Budgeting | John J. Bowman Jr

Tag: Budgeting (page 1 of 3)

November 9, 2020

The Best Holiday Shopping Budget Tips

Holidays are a time for giving, but giving too much can also put you in a huge financial hole. If you don’t want to end up having to dig yourself out of a shopping deficit at the end of December, follow these holiday shopping budget tips.

1. Set an overall budget.

Think about what you’re really able to spend overall and stick to that amount. What you’ll spend on each individual can fluctuate within that amount, but the overall budget should remain the same to avoid overspending.

2. Make a list of gift recipients, then trim it down.

Your second cousin whom you haven’t seen in 10 years probably doesn’t need a new set of dinner plates. Stick to the closest family members and friends for gift giving. If you still want to send something to long-lost relatives and acquaintances, a holiday photo card is a nice, inexpensive idea.

3. Use cash for purchases.

Credit cards can make it much easier to overspend. Instead, put cash aside at the beginning of the holiday shopping season and use that money to make purchases. If you prefer online shopping, create a separate account for your holiday shopping money, or be extremely disciplined in sticking to your budget.

4. Take advantage of free shipping.

Online shopping is convenient, but the shipping costs can really add up. Take advantage of free shipping days by making several gift purchases at once. Most retailers offer free shipping if you spend a certain amount.

5. Start shopping early.

Waiting until the last minute can cause you to overspend. Starting your holiday shopping as early as September or October is a good idea because you can shop a little bit at a time. Everyday deals are often better than Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals anyway, and you’ll be more likely to score the big-ticket items that might sell out on these busy shopping days.

6. Think quality, not quantity.

One thoughtful gift is more appreciated than several random items. Homemade gifts are also a good idea as they come from the heart. The best part is, they’re also less expensive.

Stay on budget with these holiday shopping tips and enjoy the season!

October 12, 2020

How to Start Building Your Emergency Fund

As the name implies, emergency funds offer some degree of comfort and peace of mind during times of crisis. Alarmingly, 45 percent of people in the U.S. claim that they do not have enough money to cover three months’ worth of expenses if they suddenly lost their source of income. To avoid being included in this statistic, here are four tips on how to start building an emergency fund:

Start Small

You don’t need to go from zero to sixty when building an emergency fund. Starting small by putting $5 a day in your fund can help your fund grow to a significant size over time. It’s also easier to build habits if you make it effortless to perform said habits every day. Start with a $500 emergency fund and then gradually increment it every time you hit your target amount.

Keep Your Emergency Fund Separate

An emergency fund should be easily accessible in tough times, but it should not be mixed in with your checking or savings accounts. These everyday money accounts put your funds at risk of impulse withdrawals. You can put your emergency funds in a separate high-interest savings account, money market account, or certificate of deposit or a mix of these three investment products.

Make Automatic Payments

Just as you would a 401k or any retirement account, it’s essential to deposit money into your emergency fund first before spending the money on other purchases. Allocate a monthly percentage of your income to your emergency fund. If the funds are stored in a savings account, you can set scheduled automatic deposits, so you don’t have to manually transfer the money to your fund every month.

Cut Monthly Expenses

An imbalance between monthly expenses and income is the most common cause of why people can’t build their emergency fund. By cutting down your monthly fees, you’ll have more money to invest in appreciating assets as well as savings. Trim the monthly content subscription services and the costly name brand clothing.

Final Thoughts

Building an emergency fund starts with awareness of one’s finances. Many people underestimate the likelihood of an emergency that costs them money; hence they don’t realize the importance of having a rainy day fund.

September 1, 2020

Strategies For Building An Emergency Fund

One of the best things you can do to support your financial health is to create an emergency fund. This fund can be used in case of a medical emergency, a sudden visit to the veterinarian, a home repair, or other unexpected costs that could lead you to take out a small high-interest loan to cover the emergency.

Eventually, it can also be a way to cover your expenses if you lose your job.

These kinds of incidents, both large and small, put people into debt and their finances in a tangle for years.

By building an emergency fund, you develop a financial safety net for yourself.

Many people see the suggestion of saving for six months of expenses and feel that goal is far out of reach; they don’t even want to try. This is a big mistake. If you’re in that situation, first focus on building a small emergency fund of five hundred to fifteen hundred dollars. If this takes you a little time, it’s still worth having. Having a thousand dollars at your back can keep your finances well in hand on a tight budget.

How do people save a sizable emergency fund on any budget?

Open a High Yield Savings Account

Your emergency fund should be accessible, so you don’t want this invested in a 401k or stocks. Put this somewhere it can accrue the most interest and still be at the ready.

