MoneyWatch101

Memorial Day Weekend Frugal Activities

Hello friends it’s memorial day weekend finally. This spring weather has been the worse that I have seen in a long time. It’s been rainy and cold all the way up until now in the Northeast area. How has it been in your neck of the woods? I am definitely looking forward to better weather going forward and why not since the beaches are now finally open.

I wanted to share with you guys a few Memorial day weekend frugal activities you can do this weekend and for the many other weekends going forward. Summer time should be a fun time for people to get out and connect with others, so put those cell phones down once in a while. I crack up when I go somewhere and people are sitting having lunch together and staring at their cell phones. I have also seen when I go to the park, two people walking side by side and they are both using cell phones. If they are not checking a love note from an old flame then I do not see the point. Hopefully you’re not one of those people.

Memorial Day Weekend Frugal Activities:

– Itching to see a movie- Hit up matinees
– Need some new clothes- Search online for 30-40% off retail deals.
– Footwear looking stale- Search for bogo deals in your area.
– Going on date- Have a picnic and Pack fruit with champagne.
– Feeling stressed- Go to Groupon, Google offers, Amazon offers for first time deals on Massages.
– Need more retail therapy- Search for old gift cards you can finally use.
– Feeling lonely- Call up some friends /family members and host a potluck dinner.
– Feeling tired of TV- Set aside 30 min everyday this weekend to run or workout.

These are a few fun frugal ideas you can do this weekend. Sometimes you can just have fun by spending under $50 bucks doing the activities above and avoid spending 200 dollars at a bar.

Comment on what you think of the Memorial Day Weekend Frugal Activities?

Rich Uncle EL

Why you should not take Money for Granted

I see it all the time, people taking money for granted. No I’m not talking about a person walking by a penny and not picking it up. I am referring to the thousands of dollars every year being funneled out of bank accounts and into the hands of the already filthy rich companies. Banks everywhere are making out with your money. Credit Card companies are buying businesses with your interest payments. Auto Sales men are funding their pockets with every signature you sign on the dotted line. Higher Education is laughing to the banks because of the 1 trillion dollars in student loans debt.

What happen to thinking about good old numbero 1 from time to time? What happen to making You, Inc. more profitable and self-sustaining by stashing your cash? If you keep throwing money in the wrong direction, it will eventually make you feel like taking two steps back and no step forward. I am ready for a challenge to take You, Inc. into the next level of success with money management. How do you ask with a blank stare are you going to do this? Well it is simple by not taking money for granted. By sending it express mail in the right direction, thus having the little green dollars work hard for you. It’s real easy send it to your online bank account and build it every month for emergencies. Once a real emergency occurs, then take out your free online money. By now the money you have been saving is making you free money by compounding.

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The Best States for Retirees

If you knew which were the best states for retirees, would that information sway you to live in one of those states? Recently such a list was released by CNN Money with some analytical help from the BankRate guys, they ran an article based on the 10 best states to retire. This list of states will give all the readers who wish to retire the best bang for their dollars. The criteria in the research was based on cost of living, (obviously) climate, crime rate, access to healthcare, and Taxes.

Now mind you some of these states are land locked and in extremely cold areas of the United States, but then have low crime rates. In contrast the states in warmer locals and near the beaches have high crime rates coupled with low taxes. The first poison you have to decide above all else is how the heck can you save enough to retire, then you can pick and choose all the dirty little things that you can live with and or without in these great states. Like being far away from the ocean, high crime, low freezing temperatures, and low taxes.

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The Savings Quotes

What does it mean to be able to save consistently every month? It means you are effectively earning more than you spend. It means you are watching your dollars. It means you are mature enough not to spend every last penny, then blame it on others, a low paying job, or the government. I am focused on quotes about saving money this week, as you can clearly see from the title. The Savings quotes will hopefully give you extra motivation to stash some cash immediately.

Let me know if you can relate a bit with the Quotes below. They all might represent something within you that you already do or maybe would like to begin to implement in your financial life.

