Tag: savings

Spending money is rarely an activity people enjoy. Well, except if a person has tons of it and don't really care that much where...

How about this idea for a new reality TV show: "Survivor: Maximize your Social Security." Rather than getting voted off the island, contestants lose when they fail to get the most out of Social Security’s survivor benefit—one of the government program’s most important features for married couples.

Here is how our reality show works. When one spouse dies, the survivor (typically, but not always the woman) has the option to take the larger of two benefits: her own or 100 percent of her late spouse’s benefit. The game sounds simple, and for many couples, it is.

Halloween is now reported to be one of the most expensive holidays of the year. Even though we don't exchange expensive gifts on Halloween, it is easy to rack up big bills on costumes and candy.

I, through my years of couponing, have found that you can be creative on costumes, save on candy, and get crafty with decorations without spending lots of money!

According to NRF’s Halloween Spending Survey, 158 million Americans will celebrate

"Where did all my money go?" It’s a universal question, and if you’re like most people, it’s one you ask with more than a touch of frustration. You don’t spend extravagantly. You pay the bills, buy groceries and provide school supplies and clothes for your kids. Sure, maybe you go out to eat on Saturdays and take a once-a-year vacation—after all, you deserve some pleasure in life—but it’s hard to believe these small luxuries account for your stagnant savings or, worse, that credit card debt that’s slowly inching upward.

For newly married couples looking to start off on solid financial footing, these days, the path to success may seem filled with disastrous pitfalls. However, finding a sure way really isn’t as difficult as it seems. The key lies in learning how to manage the money that you take in and use it to build up a nest egg that will allow you to get through the shaky days you may experience together.

Create your budget. The first step to financial security involves putting together a budget and sticking to it. This isn’t a glamorous task, but it’s also not a step you can afford to bypass if you’re serious about a secure future.