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How to Get Your Finances Back on Track After Holiday Season...

Brian Martucci

The average American spends $1,050 on holiday gifts, swag, and travel, according to a 2019 National Retail Federation study summarized by USA Today. That's more...

Christmas Tree Holiday Budget Planning Expenses

How to Create a Holiday Budget and Stick to It

Amy Livingston

The silver bells of the holiday season can certainly take their toll on your wallet. In a November 2019 Gallup poll, Americans said they...

12 Best Mint.com Alternatives to Manage Your Finances

Brian Martucci

Mint was the first cloud-based budgeting app to capture the public’s imagination and the model upon which many subsequent cloud budgeting apps have been based. While it’s still a strong choice for committed household budgeteers, Mint isn't the only option. High-quality alternatives like YNAB, EveryDollar, and Simple seem to grow by the month. Before you settle on Mint — or any other digital budgeting app, for that matter — check out these options too.

How to Build an Emergency Cash Fund When You Have Irregular...

Brian Martucci

Contingent (temporary) workers, independent contractors (freelancers and solopreneurs), on-call workers, temporary help agency workers, and workers provided by contract firms often struggle to string together workable household budgets. And it's even harder to build emergency savings sufficient to cover the recommended three to six months of living expenses. But it's still possible to build a comfortable emergency cash fund that’s distinct from your retirement, home maintenance, and short-term goal savings fund - even if you don't always know how much your next paycheck will be.

How to Create a Budget When You Have Fluctuating, Variable Income

Brian Martucci

While budgeting might not be brain surgery, it’s a lot more difficult when you don’t know exactly how much you’ll take home each month. Temporary workers, independent contractors, freelancers, business owners, and others with fluctuating incomes need to create budgets that work with their situations. If your income varies from month to month, here’s how to build a budget that meets your needs, as well as some tips for staying within that budget.