#personal financing

[mysstella]

Life Update 1/14/23

Hey guys! So sorry it’s been so long, my pc needed parts and I had a bunch of other stuff going on as well, and then I proceeded to procrastinate on posting here, of course. All is well now though, so I would love to continue with daily updates again. 

Since we last spoke I have been able to start a nice chunk of my savings, and I’ve been looking into either getting a better job, or even moving up in my current job. I’ve been trying to brainstorm on what I would like to do as a long term career, and honestly, I’ve been struggling quite a lot. I know one thing I’ve loved about all my jobs so far, has been the human interaction, and helping customers, the things I dislike specifically about my current place of work, is my management. I cannot stand who my upper management is, both my store manager and sales manager have made their way onto my shit list. The way that both of them talk to people is so demeaning and condescending, and it really grinds my gears. Another thing I dislike about my current position is how temporary it feels, I feel like this is just the filler chapter of my life, which I guess it kind of is, but I would love to still feel like my life has some meaning, ya know? 

I’ve been working really hard to try and focus on my goals, and make sure I don’t over spend. I have a few things I need to spend on this month that are necessary but unbudgeted for, such as new sneakers to work in (my old ones were worn out and my feet have been killing me), and I also need an oil change and tire rotation for my car. Both of these are just parts of life, however I had not budgeted them in necessarily, since I barely started budgeting to begin with. 

I am going to try to start putting away at least $50 from each paycheck, now that I get payed weekly, that will be $200 a month, which hopefully will be achievable. That will end up being a little over 2K saved this year just from that. I would also love to start Door-Dashing again to bump up how much I can afford to stash away each month. Even if that doesn’t happen though, I hope I will at least be able to keep up with the minimum of $200 a month. 

I also think I am going to start doing a weekly spending log at the bottom here, instead of doing it as daily, so I will update it every time to adjust the amount per week, including bills and everything. But I will start that this week, since I have also fallen back on not tracking my spending as I was previously. 

Finance Tracker:

Savings: $500

[softlyfiercely]

DO NOT VOLUNTEER TO BE A CO-SIGNER OR GUARANTOR FOR SOMEONE ON TUMBLR.

I just saw a 'mutual aid' post going around where instead of asking for donations, the person was asking someone to be a "guarantor" - also known as a "co-signer" - for their rent.

DO NOT DO THIS.

I am all for mutual aid. I think credit scores are a scam designed to fuck poor people. I get it. I do. BUT. Being a guarantor/co-signer for someone basically means that if they don't pay what they owe, for whatever reason, their landlord, bank, creditors, etc. can and will come after you for the full amount.

It seems like such an easy way to help someone. You don't need to pay any money, just lend them your name and good reputation so they can get permission to borrow and spend their own money. It feels like you're getting one over on the shitty capitalist system and using your privilege of good credit/income to help someone else.

But it is a HUGE risk. Do not do this. All it does is give that shitty system more ways to get their hooks into you and create tons of problems for you down the line.

You can really fuck yourself over in the long run by getting tangled up in a financial situation like this. Even co-signing for someone in your life who you trust, like a sibling or a parent, can be really risky. No matter how much you trust someone not to purposefully leave you holding the bag, now you're on the hook if they end up with financial problems neither of you anticipated.

Do not co-sign for another person's loan, car, rent, etc. unless you are able and prepared to pay the full amount or subject yourself to the mercy of whatever that person gets themselves into.

ESPECIALLY do not do this for someone on the internet, where scams are rife. Do not share your personal information with people online and NEVER allow someone else to use your personal information for their finances.

Here is an article with more information.

[incognitopolls]

We ask your questions so you don’t have to! Submit your questions to have them posted anonymously as polls.

[nyancrimew]

with the end of the month slowly coming up again i am once again unfortunately already broke again and still somewhat in debt, really hoping to get out of that and get a stable enough income to allow me to stay out of debt for the future (i currently make about 1k a month which is very very little for trying to survive in switzerland esp as i currently support myself and a roommate pretty much alone (and currently leaves me somewhat financially dependent on my parents as well which im not gonna be able to be forever), goal for the end of this year is a stable 2k) anything really helps, but the subscription option helps me the most with stability and ability to budget (also i'll hopefully soon manage to give my subscribers actual special benefits).

i hate asking for money so often especially as i haven't put out a new article in quite a while now, but that will change again soon (i have various things in my pipeline and also non text content coming up soon!), and it is the supporters on ko-fi that let me do all the work i do <3

[csuitebitches]

what my finance mentor, who manages a billion-dollar portfolio sent me this morning

I’m going to start sharing the resources he’s been sharing with me. You can find everything on my pinned index post, under “Mentor recommendations.”

