Become Wealthy By Being Invisible
October 22, 2009 by Erik Folgate
Filed under Spending and Saving
Last night, I read this article from Kiplinger’s about “The Invisible Rich”. This article sums up everything I believe about money and how to become wealthy. We are programmed from an early age that money comes easy, wealth can be built quickly, and that having nice things is an indication of having a lot of money. It’s simply not true. Net worth is really the only indicator of someone’s wealth. You either have money or you don’t have money. Sure, you could have a lot of stuff that added up to a large sum of money, but those assets are depreciating, so every year your net worth is decreasing because of depreciation. Here’s my favorite line:
5 Tips For Saving Money This Halloween
October 20, 2009 by Erik Folgate
Filed under Frugality, Spending and Saving
I’ll admit that Halloween is not my favorite holiday, and it’s not because I’m some overzealous Christian who thinks it’s the “Devil’s Holiday”. I am a man of faith, but Halloween ticks me off more from a financial perspective. Along with Valentine’s Day, it has become one of the most commercialized non-holidays that have no meaning. I understand that the kids have a good time with it, and it’s fun for them, but when you take a step back and really look at Halloween, it really is pointless to spend a bunch of money on it. With Halloween parties, costumes for the kids, house decorations, and all of the crap that schools make you buy for arts and crafts time, Halloween can get really expensive.
Avoid Spending Too Much Money On The Weekend
October 8, 2009 by Erik Folgate
Filed under Spending and Saving
If you are like me. then you don’t spend much money during the week. You’re too busy MAKING money to have time spending any money. But the weekend is my financial weakness. I eat out more and I spend money on crap that I don’t need. I am s\ure that I am not the only one that is guilty of this, because it’s natural spend more money on the weekend when you aren’t working and you want to relax and have fun. However, if you have financial goals like getting out of debt, saving for retirement, or saving for large purchases like a house or a car, your weekend binge spending is probably hindering those goals. Here are a few ways to curb your weekend spending.
How To Stay Broke Forever
October 7, 2009 by Erik Folgate
Filed under Shopping, Spending and Saving
Our culture is really weird when it comes to money. We base our financial status on how much stuff we have, rather than how much money we actually have. Banks have brainwashed us into actually evaluating a purchase based on how much the payment is, rather than how much the product really is. When is the last time you heard a car commercial that told you how much the car was? It’s not very often. They often say something like this, “You can sign and drive this great car and pay only $299 a month!”. We have it all backwards about what it means to be wealthy, and that is why you run into so many people that are broke. So, if you want to stay broke forever, follow this step-by-step process.
Tips On Negotiating To Get A Better Deal
September 29, 2009 by Erik Folgate
Filed under Negotiation, Spending and Saving
Negotiating takes practice. Some people are born with good negotiation skills, because they have a natural ability to talk to people. But for the rest of us, it doesn’t come naturally, and practicing your negotiation skills in everyday situations will help you save a lot of money over a lifetime.
Don’t Ask For A Deal Right Away
Some people make a big mistake by asking for a discount or a lower price in the first breathe. Getting a deal takes time. Instead of immediately asking for a discount or a deal, talk about the features of the product with the salesperson. Ask them to research the product on Google Products to check prices on the internet. Ask for a discount without actually asking for it, then if the salesperson doesn’t get the hint, ask outright.
11 Ways To Exercise and Be Healthy While Saving Money
September 25, 2009 by Erik Folgate
Filed under Health and Fitness, Spending and Saving
Exercising and eating healthy is a multi-billion dollar business. Think of all the weight loss formulas, food programs, membership gyms, and workout equipment, and workout apparel that we buy every day to stay healthy and look our best. Here are 11 ways to exercise and stay healthy without spending a lot of money.
- Workout at home. With a couple sets of dumbbells, you can do shoulder press, curls, tricep extensions, push-ups, crunches, and lunges.
- Buy a workout program. I have heard good things about the P90X workout program. It’s a legitimate program, with 15 different workouts. There are no gimmicks with this workout program. It’s the real deal.
Americans Are Becoming More Frugal And Saving More Than Ever Before
September 11, 2009 by Erik Folgate
Filed under Shopping, Spending and Saving
I always find it humorous when I read an article that makes it sound like Americans becoming more frugal is a bad thing. This article from McClatchy reveals that Americans are becoming more frugal and saving at an incredible rate amidst the recession. Of course, less spending isn’t good for the retail industry, because they rely on us to spend money on stuff we don’t need. Or as Dave Ramsey would say, “we buy crap we can’t afford, with money we don’t have, to impress people we don’t like.”
Southwest Charges $10 For Early Boarding Privileges
September 2, 2009 by Erik Folgate
Filed under Spending and Saving, Travel
I thought this article was relevant to my last post about Southwest charging an extra $10 for early boarding privileges.
Southwest will charge an optional $10 for anyone who wants to upgrade their ticket for early boarding. The significance of this is that Southwest doesn’t assign seats, so early boarders will get seat preference and they will most likely get overhead luggage space near their seat.
Why We Like This
How To Save Money On Airline Fees
September 2, 2009 by Erik Folgate
Filed under Spending and Saving, Travel
In order to increase revenue to save their business, many airlines have started nickel and diming customers with a ton of fees, some up front and some hidden. No longer do airlines provide full-service. Everything comes at a price from the snacks to checking baggage. Here are some quick tips to help you avoid extra airline fees.
- Pack snacks and drinks with you. If you’re on a long flight, avoid paying for snacks and meals by carrying on your own snacks. I haven’t come across an airlines that charges for a beverage yet, I am sure some of the smaller discount airlines do charge for it. Beverages are tougher to bring with you because of the liquid restriction, but you could still carry one on from the terminal and still save money.
iPhone Apps To Help You Save Money
August 25, 2009 by Erik Folgate
Filed under Spending and Saving
Yowza
Yowza is a new iPhone application that helps the user find local coupons and deals. The company behind the application has partnered up with a lot of big and small companies to offer exclusive digital coupons. Simply pull up the coupon on your phone and present it to the business, and they will scan the barcode on your phone to apply the discount.
Snap Tell
Snaptell makes great use of the iPhone’s built-in camera. Simply snap a photo of a book, dvd, cd, or video game, and the application will find the best deals for item you took a photo of.
