RESOURCES
Useful Articlesand Resources
What does FIRE mean?
By Jay Zigmont | May 16, 2024
Spend any time in the personal finance space and you might hear the term FIRE to describe a way of life that some people are pursuing. What is FIRE, and is it something you should pursue? Let’s take a look. What is FIRE? FIRE stands for “Financial Independence, Retire Early.” It’s a lifestyle that involves […]
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How Do I Plan for Big Purchases?
By Jay Zigmont | Feb 27, 2024
There’s just no getting around the fact that life is expensive. And unfortunately, some of the purchases that can truly make our lives better can be some of the most expensive ones out there. The good news is that if you can turn your big purchase dream into a savings goal, you’ll be more likely […]
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What is a Sinking Fund?
By Jay Zigmont | Feb 20, 2024
“Sinking fund” is a term you may not have heard before, but it’s a good way to include predictable expenses in your budget. If you know that you’ll need to make a large purchase or pay a big bill sometime in the future, you can put aside money leading up to it, so when it’s […]
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What Is an Emergency Fund?
By Jay Zigmont | Feb 13, 2024
There’s always a rainy day just around the corner, and this goes for your finances as well as the weather. A financial rainy day is an unexpected expense that you didn’t budget for, because there was no way to anticipate it. It could be a leaky roof, a flat tire, or a trip to an […]
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How Do I Budget With a Variable Income?
By Jay Zigmont | Feb 6, 2024
If you’ve ever dreamed about breaking away from that fluorescent-lit, cubicle-filled office space, and becoming your own boss, you’re not alone. But one of the potential pitfalls of starting your own business, becoming a freelancer, or even just working on commission (like real estate agents and some salespeople do) is variable income. When you’ve got a […]
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Budget Tips & Tricks
By Jay Zigmont | Jan 30, 2024
While the thought of sitting down to create a budget may be overwhelming, the hardest part of that process may be pulling all your financial skeletons out of the closet and holding them up to the light. Your budget will organize your incoming and outgoing money for you, showing you where you might be overspending […]
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How Do I Stick to My Budget?
By Jay Zigmont | Jan 23, 2024
So you’ve sat down with your significant other (or on your own, if your finances are solo) and created your budget, using a spreadsheet or an app. Now the trick becomes sticking to it, and making adjustments as needed as you learn where your money goes every month. A lot of people assume that since […]
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What Is a Budget?
By Jay Zigmont | Jan 16, 2024
For many people, the word “budget” has some negative connotations. It’s very easy to think of your budget as the tool that tells you what you can’t spend, but the truth is that a budget tells you what you can spend, too. A budget simply gives your money a job, and without one, money comes […]
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How Do I Improve My Money Behaviors?
By Jay Zigmont | Jan 9, 2024
In order to learn how to manage your money effectively, you have to learn to manage your money behaviors. And everyone has at least one problem money behavior, so if your problem is with, say, ordering from Amazon on a whim, you’re not alone. Your money behaviors are formed in childhood and based on the […]
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What Is the Money Management System?
By Jay Zigmont | Aug 29, 2023
If you’re new to budgeting and haven’t yet found a way that works for you, you could give the Money Management System a try. This technique is based on time management and learning how to prioritize tasks. Except, when you use it for budgeting, you’ll be using it to organize your spending and plan accordingly. […]
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