[honeytonedhottie]

financial literacy⋆.ೃ࿔*:･✍🏽🎀

so i released a poll if you guys would like a post on financial literacy and the results are here. so im gonna share some things that i learned while taking a financial literacy course…💬����

WHAT IS FINANCIAL LITERACY ;

financial literacy is handling ur money wisely. the google definition of financial literacy is the ability to understand and apply different financial skills effectively, including personal financial management, budgeting, and saving.

ALL ABOUT BUDGETING ;

when u hear the word "budget" its rly easy to think "omg limiting belief" or think of it in a negative light but a budget is just a plan on how u manage ur money. its not always constrictive and negative like u may or may not think of it to be.

budgeting : keeping track of how much $ ur bringing in and how much ur spending…💬🎀

planning a budget is ez pz. you can use some paper and sparkly pink gel pens to create an adorable budget, or u can download different sheets online and just have your budget digitally. theres a plethora of resources out there so just choose whichever is easier for u.

something else that i learned about during this course was the 50:30:20 rule. its called the 50:30:20 rule because 50% of ur money goes towards ur needs, 30% goes towards wants and 20% goes towards ur savings. and this isnt concrete, its just a good framework and u can adjust to ur own specific needs and goals.

for example if u manifested $4000. ur 50% would be $2000, ur 30% would be $1200 and ur 20% would be $800…💬🎀

HOW DO U KNOW WHAT UR NEEDS/WANTS ARE ;

things like ur rent and groceries are ur needs and things like vacations and going out with ur girls are wants. and to apply the 50:30:20 rule you first have to...

♡ calculate ur needs, wants and savings budget

♡ compare ur expenses to ur budget

the way u do this is to subtract your expenses from your budget. this is your budget balance. if your budget balance is zero or positive, that means you are living within your means and have some extra money. if your budget balance is negative, that means you are spending more than you should and may have a budgeting problem.

let me know if u guys want more content about this cuz i had a lot of fun writing this…💬🎀

[colby-k]

Stuck Between A Rock and A Hard Place

Have you ever found yourself in a situation where everything seems to be going wrong all at once? It's like you're experiencing the snowball effect first-hand. Everything is just not what you expected it to be. Me too, my friend. It's where I am now--stuck between a rock and a hard place.

A little bit of backround: for the past 11 years, I have been struggling with epilepsy. They have been trying to find out where in my brain my seizures are coming from, but they've had no luck. Because they've been becoming more frequent (almost weekly), we tried a week-long observation of my brain and, if I had a seizure during that time, they could figure out the source and hopefully be able to fix it. I never wanted to have a seizure before, until that moment. I didn't have one, though. My neurologist told me that I was going to be weaned off of my medication that week until I had a seizure, but I wasn't which was odd. They also wouldn't keep me for more than 5 days. It was a failed experiment. At least, that's what it felt like to me.

Even though we didn't get what we hoped for, my epileptologist told me that they still discovered valuable information about my brain. That made me happy. It wasn't a complete failure.

My doctors are also still trying to figure out why I get dizzy for a while every morning, too. Almost every morning, I get dizzy and shaky. I can't walk without holding onto something. I can't read, type, or write. It happens at the same time every day, too. I'm a mess.

My mental health hasn't been the best either. My depression has been getting worse. I think part of it is the change of the season. Winter always has a negative effect on my depression. My anxiety has been okay, there haven't been any intense issues recently. However, the voices are also what has been bothering me. Along with "Just do it," they also say things like "Fuck all of them" or "no matter what" or other things I don't want to talk about.

I've also been having some financial hardships and insecurities. I had gotten in a car accident not too long ago, and my car has been in the shop while parts are still coming in. I'm still having to pay my insurance and car loan. Of course, they are very pricy. I'm unemployed right now, so I've been running out of money and falling deeper into a hole of chaos.

