How to Save Money and Live Better with a Monthly Budget

In today’s society, many people are really short on cash. It seems like you are living paycheck to paycheck, and there is no money to save. 

In this case, you need to be a savvy spender in order to have some cash. Therefore, here are some tips to save money and live better on a monthly budget.

Use Coupons

The cost of shopping for groceries can really add up. You would be surprised at how much money you can make by using coupons. You can always find coupons in your local paper, or you can get coupons on certain websites. 

There are also certain apps designed specifically for coupons. Most coupons last for six months, so cut out any ones you think you will use. Do not use a coupon just because you have it. Only buy what you need.

Bundle Insurance

If you bundle home insurance, car insurance, life insurance, and health insurance with the same company, you can save money. 

Companies are very competitive, so they want your business, so they will give you incentives. Use one company for all of your insurance needs. You could save thousands each year.

Buy Used Car Parts

Some people do not think of this, but many used car parts are completely safe to buy. Some companies, like U Pull & Pay, know that new car parts are very expensive, so buying them used can save you money. Some of the popular used car parts in include mirrors, spare tires, windows, rims, etc.

Eat at Home

People do not realize how much money they spend by eating out. Get a cookbook, and find some quick, cheap, and delicious recipes that you can cook. It also could be a great family bonding time.

Save on Utilities

Unplug your electronics when you are not using them. Use a programmable thermostat. You can also seal off your windows during the winter months. These are just a few ways to save on your utility bills, so you will have more money.

Low Cost Activities

Go to the park or to the beach. These are completely free. Check the paper for events in your area that are little or no cost. Watch a movie on Netflix.

You can always find great ways to save money while you are on a budget. It is not hard to overspend each month, so if you will just start getting smart with your spending habits, you will save money each month. Then you can watch the savings pile up.

Will It Last?

Did you know that millions of people believed that the internet would just be a fad? That it would disappear as fast as it began, and everyone who had invested in the online behemoths we see today, like Facebook and Google, would be broke and bashful?

Over and over again, our society is confronted with new things that we have to evaluate carefully. Will it be a fad, or a trend? 

For example, I believe that Pokemon Go is a new development that could go either way. While some signs may make us able to guess which it will be right now, only time will truly tell. 

What’s the Difference between a Fad and a Trend?

A fad is “an intense and widely shared enthusiasm for something, especially one that is short-lived and without basis in the object's qualities; a craze.” 

Contrast that with a trend, which is “a general direction in which something is developing or changing.”

Why does being able to distinguish between a fad and a trend matter? Well, for one thing, it can make or break business careers. 

But what about those of us who don’t make a living determining the value of a new company? It’s still good to understand, for the sake of investments, and personal purchases. 

It can even be nice to know whether something is worth getting for your child or not, or whether a new fashion is worth investing in, or whether you’ll regret that haircut in 10 years.

This is by no means a comprehensive list, but here are three signs that I’ve noticed that indicate that something is a trend instead of a fad. 

It Adds Real Value to People’s Lives

One of the reasons that certain things become so big is that they truly answer a need that people have, and add value to their lives that they wouldn’t have had otherwise. 

For example, I would argue that Pokemon Go is more trend than fad because certain people are seeing true value come out of it. I know of people who have lost up to 10 pounds just because they take long nightly walks in order to “catch ‘em all.” 

I know others who are finding that the game gives them a much-needed opportunity to connect and spend time with their kids. When people see true value being added to their lives because of a novelty, it becomes more than a fad. They stick with it even when the hype has worn off because they see positive results in their life. 

It Ends Up Going Mainstream

Another great way to gauge whether something will be a trend or a fad is seeing whether it goes mainstream. 

This is an especially good indicator for fashion, because while early adopters may be adventurous enough to try something new just for the sake of novelty, the mainstream crowd is much more leery of new developments. 

If they can become sold on the idea or the product, then it has mass appeal.

One example of this is the Marvel movement in movies and entertainment. Prior to the late 90’s, Marvel was only honored among a select subculture of comic book reader aficionados. 

In fact, although it created such quintessential characters as Iron Man and the X-Men, Marvel was on the edge of bankruptcy in 1997. 

