Do you have kids? Do you have plans for your kids to go to college one day? Have you looked at how much college is going to cost you for just one kid? College is a big investment, but it is a good one. If you begin planning for this huge expense when your kids are young, you won't take much of a hit when the day comes that your teen packs his or her bags and heads off to start a new life at school. This blog will provide you with several ideas and tips that can help you find ways to plan for your kids' college tuition.
The health of your financial future rides on making good and wise decisions with your money when you are a young adult, but young adults are fairly notorious for making huge money mistakes. At a time when you are likely fresh out of college and getting your adult life on track, it's easy to spend money in ways that really will not matter in the long term. Of course, everyone spends a little unwisely on occasion, but avoiding financial demise means making sure you know how to make conscious spending decisions. Here's a look at some of the biggest money-wasting things you should avoid as a young adult as part of your financial planning steps.
Eating Meals Away From Home
When you are busy and usually on the go, as many young adults often are, it is always easier just to grab breakfast on the run, pick up lunch with your coworkers, or meet up with some buddies for dinner. Unfortunately, all this eating out can be a huge money suck. The simple fact is, it is cheaper to eat at home in most cases, especially if you are eating healthy meals. For example, you may be able to pick up a cheap meal from a food truck for lunch, but it is a lot cheaper to bring your own lunch from home.
Cable or Satellite Television Service at Home
When you get your first place, you probably will be excited to get your own cable or satellite TV service and pick all the channels you want. However, if you are like most young adults, you spend little time at home to actually use the service. Therefore, it is much more financially feasible to only pay for on-demand streaming services to watch your favorite things. For example, basic Netflix is only $10.99, but cable TV averages as of 2016 were about $99 per month.
Credit Card Interest
Credit cards can be a valuable thing to have when you are just establishing your credit record, and they can really come in useful for emergency expenses between paychecks. But credit cards should be treated as a necessity, not a commodity. Only use your card to pay for things you must have, not something that you could easily live without. Credit card interest can eat up a lot of money that could otherwise be used for savings. So if you really want that brand new television, next vacation, or a new outfit, it's a better idea to just save up your money and buy it straight out.
Share27 February 2018