I don't have my own place to live right now either. I'm staying with family, and they want me out by a certain time. It's been difficult to find somewhere to live either on my own or with someone else.

I asked a few of my friends if they would want to be roommates, and they all had different plans. One of my friends said he and his friend were talking about moving in together. My other friend went to grad school in another state. I don't have many friends. Most of them are back home in Pennsylvania.

I also never made enough money at a job to ever get my own place, especially when I was in school. Now, freshly graduated, I have so much ahead of me. It's so daunting. But I still don't have any money. I was behind on rent (yes, my family charges me rent) and my car insurance. Borrowing money sucks.

I've been applying to so many jobs, though. I've applied to dispensaries. I got one interview but was declined. They told me I had a great interview, but they decided on another candidate. Another dispensary was overstaffed, and the other never called me back. So, I was given the idea of finding an online writing job. Then I can use my degree for something.

I started looking on Google Jobs for freelance writer jobs that I could apply for. It led me down a rabbit hole, applying for different jobs like crazy, even jobs I knew I wouldn't get! But I thought, "Why not? You never know."

I received a few emails telling me that either my resume was declined and I wasn't fit for the job, or the job was taken off the market. Until I got an email asking for an interview over the phone. It was for a completely remote job to be a content writer for an insurance company. I am super excited about the interview. Finally, something is going right.

But hold on.

This is still a sufferable time.

It's getting to be winter and since I don't have a car, I have to walk. I walk to close places, though. My nicotine addiction made me walk for 30-45 minutes to a 7-Eleven to get pods, then 30-45 minutes back to my house. In the cold. In the wind. It was absolutely miserable.

It's been difficult. It really has. I just can't take it much longer. I know things will get better, it's just a matter of when. It gives me anxiety to think about how I will fix things. Are they going to fix themselves? Is it all up to me?

These questions and a lot more ran through my head as I tried to think. I thought about the gratitude journal that my aunt bought me. I realized it helped me see what in my life is important to me. It has helped me feel more positive about myself and how to make my day better. It's something I'm trying to continue with. I highly suggest making a gratitude journal, if you'd like.

I was talking to my grandmother over the phone the other day, and I was complaining to her because that's what you do with your grandma. I was telling her all that I told you and she just sighed and said that she had no advice. Then, a minute later, she sighed again and said to me, "Colby, you really are stuck between a rock and a hard place."

[bitchesgetriches]

Everything You Need to Know about How to Increase Your Income

Make more money at the job you have

One of the simplest ways to increase your income is to just make your current employer pay you more. But while it may be simple, it ain’t always easy.

Santa Isn’t Coming and Neither Is Your Promotion: How To Get Promoted

How I Chessmastered Myself Into a Promotion at Work

The First Time I Asked for a Raise

You Need To Ask for a Fucking Raise

Ask the Bitches: “Can I Quit With Unvested Funds? Or Am I Walking Away From Too Much Money?” 

The Ultimate Guide to Growing Your Salary

Make more money at your next job

All that said, you’re statistically more likely to increase your income faster by job hopping! So if your current employer doesn’t want to pay you more, leave that sinking ship behind in pursuit of a higher salary.

Job Hopping vs. Career Loyalty by the Numbers

The Fascinating Results of Our Job Hopping vs. Career Loyalty Poll

How NOT to Determine Your Salary

When It Comes to Salary Negotiations, Are You Asking for Enough?

What To Do When You’re Asked About Your Salary Requirements in a Job Interview

If Your Employer Refuses To Negotiate Salary, Try These 11 Creative Counteroffers

Season 4, Episode 9: “I’m on the Wrong Career Path. How Do I Convince a New Industry To Take a Chance on Me?” 

Invest your way to more money

Of course there are some who say the true path to wealth is passive income: when you stop working for your money and instead let your money work for you. And they’re not wrong! Here’s how we recommend you increase your income passively.

When Money in the Bank Is a Bad Thing: Understanding Inflation and Depreciation

Investing Deathmatch: Investing in the Stock Market vs. Just… Not 

What’s the REAL Rate of Return on the Stock Market?

Dafuq Is a Retirement Plan and Why Do You Need One? 

Procrastinating on Opening a Retirement Account? Here’s 3 Ways That’ll Fuck You Over.

Season 4, Episode 1: “Index Funds Include Unethical Companies. Can I Still Invest in Them, or Does That Make Me a Monster?” 

