Posts

Showing posts from October, 2013

First Dates on a Budget

Image
There�s nothing a girl finds sexier than a fun yet responsible man. A first date is your chance to create a lasting impression.  Who knows, maybe your date will end up being your lifelong partner (or more likely, a one night partner).  To make that first impression count, you�ll need to be charming, entertaining, a good conversationalist, and most importantly, you don�t want to come across as being too frugal. Does the guy always cover the first date? There�s nothing worse than being perceived as a cheapskate, and as the guy, you�re on point to cover the date.  There are some exceptions to this though.  If the date goes poorly and you�re not planning to see each other again, feel free to propose splitting the cost.  You might surprise the girl, but it�s equitable and as a smart investor, there�s no reason to continue investing in something without any future return.  For girls, first dates can be excellent money saving opportunities, unless the date goes po...

Ridiculous Ways to Save Money #1

Image
There are many ways to save money with some being more practical and reasonable than others.  This list contains some of the most ridiculous money saving tips: 1. Use public restrooms Why flush your cash down the drain when you can save cash by using a public or work restroom?  By not using your own toilet, you�ll save about 1.5 to 4 gallons per flush depending on the age of your toilet.  If this isn�t a viable option and it�s an emergency, at least consider not flushing when it�s only number 1.  If it's yellow, let it mellow.  If it's brown, flush it down. 2. Shower at the gym In the spirit of saving water at home, take advantage of your expensive gym membership by showering at the gym.  As an added bonus, you�ll also be able to cut back on shampoo and soap purchases. 3. Apply makeup for free at a store This one is for the ladies.  Once you�ve showered at the gym, you�ll probably want to enhance your appearance with some makeup.  The cosmetics in...

Popular Business TV Shows

Image
With colder weather setting in, there�s no better time to cuddle up on the couch to watch captivating and riveting business television shows.  If you�re yawning at the suggestion, there�s a whole host of business TV shows that are extremely entertaining while at the same time cover core fundamentals of running a business. The Profit -  The Profit is a new series that recently kicked off on CNBC featuring Marcus Lemonis, CEO of Camping World , as he hunts out struggling businesses and tries to turn them around.  He puts his own money on the line in return for large equity stakes in the businesses.  His business ideas are sound and his ideas are creative, but oftentimes the business owners are content in their stubborn ways despite the businesses going downhill.  You�ll also see gross mismanagement where tens of thousands of dollars go missing due to poor controls as well as complete business turnarounds.  It�s entertaining to watch and also provides valua...

Deciding Where to Invest Your 401K

Image
Invest wisely and enjoy an early retirement When you kick off your career, the most important first step to securing your financial future is to start investing.  When you�re young, you have one of the most valuable assets on your side, which is time.  Time allows you to benefit from compounding growth, where you start seeing growth upon the growth.  In most cases, your employer will even match up to a certain percentage.  It�s a no brainer and you might as well take the free money. Why should I invest? To convince you that investing is important, from 1950 through the end of 2009, which by the way includes the great recession, the average return for the S&P 500 was 11.0% a year.  The S&P 500 is a good representation of how the overall US stock market performs.  Although each individual year may have large positive and negative swings, the overall direction is up.  If you invested $1 in 1950, you would have over $520 at the end of 2009. So many...

Clear Out Your Clutter for Cold Hard Cash

Image
When I look in my closet or attic and I see things that I haven�t used in a while, I see money making potential. I start by asking myself two questions: Is there any benefit to keeping this item? If not, does this item carry value for others? If there�s no benefit to keeping the item and others don�t value it, you should discard the item to clear up space. However, if others value the item, you can convert it into cash. I don�t know about you, but I�d much rather have cash in the bank than something that I don�t use taking up space and collecting dust. One man's trash is another man's treasure Just about everyone has stuff that they haven�t used in a while and that they have no plans to use again anytime soon. The beauty is that most likely someone else sees value in that stuff and he or she is willing to pay you for it. The idiom �one man�s trash is another man�s treasure� rings true here. Regardless of how long ago you last used the item or how old the item seems, it�s a...

5 Money Saving Tips #1

Image
1. Check out movies and books for free at the library It�s true, libraries carry many of the latest movies, TV shows, books, and e-books. With e-books, you don�t even need to set foot in the library to pick up the latest literary masterpieces. 2. Cut your cable subscription With cable bills typically costing over $100/month, cut the cord and instead get your media through the library or through low cost sites like Hulu , Netflix , etc. Pick up an antenna to watch most major sporting events over the air free. At a minimum, renegotiate your cable contract to get the best available deal. 3. Cook and eat at home Not only is eating at home healthier for you, you�ll also save a considerable amount of money. A grocery bill of $100 can easily cover one person for the week. This equates to one to two fancy meals out. As an added bonus, you�ll save a lot since the sales taxes on groceries are negligible. 4. Take public transportation Not only is riding public transportation friendly on you...

Achieve Unlimited Net Worth

Image
Kevin Stratvert of Unlimited Net Worth My name is Kevin Stratvert and I�m here to help you achieve your financial dreams, live a prosperous life, and rapidly expand your net worth. My belief is that your money should work for you. You work hard enough in your job. Now it�s time for your money to do the heavy lifting. One of the most important indicators of your financial progress and success is your net worth , which is the total value of your assets minus the value of your liabilities. Yet, the median household net worth in the United States is only $120K and an underwhelming $11.8K for families with the head of household under 35 years old according to the Census . This is no surprise since most families live paycheck to paycheck and hardly set aside money at the end of the month for savings. Many believe that if only they earned more would they be capable of saving more. Even with an average salary, I�ll show you how to save more money, track your finances, and ultimately a...