If You Aren’t Ready to Prepare Your Taxes, File an Extension

April 10, 2024

The deadline for most income tax filers falls on April 15th (or the next business day if April 15th falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday). Therefore, you must complete returns postmarked by this date to avoid penalties.

However, if you cannot complete your return by April 15th, you can get an extension to give you more time to do so. Here’s what you need to know to file an extension.

ACTION ITEMS:

1. Obtain an automatic 6-month extension (until October 15), no reason needed.

  • File Form 4868, Application for Automatic Extension of Time To File U.S. Individual Income Tax Return
  • Estimate your full tax liability for the filing year using the information available to you
  • Enter your tax liability on line 4 of the form
  • File the form by the regular due date of your return

Tip: While Form 4868 gives you more time to file your return, it does NOT extend the time you have to pay taxes. If you do not pay the full amount of tax due on your return by the regular due date, you will also be subject to penalty and interest charges.

2. Understand the penalties associated with filing or paying late.

Paying late: If you fail to pay at least what you end up owing by the April deadline, even if you file for an extension, the late payment penalty is usually ½ of 1% of any tax (other than estimated tax) not paid by the regular due date. The IRS will charge you for each month or part of a month the tax is unpaid. The maximum penalty is 25%. The IRS may not charge the late payment penalty if you can show “reasonable cause” for not paying on time.

Filing late: You’ll usually get a late filing penalty if you either failed to submit the form for extension and filed after April 15th or filed after October 15th, no matter what. The penalty is usually 5% of the tax due for each month or part of a month your return is late. Generally, the maximum penalty is 25%. If your return is more than 60 days late, the minimum penalty is $435, or the balance of the tax due on your return, whichever is smaller. You might not owe the penalty if you have a good reason for filing late, so be sure to attach a statement to your return (not to Form 4868) fully explaining the reason.

Here’s more from the IRS on how all this works.

How To Throw A Money-Savvy Super Bowl Party

February 06, 2023

The Philadelphia Eagles will battle the Kansas City Chiefs for the Super Bowl Championship game on Sunday, Feb. 12th, 2023, and Rihanna will be headlining the halftime show. Of course, you’re excited, but with Super Bowl tickets north of $5,000 and food inflation up over 11% since last year, you might think throwing a Super Bowl Party worthy of such a game is out of reach! Fear not, I’m here to share some valuable tips to create an invaluable party experience!

Here are the tips I think will give you the biggest return on your time and money:

Start with a Financial Game Plan

Being prepared with a budget in mind is key to keeping your spending under control. Pick a reasonable amount of money you are willing or able to spend based on your other financial priorities and monthly cash flow needs. Doing this will help you avoid going into debt and increasing your financial stress while helping you maximize fun!

Shared Experience Shared Expense – Use a Potluck approach!

Now that you have your budget, implement the money-saving power of a potluck to make those dollars stretch!  

Step 1: Start an email chain with the most responsible communicators of each household.

Step 2: Establish the menu and share it in the chain. Extra points if you can attach a shared document so that everyone can sign up in an organized fashion.

Step 3: Make it a BYOD (Bring You Own Drinks). Trying to provide drinks, especially alcoholic ones can get costly.

Keep It Simple

The simpler the menu, the easier the party will be to fund and manage. Try sticking to 1-2 of each: Appetizers, Mains, Sides, and Desserts. For example, my plan for appetizers are wings and guacamole with chips. A crock pot of chili and pizza (Costco pizzas are $10 and can feed four hungry adults!) make a filling entree. A tray of vegetables and fruit is always a crowd-pleaser. Finally, for dessert, cupcakes and cookies are sure to wow any partygoer.

Shop at Discount/Big Box Grocers and Buy Generic

Discount grocers like Aldi and big box retailers like Costco can provide big savings. Add buying their generic brand to your strategy, and you have the perfect combo of savings without sacrificing taste and variety. You can also keep an eye out for Super Bowl specific deals at your local grocery stores and shop the sales. At this time of year, things like wings, avocados, and snacks of every variety will be on sale.

You get bonus points for suggesting these money-saving ideas to your fellow “potluckers” too!

Decorate with Savvy

Your friends are there for the food and the company, not the extravagant decorations. Keeping it simple here will go a long way. Simply picking streamers, napkins, and perhaps plastic tablecloths that share your favorite team colors will go a long way. You might have some stored away in your house. If not, a quick stop at your local dollar store should provide you with plenty of low cost options!