Small Business Investing: A Kinder, Gentler Alternative to the Stock Market 

The Dark Magic of Financial Horcruxes: How and Why to Diversify Your Assets 

Make more money through side hustles

When it comes to side hustles, we have traditionally advocated caution. The last thing you want to do is burn out in pursuit of a second income stream. But with enough wits and fortitude, a side hustle could help you increase your income by leaps and bounds.

Romanticizing the Side Hustle: When 1 Job Isn’t Enough

Season 2, Episode 9: “I Use My Free Time to Volunteer. Should I Focus on Making Money Instead?”

Stop Undervaluing Your Freelance Work, You Darling Fool

Freelancer, Protect Thyself… With a Fair Contract 

Season 4, Episode 10: “I’m a Freelance Artist. How Do I Price My Work Fairly Without Losing Clients?”

Ask the Bitches: My Boss Won’t Give Me a Contract and I’m Freaking Out 

“Independent Contractor” My Ass: How to Stop Wage Theft Through Worker Misclassification 

Becoming a Millennial Entrepreneur (In the Midst of a Pandemic) With Katelyn Magnuson 

11 Awful Mistakes I Made as a Self-employed Freelancer, and How You Can Avoid Them

The Magic of Unclaimed Property: How I Made $1,900 in 10 Minutes by Being a Disorganized Mess

I Am a Craigslist Samurai and so Can You: How to Sell Used Stuff Online

What to do when you make more money

Once you increase your income, you might find yourself… not quite bored, but finding you have a little more bandwidth to handle the stuff that matters. It can be a jarring transition! Here are our thoughts on the matter.

Season 3, Episode 7: “I’m Finished With the Basic Shit. What Are the Advanced Financial Steps That Only Rich People Know?” 

Season 3, Episode 4: “The More Money I Save, the More I’m Scared To Lose It. Can I Break the Cycle of Financial Anxiety?” 

How to Avoid Lifestyle Inflation … and When to Embrace It

Ask the Bitches: I Know How to Struggle and Fight, but I Don’t Know How to Succeed

Update: I Know How to Struggle and Fight, but I Don’t Know How to Succeed 

The FIRE Movement, Explained 

I Was Happy to Marry a Poor Man. Then Things Changed.

I Have Become the Rich Relative I Always Wanted 

Believing in Miracles: A Conversation with Chris Dane Owens on Money, Creativity, and Self-Funding Art 

I Now Make More Money Than My Husband, and It’s Great for Our Marriage 

Season 2, Episode 1: “I’m Financially Stable, but My Friends Aren’t. The Guilt Is Crushing!”

The Resignation Checklist: 25 Sneaky Ways To Bleed Your Employer Dry Before Quitting

Advocate for systemic change

We don’t endorse an attitude of “I got mine.” So once you increase your income, there are lots of ways to use your newfound financial breathing room for good! Lift as you climb, my friend. Here are a few ways to do so:

Wallet Activism: Using Your Money for Good with Author Tanja Hester 

Woke at Work: How to Inject Your Values into Your Boring, Lame-Ass Job 

Raising the Minimum Wage Would Make All Our Lives Better

Post a Salary Range in the Job Description, You Fucking Cowards

1 Easy Way All Allies Can Help Close the Gender and Racial Pay Gap

The Truth About Unions: What Has Organized Labor Done for You? 

How To Support a Labor Strike with 3 Simple Steps

Everything in moderation

One last thing, my lambs: don’t crush your spirit while chasing the goal of a higher income. Working hard is hard work. If you find these tactics are leaving you exhausted and demoralized, you might be on the road to burnout. And that road leads nowhere good!

That’s why we just released our glorious new Burnout Workshop. Click the button below to take a peek!

Get the Burnout Workshop Here!

[datazone24]

Tips To Grow Your Millionaire Mindset

[mysstella]

Day Five- Dec. 18, 22

Hey guys! I haven’t been up to too much today, but I do have a work dinner tomorrow so that’s cool I guess. In all honesty, its pretty late right now and my brain is kind of giving up on me, so it may be another short update for today, sorry. 

