Happy Tuesday everyone!!
Fill in the blanks below… 👇👇👇
Today I’m feeling _______! My superpower is _______, and I’m going to use it to help me _______.
I won’t stress over _______ because it’s out of my control. Plus, I’m too busy focusing on and celebrating _______!
Today when I have finished _______, I’m gonna treat myself to _______, because I’ve earned it and deserve to be rewarded.
OK, now read it allowed to yourself. —> Then, live it. 💪
TO DO
Plan a Free Date 😘
Good dates aren’t about how much money you spend — they’re about having fun and spending time getting to know your partner.
And pretty much every city on the planet has free activities and events (especially during the Summer!)
So your mission this week: Do some research and plan a free and fun date. (Yes, that includes you if you’ve already been married for 20+ years! Dating is important no matter how long you’ve been together.)
DIY
Cheap Home Security
So, you’re looking to protect your humble abode and want something a little more reliable than the classic “beware of dog” sign…
Here are a couple of home security cameras/systems worth considering that aren’t terribly expensive…
SimpliSafe helped start the inexpensive home security trend. They have a ton of alarm/camera/surveillance packages in the $200-$500 range, with professional monitoring options that will run you an additional $10-$30 per month. Not bad!
Ring has taken inexpensive home security to a new level. They have great stuff with even lower monthly rates. A basic single doorbell camera is $99 and monitoring starts at just $3 per month. You can get an even fancier system for a couple of hundred bucks too.
Wyze is another company worth looking into. They’ve been around for a few years and have continued to innovate on the consumer tech front. Wyze has solid inexpensive cameras and incredibly low rates for monitoring as well.
Repurpose old smartphones: 🤯 That’s right, those outdated devices collecting dust in your drawer can now become your very own security squad. Just download a free surveillance app, prop them up in strategic locations, and voila!
Motion detector lights & noise makers: While it’s definitely fun to unleash your inner MacGyver, you might not really need the fanciest tech gadgets with monthly costs. Simple deterrents may still work fine in many cases. You’re not protecting Fort Knox, after all.
Another thing worth mentioning, you may be able to reduce your home insurance if you have a security system in place. If it costs you $10/month for monitoring but it saves you $120 on insurance, this new system could pay for itself! So be sure to ask your insurance company or agent about that.
Related stuff:
💻 Consumer Reports: Comparing cheap home security systems
TOGETHER WITH FLEXJOBS**
Kickstart Your Remote Job Search 👩💻
The job market is still hot hot hot!! 🔥
And FlexJobs is an awesome place to find remote, hybrid, and flexible jobs across all industries (and all countries!). Their team finds and screens all the best opportunities, and has a ton of support and guidance resources to help you land a gig.
Whether you’re looking for entry or executive-level work, check out FlexJobs — you might just stumble across something you love. 😉
SAVING
How Biking Can Make You Rich 🚴♀️
Who needs a fancy car when you can ride a bike and become the next Jeff Bezos? Okay, maybe not exactly like Bezos, but biking can definitely save you a ton of money and make you feel like a million bucks too…
First off, let’s bring up the obvious: the cost of owning a car. Cars are like money-eating monsters that gobble up your hard-earned cash. Loan payments, gas prices, insurance, depreciation, and repairs all add up to HUGE amounts that make your bank account cry. According to AAA, new car ownership costs an annual average of $9,282!!
Biking is a fraction of that cost. All you need is a trusty two-wheeler and your own leg power. It’s like having a personal money-printing machine on wheels!
Other benefits of biking…
- Say goodbye to pesky parking fees and having to circle around for parking spots. You can lock up a bike practically anywhere for free!
- You’re investing in your health… Regular biking can improve your cardiovascular fitness, boost your immune system, and even reduce stress. Win, win, win!
- It’s better for the environment. According to UCLA, swapping out just one car trip for a bike ride can cut down a person’s carbon emissions by around 67%!
- Lastly, it’s kind of — dare I say — FUN! While everyone else is stuck in traffic stressing about their car payments, bikers are connecting with their surroundings in ways you can’t do from the driver’s seat.
We know, not every person lives/works in a place that caters to bikes. Sometimes cars are a necessity. But if you are able to hop on a bike – for at least some of your trips — your wallet and your body will thank you.
Related stuff:
- 🤷♂️ No Car, No Problem: The pros and cons of living without a car
- 💻 HTM Blog: Biking to Work to Save Money
- 📝 Practical Steps: How to Become a Millionaire!
- 🎧 Pod Ep #578: Biking is a Money and Life Hack
ICYMI
In other news…
Counting Chickens 🧑🎓
A new Intelligent Survey found that 1 out of 3 federal student loan borrowers already spent money they thought would be forgiven. The most common area people spent that money on was “retail items” 🤦♂️🤦♂️🤦♂️
RSVP 👰♀️
An interesting study on wedding costs shows that almost a quarter of Gen Z and Millennials are losing friends and family over financial costs associated with attending weddings. (42% feel obligated to attend, even if they can’t afford it)
Inflation 🚥
Last week’s CPI report came in at a cool 3% over this time last year. This is the lowest it’s been since March of 2021!
“skiplagging” ✈️
Also known as “hidden city ticketing”… is the practice of booking a multi-stop flight, but only taking the first leg. Sometimes you can snag a cheaper deal by doing this, but airlines hate it (and in most cases, it’s against policy). Anyway, if you’re an experienced traveler, read up on it here.
Just for Fun ⁉️
Check out these 14+ Fun Money Challenges to help kickstart your savings goals!
HOW *YOU* MONEY
Lindsey & Neils, both 43y/o, Bay Area, CA 🌉
Occupations: Lindsey – Inside Sales, Neils – small business owner
Salaries: Combined ~$145k, varies a little!
Paycheck deductions: $1,576 – taxes, dental insurance, 401k contributions
Rent: $2,000/mo – this is our portion of the $4,000/mo PITI for the 2-home property we own with a family member. We have approx. 11 years left on a 15 year mortgage @ 2.75% interest
Other Debts: $240/mo for car payment on my used Honda Pilot
Living expenses: ~$3,800
Leftover savings each month: $1,100/mo
How are you investing your excess savings each month?
We each invest $200 – $300/mo in our Roth IRAs, $200 – $400 for short-term savings (home and auto repairs, vacations, etc.), and currently putting away $600/mo for 2022 taxes owed (we will file in October due to a federal extension for our county/state).
Biggest “craft beer equivalent” splurge:
Travel!
Best savings hack/advice:
Traveling anywhere with a family of 5 can get very expensive, very quickly. We use airline and hotel points accumulated through credit card rewards to cut costs. We also use Home Exchange and are traveling to Lake Tahoe this summer for free! In the past 6 years, we’ve used the site to take trips with our family and greatly reduced our costs, plus having a home to stay in versus a hotel allows us to cook some of our meals and save money.
Biggest money challenge right now?
Saving more towards large home renovations – we’d like to make multiple climate-friendly upgrades including solar, replacing gas appliances, and a whole-house fan (we don’t currently have A/C). There are so many choices and incentives that it’s been hard to navigate where to start!
Recent money win and how did you celebrate?
We remodeled our original, 1950s bathroom last year and paid off the HELOC within 7 months.
**Editor’s note: The reason we share these reader stories is to give you a glimpse into how other people handle finances, and encourage you to prioritize saving/investing/paying debt no matter your background or situation. Have you got a story that might help or inspire others? Fill out the form to be featured! (We won’t publish anything you don’t approve first)**
Cheers for reading, and have a great week ahead!!
Best friends out 🍻
