Where Smart Saving Grows
Tips and strategies for creating budgets, managing money, and financial planning.
I built a budgeting spreadsheet that I was genuinely proud of. Color-coded categories, automatic totals, a tab for each month. I spent about three hours setting it up and showed it to my roommate like it was something worth showing. Then I used it consistently for maybe six weeks. After that it sat there, slowly … Read more
I’m 28 now. Looking back at my early 20s, I made some really dumb financial mistakes. Not catastrophic. Just… stupid. The kind that cost me thousands and set me back years. If I could talk to 22-year-old me, here’s what I’d say about the 7 biggest mistakes I made. Mistake #1: Ignored Retirement Completely Ages … Read more
Let me tell you how to stick to a budget when life decides to punch you in the face. June 2024 was meant to be my ‘ideal budget month.’ I had a plan. Every cent accounted for. I was ready to go. Then, life happened: car issues ($340), illness ($89 copay), a friend’s wedding ($120 … Read more
I spent way too much time trying to find the best budget app. Like, embarrassingly too much time. Tried 4 different apps over 6 months. Only one survived. The other three? Deleted, abandoned, or ignored after the free trial ended. The 4 Budget Apps I Tested YNAB (You Need a Budget) – costs $99/year Mint … Read more
After people tried to explain a zero-based budget to me, I thought I actually had a good understanding of the method, but I had never actually tried it myself before. People told me that figuring out “which dollar goes where” opens a full new understanding of “how your finances work. ” So, I took the … Read more
The first of January 2024. Another year, another chance, a new me, new aspirations, and the same old problems. I sat down with a lot of energy, something I hadn’t felt in a long time. This year, I made a list of five financial goals I want to reach. I said to myself, “Wow, I’m … Read more
The 50/30/20 rule states how you should allocate your after-tax income – 50% for needs, 30% for discretionary spending, and 20% for savings. Of course, this rule is super simple, so financial advisors and amateur Reddit users tout this rule as gospel. I gave this rule a fair shot for 6 months and, while I … Read more
I have made attempts to begin a budget about twelve times. Actually, maybe about fifteen times. I lost count during the fourth failed attempt in 2019. Each attempt went the same way. I would download the app and then get excited and track everything for about six days. Then I would forget to log a … Read more