I did have to spend a little more than I would’ve liked on lunch today because the other place was way too busy, and any other day I would’ve just skipped lunch but I worked a later shift than usual today as it is so I was already pretty much starving. I think Sundays I will do an end of the week recap, as in showing what I spent for the week. Also, I didn’t notice until a little while ago but my phone bill snuck in yesterday on autopay, so I should've included that as well for yesterdays update, but it was $50 for those wondering. 

One of my more personal goals for this upcoming week is to get at least something put into my savings. Another goal is to try and get my sleep schedule back on track. As some of you may know, I had a week off last week, and my sleep schedule has been all sorts of out of line. 

One thing I would love to do to wrap up the end of the year is tidy up my space, and try to just really finish the year off strong, and therefore starting the new year off fresh. I definitely need to super deep clean my room and declutter a ton of stuff, maybe I’ll actually sell some of it and put that money into my savings as well, but if I don't get to it I plan on at least donating what I can. 

Alright, I think that’s all for today. definitely feel free to DM me suggestions or hit the “Ask me anything” button on my profile if you have questions or feedback! I’d love to hear from you!

Finance Tracker:

Savings: $0

Spent Today: $14.88  

[hadesoftheladies]

it's a little funny, because the endpoint of femininity is being the perfect partner to a man. that's literally what femininity is for. that's why it exists. the beauty industry's entire focus is catering to male desire. you aren't taught from day one to be demure just for the sake. it's because you're supposed to be the wife of some man. yet on this site, we can criticize and be sceptical about heels and plastic surgery, but not the end-goal of that career: romantic partnerships with men.

[nyancrimew]

i really hate how often i have to post about this, but im horribly in debt and if i don't get out of this soon (ideally within like two months) it's only gonna keep getting way worse. at this point im over 4.6k in the minus cause both paying back debt and keeping up with living expenses and bills at the same time is pretty much impossible on my little income, so i always end up having to spend more in credit card debt again (i have to cover most of the living expenses for a two person household and sometimes help my wife with shopping as well).

i know i already have enough coming in rn (with the talk and other paid work + a bit of my monthly income) to pay off at least 1.6k this month, but absolutely anything i get will help me massively, and especially monthly subscriptions are valuable for budgeting and allowing me to worry less while doing my writing or posting my silly posts and are my only stable form of income.

give with card if possible as it is currently not possible for me to get paypal money into my bank account, but paypal is at least still useful for running expenses, anything helps <3

[femmefatalevibe]

Any tips on saving money?

Track your income/expenses. Knowing your monthly cash flow + essential and discretionary spending is the only sound starting point toward setting your financial goals.

Evaluate your non-essential spending habits. Consider where this money is going, and whether these expenses add value/are necessary to your life (pleasure or peace of mind is an acceptable "necessity" if you're living within your means to be clear!).

Determine the money you have left over after you cover your essential expenses and most fulfill discretionary expenses. This amount is your "saving/investment" money.

Divide your leftover amount into 3 categories: Emergency fund, goal-oriented savings (like buying a desired luxury item/furniture, a down payment on a house, a vacation, etc.), and investments.

Put your savings in a high-yield savings account. If possible, have different accounts for each purpose, especially your emergency fund and savings for future purposes. You can also get a CD for a long-term savings goal.

Put your investments (in the USA at least) in the following buckets: Roth IRA (max it out), ALWAYS take your employer's full 401k match, HSA (if you have a high-deductible health insurance plan), and S&P 500 index funds/other evergreen mutual funds + blue-chip stocks.

Purchase fewer, higher-quality items. Know the sales seasons for each product category and shop around this calendar (down to the produce items in season). If possible, rent items when it makes sense.

Only say "yes" to plans/financial obligations that add value/pleasure to your life. Don't let yourself feel shortchanged financially or emotionally. It's never worth it, honestly.

Invest in your physical, mental, and financial health first. This can mean something different for everyone but it's important!

**I'm not a professional, just another young woman on the internet, so please take this advice accordingly. Please meet with a financial advisor/CPA for formal advice and personal financial planning.

Hope this helps xx

[honeytonedhottie]

financial literacy continued⋆.ೃ࿔*:･👛💵

so i released a poll if you guys would like a post on financial literacy and the results are here. so im gonna share some things that i learned while taking a financial literacy course…💬🎀

HOW TO SAVE MONEY ;

automatically deposit a certain percentage of ur income into ur savings account so that u dont even have to think about it

to do something more FUN tho, (at least in my opinion) is to make a challenge where u have to save every $10 dollar bill, or $20 dollar bill or whatever. just something to make saving money seem like a game if u wanna have some fun with it.