When a merger rescued the company, the plan was to diversify the industry, and as movies like Blade, X-Men and Spiderman started rolling out to higher and higher appeal, Marvel became the mega-million dollar industry that it is today. 

It Inspires the Next Generation

One of the surest signs that something is a trend rather than a fad is that it’s not an isolated phenomenon. Rather, it has clear predecessors and successors. It’s not a dead branch like the Neanderthal. 

This occurrence is best seen in artistic movements. Some artists rise from obscurity all by themselves, but most revolutionary developments come in packs and collaborations, like the Renaissance school of artists in Italy, who all learned from each other, or the Lost Generation of expat authors and artists who congregated around Gertrude Stein.

A noticeable trend that we can see illustrated in recent history is the John Hughes movies of the 80’s. 

Movies like Pretty in Pink and The Breakfast Club could have been a here-and-gone development in the film industry, but instead, they became the first generation of a completely new genre of teen-oriented films. 

In fact, they even spurred a new movie rating, PG-13, that validated and elevated this new genre. 

It’s Obviously Not an Exact Science

There are some ways that we can never predict whether or not something will endure. Most noticeably, I think, is the way that certain things can be supplanted by new technology that renders the old development instantly useless. 

For example, the Davy safety lamp developed in order to protect miners from underground explosions was an extraordinary development. However, it was quickly replaced when electric lights came into being. 

It was instantly more reliable and practical to use electric lights instead of dangerous flames, even those enclosed in safety lamps.

Guide To Getting Your Debt In Order Before Retirement

Picture yourself back in your high school chemistry class for a moment. You have three beakers. 

One is full of a solution called debt, one is full of a solution called retirement, and the third one is empty. You pour the debt and retirement solutions into the third beaker, and you know what happens? It blows up in your face. 

Why? Because retirement and debt are a toxic combination. Do what you can to get your debt in order before you retire and you will enjoy the retirement that much more.

1. Prioritize Your Debt

Depending on how much debt you have, you are never going to be able to tackle all of the debt at once. The first step is to prioritize the debt you are in. 

You will do this by focusing on interest rate and tackle the debt that is costing you the most money first. Getting rid of the more expensive debts first will speed up how fast you get all of your debt paid off. 

Just create a list of your credit cards, installment loans, student loan debt, and unpaid bills.

2. Consider Getting an Installment Loan

If you have a handful of smaller debts or bills from different places and live paycheck to paycheck, you could consider getting an installment loan and using the money to pay off some of the smaller loans or debts. 

You can apply for installment loans online and pay them back gradually instead of having to come up with a lot of money all at once the way you’d have to with a payday loan.

3. Understand Your Options

The opportunity to settle a credit card bill by paying 50-70 percent of the total bill may sound appealing when a debt settlement company sends you a letter or calls you on the phone. 

However, it is important to slow down and understand more about debt settlement companies before doing business with them. The unfortunate truth is debt settlement companies rarely have your best interest in mind. 

If you work with a debt settlement company, you may end up paying more than you would have if you just paid the debt in full on your own.

4. Create a Budget

In order to prepare yourself, financially, to have the best retirement possible, you should spend time making a budget as well. 

This is to compare how much money you spend every month to how much money you make. If your lifestyle and spending habits do not match your retirement income, you will need to cut back on spending and find ways to save some money.

5. Stick to the Plan You’ve Created

Once you create a plan, a budget, and prioritize your debt, it is important for you to stick to the plan you’ve created. 

It is not uncommon for this to be more challenging than crafting a plan in the first place. If you take a detour from your plan and spend money on things that were not part of your budget, you run the risk of not having enough money to pay your living expenses. 

You can avoid this budget by trying to set a little money aside for random spending or just to save for a future larger spending. The key is to try to avoid spending money you never planned to spend.

As you can see, preparing your finances and dealing with your debt before you retire isn’t complicated if you develop a plan. The earlier you start dealing with your debt and preparing your finances for retirement, the easier it is going to be.

Healthcare for the New Era

Industries that have been around for a long time have a hard time changing. The more established and complicated they are, the harder time they have jiving with the modern consumer.

Healthcare is one of those behemoths that ruffles the feathers of even the most conservative millennial. 

