It’s been a while since we posted a Friday Funny but this little girl and her impersonation of the werewolf crack me up EVERY time!!!
Happy Friday Folks!
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Author: Danielle YB Vason
She Makes Cents (SMC) delivers personal finance to empower a community of goal-setting women to use their "cents" to invest in their money and lifestyle goals.
From money diaries and personal stories by Atlanta-based personal finance blogger, Danielle YB Vason, to money weekly check-ins from members of the SMC Money Tribe, the SMC community aims to remove the taboo surrounding money conversations- one money convo at a time.
{Style Cents} Colorful Office Accessories to Brighten Up Your Desk
When I was decorating my office, I was having the hardest time finding chic office accessories that were as cute as they were functional. I’m always on the lookout for that unique product that will fit the bill. Below is a compilation of products that help my technologically savvy readers, like you, to be mobile in style. P.S. I got a great deal on my Quirky Converage from Birchbox! I use to charge everything that has a USB attachment! I love that it keeps my office looking polished and sleek, while being functional.
Which Accessory Do You Like Best?
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{Chasing the Saturdays} How I Saved $500+ Before Breakfast!
I woke up in a weird mood this past Saturday. I was torn between excited to tackle my never-ending to-do list and not wanting to leave the warmth of the bed. So what did I do?- A little of both. I grabbed the laptop and started to audit my flow of income and in doing so, I noticed I was missing opportunities to save more money. Before breakfast, I saved a little under $100 a year by canceling my cell phone insurance. It was one of those things that I should have done months ago, but never really got around to doing it. The two times that I actually thought about filing an insurance claim, the deductible was so expensive that it was better to just get a new phone and not having to worry about whether I would receive a new or refurbished phone from my carrier.
My first savings of the day energized me, so much so, that I called my dad to follow-up on his savings audit I did for him last year. Even when I showed my dad how he could save $1600, he actually never followed through. It was time for me to take matters into my own hands. I started with my parents’ home phone and internet bundle and I canceled every service that they don’t use and wouldn’t miss. I reduced their monthly bill by $40 per month equalling to about $480 a year!
Are you overpaying for services you no longer use?
Take a little time to review your statements from your service providers. Remove extra services that you no longer use, are outdated, or that qualify as a luxury you could live without. I did this a few months ago when I realized my cable bill included a football package. It made NO sense/cents for me to pay for an added luxury that I didn’t even use. Now, I am enjoying the savings more than missing the extra channels that I didn’t event know about. If by chance, you have already eliminated every extra fee, then you should consider calling your service provider to see if there are any other discounts that can be applied to your account. It may take a little time to get through your audit, but remember it’s better to spend some time to save some money!
What Services Can You Remove From Your Bill to Save?
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{Twice the Charm} Happy Birthday She Makes Cents!!!
{Style Cents} Best Renovations for Resale Value
This may seem random, but I sometimes read up on home remodeling and staging tips from professional stagers all the time. I’m not looking to sell my home, I just LOVE to see what’s new in home decor trends and how I can make my house even more visually appealing. Below is a cool infograph from eLOCAL to help homeowners and prospective buyers decide which remodeling projects will give the largest bang for their buck in the end. Even if you are like me and just looking to keep your home looking magazine ready, it’s great to understand the rate of return on your renovation.
Source: eLocal.com
What Improvements Have You Made to Your Home?
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{Financial Cents} Say No Social and Yes to Finances!
During the infancy of She Makes Cents, I started reading Shoo…Jimmy Choo by Catey Hill. This, I admit, was another book I picked up because I like the title. In it, Hill goes beyond the standard advice to create a spending chart and record everything you spend your money on in it. She adds the recommendation to also include additional information such as who was with you and the motivation behind your purchase. I did this for about two months and learned that I often spent extra money when I was with one particularly close friend. I usually spent money on expensive lunches and after reviewing the spending chart, my motivation behind my spending was purely emotional. I didn’t realize that was I was spending a great deal of money simply because I missed hanging out with her like I did when I was in college. Fast forward almost two years later where I started repeating the pattern of emotional and socially inspired spending. With my current job, I got back into the habit of frequently going out to lunch with the girls. I didn’t want to miss the great conversations but most importantly, I didn’t want to appear anti-social.
At the start of the year, something clicked for the Mr and me. Our view on how we spend money as a couple and individually has narrowed. We have become super serious about saving and making better decisions on how we spend our money. Does that mean no lunches with the girls? Absolutely not! It does mean that I won’t be going with them EVERY DAY for lunch or drinks after work, though. Instead, I am cooking more at home and packing more lunches. As much as I hate to decline a social invitation, I would hate it more if the collective whole of my socially motivated financial decisions were the reason I wasn’t truly living a fabulous debt free life. I am proud of myself. I find that I’m eating better and cleaner. I also becoming a better cook, which is always a plus, but more importantly, I have learned to say no to social and yes to finances!
{Financial Cents} 4 Smart Ways to Spend Your Tax Refund
Have you ever gotten your tax refund and thought to yourself, it’s time to go shopping? I have. Growing up, my mom would take a large part of her refund and she and I would go on a shopping spree…even if it meant driving from mall to mall to find a wider selection or hanging out on a school night. That is how I grew up thinking about refund checks… like some sort of magical windfall of new shoes, purses, and dresses. Now fast forward to the present, I now know it’s better to try to break even than to get a fat refund. In reality, if you are receiving a large refund then you are paying too much in taxes throughout the year.
