Keep your fingers on the pulse of your financial health. Serious sickness can strike both suddenly and unexpectedly. And its effects can be devastating to your emotional health, your financial resources, and your long-term plans. But if you’re prepared, it’s possible to weather an illness. How Illness Hits Remember that when you or someone you love gets sick or is injured seriously, the effects are emotional as well as financial. In fact, the two are often linked. Can you afford…
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Feeling financially unwell can affect more than just consumers’ wallets. In a study from the American Psychological Association, nearly 72 percent of American adults reported feeling stressed about money at least some of the time, and nearly a quarter said they experienced “extreme stress” about their financial situation in the past month. Stress at that level isn’t healthy. Chronic stress can cause headaches, weight gain, and even heart disease, according to the Mayo Clinic. The American Psychological Association also pointed…
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Does it feel like your paycheck is gone the moment you get it? Here’s how to break that vicious cycle and make your financial goals a reality. Are you stuck in the all-too-common habit of living paycheck to paycheck? You don’t need anyone to tell you that it’s a self-defeating cycle. You simply can’t get ahead this way. But escaping isn’t easy, especially if your paycheck is tight. Change involves not just the hard work of making new habits but,…
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A practical, workable budget should be one of the products of the collaborative conversations about money that you have with your partner as you plan how to manage your money. Starting Points Your budget is your blueprint for keeping cash flow positive, and for sticking to your saving goals. Even if you and your partner will be paying for expenses separately, it’s essential to have one overall household budget. That big picture is indispensable for having a good sense, based…
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For some Americans, going out to eat is a treat, planned and budgeted for. For others, it’s just another Tuesday. And Wednesday. And Thursday. If you’re part of that second group, you might want to reconsider… for a couple reasons. Tough on your wallet The average American family spends $225 a month eating away from home – lunches, dinners, snacks, coffees. Much of this spending occurs simply because it’s convenient. However, what you save in convenience, you lose in cold, hard cash….
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