Early Morning Money — Page 3 of 7 — Wake Up Your Finances

Six Frugal Habits You Need Now

Control your financial future with these top 6 habits of frugal people Getting your spending under control isn’t easy. Sometimes it’s a daily struggle! If you’ve ever wondered what makes frugal people so good at being… well… frugal, you’ve come to the right place. There are a lot of smaller behaviors we can change to increase our financial control. For my husband and me, we conquered our savings goals by setting up our savings...

9 Money-Saving Christmas Traditions

Amy Beardsley

This week, I’ve teamed up with FinancesforFamilies.com to bring you the best money-saving Christmas traditions. Don’t miss a beat – keep reading! Christmas is almost here! A time for celebrating with our families and friends, for giving and receiving, and for parading around in your tackiest Christmas sweater (think flashing lights, tinsel and holiday puns all in one garment). However, if you’re like most American families, it’s also a time for overspending. Did you...

Can You Really Make Money with Ebates?

Amy Beardsley

With all of the “easy ways to make money” articles you read, it’s hard to know which ones are legit. For sites like Ebates, making money by simply shopping online can seem too good to be true. But even for a crazy budgeter like me, who doesn’t do a lot of shopping outside of the normal groceries and household goods, I found a way to make money shopping online with Ebates. It’s one of...

Top 5 Money-Saving Secrets for a Stress-Free Christmas

Amy Beardsley

How You Can Have a Stress-Free Christmas This Year Christmas is supposed to be the most wonderful time of the year. But is it really? With the parties, the gifts, the Christmas cards, the family photos, and rushing from one party to the next, it can quickly spiral out of control. And when you add being on a budget to the mix? Yikes. How are you supposed to balance the extra expenses of gifts,...

6 Easy Ways to Get Cash When You Need Money Now

Amy Beardsley

Money is tight – I get it. Whether it’s a major expense like your car needing a repair or something smaller (you know, like that time you forgot you ordered that stuff from the neighbor kid’s school fundraiser?), sometimes there isn’t enough cash to go around. And money is one of those things that when you need it – you need it now. What options do we have when the bills come calling? It’s...

Top 3 Quick-Start Tips to Dump Your Credit Card Debt

Amy Beardsley

Dreaming of dumping your credit card debt once and for all? You should because getting rid of your debt is the first step in true financial security. For many Americans – and for you, too! – this dream can become a reality with a little hard work and perseverance. While many financial experts offer “get out of debt quick” schemes that promise fast results, the truth is that getting out of debt requires changing...

Save More Money with these Affordable Christmas Traditions

Amy Beardsley

Broke this Christmas? You’re not alone. More than half of all Americans admit to having less than $1,000 in their savings account. Since Christmas is the season of giving, I often find myself overspending out of fear of looking greedy or being seen as a “Scrooge.” But it’s time to stop. We don’t have to blow our budget to impress anyone else or to create memories with our families. And – oh! – can...

Budgets suck - here's how to make a budget that doesn't suck

How to Make a Budget You Can Actually Stick To

Amy Beardsley

You need a budget. It’s just that simple! And I know you know you need one – otherwise, you wouldn’t be here reading this article. But let’s face it… Budgets suck. Even though they suck, every person, every relationship, every household – even kids! – should have a budget. And, really, I could end this article right now with a simple “just do it because it works” message. But it isn’t that easy, is...

How To Get Ahead When You’re So Far Behind

Amy Beardsley

Are you counting down the days until your next payday? Do you want so desperately to get ahead of your bills, to add some cushion to your savings account, to feel some peace when it comes to your finances? When money is tight, it’s hard for me to think about anything else. I feel stressed out and all I see are the shiny new things advertised online and tv, the fancy vacations I don’t get...

Blow Your Budget? How to Get Back On Track

Amy Beardsley

I blew our family’s budget this month and it’s bad. We way overspent and now I’m struggling to get back on track. Have you done that? (Goodness, I hope I’m not the only one!) Part of me really doesn’t want to go back to being on a budget. It’s no fun! But now that reality is sinking in, I’m genuinely concerned with how the bills at the beginning of the month are going to...