Simplifinances

Scott

Scott is the creater of simplifinances.com and Marketing Manager at qubemoney.io.

13 Ways to Live a Financially Healthy Life | Qube Money Blog. Money can open doors to new experiences and opportunities, yet many people struggle with it. According to Northwestern Mutual’s 2018 Planning & Progress Study, 87% of survey respondents said that they’re most happy when their finances are in order. At the same time, money was also cited as a major cause of anxiety and stress. Although money can be polarizing, you can create a healthy relationship with money.

Here are a few ways to find balance and achieve a financially healthy life. Financial Basics A financial plan helps you prepare (as best you can) for what life throws in your direction. 1. When mapping out your financial situation, the first place to start is with an overarching goal. Specific: Clear and well-defined.

For example, instead of the goal, “I want to save money,” your S.M.A.R.T. goal could look like, “I want to save $1,000 for my emergency fund in seven months.” 2. Your income is one of the key players in understanding the parameters of your finances. 3. Mastering a Budget. A Financial Cleanse from Holiday Spending Hangover | Qube Money Blog. The holiday season is the happiest time of the year. Or at least that’s what it always looks like on TV. But if checking your bank account balance has you feeling more stressed and worried about holiday spending than ever before, you aren’t alone.

Did you spend more money than you expected this year? It’s no secret that the last couple of months of the year is when most American families spend the most money. If you went a little overboard during the holidays and are looking to right the ship, then you are in the right place. The word ‘cleanse’ means to make something thoroughly clean. That’s precisely what we are going to do with your finances. You need to get organized. Before undertaking any new activity or setting out to accomplish anything, you are much more likely to succeed if you get everything organized first.

Sticking to the juice cleanse analogy, you can’t simply open the fridge, throw in some random veggies into a blender, and then call it a day. This is no different. Coronavirus Financial Impact on US Households | Simplifinances. The coronavirus financial impact on US households has been big and has exposed many weaknesses that show people were not ready for another recession. Have you been impacted by the coronavirus? Chances are, in one way or another—you have. The last recession was hard for Americans but we’re seeing the coronavirus have an even bigger impact on US households.

Industry experts predicted a recession would happen. Some even predicted it would happen many years ago. Even I talked about it in 2018 wondering when it was going to happen because the economy was well overdue for a recession. Now, here we are in 2020 and it has happened. What is the impact? In March, over 7.1 million people filed for unemployment. During the biggest week, almost 3.3M Americans filed for unemployment benefits. “A definite and unmistakable sign the United States has entered a recession,” Chief Economist Scott Anderson of Bank of the West Why is this such a big deal?

How is it different this time? US Households Struggles. ChooseFI Book Review: Your Blueprint to Financial Independence | Simplifinances. I remember the first time I learned the difference between an asset and a liability. Sitting on the couch in the living room as a young teenager, I wanted to share my new-found knowledge with my mother. I explained to her the difference between the two knowing that she would be proud of me. She wanted to make good financial decisions so I didn’t make the same mistakes as her.

My mom introduced me to personal finance at a young age because she wanted me to free myself from the poverty cycle we were in. And I couldn’t do that without making solid financial decisions. She went through two divorces, bankruptcy, and many other financial challenges that could turn anyone into a victim. I knew what it was like growing up with nothing, I became obsessed with learning how to equip myself with the right tools to one day become financially free. However, after reading many books, I felt like I was learning all there was to know about personal finance. I Was Missing Something I Found My Tribe. Qube Money Lifetime Memberships On Sale! | Simplifinances.

Because of the way Kenzie and I manage our money, we’ve never been able to find the perfect solution to budget easily in our digital world. It’s always been a little bit difficult. Having multiple bank accounts for different purposes works, but sometimes it sucks. I haven’t seen a digital system built for the jars money management system or the cash envelope system. Until now… Check out this video: You’ll be able to create mini bank accounts with purpose and you’ll even be able to set up how the money gets divided automatically. Budgeting no longer has to be a dreaded task you do once a month.

Last month, I talked about my decision to join Qube Money and gave more information about the Utah-based company. How much does it cost? Right now, Qube Money is offering a 15% discount off of their lifetime memberships. Normally, the prices for the premium version is $179 and if you have kids, the family version is $249. Qube Money Family will be $15/month or $180 a year. [BIG NEWS!] I Decided to Join the Qube Money Team! | Simplifinances. I mentioned two weeks ago that I quit my job as a financial planner. I had a bunch of people reach out and ask me what was happening! I’m excited to share the new chapter of our lives with you!

