. In my 20’s and 30’s I used to go out to lunch all the time. Even if my co-workers didn’t want to go out, I’d still go out…
Money is your friend; money is your enemy. Ever since I was young, I was never good with money. Like many kids I had a piggy bank. When it gets full, guess what I do with it. I spend it! Not a great practice when you’re talking about working towards early retirement. What I’ve learned about myself is that my self-discipline is weak and therefore I have to deliberately put myself in a situation to force me to save. I’ve…
Gambling is definitely fun and entertaining. It’s also very stressful especially when you lose money. The gambling I’m referring to are the casino games and betting events, slot machines, Keno, and lottery. How about investments, like putting money into the stock market? Some might consider that as gambling as well. I would agree that it is a gamble to put money in the stock market or invest into a particular company. The biggest difference between the two, that I believe,…
What do you think when you hear the word coupon? I think of a piece of paper cut out from the newspaper coupon section, giving it to the cashier when you shop, and have your subtotal price go down. Coupons are still around, clipping, organizing, sorting by expiration date or category. Have you ever saw the show Extreme Couponing? I admit…I watched my share of episodes and I actually tried couponing. I subscribed to the Sunday paper; didn’t even read…