Now enjoy the game and bask in your money-saving glory!

With a little money savvy, teamwork, and creativity, you can create an amazing party worthy of Rihanna, er I mean the Super bowl. I hope you find these tips helpful. Enjoy the game!

How To Spend On Special Occasions

January 31, 2023

Super Bowl Sunday and Valentine’s Day are two of the most highly celebrated events of the year. Not only are they wildly popular, but they also happen very close to each other, making for a wildly expensive February for many people.

One estimate suggests that Americans will spend upwards of $16.5 billion on Super Bowl related purchases this year (2023). That costs around $85.36 per person, primarily on food and drinks.  However, these figures do not include the cost of tickets to the big game, which start at $5,368 for the cheap seats and max out at $41,430 for the best seat. Yikes!

Valentine’s Day follows right behind Super Bowl this year, just two days later. According to the National Retail Federation, Americans are likely to spend another $26 billion on this event. Most of these purchases will be toward candy, cards, jewelry, dining out, and flowers, costing around $192.80 per person.

Following closely on the heels of the December holidays and with income tax filing time just around the corner, many household budgets will feel the pinch from added expenses. As you celebrate the big game and a night out wining and dining with your main squeeze, it’s important to remember that celebrations don’t have to also put the squeeze on your checkbook. Here are a few tips to make sure you don’t overspend while still enjoying all the festivities.

Blocking and Tackling with a Budget

You’ve heard this one before, right?  That’s because it works. Creating a budget ahead of time is one of the best ways to ensure you don’t overspend, especially during emotionally charged occasions like Super Bowl Sunday, Valentine’s Day, birthdays, anniversaries, etc. It can be helpful to plan out all your expenses beforehand, so you know exactly how much money you will need for food, decorations, gifts, and other accouterments. Setting aside funds throughout the year for expenses you know are coming – holidays, birthdays, tires for the car – via a planned spending account can save you from going into debt or over-drafting your checking account.   

Party in the Cheap Seats

Despite what billions of dollars of advertising tell us constantly, a holiday or special occasion doesn’t require much spending.  In fact, many people find creative and interesting ways to have a good time without overspending and regretting it later; a sort of financial quarterback sneak, if you will. Here are some of their ideas:   

Game Day Special Occasion
Suggest a potluck dinner (or party, tailgating, etc.) with friends.  It may take a little coordination over who is bringing what, but no one spends too much individually on food and beverages.   Instead of splurging on a romantic dinner at an expensive restaurant, take a cooking class together and enjoy intimate candle-lit dinners at home (or on the beach, at the park, wherever).
Make homemade snacks, appetizers, etc. Don’t fall for glitzy pre-made items or pricey take-out. Give homemade crafts or gifts. Not only are these truly personal, but you also get to explore your creative side.  
Make your own decorations – this can be part of the party. Check out free printables (and recipes) on Pinterest. Make fun “coupons” your significant other can “cash in” for favors or projects around the house.
Quiz your friends or host a Super Bowl trivia contest with fun dollar store prizes. Enjoy movie night or spa day at home
Make Super Bowl Bingo Cards for the TV commercials. Redeem those credit card rewards points you’ve been hoarding. 

Keep Emotions on the Bench

Lastly, keep your emotions on the sidelines when celebrating special occasions like Super Bowl Sunday and Valentine’s Day. We often tend to get caught up in the moment and spend more than we can really afford because we want to make our celebrations as grand or memorable as possible. Here are some ideas to help you stay mindful of your emotional state while shopping for decorations or gifts and avoid any expensive penalties by racking up unnecessary debt:

  • Make a shopping list and stick to your game plan.
  • Remember your budget – don’t go out of bounds.
  • Cash is king (or, in this case, the all-star). Use it.
  • Have a post-game spending review. What went well?  What could you do better?

Ultimately, it’s important to remember that special occasions and holidays don’t have to be spendy for them to be memorable! By creating a budget beforehand, staying mindful of your emotions while shopping, and embracing your own creativity – you can easily celebrate and enjoy without breaking the bank or taking on expensive debt.  

