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Life Coach in a Box

FitSugar — Wed, 24 Jan 2007 14:05:00 -0800

It seems like they are putting everything in a box these days. From water to Justin Timberlake's genitalia, you name it, they are boxing it up.

It was only a matter of time before they but a Life Coach in a Box ($14.50). This great little box kit is designed to invigorate your life and help you to attain your goals. The deck features 48 cards on six themes - spirituality, work, relationships, finances, recreation and health - offering practical steps to achieve your goals.

Want your own Life Coach in a Box, buy it from UncommonGoods.com.

Would You Enroll in a Financial Planning Bootcamp?

SavvySugar — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 14:45:03 -0800

I’ve always been kind of intrigued by Stanford grad Ramit Sethi’s New York Times bestseller I Will Teach You to Be Rich. I dismissed the book at first because the gimmicky title brought to mind images of the question-mark guy on late-night infomercials, but the more I heard, the more interested I became. To hear why I changed my tune, read more.

Sethi recommends setting up free checking and savings accounts at dependable banks, and automating all your bill payments and transfers to savings. He thinks scrimping on things like lattes to save a couple bucks is useless financial advice, and says you should start to invest while you’re still young. Sounds pretty practical, huh?

So when I heard Sethi was holding a six-week online financial boot camp, I was actually pretty excited. It wasn’t until I was looking at the registration page, credit card in hand, that I backed out. It’s not that I didn’t think the boot camp would be helpful, but I decided spending a couple hundred bucks to find out how to save money wasn’t a wise choice for me.

I’m sure plenty of others felt differently, though, and you might, too. So tell me, have you ever paid for a workshop, class, or boot camp to whip your finances in shape? Or would you ever consider it?

Source: Flickr User Kyle T. Ramirez

5 Money Issues Every Couple Should Prepare For

SavvySugar — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 08:30:33 -0800

We talk about love and money quite a bit here on Savvy, and many of you have had a go-round or two with your significant other about the topic. In a new relationship, resolving money issues means adjusting to each other’s spending and saving styles, and coming up with a system you can both live with. But as relationships grow and change, financial situations do too, and many couples find themselves having to adjust their approach to money after years of marriage.

New York Times columnist Ron Lieber recently offered up a list of five issues that can cause financial bickering even in established relationships. To see them, along with my advice for how to address them, click away.

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I'm Asking: Who Do You Turn to For Financial Advice?

SavvySugar — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 12:30:06 -0700

If the recent economic turmoil has had any positive side effect, it's that people are talking more openly about money and how to handle it. Financial conversations are less taboo at a time when money is on everybody's minds. Is there anyone in particular that you turn to financial advice?

Source

News to Me: Financial Advice Turned Religious

SavvySugar — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 10:54:44 -0800

If you've so much as glanced at the news lately you'd know the economy has been going through rocky times. Some people are seeking financial advice from their church to hold their hands through the tumultuous market ride, and I just learned that thousands of churches around the world have added teaching the gospel of money to their repertoire.

Participants in such church groups say that the bible is packed with information on handling finances and for some it has helped lift the "spiritual burden" of being in debt. A proponent mentioned saving aggressively and giving 10 percent of your income to the church as basic fundamentals found in the bible. Critics say that the bible is being trivialized by these "finance ministers."

What do I say? Whatever gets people through troubled times, more power to you, but when it comes to handling money I'm wary of the emphasis on giving so much to the church. We should try to give what we can to charities of our choice, but it just makes me uncomfortable that giving 10 percent is mentioned as part of an overall financial plan. What do you say?

Source

6 Ways to Save on Your Everyday Purchases and Afford Something You Really Want

SavvySugar — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 08:30:45 -0800

In this economy, little treats, like my weekly gossip mag and a latte are my no-fail pick-me-ups, even when I can't afford the new handbag I really want. Still, living on a budget doesn't mean splurges have to be totally out-of-the-question. In fact, even finance experts, Ori Schnaps, co-founder and manager of Thrive, and Aaron Patzer, founder of Mint.com, wouldn't recommend not shopping at all.

They advise that going cold turkey can have a negative affect on your finances, and vowing not to splurge can lead to overspending later on in the month. Instead, both financial experts have real-life advice and small spending tips that will help you to spend more wisely day-to-day. Who knows - that splurge-worthy item might just be affordable after all. Read on to get all of their great tips and find out how you can save.

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Ask Savvy: Should I Reopen My Card After Being Deep in Debt?

SavvySugar — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 12:00:36 -0700

Dear Savvy,

I've just paid off one of my credit cards that was in the Debt Management Program through a credit counseling service, which is something I'm proud of! It's nice to have accomplished that! The only issue is, I got a letter from that company offering to reopen the credit card line since I paid everything off. I'm not 100 percent sure if it'd be a wise thing to do or not, since using credit cards got me into the DMP in the first place!

The upside would be that I'd have more available credit line, which could be a good thing for my credit rating. Since I've already learned my lesson the first time around, I know what not to do this time around, which was to charge without making sure I could pay it off pretty much immediately. The credit limit would be a lot lower than what it was originally, so I wouldn't be able to charge a lot, and it is a store credit card so it'd only work only for that store, and not anywhere else.

The cons would be . . . well, my credit card usage is kind of what got me in my debt situation in the first place, and I'm not so sure if I should be opening up cards so soon. The offer is only for 30 days, as well, so after 30 days, I don't know if I'd qualify for a new credit card due to my history. Should I go ahead and accept the offer to reopen the account and "start" over and be more wise, or should I just let it go?