Use An App For Automatic Savings

There are many apps that can help you automate your savings in various ways, so it happens without you having to think about it. This makes building an emergency savings something you never have to consider again.

Some people prefer to have a specific amount taken from every paycheck that comes in; others like to round up their purchases. Choose a path that works for your goals.

Prioritize Your Emergency Savings

Keep your emergency savings in that separate account. Never mix it with your vacation savings fund or anything else. You don’t want this money to go toward other things on a whim.

Save At Least Half of Your Tax Refund

Your emergency fund can get a big boost when you earn a bonus during the holiday season or receive your tax refund. Put away at least half of this money to help your savings grow.

July 15, 2020

3 Key Money Moves to Make Before You Retire

Proper planning is necessary for a successful retirement, as many essential moves are made years before a retiree leaves the working world. Here are three of the most crucial money moves you should be making in preparation for your retirement to live out the rest of your life comfortably.

Eliminate as Many Debts as Possible

Once you retire, you’ll likely be living on a primarily fixed income provided by a blend of pension payments, social security, and investments. Interest on debt payments can rapidly eat into this income, so you must pay off as much debt as possible before you retire. This means paying off all of your credit card balances, car payments, and mortgage, if possible. By getting rid of interest payments, you’ll make the most of your retirement income each month.

Adjust Your Portfolio’s Risk Level

For young investors, riskier investment strategies are often beneficial in producing long-term growth. As you approach retirement, though, you’ll need to re-balance your portfolio to reduce your risks and ensure that you won’t be wiped out by changes in the market. Often, this is accomplished by increasing the ratio of bonds to stocks held in investment accounts. A common rule of thumb is that your portfolio should be split evenly between stocks and bonds when you expect to live another 15 years.

Use Your Last Few Working Years to Bulk Up Your Savings

The final 5-10 years of your working life are some of the most important for successful retirement planning. These years should be spent saving as much income as possible while reducing expenses in preparation for retirement. If you remain healthy and avoid major financial pitfalls, you should be able to substantially take advantage of your late-career years to increase your retirement savings.

By taking these three necessary steps, you can set yourself up for the best possible retirement. While retiring takes years of planning and preparation, these essential money moves will help you navigate the process more efficiently and give you financial peace of mind after you leave the workforce.

June 13, 2020

Basic Budgeting Tips

Many Americans have trouble with their finances. For some, it’s due to a lack of income. For others, it’s difficult to figure out how to divvy up money each month. That’s why it’s so important to maintain a budget. Budgets give households permission to spend a specific amount of money during a given month. A budget is a good way to track spending, and many millionaires claim that this step was an important key to their financial success.

Start With A Zero Balance

A family should account for every dollar when setting up a budget. Having a zero-based budget simply means that every dollar is accounted for at the beginning of the month. It does not mean that every dollar gets spent. Some of the money should go toward savings, but it should not be left without a home in the savings portion of the budget.

Save Automatically

That money that gets saved should get automatically deducted at the beginning of the month. Ideally, this will be the result of an automatic draw from a direct deposit. By saving automatically, there will be less of a temptation to spend the money on frivolities. Any cash that gets saved should be put toward an emergency fund, a long-term savings goal like a mortgage down payment or investments.

Prioritize Debt Repayment

Any money that’s left over after accounting for all necessary expenses should go toward paying off debt. One of the biggest drains on the average family’s finances is interest expense. By cutting out interest expenses and debt payments, many people who have financial stress could breathe much easier. Making more money and cutting expenses are the best way to accelerate debt repayment. Fewer payments going to debtors leaves more money for more enjoyable purposes.

Allow for Miscellaneous Spending

Setting aside some petty cash for small and unexpected expenses is a good way to avoid going into debt or dipping into an emergency fund. Few months are alike when it comes to expenses, so having a little cash on hand to deal with unusual expenses is a great step to take.

Budgeting is an important key to financial success. Rather than constraining a family, a budget can actually be a very freeing process. A budget allows for an easy assessment of where a family’s money is going. By gaining an understanding of where a household’s income is going, it’s possible to make adjustments to provide for more efficient use of that money.

May 5, 2020

How to Slash Your Grocery Bill

Most working-class people find it hard to control how much they spend on groceries. After paying critical bills like rent, electricity, and phone bills, what is left is allocated to grocery money and other minor expenses. This kind of lifestyle can quickly lead to poor health due to a poor, budget-focused diet, however. Maintaining a healthy diet while saving money is very possible when a few selective shopping practices are followed.