The new opportunity is with a fin-tech start-up company based out of Utah called Qube Money (formerly ProActive Budget). Qube is rebranding and relaunching in spring 2020. I’ve been watching this company since meeting them at FinCon 2018 in Orlando. This past FinCon 2019, I learned they were relaunching and adding new features. Why I Made The Switch “85% of people who need help financially can’t afford it.” This is a quote from Alan Moore of the XY Planning Network at a conference in San Diego two years ago. “Many of the people who most need financial planning services and investment advice can’t afford to pay for either. Seeds of doubt have been planted in my mind for many years. I’ve worked in academia and helped people in their 20’s. Why This Aligns With My Purpose More About Qube Money. My Struggles Getting Into The Financial Services Industry | Simplifinances. From a young age, I knew I would work in the financial services industry. I wanted to become a writer, a coach, a speaker, or a financial planner.

I had a BIG desire to help people, most likely because of the pain I experienced in my childhood. In high school, my brother and I were into making videos. I decided to venture out on my own and create a video for a contest on a topic that interested me. Here it is: I wanted to know why schools weren’t teaching financial literacy early on. This video I created was entered into the Utah State High School Film Festival in my senior year. I was stoked! As I completed general college courses, I was working two jobs — car detailing and installing fireplaces.

As an elective, I decided to take “intro to personal finance.” My First 4 Attempts To Start Working In The Financial Services Industry I wanted to find a job in the financial services industry. The second time I tried, I was living at my mom’s. Lastly, I met with someone from Transamerica. I Just Quit My Job | Simplifinances. Where to Stash Your Cash | Simplifinances.

Every dollar of yours is like an employee. If you let them sit around and do nothing, it will hurt your business. If you “employ” them, which means to put to work or make use of, it will benefit your company. Is every dollar of yours benefiting your personal finances or are there lazy dollars sitting around doing nothing for you? Here are 5 places to stash your cash for goals that are 1 to 5 years away to get the maximum value from each of your little green employees. Depending on your financial goals, where you stash your cash will determine if you reach those goals. If you plan to spend the money within 1 year, be safe! Where I save my money depends on the goal. I’m willing to invest my savings for something like a vacation fund because the cost of a vacation varies and when we go is flexible. Read: I Don’t Know How To Invest & I’m Scared I’ll Make a Mistake Let’s use three examples of goals: Saving for a vacationA down payment on a houseAnd building an emergency fund Why would I do that?

79 Apps That Will Make You Better With Money (Some Will Even Pay You) | Simplifinances. Alright guys, I’m super excited for today’s post! This has been years in the making! There are so many ways out there in 2018 to make money and if you start using just a few of these today, it’s going to dramatically shape your finances and set you on the path to financial independence.

Let be honest, none of these are going to make you rich quick but none of these existed 10 years ago. I put together a list of 79 apps that I use personally that have either made me better with money and/or made me money. Over the years, as I’ve learned about side hustles, I’ve come across a lot of ways to make and save money. So, if you’re someone that likes this kind of stuff and you have more to share please comment on this post or reach out to me at scott@simplifinances.com. I love using technology that will simplify my life and help me master my finances. Making or saving money with any of these requires one serious first step. Here’s the thing. Keep in mind, if it’s free, you are the product. 1. 2. 3 Debt Payoff Strategies to Destroy Your Debt | Simplifinances. You’ve probably heard debt is bad but can be good for certain purposes. This can be true, but what if debt starts to completely ruin your life and you can’t get rid of it?

Aside from just paying it off, you can implement one of these debt payoff strategies to help you pay it off, fast. I’m going to share with you three debt payoff strategies to get rid of your debt if you’re struggling with monthly payments that just don’t seem to go away. They’re called “the Snowball Method,” “the Avalanche Method,” and what I like to call “the Hybrid Method.” But first, how far gone are most Americans when it comes to consumer debt? The average credit card debt per U.S. household was $8,292 in January 2019. According to Credit Cards.com, the credit card debt per card-carrying adult is $5,839. Total consumer debt is on track to reach $4 trillion by the end of 2019, according to an analysis of Federal Reserve data.

First, let’s go over the Snowball Method. 1. It looks something like this: 2. 3. How To Read A Credit Report | Simplifinances. Once you know how to read a credit report, you’ll have a better sense of what to look for. The credit report. Most people know it exists, but few know how to find it — for free. You have a different credit report at each of the 3 national credit bureaus: TransUnion, Experian and Equifax.