Mindful Money Management

June 29, 2020

As the world attempts to emerge from the Covid-19 lockdowns and tentatively eases up social distancing restrictions, I noticed something unusual.  I haven’t been spending nearly as much money as I usually do.  This makes sense, of course; I have hardly been going anywhere to spend money (except for online shopping at Amazon, that is).  Being forced to limit our activities, and subsequently our spending, might be a silver lining to this whole pandemic thing and it has me thinking. Since we are getting accustomed to spending less because we were forced to do so, how can we steer this into an ongoing and positive savings behavior? 

Most of us understand that having an adequate emergency fund is one of those fundamental financial priorities, yet keeping enough in that cash account is a challenge for way too many of us. Likewise, saving up for vacations and large purchases, rather than charging them to a credit card and taking forever to pay off an expensive balance is a habit with which many of us struggle. And there is the all-too-common struggle with getting out of debt.  Since we are already slowing down our usual spending, why not channel some of that idle cash toward other goals we want to improve? 

Easy to say, but not so easy to do, right?  I agree.  I also admit, even as a seasoned personal finance professional, I am not a fan of budgeting.  Keeping track of my own budget, that is. I’m not anti-budget; you should have your own budget (or my preference, a “spending plan”). I just don’t enjoy the process of budgeting, and from my conversations with many people over the years, chances are neither do you. Let’s change that.  

Becoming More Mindful 

A few years ago, as my age and blood pressure began to noticeably creep up, I began exploring the world of mindfulness meditation as a way to relax, calm my noisy mind, and keep that pesky blood pressure at bay (yes, it did work; no BP meds for me!).  As I discovered with my physical health, mindfulness at its core is the ability to focus, particularly on something you want to change, but without becoming overwhelmed or unduly emotional about it. I’m not the first person to marry mindfulness practices with money management, however.  

The Japanese have been applying mindfulness to money for quite some time. They also have a lovely word for the tool they use, kakebo (or sometimes spelled, kakeibo, and pronounced “kah-keh-boh”). Creation of the kakebo concept is attributed to journalist Hani Motoko who in 1904 first touted this relatively simple household finance journal as a tool to help housewives keep better track of the household accounting.  There is more to it than simple accounting, of course.  More on that in a moment.  

First, as an American who routinely coaches and counsels other Americans on money habits, let me first clarify the idea of mindful spending and then discuss how kakebo fits into the mix. Whereas a budget is largely a cold, heartless, unfeeling mathematical process that ruthlessly pits income against cash outflow, mindful spending warms up and humanizes this activity by including awareness (that’s the mindful part) of why we spend money on the things we do in accordance with not only our needs but also according to what is important and meaningful to us. As humans with big brains and opposable thumbs, we certainly apply logic to our decisions (budgeting), but ultimately, it is our feelings and emotions (mindfulness) that drive our actions.  Why else would companies spend so much money on marketing and promotion? 

As you are probably thinking, yes, mindful spending can seem like the touchy-feely-woo-woo side of personal finance. It is that, but it is also pretty easy to do.  Mindful money management can be as simple as pausing for a moment before we pull out the cash, credit or debit card and think about how we are feeling as we start to make a purchase. Thinking about how spending makes us feel gives us an opportunity to check in with ourselves and identify habits we might want to change. So pause. Take a breath. What are you feeling?  Is this expense a want, or a need, or a stress response? Will it be truly beneficial to you or to someone who is important to you?  I told you this was going to get all touchy feely.  It’s okay.  Give it a try. Embrace it.  

Create Your Kakeibo 

If you want to take things a step further, this is where a kakeibo can help you. If you are familiar with the envelope system of budgeting, kakeibo uses that concept at its core. What makes kakeibo different, however, is its incorporation of the touchy-feely concepts related to how we feel about different expenditures. For instance, kakeibo categorizes all spending into just four basic categories:   

  • Needs (must pay these; rent, food, insurance, etc.) 
  • Wants  (feels good but could exist without it) 
  • Culture (think, museums, activity groups, club memberships, experiences) 
  • Unexpected expenses (emergencies, repairs, etc.) 

These simple categories can make the mindfulness part easier to manage as you focus on where spending does or does not match your goals and priorities. The entire concept focuses on four key questions to contemplate each month: 

  1. How much money is available to spend? 
  2. How much of it would you like to save? 
  3. How much do you spend each month? 
  4. Where are opportunities to improve? 