Shopping at Various Stores and Supermarkets

Some stores might not be grocery stores but have many of the same food items, sometimes at discounted prices. For example, individuals and families who frequently eat canned foods and snack foods should consider buying these food items at family discount stores like Dollar General or Family Dollar. Then they can buy their favorite meats, produce, and other foods they need and want at the more premium grocery stores. Shopping at alternative grocery stores balances out the food budget, but quality and nutrition standards are upheld.

Using All Forms of Coupons

Food coupons come in various forms, and these include newspaper cut-outs, magazine cut-outs, printable online coupons, and online coupons for digital shopping only. If more than one of these are utilized regularly, the savings will add up quickly. Taking the time to sign up for online coupon websites that offer real savings is worth it. While most people don’t read the Sunday paper anymore, they might be surprised to find regular savings on foods they routinely eat.

Learn to Cook

Fresh produce, dairy, and meats are some of the most nourishing foods. Interestingly enough, these are the foods found along the perimeter of most grocery stores. The much less healthy processed foods are found towards the center of the store. Processed foods are generally more expensive than whole foods, and the reasons include the high-priced additives and processes used to manufacture them.

If more people learned to cook their own burgers, fries, and other foods that are commonly processed, they would save money and their health in the process. Fruits and vegetables that are presliced or otherwise pre-prepared for customers are higher in price per-pound than the whole fruits or vegetables themselves. Watching a few online videos and learning some simple cooking skills can improve the standards of living for so many people living on a fixed budget.

February 15, 2020

Four Easy Ways to Budget This Month

For some, creating and sticking to a budget is a simple task. For others, it’s a strenuous and seemingly impossible task. The temptation to eat out, splurge on clothes, and throw caution and cash to the wind can be huge, so it’s essential to find ways to stay on track. Here are four ways to create a budget that works and stick to it.

Meal Prep

In addition to various forms of outside entertainment, eating out is a considerable expense. Since most restaurants mark food up—sometimes as much as 300 percent—the only sure-fire way to save money on food is to cook meals at home. However, this is a lot more time-consuming and can be difficult for those without much cooking experience.

Take the time to plan meals, including the cost of ingredients, for at least a week’s worth of meals. Also, include the costs of snacks as well. One way to save on food is to buy in bulk. Look for items that can be purchased in larger quantities and divide up for later.

Set Up Autopay

Another way to stick to a budget is by setting up autopay. Instead of having to pay bills and charges every month manually, autopay lets budget-setters know what they pay and when. The same concept can also help track savings. Just have a set amount of money transferred each month into a savings account.

When it comes to paying utilities, look into budget billing. Customers pay a set amount for power and water. After a set time frame, they’re either refunded the difference or charged for any overages.

Entertain at Home

Simply put, going out is expensive. Everything from grabbing drinks to seeing a movie is expensive these days. Instead of breaking the budget, invite friends over and find ways to create a social atmosphere at home. Cocktails made at home cost half the price when ordered out. The same holds true for take-out. If your group wants pizza and a movie, rent a flick and make homemade pizza.

Track Success

Tracking success is a great motivator, so make sure you keep track of how much money you’ve saved over the month. After seeing positive results, you may feel even more motivated to stick to their budgets.

With a little planning, creating and sticking to a budget is easy. Since everyone has different needs, never compare budget planning. Finally, make sure that the budget isn’t so rigid that it’s impossible to follow. Just be sure to leave some wiggle room for the occasional splurge.

John J Bowman Jr Accountant - Pittsburgh PA - Personal Finance Software

January 20, 2020

The Best Personal Finance Software

In the world of personal finance, there are some software programs that stand out from the rest. These programs make it much easier to manage budget and track spending within your household. If you’re looking for software to manage your personal finance, these are the programs you should check out.

Quick Books

If there is one program that has continued to stand out over the years when it comes to personal finance, it is QuickBooks. This software has become the cornerstone of personal financing for people who want to keep up with their household spending. The program allows people to set budgets and get running totals for their spending during the month. Users can see how much they deviate from the budget each month, and plan accordingly to save more in the next month. QuickBooks even offers the ability to compare previous years and see if a user’s spending has increased or decreased. With quick references and an easy budgeting interface, this is a great program for users who don’t want tons of fancy features.

Microsoft Money

Another program that stands out amongst personal finance software is Microsoft Money. This is a program that tends to work well for those that have already utilized Microsoft Excel spreadsheets over the years. Users have the ability to create formulas, track their spending, and create easy-to-manage documents.

The ability to add different categories of expenses becomes much easier with a program like Microsoft Money. It has a user-friendly interface that makes it easy for people that are not computer savvy to create documents of their personal finances. This program tends to be one of the favorites for people that like to create documents that can be saved in different formats. These documents can be exported to Excel spreadsheet or saved as PDF files, offering plenty of versatility depending on a user’s needs.