Each bureau’s report may have information from different sources reported at different times. If this sounds overwhelming, don’t worry. Once you know how to read a credit report, you’ll get a good idea of the categories of information all credit reports show. Personal Information Each of your 3 credit bureau reports shows basic identifying information like: name, current and past addresses, date of birth and employer. Look for: Inaccurate information. Inquiries This section lists creditors who’ve asked to see your credit report.

The reports you see show “hard” and “soft” inquiries. How many inquiries are listed. Accounts Unfamiliar accounts. Public records Look for any listings, whatsoever. Conclusion. How to Set Financial Goals and Actually Reach Them | Simplifinances. Imagine taking a trip. You don’t simply get in the car and start driving. You need a destination and Google maps to guide you. Otherwise, how do you know when you’ve arrived? Having clear set financial goals will guide you to your financial destination. I’m going to walk you through a step by step process of setting clear financial goals. This is one of the first things I do when I meet with a new client. I talk about financial goals first because they need to know where they’re going. Newbies sit for a minute and struggle to come up with a financial goal. Others who’ve given it more thought have goals on their mind that they’ve wanted to accomplish for years.

Financial Goals Are At The Center of Everything When it comes to financial planning and coaching, goals are at the center of everything we do. One client said to me after discussing their goals that no one had ever asked them what their financial goals were and that it was nice to discuss them out loud and have someone listen. 10 Ways To Get The Most Out of Halloween - Including Free Stuff | Simplifinances.

Some scary things are happening this time of the year! Halloween decorations are out and season two of “Making a Murderer” is getting a lot of attention. I don’t watch a lot of Netflix, but when I do it’s either the Office or Making a Murderer. Let’s just say my wife and I finished the entire season in two days because we couldn’t stop watching it. I don’t want to give anything away but I’m convinced now that Steven Avery didn’t commit the murder. His attorney, Kathleen Zellner has brought up some new evidence suggesting that it might have been Bobby Dassey (Brendan Dassey’s brother) and/or Scott Tadych (Brendan Dassey’s Step-father).

I’m sure you didn’t click this article to read about Making a Murderer and so here’s how to get the most out of Halloween 2019 including saving money and getting free stuff. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. Hopefully, this helps you get creative on Halloween and save a little money in the meantime. How I Consistently Make $300 Per Month on Facebook | Simplifinances. I’m going to share with you how I consistently make $300 per month on Facebook. But first, do you know how much time you spend per day on Facebook? The average daily user spends 27–41 minutes per day! It’s a love-hate relationship for me. Some months I’m on social media a lot and others I can go weeks without opening the app. Nothing is worse than mindlessly scrolling through your newsfeed only to realize after an hour the only things you saw were pictures of other people’s lives and businesses trying to sell you stuff.

I love connecting with people and Facebook can be an incredible tool to grow a business, but it’s the biggest productivity/time waster if you don’t use it right. Using social media productively Here’s one of my favorite quotes about social media: “Use social media, but don’t let social media be used on you.” Use social media as a tool to help you reach your goals. No one has to ever feel left out. How Facebook Makes Money Turns out there is. How I Make Money on Facebook 1. Finished. How Much It Cost Us to Have a Baby in the First Year | Simplifinances. Yesterday, our little man turned 1. It’s hard to believe our baby is already one years old! As you can see he didn’t enjoy his cake. I’ve been wanting to write about the cost of having a baby but didn’t want to publish anything until a full year had passed. I’ve also had a lot of people ask me to do a cost analysis of having a baby. We’re at the age now that friends and family are popping out babies left and right and we can’t keep track of them anymore.

New parents always want to know how much it costs to have a baby in the first year. Today, I’m sharing what it cost for us to raise a child in the first year of introducing him into this world. The Cost of a Baby the First Year According to a 2010 USDA report, the average middle-income family will spend roughly $12,000 on child-related expenses in their baby’s first year of life. We kept track of our expenses for the first year and categorized all those that related to our son.

We Didn’t Just Buy Everything That’s no joke! Health Insurance. Don't Like Using Cash to Manage Your Money? Try This... | Simplifinances. Using the Money Jars System to Manage Your Money | Simplifinances. How to Increase Your Credit Score | Simplifinances. Living a Life of Simplicity and Independence | Simplifinances. How to Simplify Your Financial Life | Simplifinances. Student Loans Weighing you Down? | Simplifinances.

