Money Matters

Surveys: A Fun Way to Earn Extra Cash

March 22, 2015 by Jen

Two of the things that people are most short on include time and money. In many cases, getting more of one requires sacrificing the other. Many people choose options that allow working from home, even part-time, in order to earn a little extra money on the side. Surveys are a good way to earn some extra cash, without a major time commitment.

A Free Option

Getting something for nothing is an idea that appeals to most people. The good thing about signing up on survey sites is that you don’t need to pay. Another advantage is the fact that many survey sites will refer you to other sites that need new respondents.

Little Time Required

The vast majority of surveys require little time from respondents. In fact, many surveys are easy to complete in a few minutes. You don’t need to worry about whether these surveys will take up too much time in an otherwise busy life.

An Enjoyable Way to Earn Money

One of the reasons why so many people like to take surveys is that they can be a lot of fun. You can provide your opinions on products that you use all the time, as well as find out about new ones before everyone else. Click here to get started today!

#HauteHavens Having it All: What does having it all mean to you?

February 19, 2015 by Jen

Disclosure: Compensation was provided by Nissan via Mode Media. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Nissan.

As we celebrate Black History Month and are settling into the groove of the new year, I have found myself doing quite a bit of reflection and soul-searching. So when Mode approached me about teaming up with them on their “#HauteHavens Having it All” campaign, I knew that it would fit in perfectly with a blog post that had already been forming in my mind.

Like most people, I sit down every January and reflect on the past year. I also create a list of resolutions that I want to work on for the year ahead. It may seem cliché. However, the truth is that the New Year really does symbolize fresh starts and new beginnings for many people. I, for one, am thankful for that. It makes me feel like I have a clean slate to work with. One upon which I can paint a life that I truly love and be satisfied with. As I sat down last month, I realized that although I have a great life, and it may seem like I have it all to others, I really don’t, not fully. Let me explain. I have been working from home for eight years. I mean that’s awesome, right? I truly do love the fact that I can set my hours and be here full-time for my children. I love the flexibility of being my own boss and all the other benefits that come along with it.

However, the reality is that working from home presents a unique challenge. I have found that it can be difficult to make that daily shift from work mode to my wife/mother mode (and vice versa). Honestly, it can be demanding to juggle my various roles, and sometimes I feel like I fall short. I also struggle with comparing myself to others. I often feel as though I am striving to “keep up with The Joneses”. This can make me feel either like I am not doing enough, or I end up feeling like maybe I bit off more than I can (reasonably) chew. I want to be able to find that happy medium where I feel accomplished and content. With that being said, part of my resolutions for this year is to truly have it all by striking a better balance between family and work. I want to be more present, and I also want to stop being concerned about what others are doing and focus only on what will serve my family, passion, and mission.

In this video below Geneva Thomas, a journalist and reality TV, star teams up with Glam to talk about having it all – a flourishing career, a circle of good friends, and a “home that feels like an oasis.” I love how she has been very proactive and detailed in designing a space (and a life) that makes her feel happy and inspired. That is the dream! With three words she describes her Swanky New York haven: comfortable, functional, and stylish!

With its stylish looks and premium interior, the Nissan Altima is just as much an individual as you are. Not fitting into one mold is what makes the Nissan Altima not only unique, but very exciting!

So my advice for anyone who is fighting with trying to “have it all”, remember that we all have distinctive purposes in life, different strengths and weaknesses, and it’s ok to be unique. The truth is at the end of the day I do have it all I just need to learn how to balance it all so I can truly enjoy it.

So, my question of the day is who is someone that inspires you to have it all? Better yet, what does having it all actually mean to you?

Five Tips for Paying Off Your Mortgage Faster

November 19, 2014 by Jen

Owning your house outright can bring immense financial freedom and security. While it may seem like that day is still a long way off for you, it is possible to get your mortgage paid off sooner and save yourself quite a significant sum in interest repayments without extreme budgeting. Read on to find out how.

1. Never Reduce Your Repayments

If your minimum repayments decrease with interest rate cuts, it may be tempting to pocket the extra money. If at all possible, keep repaying the original amount off your mortgage. $20 or $50 a repayment might not seem like a lot of money in the grand scheme of a loan worth several hundred thousand dollars, but every little bit adds up. Even the smallest extra repayments can potentially shave up to two years off the time it takes you to repay your mortgage.

