#budgeting

#budgeting

According to the Employee Benefit Research Institute , more than 50% of Americans have less than $10,000 saved for retirement. This is a big concern, especially considering how shocking it is that a much smaller number have more than $500,000 tucked away for retirement. When you look at the data breakdown provided by the research, there is no question that it will shock people of all income and savings levels.

On a December 4 episode of The Dave Ramsey Show, a caller named Michael, 27, sought help after falling behind on nearly all his bills. Raising his 17-year-old brother for four years while working as a door-to-door roofing salesman, he'd accumulated $35,000 in debt from a car lease, credit cards, and charge-offs. His commission-based income ranged from $3,000 to $3,500 monthly during the slow season, barely covering his $850 rent and other expenses.

There are certain aspects of life it pays to hire a professional for. You could try to tackle a plumbing issue on your own, for example, like a busted faucet or leaky pipe. But if you're not sure what you're doing, there's a pretty big risk in going it alone. You could cause your house to flood or make the situation worse. So it pays to bring in someone who's licensed and skilled.

This year, I finally fulfilled my dream of visiting Japan, spending a week in the country with two friends. About a month before, I purchased a round-trip ticket from New York City to Tokyo for $1,000. We chose to visit in early December - the month isn't as popular with tourists, and we hoped to catch the tail end of the area's peak fall foliage.

I tried to plan everything myself to make the visit special, but I ended up waiting too long. Now the prices are sky-high completely out of my budget and I'm panicking. I feel embarrassed because I had plenty of time to prepare, and I don't want my parents to think I'm irresponsible or that I don't care about making their trip enjoyable.

Your card for the week is the Two of Pentacles, which represents balance, flexibility, and the need to adapt. It's the perfect card to keep in mind during the holiday season, especially if you feel like you're being pulled in multiple directions. When this card pops up in a tarot reading, it's often a sign that you have two (or more) important things to juggle.

Most of our family's income comes from federal funds. My husband and I both have military retirement checks, and he's a federal civilian. Our retirement pensions are not affected by the government shutdown, but my husband's paycheck is. We're on day 37 without his income, and honestly, it's surreal. While our retirements and my job will get us through, the loss of a paycheck has prompted some adjustments in our spending.

Our entire family sits down to have a meal together several times a week. We ask each other questions, find out what's going on in our kids' lives, and share funny stories. Though mealtime can sometimes be chaotic, with bickering and typical exhaustion, we also relish in the limited opportunities we have to sit, face-to-face, and share a meal. We also have some family time on Sunday mornings, attending church together, and the occasional Friday night, where we can watch a movie.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is undeniably awesome. So is Victor Wembanyama. Yet, in a traditional snake draft, getting both is essentially impossible given both are found firmly in the first round. There is a draft format, however, that absolutely allows you to pair SGA and Wemby. Or Nikola Jokic and Stephen Curry, Luka Doncic and Giannis Antetokounmpo... you get the idea. Salary cap drafts afford you the ability to assemble compelling collections of superstars.

When you're busy swiping your card and paying bills, all coming out of one account, you may be more likely to get to the end of the month with nothing left - and definitely without any extra money to set aside in savings. "Everything's just flying out everywhere," @hermoneymastery said, pointing to subscriptions, groceries, bills, and rent, as well as all the little snacks and food delivery you might buy throughout the week.

Dave Ramsey is a radio personality and finance guru, well-known for helping Americans join the debt-free ranks. Dave Ramsey founded The Lampo Group, Inc. in 1992, which was later rebranded as Ramsey Solutions in 2014. He has written multiple books, including his best-seller The Total Money Makeover. Dave Ramsey's program has reached millions through The Ramsey Show, books, courses, and Financial Peace University.

For you to have money, you have to learn to live below your means but within your needs. How do you do that? You do that by simply purchasing needs versus wants. What is a need? Need is food that you buy at a grocery store. What is a want? A want is going out to eat at a restaurant and doing it over and over again.

If you're a college freshman, congratulations! You're now likely financially responsible for yourself. While that can be exciting, it can also be nerve-wracking especially if you don't have a lot of money. You have the freedom to control your own budget. At the same time, you may have thousands of dollars in student loans. How do you make smart financial decisions so you have enough money to spend at school and don't graduate with more debt than you need?

But there's something about putting pen to paper that helps mentally solidify your intentions. And when it comes to growing financially, having a budget is critically important. That includes itemizing your assets, liabilities (e.g., expenses) and income. That income should include your present pay from working, but could also include potential future sources like Social Security benefirts, pensions, investments, and retirement accounts.

Sign up to student discount sites such as UNiDAYS and Student Beans, and always check them for discount codes and deals before you buy anything. Most places offer between 10 and 20% discount, and the savings can really add up. Zahra Onsori, City, University of London, journalism Zahra Onsori: Sign up to student discount sites.' Photograph: Zahra Onsori It might feel a bit old-school, but using cash on a night out really helped me stick to my budget.

PITTSBURGH - These are anxious times in which to feed our families. Grocery shopping is not just wildly expensive these days - the Consumer Price Index in July was up 2.7% year-over-year, with the price of some foods reaching record levels - but also filled with uncertainty. Just when you think the price of a box of Honey Nut Cheerios couldn't be higher (seriously folks, $7?) we have to worry about how big a hole President Donald Trump's sweeping global tariffs will burn in our pockets going forward.

My partner's sister is expecting her third child in December, it was quite a surprise, she found out at 20 weeks. I'm happy for her and excited about the baby, but concerned about the financial side. She and her husband haven't worked in nearly a decade. They're barely getting by on government support, and my partner has loaned her money over the years. She currently owes him over $1,000-though she pays small amounts back, she borrows more than she repays.