Crafting your own kakeibo is very simple. Here is how to get started: 

  1. Download a free kakeibo journal from Credit.com (saving money already!).  
  2. Write down your monthly income and expenses. 
  3. Set your monthly savings goal. 
  4. Track your spending each week.  
  5. Calculate how much you spent on needs, wants, unexpected, and cultural purchases. 
  6. How much was left for savings? 
  7. Reflect on your performance (and write that down, too).  Did you meet your goals?  Why or why not?  What will you focus on improving next month? 

That’s it!  You are now mindfully spending.  Kakeibo was meant to be a physical, written process, but you can apply some automation to it if you like. Personally, I like to use the pen and paper method first, then switch to using an app or two. For instance, the GoodBudget app is free and simple, easily adapting to your kakeibo strategy.  You can also record personal notes within the app to assist with capturing and focusing your mindful thoughts. Give it a try and don’t be discouraged if you note a few weak spots or experience a setback or two.  As with meditation, the key is to keep doing it. There is no “wrong” way to go about it.  Find your own path. You do you.  Breathe.  

Why and How to Have Weekly Money Talks

March 28, 2017

When I first got married, money talks in my home looked something like this: I brought out my spreadsheet and the four other programs I was working on to have a financial summit with my husband. He mentally tuned out the second he saw the first version of the budget and was in another place (I suspect it was at a college football game) by the time the meeting was over. Over the years, I learned to simplify my budgets and my husband brought both his mind and body to the meeting. My colleague Steve offers great insight into how to make couple money meetings work that I wish I knew from the beginning:

I have a confession to make. For over a decade in my professional career, I was the pot calling the kettle black. Almost 20 years ago, I followed the advice of a fellow CFP® professional and started advising clients to schedule a weekly 30 minute money meeting to focus on their finances, but I wasn’t doing these myself. Then about 7 years ago, I started having those meetings with my spouse and guess what? They work.

The basic idea is this. Many of us can go a month or longer and not spend any time thinking about our investments or whether we are spending our money on what is important to us instead of where we have always spent it. We pay our bills but don’t think about our spending plan.

On a side note, I hate the word “budget.” It sounds like “diet” to me. They both are limiting and negative.

A friend of mine told me “Steve, you’re a financial planner. Don’t think of it as a diet. Think of it as an eating plan.”

That works for me. I don’t think of my spending as a budget. I think of it as a spending plan.

The ideal time to have a conversation about money is not when you’re late for work, trying to get the kids off to school and have a deadline that is consuming all of your mental energy – been there done that. The Weekly 30 Minute Money Meeting can either be with yourself or with your partner. The rules are the same:

1.You cannot change the past. It is a waste of time to argue about or beat yourself up about things that have already happened. Learn from your mistakes (we have all made them) so you don’t repeat them in the future.

2. Be thoughtful and focus on the future. With my eating plan, if I choose to have a 1,500 calorie breakfast (which is delicious), I’d better plan on eating a lot of salad with little dressing for the rest of the day. If I choose to spend my future paychecks now (think credit cards), I’d better plan on not spending any other money.

3. Hold yourself accountable. Notice I didn’t say hold your partner accountable. We are adults and need to hold ourselves accountable. If you make a mistake, own it and try hard not to repeat it.

4. Schedule the meetings when your energy is high. I am an early morning person. I wake up at 5:30 am every day no matter the time zone or if it’s a weekend.

The ideal time for me would be 6:00 to 6:30 on Saturday morning. My wife’s response to this suggestion is not fit for publication. We meet from 11:00 to 11:30.

These are some tricks to make the most out of your meetings:

  • Put them on your calendar and if you think about something, pull your phone out and add a note to this week’s meeting. That way you don’t forget it.
  • Use the meetings to develop a spending plan. Your spending plan needs to get you, not the other way around. Look at your bank’s online tools, other online tools like Mint, our Easy Spending Plan, a custom made Excel spreadsheet or paper and pencil. Try different ones until you find the one that gets you.
  • Find an item in your spending plan that you buy because you have to but don’t enjoy spending money on and see if you can cut that cost.  Think of auto insurance and electricity. Any money you can free up from those is money you can save or use for something you want.
  • Run a retirement estimator calculator and make sure you are on pace to retire. Update this at least once a year.
  • Run a DebtBlaster calculator and make sure you are paying off your debt as efficiently as possible. Update this every 6 months or when you pay something off.
  • Review your investments at least once a quarter and make sure you are taking an appropriate amount of risk.

