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Happily Ever After on a Budget

If you’ve found that talking about family finances with your spouse is difficult or completely uncomfortable, we have some suggestions that can help.  
Before doing anything, think about whether or not you and your spouse are on the same page in regards to how to budget money. Each of you is an individual, especially when it [...]

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Saving for a Rainy Day

Published on 05 January 2010 by andrea in Blog, Budgeting, College Savings, Saving

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Saving for a Rainy Day

An emergency can happen at any time. A special fund that you create for an unforeseen circumstance like an unexpected job loss or illness will see your family through it – all the while preventing unnecessary debt and the associated finance charges that could be very easy to accumulate.
How Much Is Enough?
The answer depends on [...]

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Pay Yourself First

Published on 11 August 2009 by cloudfi in Blog, Budgeting, Saving

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Most of us save by taking the leftover money at the end of each month or end of each year and move it to a savings or investment account.  If we are honest with ourselves, there’s not much left at the end for savings.
Instead, we should save by making it a fixed monthly expense, just [...]

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How to Budget and Still Be Yourself

Published on 11 August 2009 by cloudfi in Budgeting

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For those who aren’t used to a budget, it can feel constrictive and cramp their personal style.  You’re used to spending on what you think you need and not worrying to much about a budget.  Here’s a simple guide to relatively pain-free budgeting.
1. Know why you are budgeting
“Every time you say yes to one thing, [...]

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