It stands in direct opposition to a million principles that we hold dear. It often sends people into debt because of its high cost. It throws its weight around with “trust me, I’m a doctor” instead of valuing transparency and patient-centric care. 

It devalues alternative options and promotes itself as the single authority when it comes to a healthy lifestyle.

Now, I’d like to make one distinction: I’m not saying that the healthcare industry is bad at adjusting to new procedures and treatment options. 

In fact, it’s one of the fastest-moving fields in the world when it comes to incorporating new developments. However, the industry itself and how it’s run as a business… that’s a ponderously slow beast that will only change its ways under extreme duress.

However, big changes are on the horizon for the healthcare industry. With a new era of consumers, healthcare industries are finding themselves faced with the “evolve or die” ultimatum. 

Millennials, as the new consumer force, are changing the way that healthcare does business.

Reasons the Healthcare Industry Has to Change

They have less personnel and less leaders: One major change that the healthcare industry is facing is an extreme shortage of qualified leaders. 

The modern economy has made a generation of debt-averse students. In a rapidly changing field, students no longer feel confident of the ability to quickly pay off the crippling debts that can get accrued in med school. 

While technology will answer many needs for more helping hands, it’s also true that more individuals will have the power to make waves in an increasingly sparse industry.

It’s just too expensive: With or without insurance, patients are increasingly appalled by the expenses that they have to face from just a checkup or a routine procedure. 

A friend of mine spent two years just paying off her appendectomy… and she’s a very financially responsible individual! 

While most people trust doctors, they also don’t believe that the cost is usually worth the service, and more and more people are looking for manageable options that will help them maintain health.

Technology is changing how we shop: A decade or two ago, no one would think to check out online reviews before choosing a primary care physician. 

Now, it’s unthinkable to many to accept a doctor without first checking out their online rating. The internet gives us the power to explore our options, and make informed decisions about who will be conducting our care. 

Technology is also changing how we’re able to monitor and direct our own health. Today, millions of people use wearable devices to determine how they’re doing with diet, exercise, and sleep. 

Not only does this allow for more specialized health care, but it also gives us a wider range of data to do research from and develop more effective care.

Some Changes You Can Expect Within Your Lifetime

1: More Openness to Holistic Care

An increasingly connected world means that we’re no longer stuck inside a narrow Westernized view. 

Information exchanges across cultural and geopolitical barriers make patients more curious about alternative treatments, and force western medicine to acknowledge that it doesn’t have the market cornered on healthcare. 

Although basic methodology will continue the same, more and more research will look into care that focuses on the well-being of the entire body, instead of a narrow focus. 

Part of the reason that we’ll see more and more of this is because integrated healthcare works. We know very well that mental health has a bearing on physical health, and that treating the body is just a part of treating the overall person.

2: Increasingly Preventive Care

More and more, medical education programs are requiring nutrition courses because we’re acknowledging that what we eat and do daily helps to determine our health. 

With America’s greatest health challenges being diseases like diabetes and heart disease that are easily preventable, in many cases, with changes in diet and exercise, more and more physicians are seeing the need for teaching patients personal care habits that will improve health instead of diagnosing and dosing.

This can be seen as a part of the new generation’s desire to be more involved in care, and to opt for cheaper routes. 

Most people will choose a new self-care regime that they can control over the knife any day. Now, I know that in a lot of my statements I sound like I’m pitting myself against the old order of doctors and health professionals, but I’m positive that I’m on the same side as most professionals when I say that this can only be a move in the right direction.

3: More Connectedness

Technology and communication options that we have today means that no one is an island. Online forums and texts mean that patients are well-informed about their health, and that connecting with others who confront the same challenges is easy. 

Since shutting down WebMD isn’t really an option, professionals have no choice but to enter the conversation instead. 

We’re seeing more and more physicians with an online presence who connect with patients online and do their best to dispel myths that are floating around out there.

An immediate consequence that we see of this inter-connectedness is that many hospitals are opening up device-enabled communication, instead of having all patients come into the office for care. 

Patients are able to connect with professionals from their own home.

What changes do you see coming up in the healthcare industry? Which ones are you most excited for?