Archives for July 2017

How Parkinson’s Law Will Make You Insanely Good with Money

This post is part 2 in the series Embracing Parkinson's Law.

Last week, we took a look at Parkinson’s Law, which states that “work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion.” So it makes perfect sense that last week’s post was all about time-saving techniques and maximizing your productivity.

But have you thought about how Parkinson’s Law applies to your money?

Maybe we could rewrite it like this: “Your lifestyle expenses increase so as to use up the income available.”

I’m talking here about the dreaded “lifestyle creep!” Here’s what I mean:

Let’s say you get a bump in your income. Maybe you get a juicy raise, land a sweet bonus, or start a profitable side business.

Then you upgrade your lifestyle! You spring for a nice vacation, move to a pricier home, start buying fancier clothes, or begin eating out more.

At the end of the day, that extra income has been completely consumed by the new expenses you’ve created for yourself. Your lifestyle expenses have increased and used up all of the available income you have.

So how can your understanding of this twist on Parkinson’s Law make you a money-saving whiz? [Read more…]

How Parkinson’s Law Will Make You Insanely Productive

This post is part 3 in the series Embracing Parkinson's Law.

Back in April, my husband and I did something rather significantly out of character. We planned a weekend trip for our family in one afternoon.

Now, when it comes to vacations, we’re usually big planners! We weigh our destination options, flip through hotel reviews, make spreadsheets of possible activities . . . it’s a job unto itself.

But, in a single afternoon, we planned from start to finish an overnight trip for our family. We booked a hotel, purchased tickets to a theme park, found some good places to eat, and more. We packed up that evening and headed out the very next day with our slightly confused but enthusiastic two-year-old.

And it was fun!

The success of our little last-minute adventure is a perfect illustration of a fascinating concept known as Parkinson’s Law.

In a 1955 essay published in The Economist, author Cyril Northcote Parkinson described what is now famously referred to as Parkinson’s Law. It states that “work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion.”

Take that in for a second.

Parkinson’s Law contends that the more time you have to accomplish something, the longer it will take. If we had a month to plan that spontaneous trip of ours, you bet that it would have taken us that long.

So . . . how can you use Parkinson’s Law to your advantage in becoming insanely productive? [Read more…]

8 Money-Saving Tips for Back-to-School Season

The back-to-school countdown is on!

And that means you’ve got a shopping list a mile long. Gear requested by your kid’s teacher, clothes for the little guy who grew 4 inches over the summer, and must-haves for your home supply closet.

Here are 8 easy ways you can stock up without breaking the bank: [Read more…]

Splurge or Save: 6 Critical Questions to Ask Before You Buy

You’re drooling over the idea of a tropical vacation. You’re weighing options for your kid’s education. Maybe you just hate everything in your closet.

Before you buy, figure out whether it’s time to splurge or save with these six questions. [Read more…]

6 Kitchen Tools That Make Healthy Eating Cheap & Easy (Part 2)

This post is part 2 in the series 6 Kitchen Tools That Make Healthy Eating Cheap & Easy.

If you haven’t already read it, check out Part 1 of this series!

Note: This post contains affiliate links. Read my policy here.

Two weeks ago I shared three of my favorite kitchen tools for eating fresh, healthy foods without the hassle.

If you’ve got the right gear in your kitchen, it’s so easy to eat high-quality fruits, veggies, meats, cheeses, and more without paying the huge markup that comes with the pre-prepped, bagged and boxed stuff.

So let’s dive in to three more of the best kitchen gear you can get for enjoying good-for-you foods on a budget: [Read more…]

How to Make an Awesome Budget Painlessly

Where is my money going?!

Have you ever asked yourself this question? Maybe it’s when you reach into your wallet and find nothing but fuzz. Maybe it’s when you get a shocker of a credit card statement.

Maybe it’s during tax time when you’re entering your income numbers . . . and you know that most of that money is definitely not sitting in your savings account.

You’ve thought about making a budget.

But it’s less appealing than volunteering for a root canal.

If you find the idea of making a budget detestable, it’s probably because . . . [Read more…]