Mint

In the growing age of portable personal finance software, Mint is the finance tool that has gained a lot of attention with the younger crowd. Mint has offered the millennial generation a viable personal finance program that gives them access to an online platform that is not limited to their personal computers.

Mint users have the ability to add their credit and debit cards to track purchases without manually typing in everything that they buy. The Mint app for smartphones allows users to access their financial budgets whenever and wherever they want.

September 15, 2019

Personal Finance for College Students

You’re finally living on your own, attending classes and joining new clubs and organizations. In college, it’s easy to overlook personal finance when focusing on your studies, but proper money management is vital for a successful future. If you’re new to college and money management, here is some personal finance advice.

Consider Your Credit

Swiping a card is convenient, but that money has to come from somewhere. If you’ve fallen victim to overspending on your card, try to set up a system to evaluate your spending habits. Perhaps you could limit card spending and use more cash. Or, perhaps you need to change your card limit to dissuade yourself from making unnecessary purchases. In addition, you should keep track of when your credit card payments are due—missing those payments can harm your credit score, which can be difficult to improve later down the line.

Search For Perks

Many colleges and surrounding businesses offer benefits to students. From dining halls to student discounts, you’re bound to find ways to save money. For instance, shops close to your school may offer student discounts, allowing you to pay a set percentage less for meals and clothes. In the same vein, your school may offer textbook rentals as opposed to purchases, which can save money. Or, if you can find those books online at Amazon or from other e-commerce sites, you may be able to save bundles.

Build a Budget

Understanding and implementing a budget can have positive long-term effects. If you’ve struggled with overspending or other money-related issues, budgeting can be a huge benefit. Calculate the amount of income you’ll make in a given month, including rates for on-campus jobs, and figure out your expenses. You’ll want to save a percentage of that income and avoid going over it. The sooner you establish a budget and learn to stick to it, the sooner you’ll save money and build your personal finances.

Find a Job

Colleges often have part-time jobs available for even the busiest of students. From cooking in the dining hall to operating an office desk to providing prospective students with campus tours, student jobs abound in academia. Taking on a job for just a few hours each week can help you better understand time management while generating income. If you want to earn academic credit while you work, internships and work-studies can be a great use of your time. Plus, any campus job is a terrific resume-builder for your post-grad job search.

August 18, 2019

Tips for Financial Independence and Early Retirement

What do you consider to be “retirement age”? Perhaps early 60s or late 50s. What about 30s and 40s? The FIRE movement, which stands for “financial independence, retire early,” has gained traction with individuals as young as their 20s. The idea of working 9-to-5 jobs for several decades is an intimidating one, and FIRE offers the chance to work hard and, earlier than expected, play hard. However, FIRE is not an easy process, and it takes plenty of planning to truly retire early. Here are some considerations to take into account if you plan on retiring early.

Do Your Research

Monthly earnings from social security and pensions, costs of present and future healthcare concerns, and similar factors must be considered before an individual takes any steps towards early retirement. There are several complications, ones that often work against each other, to sort out during the planning phase of FIRE, but these factors help paint a picture of your financial future. Make sure you understand what FIRE really is, and what it means for you and your situation. In some cases, research may prove that early retirement isn’t the best option; rather, switching to part-time work or taking a temporary hiatus from work is better.

Speak With a Financial Advisor

Financial advisors often assist individuals experiencing drastic life changes, such as making a family or retiring. When it comes to the latter, financial advisors will examine whether a client’s current financial system sets a strong foundation for retirement. Additionally, financial advisors look to the future to predict potential issues. Taking all of this into consideration, clients and advisors can develop a plan to work towards that independence. While hiring a financial advisor does come at a cost, the benefits of receiving an expert’s advice and planning assistance can be a lucrative investment.

Don’t Rush the Process

A simple Google search can unearth a plethora of FIRE horror stories. A common trend in these tales involves early retirees jumping the gun and retiring before they’ve hit their financial goals. For some, this means retiring several years sooner than planned. While earlier-than-early retirement is enticing, it’s unwise to throw your financial goals out the window. Doing so means deviating from your financial plans, which in turn leads to increased risks of your independence returning to dependence. Remain patient and diligent as you work towards retirement, and avoid making rash decisions to save time—that won’t always equate to saving money.

Understand Your Drive

Why do you want to retire early? Is it to avoid unhealthy amounts of stress? Are you trying to spend more time with your family? Has a hobby become your life-long passion? A thorough understanding of the “why” behind your desire to retire early will help you figure out how to reach your financial goals. Anyone can say they want to have more free time. But what are you going to do with that free time? Take some time to introspect and figure out what drives you towards early retirement.

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