We Bought a House! | Simplifinances. Investing Mistakes I Made with a Roth IRA | Simplifinances. In your 20s? What to do to embrace financial success | Simplifinances. 4 Ways to Save Money This Summer | Simplifinances. The Ultimate Guide to Making Side Income in 2019 | Simplifinances. Here's What Happened at FinCon 2019 | Simplifinances. I Don’t Know How to Invest and I’m Scared I’ll Make a Mistake | Simplifinances. 10 Money Savvy Moves to Make Before the End of the Year | Simplifinances. My Financial Journey | Simplifinances. Can You Outperform the Market? | Simplifinances.

How the FaceApp Could Help You Save For Retirement | Simplifinances. 12 Financial Mistakes College Students Make | Simplifinances. The Difference Between a Financial Coach and a Financial Planner | Simplifinances. Look Both Ways - 10 Controversial Finance Topics | Simplifinances. Financial Independence Defined | Simplifinances. Top Rated Free Budget Software That Will Simplify Your Money | Simplifinances. How to Hack College - 4 Ways to Graduate Debt Free | Simplifinances. Who Can You Trust For Financial Advice? | Simplifinances. How to Crush Your Expenses | Simplifinances. Go Chop Down a Tree | Simplifinances. The Hardest Job In The World | Simplifinances.

Is College Really Worth It? | Simplifinances. How Hardship Shaped Me | Simplifinances. Have You Ever Thought About Taking A Year Off of Work? | Simplifinances. Leaving the PMMC - Why I Loved Working Here | Simplifinances. The Inner Game of Personal Finance | Simplifinances. Tracking Your Expenses Doesn't Work | Simplifinances. 6 Things I've Learned After 6 Months of Blogging | Simplifinances. Why I Sold My Jeep and Became A One Car Household | Simplifinances.

We Made it to Texas! | Simplifinances. Top 3 Personal Finance Apps To Download In 2018 | Simplifinances. Five Must-Have Insurance Policies | Simplifinances. Top 40 Personal Finance Resources | Simplifinances. 8 Ways Minimalism and Money Are Related | Simplifinances. 6 Ways To Get Financially Organized | Simplifinances.

My Main Takeaways From FinCon 2018 | Simplifinances. Experiments in Financial Independence with Instacart | Simplifinances. An Interview With a Financial Coach of 36 Years! | Simplifinances. Should I Set Up a 529 College Savings Plan for My Child? | Simplifinances. Is Black Friday For or Against You? | Simplifinances. Should I Be Worried About the Market Volatility? | Simplifinances. Two Apps That Will Negotiate Your Bills and Save You Money | Simplifinances. Why This Couple Quit Their 6 Figure Jobs To Travel In A Van | Simplifinances.

Be Positive | Simplifinances. Leaving a Legacy: A Letter to My Most Regretful Self | Simplifinances. The Value of DIY: Money Saving Ideas | Simplifinances. Year in Review + Top Posts From 2018 | Simplifinances. The Jars Money Management System | Simplifinances. Super Bowl 2019 Consumer Fun Facts | Simplifinances. Today Is Our 5 Year Proposal Anniversary | Simplifinances. What Are the Biggest Tax Changes From 2018? | Simplifinances. Personal Finance Statistics: How Do You Compare? | Simplifinances. How to Spark Joy With Your Finances – Marie Kondo Style | Simplifinances. The True Financial Cost of Serving A Mission | Simplifinances. A Review of the Dosh App. Legit or a Scam? | Simplifinances. 5 Simple Steps to Achieve Financial Independence | Simplifinances. How the New Apple Credit Card Could Simplify Your Finances (But Be Careful) | Simplifinances.

The Secret to Making Money From Home - The Backstory of My Wife's Business | Simplifinances. 5 Tips for Investing in IPOs | Simplifinances. How to Uncover & Change Your Limiting Money Beliefs | Simplifinances. Budget Date Night: Fun Financial Checkups With Your Partner | Qube Money Blog. Home | Qube Money. Focus on Things People Can't Take Away From You | Simplifinances. The Economic Impact of a Mother | Simplifinances. A Practical Guide to Blockchain and Cryptocurrency | Simplifinances. How To Track Your Income And Expenses | Simplifinances. Why I Stopped Trying to Pursue Financial Freedom | Simplifinances. Personal Capital Review | Simplifinances.