EMERGANCY FUND ;

most experts will tell u that ur emergency fund should be 3-6 months of ur needed expenses. so calculate ur needed expenses and multiply that by 6 to figure out how much you'd need to have in ur emergency fund.

PAYING YOURSELF FIRST ;

you should always put urself first in every single situation including financially. so to pay urself first simply means to put ur future and needs before anything else. FOR EXAMPLE... let's say u wanna buy an ipad by the end of the year, an ipad is $345.

lets also say that u get paid weekly, so you'd divide $345 by the number of weeks in a year (52) you'd get 6.6. so you'd have to save roughly $6-$6.50 a week which isnt a lot at all. and you'd be getting what u want.

INTEREST AND CREDIT ;

interest is like a reward that the bank gives you for trusting them to look after your money. the more money you have in your account, and the longer you keep it there, the more interest you can earn…💬🎀

so the bank calculates interest as a percentage of the total amount in a bank account. so if the bank pays a 1% interest you'll earn $1 for every $100 in ur bank account over the course of a year. so if u have $500 in ur account you'll get $5. its not a lot, but interest builds on itself.

credit is the ability of the consumer to acquire goods or services prior to payment with the faith that the payment will be made in the future…💬🎀

for example missing payment deadlines can negatively affect ur credit score. why is this important? if u wanna go to college and wanna use student loans, u might not be able to if ur credit history is bad. as ur credit history grows you'll get a credit score. the higher ur score, the better ur credit is.

BUILDING CREDIT ;

get a secured card. a secured credit card is a special type of credit card with a down payment. when you open the card, you will give the credit card company a deposit to hold. it can be as little as $100. the company holds the money for you and gives you a credit card with a line of credit equal to your deposit

sign up for victoria's secret direct paper mailers. you'll get a coupon each month for 1 free panty for every purchase. when u go to the mall, get urself a panty and a sweet treat 🧁 (DO NOT PUT ANYTHING ON THE CARD THAT U CANT IMMEDIATELY PAY OFF)

and then go home and pay ur credit card bill off, and then dont use it again until the next month.

[incognitopolls]

We ask your questions so you don’t have to! Submit your questions to have them posted anonymously as polls.

[wildhannimal]

Before you pay that not-covered hospital bill:

I want to take a min to spread awareness for the No Surprises Act after noticing a reddit post earlier.

This protection for patients just popped up in the past couple years, and the one major downside is that it's up to the patients to speak up to make use of it, but not everyone knows what it is.

"If you have private health insurance, these new protections ban the most common types of surprise bills. If you’re uninsured or you decide not to use your health insurance for a service, under these protections, you can often get a good faith estimate of the cost of your care up front, before your visit."

Consumer fact sheet

Typically, health insurance companies will help pay for bills from "in-network" providers, AKA their VIP inner circle gang turf. They won't help pay if you get medical care from another gang's henchmen (out of network).

This means that sometimes, a person would go to the hospital, which they knew had been covered by their insurance before, so they expect it's going to be relatively affordable. But they didn't know that multiple medical "gangs" were working in the same hospital. Their anesthesiologist, for example, was from a different gang. That specialist was out of network even though the surgeon and nurses were all in network.

Boom. Big bill for thousands of dollars and their insurance refuses to help pay it.

But now we have this law! The No Surprises Act means that insurance companies need to cover "surprise" expenses (under certain conditions).

If you don't have health insurance, hospitals and clinics need to give you an accurate quote before you get services, then foot the bill if they were too far off the mark.

The Fact Sheet section (UPDATE: this consumer toolkit link is better) of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid services have some wonderful user-friendly resources for you about health insurance and how this act works.

Keep in mind that Medicare and government-run programs always have weird rules for everything, so you might have different (yet similar) protections through those programs.

If you have a medical bill that wasn't covered by insurance and you think it might count as a surprise bill, please check out your rights and consider fighting it instead of letting it become a stressful expense or debt you can't repay.

Go here to start figuring things out for your situation:

Health insurance companies have way, waaaaay too much power over our lives. We need every drop of protection we can get - but it only counts as much as we can understand and use those protections!