The Savings Quotes:
Hoarding is viewed as a negative thing, but to hoard money, now that is genius. – Rich Uncle EL
Savings should be placed above anything else, even those pesky things called bills. – Rich Uncle EL
When you protect your cash flow, than life is a piece of cake. – Rich Uncle EL
If you build savings year after year, then freedom is bound to hit your doorstep – Rich Uncle EL

Hoarding is viewed as a crazy bad condition in a reality show because when you stack a few thousand newspapers in your living room you are going against the norm. That is a psychological definition of scarcity as thus folks feel that they will never have enough. If that is the case then something truly is off because you are filling up your entire house with junk.

On the flip side hoarding money is good because you are exercising your savings muscle. Doing so will eventually assist you in the future. What I am referring to in the quote is someone looking to build a nest egg up from a smaller level of savings. Not a multimillionaire who cant seem to share or spend his money hoard. Their is a big difference in someone looking to secure financial freedom and someone who has millions already and is afraid to spend out of fear.

Help me find someone who has regretted stashing a million dollars for freedom of the 9 to 5. I still have yet to find such a person because a regret like that doesn’t exist. So keep hoarding dollars my friends, but never forget to share it on occasion on your wants, with friends and family, and with charities.

The other three quotes are phrases you probably read many times before and I hope you are taking the basic money management advice seriously. Nothing is far out of reach when you realize that your actions dictate where your money goes. All the calculations, formulas, math, and equations in the world cannot help you be better with money. A simple look in the mirror and getting emotions in check is all you need.

The Best Advice on How to Save Money Right Now:

Saving Money Tactics

Ten tips to save Dollars – BankRate

Words were invented to communicate how you feel so please leave feedback below.

Comment if you agree or disagree with the savings quotes above.

Rich Uncle EL

What is the Happiest Money Moment You Ever Had?

I think we all have had a few great, unforgettable, happiest money moments to hit our lives. I like reminiscing on random things like this, because frankly our past can somewhat shape the future. How did the happiest money moment creep into your life? Did you have control over it or was it just pure luck? I bet I am going to get some very interesting stories from my readers.

The point for this post was triggered by me just remembering a time when I was happy due to either getting a small downfall or finally achieving a great money goal. I will share the happiest money moments with all of you and I want you guys to just try to remember one you can share as well. Those moments were given to you for a reason so why not remember them and honor the moments.

What is the Happiest Money Moment You Ever Had?

The first ever paycheck
The first time I found a dollar bill on the street
The first time I received a bonus check
The first time I invested my hard-earned money
The first time I found over a 100 dollars
The first time I saw a thousand dollar+ check in my name
The first time I received a Holiday bonus check
The first time I saved 5 grand
The first time I paid for Candy with Cash

Now that I have shared with all of you please be so kind to return the favor, we all can appreciate talk like this because it let’s us connect better with a topic (Money) that is deemed negative most times. Just writing about all of these memories makes me smile. I worked really hard for my very first paycheck and cashing it was a euphoric experience, after I received the cash I was thinking wow this is all mine. I immediately made a budget in my mind, that I would save half and spend the other half.

Back track 7 years and I was running to the candy store during lunch time in middle school to buy some goodies with the dollar bill my father gave me that morning. I couldn’t believe all the stuff I could buy back then with 1 dollar. Now things are different, kids are lucky if they can get 4 candies with 1 buck. That candy would last me about a week and you can bet that I ate each and every one. Now I am looking towards the future for a few more happy moments with money that I can be proud of, maybe I can share them with you in the future.

If you leave a comment I will add this post to one of the happiest moments with blogging.

Thanks for the support follow by Bloglovin, Twitter, or Facebook.

Rich Uncle EL

Getting a College Degree is not Enough

Every day I wake up thinking positive thoughts about how I can achieve new goals in life. I can see my potential, my motivation, and my overall dedication for reaching new heights. I fail to imagine a world where I will not succeed. The real test that many lose focus while seeing, is that getting a college degree is not enough to achieve success in today’s, yesterday’s or tomorrow’s world. The experience you will learn from school is priceless. The networking if done right is also worth a ton in value. But do not expect to be handed a golden ticket once you graduate. Because getting a degree is not all it’s cracked up to be. The paychecks do not come flowing down straight into your bank account because there is a clog somewhere.