To see my advice, read more.
Savvy says: Congrats on paying off your credit card! It's great that you made the effort and stuck with it - and that you feel like you've learned the important lesson of spending within your means. Even though you've made great strides in managing your money, I don't think it's in your best interest to reopen the card that triggered your financial troubles.

You say that opening the card will boost the amount of available credit and therefore help your credit score, which tells me that you are the owner of at least one other credit card. Instead of trying to manipulate your score, improve your number by working on paying off other debts and keeping all accounts in good standing by paying on time. Focusing on these habits will help you much more in the long run and keep you from reentering an out-of-control credit situation.

If you need more convincing, consider that you'd be setting yourself for a potentially damaging situation if you end up maxing out your new card, even if the limit is lower than what you had before. Store credit cards are, in general, not the most desirable pieces of plastic to have in your wallet. Aside from their typically astronomical interest rate, they can feed a shopper's rationalization that she's actually saving money by shopping because of whatever points or discounts she gets through using the card.

Get this card out of your head and stay on the right track of building a solid credit score. It takes a bit of self-restraint, but you'll be much better off when you need to borrow money for something that doesn't come in a store . . . like a car or house.

Have a question for me? Ask away by posting your questions in my Ask Savvy group.

Money Tip: One Woman's Garbage Is Another's Treasure

SavvySugar — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 12:00:55 -0700

Over time we each develop a unique saving style, which is why we started the How Do You Save? group for you to divulge your winning tactics. The group offers a place for you to dole out your advice to other SavvySugar readers trying to save a little moolah and learn from their experiences.

Ashley2 shared the simple, but always helpful reminder to recycle and donate your goods when you are finished with them because "one woman's garbage is another woman's treasure." She noted:

At freecycle.org you can get rid of what you don't want, and get what you do from other people in your area.

Some other ways you can can recycle, pay it forward and reap financial reward, read more.

Take a tip from Taylor Swift and donate your old dresses to DonateMyDress.org.
Conserve more money by trading some of your less eco-friendly habits for ones that are more green.
Focus on the motto of recycle, reduce, and reuse and watch your wallet grow.

Do you have a tip for readers? Join our How Do You Save? group and share your helpful suggestions! Here's a detailed guide to posting questions or posts to groups if you are new to the PopSugar Community.

Photos courtesy of The CW

Share Your Tips and Ask For Help in the SavvySugar Community!

SavvySugar — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 04:00:22 -0700

There's a lot to be said about money. Some say it's the root of all evil. Some say 'mo money, 'mo problems. Others say it's the key to happiness and success. No matter what your philosophy, most of us need it, use it, and have to work for it. Vent about your job, ask for help updating your resume, brainstorm your next big move, and share your personal and professional success with other readers in the SavvySugar Community! What do you do? Check out and join some of our hottest groups and share.

How Do You Save?: How do you keep your budget in check? Dole out your advice to other readers trying to save a little green.
Ask Savvy: Submit a career or finance question for me to answer while giving other readers the opportunity to weigh in. Why rely on a Google search to satisfy your concerns when you can get help from your trusted community of Sugar friends?
Resume Remedy: When you upload your resume (minus your personal details, of course), you give other group members, including me, the opportunity to constructively critique it and help you land your next gig.
Recession Proof: Give and take tips on how to stay afloat financially, save money, and use less. Share recipes, activities, and links to money-saving tips.
Start Your Own Group!: Planning on only spending $40 a day for a month? Start a group about it! Have tips and tricks for making a good impression on hiring managers? Start a group about it! Lend your career and finance expertise and get the encouragement you need to reach your goals by starting your own group.

For those of you that already have an account, you can get started right away. For those who don't, you can browse the SavvySugar Community without an account, but to really dive in, register here. Here's a detailed guide to posting questions or posts to groups if you are new to the PopSugar Community.

Ask Savvy: My Husband Spends More Money Than He Should

SavvySugar — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 10:30:10 -0700

Dear Savvy,

My husband and I share a bank account. We both work (he makes more money than I do) and it was his idea to combine bank accounts when we got married a year ago. The combined money situation was going smoothly until recently, when he started spending like he did when he was single.

He used to be a pretty bad impulse shopper but improved so much over the course of our six-year relationship - now, it seems like he's falling into old habits, but this time it affects me. I'm not someone you'd call super frugal, but I'm also acutely aware of how I spend our money. How can I talk to him about this without making him feel like I'm trying to parent him?

Savvy says: Your man's defenses might spike when you start a conversation about his spending, so instead of placing blame on him and starting a fight, find a way to pin-point the problem without a lot of finger-pointing. See my advice when you read more.

Begin the conversation by saying that you've noticed the bank account has been lighter than usual, and you think it would be a good idea to look at your transaction history together to see where your money is going. If you use an online money management system (like Mint), this will be an even easier process. If not just take the time to itemize transactions from the last month or two. Categorize your expenses as an online system would, looking for grocery, gas, household bills, and of course, retail purchases.

When it becomes obvious that your man has been spending more than he should, ask him if he thinks it would be a good idea for you both to have your own smaller accounts for discretionary purchases while using the joint account for shared expenses. Say that because there are two of you using one account, it makes it difficult to really pay attention to where your money is going and it would make it easier for you to track your own expenses. You could automatically transfer a certain amount of money into your individual accounts on paydays.

Because you and your husband have different spending profiles, I really think the best idea is for you to get separate accounts to use as you wish. If your husband blows through his personal account and starts using the joint account for his shopping habit, then you can have to have another, more serious, conversation about your shared financial goals.

Have a question for me? Ask away by posting your questions in my Ask Savvy group.