The freshness of spring motivates a lot of people to throw open the windows and doors, and do a thorough spring cleaning. It’s a great way to take stock of what you have, organize it so everything’s more accessible, and ditch the clutter that’s keeping you from enjoying your space. While you’re at it, why not dive into a bit of spring cleaning for your finances, too?
Topics: Personal Finance, Seasonal
It's that time of year again; W2s are rolling in, tax professionals are gearing up, and your mind is already swirling with ways to spend your tax refund check. Before getting too excited and seeing dollar signs, check out this BALANCE blog post.
Topics: Personal Finance
Every year in March, we celebrate Women's History Month, a time to acknowledge all the brave hard-working women who came before us and paved the way for women's equality. And as great as it is to underline historical women who have made strides for women's independence and equality, it's even more important to use this month as a way to motivate and empower present-day women to rise up and take advantage of the opportunities that are available to help them achieve independence, stability, and success.
Topics: Personal Finance, Investing & Retirement
Eating out is a budget killer, especially if you do it constantly. The best alternative, of course, is to eat at home. However, while this will save you money, cooking every meal can be daunting for some people—unless you make a meal plan.
Topics: Personal Finance, Home, Life & School
Many of us might be overspending unknowingly, with our hard-earned money slipping away in areas we seldom scrutinize. While it seems impossible to escape these inflated costs, plenty of alternatives and discounted rates are readily available.
Topics: Personal Finance, Seasonal
Securing a debt consolidation loan and paying down your obligation can fast-track you to an improved credit rating and financial stability. But success requires personal vigilance and fiscal responsibility.
Topics: Personal Finance, Debt Consolidation, Credit Building
American consumer debt reportedly exceeds $14 trillion, and it seems individuals accumulate more — not less — as they get older. Recent data points to a troubling trend that often puts hard-working people in a difficult financial position. Responsible people in these age groups reportedly take on sometimes onerous debt and struggle to get relief.
Topics: Personal Finance, Debt Consolidation, Personal Loans
I recently found myself on the hunt for a new vehicle, meaning I needed to find a new car loan as well. I used some of the tips from the BALANCE blog below to help me find the best vehicle financing deal and figured they might be a good resource for someone else in the same boat.
Topics: Personal Finance, Seasonal
As a millennial, you're part of a unique and special generation. You're probably at the exciting stage in life where you're just starting out or you're beginning that career climb. Undoubtedly you want to avoid some of the financial pitfalls that have befallen previous generations, but how can you do so? Read below to learn the top 10 financial tips for millennials today.
Topics: Personal Finance, Credit Cards, Home, Life & School
Winter has abundant opportunities for outdoor family fun. But with limited daylight and stretches of severe weather, how do you keep your kiddos entertained when going outside isn’t an option? It’s a tricky question for parents on a budget—you can’t just take your little ones to the movies day after day.
Fortunately, children have an unlimited imagination that can fuel a full day of fun. So flex your creative muscle, and keep them occupied indoors with these activities:
Kids love to build, so encourage them to take the cushions from your couch and create their special fortress. They can build different rooms for each person in your family and even reinforce the perimeter against all enemies with extra pillows from their beds!
Do your children bounce off the walls after being cooped inside on a snow day? A dance party is an excellent way for them to burn excess energy. Designate one area as the dance floor, and have them pick some kid-friendly upbeat music. For a twist, they can even challenge each other to dance-offs.
Puzzles are perfect for kids on days when they’re stranded inside. Depending on their age, they may even be able to stay focused on large puzzles, potentially keeping them busy for hours.
While children may be more familiar with online videos than feature films these days, they can easily pass the time by making their own movies. Using your phone or another camera with video capability, encourage them to write a script, choose costumes, and act out the characters. Most smartphones even have basic editing tools as well.
If you have a knack for creating sweets from scratch and need to keep your kids occupied, baking can take a bite out of a long winter afternoon. First, have them choose a treat (Cookies? Brownies? Cake?). Then, visit the store together to pick out the low-cost ingredients. Finally, incorporate them in every step of the baking process. It’s a great bonding experience, and you get to enjoy a sweet reward for your efforts when it’s over.
Not really, just pretend like you’re on one. So shut the curtains and crank up the heat; it’s summer in January! Time to pull out your swimsuits, beach towels, and sunglasses. Watch a summer movie, toss a beach ball, play island music, or have a beach towel picnic. For added fun, have a limbo contest. How low can you go?
Here’s how it works: Draw a graph, like a BINGO card, and then color each square a different color. Next, the kids have to search the house, looking for something in each color category they can add to the BINGO sheet. First, one to five in a row wins!
The blog post above was shared from BALANCE. For more information and similar resources, click here .
Topics: Personal Finance, Seasonal
Check out recent blog posts by our Brand Ambassador, August, for tips on achieving financial success in the bag.
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