What is the clog you ask? The clog is composed of one thing and that is WHO You KNOW! The glass ceiling is real for everybody unless you know somebody in the right executive position or should I say Captains Chair. A degree in this world is worthless when you are placed up against the son of a senator for that new job. This is the reality my readers and a wakeup call to get your freaking alarm on high volume. Your Connections are priceless!

What if you do not have any connections? Then begin yesterday on finding some a.s.a.p. I believe the only way to achieve real advancement in any organization is to have important connections. Yes other factors come into play like how you communicate, or how you present yourself, but in the end I have seen many people get a swift denial letter for a job because they were a nobody. If you do not have a network of supporters vouching for you, than guess what you’re a Joe Schmo or Nancy Drew to them.

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The Motivational Quotes

Hey are you up for some free financial and motivational quotes. Well you have come to the right website. I want you to succeed by being smart with your wallet or purse. Today is Friday and I want you to begin the weekend with a money bang. If you cannot get motivated from what you read below, then go to the doctor to see if you have a pulse. I am excited to bring you all original content here in this website, no biting off or copying words allowed here. How did your spending go this past week, saved a few pennies or spent it all? I hope for your sakes you saved a few more than you had to relinquish.

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Investing When the Markets are High?

If you are investing when the markets are high you could be setting yourself up for major losses in the future. Many people think backwards when it comes to investing, they buy when stocks are going up instead they should be buying when stocks are crashing. Reason I say this is because the facts do not lie, when things are going good in the markets, people want to ride the roller coaster and get some easy profits. Billions and Millions of new investment money is thrown into the markets when things are going good, and when things are gloomy in the markets people run for the hills.

But if you think about it in its simplest form, would you buy milk for $7 dollars because you noticed the price going up? The answer is no because milk usually costs $3.49 a gallon so why would you pay double for the price for milk? Unless there is a shortage of milk nobody should ever consider paying more for it, and the same should go for stocks. Three years ago Verizon stock was listed for around $30 dollars a share and now it is steadily close to $52. I personally prefer to pay the $30 dollar per share price, what about you? Not only do you risk buying at the high point only to see capital most likely drop, your yield will be less if it is a dividend paying stock.

OK now that we got that out-of-the-way and you fully understand when people should be buying. What do you buy when the markets are high? The options are index funds, ETF’s, REIT’s, bond funds, and stocks that are trading in the lower range of the 52 week moving average. As of right now the picking might be slim, but the deals are out there. How can you find these investments? Look in Google Finance, Morningstar, or CNN Money. These sites offer a ton of financial information on where to place your money when things are bullish. But I am going to give you some examples of where I would put my money when the markets are high.

Investing When the Markets are High:

SDIV – ETF

GOV – REIT

GE – Stock

Pimco Bond Family – Bond Funds

These choices are either priced relatively low or not affected as much price wise by the recent bull run. For example GE back before the major recession was trading between $40-50 dollars a share. As of this posting the stock is currently trading at 21 dollars a share. The stock still has a long way to go to even come close to trading at those high levels. REIT’s are always a good buy because they pay such a high dividend yield, this particular investment is still trading in the 20 dollar range, compared to some of its competitors who are over $45 dollars a share. The Pimco bond funds have ticked up a bit in price since 2010, but not as crazy as the blue chip mutual funds, you can safely park your money in those bond funds and wait to see if the market corrects itself, (aka crashes) then at that point you will move back into equities.

Did you expect me to list Bit Coins, gold or maybe Greek debt above? I hope not, because those types of speculations are for the birds. When it’s all said and done you can always just save it in an online account and have the cash ready to strike when the next market crash hits.

Comment if you have a favorite stock, bond, ETF, REIT, or Mutual fund you invest in when the markets are high.

Rich Uncle EL