2. Make Your Loan Work For You

Refinancing home loans is much easier now than it was in years gone by. Don’t get complacent with your mortgage. Do some research and perhaps take a look at wholesale lenders to see what can be offered and what can work best for youInterest rate fluctuations can make a variable rate the better option than fixed, and lenders are constantly updating their range of mortgage products. Even if it’s only been a couple of years since you took out the loan, there may be a better option available for you so do some research – a site such as the BOQ website will have the latest home loan rates and information about how to check if your loan is right for you.

3. Get Paid Into Your Offset Account

Most people know that using a mortgage offset account to keep savings in will reduce the amount of interest payable on their loan. Unless you have restrictions on withdrawals from your offset account, having your wages paid into it rather than a regular transaction account can really add up as interest is usually applied at the end of the month, but calculated daily.

4. Track Your Spending

Check your outgoing expenses against your budget regularly and make sure you’re on track. Sometimes you don’t realise how much those little amounts like a takeaway coffee or other incidental spending can really add up. It’s important to allow money to live a little, but knowing where your money is going can help you to identify possible ways to curb some areas and redirect a little extra onto the mortgage repayments.

5. Pay Large Chunks of Money Off Your Mortgage

Try not to incorporate lump sum payments in your household budget. If you can bank your tax return or bonus cheque against your mortgage, you’ll not only save yourself in interest but also potentially knock a year or two off your overall loan repayment time.

Short of a lottery win, most of us aren’t going to be able to pay off our home loans overnight. But with a bit of focus and budget discipline, getting it paid off in a shorter timeframe than the original term isn’t unattainable.

What’s your best tip for getting the mortgage paid off sooner?

How to stretch your grocery budget on your next trip with easy tips and tricks

September 26, 2014 by Jen

Making the grocery budget stretch is a common concern and goal for many people and households, and the main grocery purchaser of households across the country confess to using some if not all of these techniques to get the most out of their money. They are easy to use and can even save you time, too, so try a few and see what they can do for your grocery funds!

Meal Plan

If you don’t have a plan, you will fail. The best way to stretch a grocery budget is to start with a meal plan of what all you need to buy, so that you get the essentials and nothing more. If you want a small splurge, add that into the plan. This also saves you time in grocery shopping and cooking each week.

Make a list

After you plan your meals, make a grocery list and stick to it. Don’t leave it at home! Make sure you have it with you at all times and don’t deviate from it. That’s how you start adding in extra costs without even realizing what you are doing.

Price match

Do you know what different stores have to offer? Pull up the sale papers and websites and start checking out prices. Once you find the range you’re comfortable with, go to that store. In price matching, you may sometimes go to different stores to complete your list. If you do, make separate lists for each store and stack them in order of how you will need to go to the stores.

Use coupons

Sometimes coupons can cost you more, but you can save a lot with using them, too. Carefully plan out how and when you will use coupons and attach them to your list or lists so that you don’t forget them when it is time to shop. Also be sure to check out the store’s website to see if they have special coupons that you can load directly on to your shopper reward card.

Plan to shop weekly

So that you don’t buy too much or food that will rot before you can use it, plan a day where you will spend an hour or two shopping for all the things you need that week and that week only, unless you find a great deal on something you can use the following week.

Buy in bulk

Buy in bulk with meats, pastas, and sauces and divide them up and freeze them. This will save money and if you ever find yourself during a time where you are running low on funds, you will always have some foods on hand to whip up a quick meal.

Bring a calculator with you

Bring a calculator when you go shopping so that you can see where you are saving and where you may be spending too much. Mark prices next to items so that you can have it for future reference to check on prices that go up, down, and stay the same.

AT&T GoPhone is great for kids to stay connected on the go

September 23, 2014 by Jen

DISCLOSURE: This post is sponsored. All products mentioned and reviewed on this page are compliments of AT&T. All opinions of the products are my own.