Divide and Conquer Your Money
If you are like me and you know you will be getting a refund of some sort, it is important to find a better way to spend your money than blowing it on a new tv or handbag. Before you even receive your refund, you should already have an idea of what you may be getting back. Take this time to divide your money, so when you actually received it, you will be less likely to blow it recklessly because you have already decided where it is going. For some, this will take some serious financial discipline, but in the end, it’s worth it! I plan to make my money work for me by using these four categories below to get me started.
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Fund your funds. If you don’t have an emergency fund of at least $1000, now is the time to start paying yourself. You should think of this fund like those Chinese finger traps that kids used to pay with- it’s easy to put stuff in and difficult to take things out! If you already have at least a $1000 Emergency fund, then you should take a percentage of your refund and put aside for your savings account.
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Pay Down Debt. This is the time to give your “snowball” effect an extra boost. Putting a portion of your refund toward your debt with the lowest APR (annual percentage rate) or lowest balance will help you pay get out of debt faster and feel good about your accomplishments. Remember, you don’t have to have thousands of dollars all at once to start getting out of debt. Every payment above the minimum helps you get closer to your goal.
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Take Care of Things You Have Been Putting Off. If you have been meaning to call the plumber over to fix that leak you can’t find (raises hands) or get the brakes on your car checked out (raises hands) or even get the shoes with that weird heel repaired (raises hands) then take this time and money to do it. These are things that people put off because they don’t have the money or time. You now have the money, so make the time.
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Prioritize Fun. When budgeting your money, you have to remember to prioritize for things that bring you JOY. Set a goal and when you accomplish it, tap into this category and unleash your fun fund. This could mean buying those shoes you have had your eye on, a spa day, or planning that impromptu weekend with your loved one(s), girlfriends, or even by yourself! It doesn’t have to be big, but it does help if it is something that brings happiness and drives you to work toward your goal.
How Do You Divide Your Refund?
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{Book Cents} 3 Books I Can’t Wait to Read!
I Like Big Books & I Cannot Lie!
I can be somewhat weird about books. Rarely do I lend them out because I’m afraid people won’t take care of them as I do. I don’t write or mark in them unless I have to; and when I do, I usually buy another clean copy. Weird, right? I haven’t even told you how I pick out books. I am very loyal to authors I like, I’m open to recommendations, but more often than not, I pick out books because I think the title is interesting. While I’m currently reading the Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey, I am always on the search for more books. Below are three that I have on my list to pick up.
Check them out!
Nice Girls Don’t Get the Corner Office by Lois P. Frankel, PhD
Cupcakes and Cashmere by Emily Schuman
Bubbly on Your Budget by Marjorie Hillis
How Do You Pick Your Next Read?
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{Fashion Cents} Budget Friendly Fashion Statements
Wait… what does her bag say???
Years ago, the fad was to show people “how” many things you could afford, as people would brag about how much they spent on this or that. While this is still true in many cases, I am noticing an even cooler trend that is fun, witty, and fashionable. What is it, you ask?- Fashion Statements! No these aren’t the statement shirts and bags that were super popular in the early 2000s that had quotes from people like Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie. These are fashionable acknowledgements of the times, with phrases like, “Can’t Afford a Birkin” and “My other bag is Louis Vuitton”. Occasionally, I would see someone with a bag like this and I would always chuckle a bit at the boldness of these women. I guess I was just surprised by the fact that these women were the opposite of the masses I see rocking fake labels, act like they are real, and suddenly make others feel bad for not having what they have. I mean seriously, no one believes your Birkin is real on a $22,000 salary and it doesn’t even come in that color, and having a purse doesn’t make you better than others…I’m just saying. I think the problem is that sometimes great style is confused with a name brand. Trust me, not all designer fashion is stylish, but the examples of these awesome, budget friendly, designer inspired fashion finds below, are.
Below are a few of my favorite “Statement Looks” :
Photo Credits: Skreened, If You Seek Aimee Fashion, & Style With Benefits
Which look would you rock?
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{Business Cents} Every Woman Should Have a Professional Mentor
I know that everyone can benefit from a mentor-mentee relationship; however, I believe it’s even more imperative that every woman has a professional mentor…and a good one at that! While I know it is easy to assign that “role” to a public figure like Oprah, it is likely more beneficial to you and your career if you find someone who is actually willing to spend time with you. It was about four years ago when I realized for myself how important this type of mentorship can be. As I was transitioning careers, I decided to form a “dream team” of coincidentally women mentors. My theory was that alone, each of them had an ability or network that the other did not, but together they formed a diverse and complete dream team.
Things to Consider When Finding Your Mentor
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Does your mentor have the time to spend with you? This, in my opinion, is the most important. I had a great dream team of movers and shakers, but it was also so very hard for some of them to squeeze me into their schedules. Although the intentions are good, you aren’t gaining anything from this relationship if you aren’t even spending time with them.
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Is this someone who will hold you accountable? For you to truly succeed, you need to have someone who is so concerned about your goals and career path, that they aren’t afraid to be bluntly honest, call you on your “stuff” and maybe even kick your butt, if needed.
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Are you learning tools that will help you get to where you want to be? The lessons may not always be explicit or intentional, but you have to be able to decipher how you can use what you are learning to thrive without compromising your character or integrity.
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Are they respected in their field/company/community? I learned the importance of this when I was conducting a cattle call of interviews on a panel with other choreographers in Atlanta. A number of the young dancers assumed that their relationships with their mentors would help give them the extra edge. So dancer after dancer took the “opportunity” to name drop not truly understanding the reputation of their mentors in the industry. The lesson I learned: Just because your mentor is known, doesn’t mean that they are respected.
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