As someone who has done this for a while, the benefits of these meetings include reduced financial stress, you and your partner having a plan and fostering honest, direct and sincere conversations about money. Start now. Don’t wait a decade…like some people.

 

 

How To Save Money on Your Homeowners Insurance

March 08, 2017

When my husband and I shopped for homeowners insurance back when we bought our condo a couple of years ago, I knew from my CFP® training that all homeowners policies are required to cover the basics. I also knew that if we wanted coverage of things like flooding from a backed up toilet or frozen pipes, we’d need to ask for those. But beyond that, we wanted to make sure we were adequately covered without over-paying.

Now as our premiums go up about 6% per year, purportedly to account for the increase in what it would cost for the insurance to cover a loss (if only wages kept up with this supposed increase in costs!), we are shopping around to make sure we’re still getting the best value for our money. If it’s been several years since you’ve shopped your homeowners insurance policy around, it could be a great place to find some extra money in your budget. Here are some tips from my colleague Teig Stanley on how to go about doing that:

First, you’ll need your “DEC page,” which is short for “declarations” page. Then, take the following 5 steps:

1. Use a broker to shop for coverage. There is no need for you to go through all the time/effort yourself. Ask the broker to provide three quotes compared side by side so you can compare apples-to-apples.

2. Make sure the quotes have the same criteria:

Deductible – This should include the separate deductible for wind/hail/water or other events that are geographically specific.

Home Value – If it’s been several years, this probably needs to be adjusted since your home has probably increased in value. Most insurance companies’ software will assign a value automatically based on actuarial data specific to the address.

Cost – Is the payment quoted monthly, annual, quarterly, etc?

Replacement Cost Coverage – Some policies replace up to 100% of the benefit for which they’re written. Others replace 125% – 150% if the home is a “total” loss.

3. See if you can apply any special discounts – military, occupation, no recent claims, alarm systems, etc.

4. Contact insurance companies that don’t broker out (like USAA) if you qualify so you can obtain a quote to compare.

5. Give the broker a copy of your current DEC page and cost (don’t worry, they can’t do anything manipulative with the premium) as well as permission to pull your credit so they can get accurate quotes. It’s a “soft” credit hit, so it won’t have a negative effect on your credit score.

Finally, you can find some additional insight and tips in this post from another colleague, Greg Ward. He shopped around himself and found a much better deal. Of course, I would be remiss if I didn’t point out that any cost savings you realize from this process should be used to either increase high-interest debt payments or bump up your savings rate toward your emergency fund, retirement or other goals.

 

Kelley Long is a resident financial planner with Financial Finesse, the leading provider of unbiased workplace financial wellness programs in the US. For more posts by Kelley or to sign up to have her weekly post delivered to your inbox each Wednesday, please visit the main blog page and sign up today.

What Philosophy Can Teach Us About Our Finances

March 14, 2016

I recently asked my fellow planner, Brian Kelly, CFP®, to tell me about his personal financial wellness story. I expected a compelling tale. Brian has a dry sense of humor, a big heart and strong opinions, and I wasn’t disappointed. What I didn’t realize until he sent me this post is that Brian is also a philosopher who connects the dots between financial wellness, a 19th century movement and eighties music sensation The Talking Heads.  Here’s what Brian shared with me: Continue reading “What Philosophy Can Teach Us About Our Finances”

Who Consumers Really Need to Protect Themselves From

March 10, 2016

This week is National Consumer Protection Week so you might have been hearing a lot about how to protect yourself from fraud, scams, identity theft, etc. This is important information but the reality is that the biggest threat to us as consumers is staring at us in the mirror. Here are some ways we sabotage ourselves and what we can do to protect ourselves: Continue reading “Who Consumers Really Need to Protect Themselves From”

5 Questions to Ask Your Credit Card Company

March 08, 2016

National Consumer Protection Week, from March 6 to March 12, involves numerous organizations focused on helping to empower consumers to make informed decisions about financial products and services. Nowhere do I see a greater need for this than with credit cards. In my role as a resident financial planner, I have spoken to too many people who did not fully understand their credit card. The lack of understanding cost one employee hundreds of dollars in fees. If you are either shopping for a credit card or unsure of how your credit card works, consider asking these 5 questions: Continue reading “5 Questions to Ask Your Credit Card Company”

