How to Budget as a Freelancer When Income Changes Every Month
When your income fluctuates wildly from month to month, standard budgeting advice falls apart. You cannot rigidly save 20% of your income if you don’t…
20 Expenses You Can Cut Without Feeling Deprived
When you hear the phrase “cut expenses,” what comes to mind? For most people, it triggers instant dread. You picture yourself sitting in a freezing…
What Should You Do With Extra Money Each Month?
Finding yourself with extra cash at the end of the month is a massive financial milestone. It means you have successfully lowered your living expenses…
How to Create a Sinking Fund for Irregular Expenses
You are checking your mail, and there it is: a bill for your annual car registration. It is $400, and it is due in three…
The 50/30/20 Budget Rule Explained Simply
I used to think budgeting was synonymous with self-punishment. For years, I attempted to manage my money by downloading ridiculously sophisticated, 14-tab spreadsheets. I recorded…
How Much of Your Income Should Go Toward Housing Costs?
The largest single expense in almost every American budget is housing. Whether you are signing a fresh 12-month lease on a downtown apartment or closing…
Standard Deduction vs. Itemizing: Which Option Saves More?
For the first five years of my professional career, I kept a beat-up shoebox tucked in the back of my closet. Throughout the year, I…
What Happens After You Pay Off All Your Debt?
Making that final payment on a student loan, credit card, or car note is one of the most exhilarating feelings you can experience. You have…
