Are you overspending and under-saving, just like the rest of the nation?

 “I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something; and because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do something that I can do.” – Helen Keller

 

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, on average American household spends 36.9% of their gross annual income on rent/mortgage and utilities!

 

So let’s do the math…

 

If your annual household income is $50,000, you’ll spend $18,450 on rent and utilities and will have $31,550 to cover all of your other remaining expenses.

How about this one: an average American household spends 5.7% of their annual income on restaurants – not counting regular grocery items. That’s $2,850 a year, or $237.50 per month, based on the $50,000 annual income.

7 Financial Decisions Made in Your 30s That May Haunt You in Your 50s

People often say “life is short” as a justification to do or buy something immediately rather than waiting. But the truth is, life is not short. Life is long. The average life expectancy for an American male is 76.2 years, and 81 years for a female. A thirty-year-old discussing a short life may actually be looking at another 50 long years.

This is good news! And, financially speaking, a long outlook on life is important, because the decisions we make early on have a significant impact on the remainder of our lives. Specifically, these decisions can make or break our retirement plans.

3 PRACTICAL IDEAS TO GET YOU ON THE ROAD TO MORE SECURE RETIREMENT DAYS.

1. Become DEBT-FREE, including mortgage.

Eliminate all of your consumer debt, as well as your mortgage. This will make it much easier for you to retire, even if your retirement years aren’t fully funded. Here are few quick “to do’s” to help you ditch your consumer debt:

A. Stop using plastic until you learn responsible use of credit. Anyone using credit cards should aim at paying each monthly balance in full so no interest accrues. There are free cash management tools available to help you do this, following an envelope budgeting system is a great way to help make sure you always have enough cash to pay the bill in full.

21st Century Jobs: How Much Does It Pay To Be A Twitter Consultant?

Pinterest consultants and Facebook cover designers are among the jobs enjoying a surge thanks to social media

The rise of social media and the internet has brought about a wave of new jobs that didn’t even exist five years ago - and the pay's not bad either. 

The number of Pinterest and Twitter consultants registering for work has surged over the past 12 months, according to online freelancer marketplace PeoplePerHour.