Associate Money - Ramblings on Family Money Management

How A Poor Financial Adviser Delays Your Retirement Plans

Published on 2011-02-12 03:48:00

Who cares about the economy? Investing in the stock market seem to be the in thing in town for 2011. When it comes to investments, you have to monitor your portfolio closely, especially if you are going it alone. Entrusting your wealth to a professional financial adviser sounds like a good idea as they will be doing all the research and analysis work for you.Though an adviser provides value, you should still know what is happening. It’s the only way you know that the adviser is producing attra

Maximise Your Food Budget for the New Year

Published on 2010-12-24 06:18:00

Merry Christmas Eve to all my friends and readers of Associate Money. Hope you guys enjoy the turkeys, chocolate puddings, gift exchange and a great holiday ahead.As 2011 beckons, I am disappointed that the economy is not out of the doldrums, despite whatever benefits Ben Bernanke has been telling us about Quantitative Easing. The nascent recovery is not in the employment market and money is still in short order for most Americans. Our family is still saving for a rainy day and the austerity moo

Top 5 Online StartUps For Cyber Monday Shopping

Published on 2010-11-28 19:05:00

If you haven't had enough of Black Friday shopping or just wanted to avoid the crowds, you can scratch your retail itch by celebrating Cyber Monday!Here are 5 top fashion online start-ups offering great Cyber Monday discounts.1. Gilt Each day at noon, Gilt offers its members a curated selection of merchandise, including apparel, accessories and lifestyle items across the women’s, men’s and children’s categories.For Cyber Monday Gilt is offering free shipping on any purchase (from Gilt

Black Friday Shopping, A Good Time To Save Money

Published on 2010-11-25 04:31:00

I know a lot of people start their Christmas shopping on Black Friday. To be sure, there are some fantastic deals out there and it is easy to get carried away with all the store banners screaming "specials" and "bargains." In order to save money, you should get to the stores early on Black Friday. Stores usually have their best sales in the early morning on Black Friday, so try to be out shopping before sunrise. Make a list and stick to it, much like your grocery shopping. It's ok to deviate a l

Save Money By Clearing Up Clutter In the House

Published on 2010-11-15 08:20:00

Clutter in the house, everyone has their struggles with it. With Thanksgiving and Christmas round the corner, the mess is going to get worse as people hit the stores and buy yet more stuff. For us, we made a pact to remove clutter every couple of months. If not, it can be a nightmare... what with piles of papers in the kitchen and study room, worn out clothes in the wardrobe, magazines in the living room, old tools in the garage.. All these clutter isn't just an eyesore; it is expensive and cont

How To Avoid Celebrities Debt Follies?

Published on 2010-10-09 23:38:00

The key to financial freedom is not to earn lots of money, else money machines like celebrities will never face bankruptcy. It is about controlling expenses!In the latest example of celebrity excess, singer Toni Braxton has filed for bankruptcy and owes between $10 to $50 million. Her list of debtors includes AT&T, the Four Seasons, and Tiffany.So why do celebrities fall on hard times financially? This is because of their unpredictable income expensive lifestyles, and enormous pressure from

Poverty To Riches Is Easy

Published on 2010-09-30 11:19:00

One of the least understood aspect of financial planning is that almost everyone can be well off just by following simple principles of money management. I am not talking about attaining Warren Buffett's wealth. Most people are likely to be in this situation of starting from poverty, get a good education, good career and end up financially sound. It is doable, a little bit of luck but more of being disciplined. You must be willing to spend less than what you earn over a long period of time. It e

6 Tips To Financial Independence

Published on 2010-09-22 08:55:00

We all have dreams and resolutions, earn our first million dollars, lose weight, exercise more, quit smoking, etc.How about becoming debt free for a change? The average American has about $9000 of credit card debt and as a nation, consumer debt is approaching $2 trillion.You can change your life by aspiring to financial independence, instead of living paycheck to paycheck and getting further into debt each month.Take a long look at how you're spending your time and money, and determine your fina

Save Money Daily By Thinking On Micro Level

Published on 2010-09-16 07:23:00

Jen from Frugal, Freebies and Deals talks about her saving money experience and gives tips on how you can do it too.Her family is still in debt but using Dave Ramsey Debt Reduction program, she is slowly chipping away and may take about 4 years to pay off everything. This revelation makes her debt reduction journey more credible. The takeaway lesson from Jen is to break up seemingly insurmountable debts into small, manageable pieces that you can easily handle daily. Check out her full article on

Don't Fall For 'Debt Elimination' Scams

Published on 2010-09-08 08:09:00

Everybody loves short cuts, be it getting rich, losing weight or reducing debts. This weakness in our human psyche makes us vulnerable to scams. In the case of debt elimination, a lot of people don't want to give up their extravagant lifestyle nor face up to the consequences of mounting debts. They prefer to believe in the wonders of debt elimination scams.Actually, there are no quick fixes for debt elimination which boils down to earning more income, spending less and using the surplus to pay d