I Heart Frugal - Page 34 of 52 - Spend Less. Live More

5 Questions to Ask Before You Do Your Own Taxes

Should you do your own taxes?

5 Questions to ask before doing your own taxes
Thinking of doing your own taxes? Ask yourself these five questions first.

Are you thinking about doing your own taxes this year to save money? There are some things you should think about first to make sure this is the best option for you!

Let me start this post by saying, I am not a CPA nor do I study or work on taxes for a living, but if you are thinking of doing your own taxes this year, I can give you a heads up about what you should consider.

I have done my own taxes most of my adult life, with the help of my husband since I have been married (for seven years); however, one year I did succumb to tax commercials and was very disappointed with the result.

The commercials entice me by telling me they could get more money; however, if your taxes are pretty straightforward – like mine were that year – you will get the same amount back, no matter who does your taxes. From personal experience, I was disappointed when I went in because I noticed they were using turbo tax or a similar tax software program, that I could have done on my own for WAY less money.

Here at I Heart Frugal, I am all about saving you money. So if you can save this year by doing your own taxes, why not try.

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10 Habits of Women Who Always Have Money

10 Habits of Women Who Always Have Money

 

Are you ready for tips on how to always have money as a women? If so, check out this post and find habits to always have money and get your finances in order. #moneytips

Are you ready to get your finances in order and become a woman that always has money? Having your own money and being able to rock your finances is such a great feeling.

Yes, ladies, you can be your own personal money manager and there is no need to rely on anyone else!

According to CNN in the 1960s women could not open a bank account or a line of credit without a man to co-sign for them and if a woman wasn’t married the bank could refuse her (source CNN.com). This is a sad scenario and of course, would not happen today. But this just shows you how far we have come.

In today’s world, we can handle our own money as women. We are totally capable of being the go-getter, investor, homeowner and if you are single, YES – you can do it on your own and if you are married, of course, you can have an equal say. You’ve got this!

If you are married it is always beneficial to include both people in the money decisions and you can add SO much value to the budget and use of extra money in your house.

In fact, I know many households where the woman IS the money manager and handles the finances, budget, and bills.

If you are single, you can handle this “money thing” on your own and be ready to pay off debt and plan for financial freedom.

Women can do it all and taking control of your finances should be a top priority. Use these money tips to  help you become a woman that always has money.

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21 Things to Stop Buying to Save Money

Learn what to stop buying and save money!

Stop buying these 21 things and save money

Do you waste money? Have you ever looked – I mean REALLY looked – at what you could cut out of your budget to save money?

There are so many ways to save money, but finding them is not always easy.

I always recommend sticking to ideas that work for you. I mean, if that morning cup of Joe is SUPER important, then keep it but use the other 20 ways I have listed to help you get your budget back on track.

Personal finance is a tricky thing for many people. Often people buy what they “want” or “THINK” they need without looking at price tags.

If you are super rich, then good for you! I hope to be in your shoes one day. But for the rest of us, wouldn’t it be nice to take a vacation or build up an emergency fund with all the “little things” we can save money on overtime?

In today’s post, I have listed 21 things people waste money on that can be avoided and save you over $3000 per year. Put that $3000 away in a separate savings account and there you have your mini-emergency fund or your vacation fund… So start planning.

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7 Lies You’ve Heard About Meal Planning and How To Start

Learn how to start meal planning and save time and money!

7 Lies You’ve Heard About Meal Planning

Are you afraid to start meal planning because of certain assumptions you have? Do you think meal planning is boring and a waste of time? This post will walk you through the benefits of meal planning and give you a clear idea on how to save money on your food bill using meal planning.

I’ve been meal planning most of my adult life without even realizing it. You see, back at Central Michigan University times were tough. I was paying for my tuition with student loans and being the frugalista that I am, I took out the minimal amount to cover tuition only.

I then worked full-time to make ends meet at a daycare making around $4-5 an hour. Needless to say, that money did not go far when it came to buying needs like food and most wants were left as gifts from my parents and grandparents (thanks, guys)!

So after leaving the dorms where I had a cafeteria meal plan allowing me to eat whatever I wanted twice a day, I started meal planning on my own for two main reasons:

  1. I only went to the store once a week because I rode a bike (until it was stolen – hard times!).
  2. I was on a very fixed income. This meant I needed my food to last the entire week until I could pump those pedals to the store again.

So after this struggling college experience, I was conditioned to continue meal planning.

After I started living off a teacher’s salary and was making more money, I also had more bills – like paying back those yucky student loans! So with that, I continued my frugal meal planning ways.

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