Articles: Get Out of Debt, Manage Your Money, and Live Debt Free

How to Save Money With the 1% Rule

How to save up money with the 1% rule written above piggy bank surrounded by piles of coins Saving your hard-earned pennies can be tough, but it doesn’t have to be that way. If you want to learn how to save money each month, the 1% Rule is a game-changer. In fact, I used it to painlessly start saving money from my salary back when I had a job. About 4.5 years later, I had $89,586.70 to show for it!

That’s…a lot of money! But it didn’t feel hard to do because of the method I used to do it.

If figuring out how to save money — especially a large amount — seems impossible right now, don’t worry. You don’t have to see how something is possible to get started. You just have to believe that it could be possible, and then take action. Act as if. Using the 1% Rule will make it a whole lot easier to start saving money.
Read more

The Way Out of Debt Was to Deal With My Demons

Dealing with my demons on the way out of debt It was May 2001 and as a recent college graduate I was on top of the world.

I finished packing up my belongings and jumped in my car for the 5-hour drive back to my parents’ house. The plan was to move back in for a few months until I got a job and figured out how much I could afford for rent.

The drive home was one of the best. I thought about the job offers that were coming my way.

I thought about the amazing apartment I was going to rent, the home theater system I was going to set up, and all the excitement that was to come.

But none of this happened.

Shortly after I arrived home, the economy went into recession and no one was hiring in the finance industry.
Read more

40 Over 40: Inspirational Money Wins at Age 40+

40 over 40 inspiring money stories Think it’s too late to improve your financial situation? These 40 over 40 folks with inspirational money success stories prove it’s not!

Ranging in age from 40 to 63, these Gen Xers and Boomers took charge of their money and changed the course of their financial lives.

They’ve had all kinds of money wins at age 40 and beyond, including things like:

saving for retirement
becoming financially independent
paying off debt
retiring early
starting businesses
becoming location independent
and a whole lot more

Ready to get inspired by their money wins? Read on for the stories from these 40 over 40!
Read more

What Happens When You Have No Credit Score

Having no credit can sometimes feel like a challenge, but do you really need to build credit? And what happens when you have no credit score?

Well, if you’re like millions of Americans, you’ve probably heard that you need to build credit. In fact, “You need to build credit so you have a good credit score!” is very common advice. You hear it everywhere: in commercials, from your mom, you name it.

And while your mom means well, it’s no wonder the message has spread.

The advertising budgets of credit card issuers are huge, to put it mildly. (Over $1 billion in 2018 alone, according to Statista.)

Do you think credit card companies are making a profit off people borrowing money, if they’re spending over $1,000,000,000 to promote their products?

I’d say that’s an easy yes. They have a vested interest in making you believe that your 3 digit number matters an awful lot.
Read more