Do you like getting a good deal on clothes? How about food? What does it even mean to get a good deal? Does it mean you get 20 percent off of whatever you’re buying? How about 50 percent? What about 90 percent? I’m going to argue against almost everyone I know, financial advisers, finance writers [...]
Entries Tagged as 'budgeting'
Now Or Later: Saving Without Sacrifice
June 5th, 2011 · No Comments · Philosophy In Financial Planning
It’s a common thought in the financial planning industry that saving money requires making sacrifices. Prevailing thought dictates that you must either sacrifice your future for your present or you must sacrifice the present for your future. But, is any sacrifice necessary? Consider the ideas underlying both approaches to financial planning: Sacrifice. You are asked, [...]
Retirement Calculators Have Their Limits
May 29th, 2011 · 1 Comment · Budgeting & Money Management, Insurance & Savings, Philosophy In Financial Planning, Retirement Planning
Financial calculators are all over online. These calculators are praised as being the ultimate authority when it comes to saving money for your future. You’re told you should use these to calculate how much money you need to save over your lifetime. But, do they work? The problem I have with retirement calculators is that [...]
Saving Money Is Not Optional
March 26th, 2010 · No Comments · Budgeting & Money Management, Insurance & Savings, Philosophy In Financial Planning, Psychology In Financial Planning
An unspoken assumption held by many people is that “saving money is optional”. “I know I need to save money,” says a client, “but I just don’t have anything left over at the end of the month”. Think about what is being said here. There are only 2 possible situations a person will find themselves [...]
Does Budgeting Involve Making Sacrifices?
November 16th, 2009 · No Comments · Budgeting & Money Management, Philosophy In Financial Planning
We often hear that budgeting means “making sacrifices”. It is true that you can’t have your cake and eat it, too. But this is not the same thing as making sacrifices. When you view budgeting as a financial “ball and chain”, of course you’re not going to look forward to doing it. No rational person [...]