Are you still paying for cable TV? Why? With all the streaming options out there, you really don’t need cable television. Some time over the past few years, I realized that I was watching less and less TV. There were few TV shows that I felt were really good. Too many were getting too weird, […]
Category: Reduce Your Housing Costs
Don’t Be Afraid to Walk Away from a Deal
We all make plans. We set goals and make action plans to meet those goals. And then something happens. Or as Mike Tyson said “Everybody’s got plans… until they get hit.” So today, this is a reminder that just because you have a plan and perhaps even put money behind your goals does not mean […]
How Do You Include Home Improvements in Your Net Worth?
Do you keep a running tally on your net worth, month to month? If so, how do you include your home and home improvements? I’ve used Mint to track my finances for about four years now. If you put in your real estate address(es), it will import the values from Zillow. I’ve found that these […]
All The Energy Saving Tips to Reduce Utility Bills
We are heading into summer, when utility bills will skyrocket with air conditioners running non-stop. This is an expensive time of year for many and now is the time to look into how you can save on your utility bills. We’ve got all the tips to reduce utility bills! How much do you spend every […]
Why You Need A Home Maintenance Budget
Do you own your home? Or at least have a mortgage and the bank owns your home? If so, you need a home maintenance budget! A special home maintenance budget (or line in your budget) will let you take care of repairs when they happen and even get into preventative mode to keep disasters from […]
Why and How to Avoid or Get Rid of PMI
Private mortgage insurance, or PMI, is a nasty little drain on your personal finances. If you are paying for it, you need to get rid of PMI now! Even though “insurance” is in the name, this monthly fee is not there to protect you if something bad happens. It is only there to protect the […]
Should You Rent or Buy Your Home?
Rent or own? That is the million dollar question. Conventional wisdom is that you should own a home. For many families, it is the primary method of wealth building. You pay your mortgage every month and after 30 years, barring any re-financing, you own it outright. No more monthly housing payments! Each month along the […]
Go Big! Go Home! Tips to Reduce Housing Costs
Probably the largest expense that you face is housing. Your primary residence is often the largest single purchase for most people. If we can change the largest cost, how quick can you reach your personal financial goals? A lot faster than if we saved the daily latte, right? So working from the 80/20 rule, we […]