Living Paycheck to Paycheck? Here Are 4 Places to Find Money

March 02, 2016

One of the things I love the most about living in a big city is that we are the first ones to have access to innovative products and services like Uber, Instacart and Flywheel. Whenever I start to daydream about moving back to the quiet of a small town like the one I grew up in, I have to remind myself that I’d be giving up things like the option of having my groceries delivered from Trader Joe’s or the variety of workout options I can choose from each week. (I currently teach BODYPUMPTM and have credits at Zen Yoga Garage and Flywheel.) If I want to live where you can hear the grass grow and the need to carry Mace is laughable, I won’t be able to be so picky about where and how I get my sweat on. Continue reading “Living Paycheck to Paycheck? Here Are 4 Places to Find Money”

What A New Baby Really Needs

March 01, 2016

I was talking to a friend about two weeks away from giving birth. She was crying over something. (At her stage of my pregnancy, I remember crying over a grocery store commercial.) After she could tell me what was bothering her, she said that she felt like an unfit parent. Continue reading “What A New Baby Really Needs”

5 Ways to Make the Most of Eating Out

February 25, 2016

Over the last few weeks, I’ve written about ways to save money on “fixed” expenses as well as discretionary expenses like travel. Another big discretionary expense for many people (me included) is dining out. Yes, we can prepare food at home more often (which is also healthier) but what about for those times that we want to eat out? Here are some ways to reduce the cost and make the most of the money you do spend: Continue reading “5 Ways to Make the Most of Eating Out”

Are Your Purchases Like Super Bowl Ads?

February 19, 2016

Less than a week ago, I had friends over to watch the Super Bowl. We had a bit too much food, drank a few adult beverages and watched a game filled with excellent defensive play. It was a pretty good game. Continue reading “Are Your Purchases Like Super Bowl Ads?”

The Other Pain After a Medical Emergency

February 16, 2016

My husband has been battling to keep his diabetes under control for the last few years. But no matter how diligent he may be, he still may find himself in the hospital. As we started talking about a recent hospital visit, he started sharing with me the financial lessons learned over the last few years. Continue reading “The Other Pain After a Medical Emergency”

How To Make That 1099 Less Taxing

February 12, 2016

One of the TV moments that I still find absolutely hilarious a long time after its first airing is Reverend Jim from “Taxi” taking his driver’s license exam. This clip STILL cracks me up every time I see it. While Rev. Jim not knowing what a yellow light means is not a big financial issue (although, I swear that A LOT of drivers I’ve seen lately have absolutely no clue what it means either), not knowing what a 1099 means could provide quite a shock to the recipient. Continue reading “How To Make That 1099 Less Taxing”

How to Save Money On Your Travel Bookings

February 11, 2016

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about ways to reduce “fixed” expenses to free up money for goals like paying down debt or saving for a home purchase or retirement. But of course, it’s generally easier to reduce discretionary expenses that we have more control over like eating out and travel. The challenge is doing that without feeling like we’re depriving ourselves. Continue reading “How to Save Money On Your Travel Bookings”

Want to Quit Your 2016 Budget? Don’t!

February 02, 2016

If you have read any of my prior blog posts, you probably know that I have a thing for chocolate. I even do a run called “Hot Chocolate” held  in January. I do the 15K, about 9 miles, with water and chocolate stops along the way. Once I am done, you are given hot chocolate and I gulp it down in about 30 seconds. Despite the sub-freezing temperatures, I enjoy the runs because they gives me and my friends uninterrupted girl time to catch up. Continue reading “Want to Quit Your 2016 Budget? Don’t!”

Fix These Expenses Before They’re Fixed For You

January 28, 2016

Last week, I wrote about the importance of reducing so-called “fixed” expenses and not just discretionary ones like that morning coffee at Starbucks.The important thing is to reduce them before they become fixed. Here are some of the key decision points in which you can make that happen: Continue reading “Fix These Expenses Before They’re Fixed For You”

5 Reasons You Shouldn’t Use Your Phone to Manage Your Money

January 27, 2016

A common request from users of our Financial Helpline is for money management app recommendations. I haven’t found one yet that I love, so I’m always on the lookout for new ways to make it simple and painless to track expenses, stick to a budget and save more money. In other words, I’m in search of the My Fitness Pal for money.

Continue reading “5 Reasons You Shouldn’t Use Your Phone to Manage Your Money”