Recently I was asked to test out AT&T GoPhone and write about my experience. The truth is I have been an AT&T wireless customer for 10 years so of course I already know how great their wireless service is. However, I knew this would be the perfect test drive for my 9-year-old daughter Jada. She has been asking for a smartphone for a while. I mean let’s be honest it seems like every little kid has a smartphone now or at least begging for one. We have been tossing around the idea about adding her to our family plan but the truth is I didn’t want to have to pay full price for a device or either sign up for another 2-year contract especially for her age. So I was trying to hold off as long as I could! But the truth is I knew I had to get her a phone soon. With her getting older, she is involved with after school events and going to her friends more on the weekends. I feel that it’s important to be able to stay in contact with my kids when they are not with me. That’s why my oldest kids have had wireless service since they were Jada’s age.

So talk about perfect timing! We received a Nokia Lumia 635 Windows phone and a $60 AT&T refill card to test out for the month.

The set up was simple! She was up and running with her own number in 30 minutes tops. She was very excited to have her own smartphone. I was worried that she wouldn’t know how to work it because it is a window’s phone and we all know we are #TeamiPhone in this house. However, she was actually better at setting it up and working with the phone than I was! She was showing and teaching me! As someone who isn’t usually impressed with any phone beside my beloved iPhone’s I actually like this phone (that says A LOT Cause everyone knows how much I hate androids lol) but the windows phone gets thumbs up from me.

About AT&T GoPhone plan:

The Choice is yours:

With so many different plan options, there is something for everyone! The great part is customers have the flexibility to choose the plan that fits their needs and budget while also being allowed to make plan changes as necessary.

The Pros:

No contracts and No credit check!

The nation’s most reliable 4G LTE network, which reaches more than 300 MILLION People!

A variety of 4G and 4G LTE phones.

The option to bring your own phone. GoPhone is compatible with most phones including iPhone. Just Insert a GoPhone Sim card and you should be good to go. To make sure your phone is compatible be sure to check out www.att.com/devicehowto first!

The freedom to select a plan that fits your needs with the flexibility to change when you need to!

Refill cards are available at thousands of retail locations nationwide.

Auto refill option that makes it easy to pay with a credit card, debit card or bank account.

The Cons:

Refill cards have varying expiration dates. $10 to $24 refill cards expire in 30 days; $25 to $99 expires in 90 days and $100 and higher expires in 1 year. So it’s a use it or lose it. (Which really isn’t a big deal when you can buy the refill card that is right for you.)

Our Month Review:

As always AT&T wireless never fails. Since we signed up for the $60 plan Jada was able to enjoy unlimited talk and text with 2.5 GB of data for the month. We didn’t experience any call drops and call quality was great. She enjoyed using data during trips and in the car but the truth is for her age and needs she didn’t even need that much data. Since Jada is only 9 she really doesn’t talk a lot on the phone either, so personally this plan was more than what she needs. However, this plan would work great for teens and older adults. After comparing the service and cost with my mom’s plan with her current provider she will be porting her number over to the GoPhone $45 plan. I know she will be happy with service while saving money and being able to use her current device.

Jada loves her phone and has been very responsible with it so far. She loves the windows platform and was able to find a lot of games to keep her busy during her free time. I recommend anyone that is in the market for wireless service to try AT&T GoPhone plans out first! With so many options, there is a plan for anyone’s budget. I also love the fact that you can find great phones at affordable prices! So, if your child is begging for a smart phone don’t say no just yet…

My Final thoughts:

After testing out other pre-paid options, I must honestly say that the AT&T GoPhone is the best. I admit that I have seen cheaper options compared to the $60 per month but most of the time your services are limited and the coverage is very spotty! With AT&T, I know that my daughter has the same great coverage anywhere she goes just like the rest of us do from AT&T so I never have to worry about being able to contact her. Since she really doesn’t use her phone a lot besides playing games and chatting with her friends over wifi, I have since downgraded her plan to the $2 Daily plan. This Plan works even better for us because we only pay on the days that she uses it! Since we are already AT&T customers I could have easily add her to our family plan but who wants to pay per month for something that isn’t even being used! This way we are saving money in the long run and it keeps her happy SO WE ALL WIN!

Learn more:

To learn more about AT&T GoPhone rate plans including device options, and to make your purchase be sure to visit the AT&T GoPhone website today!

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