Prioritized Living

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5 Awesome, Free Ways Your Library Can Supercharge Your Career

5 Awesome Free Ways Your Library Can Supercharge Your Career

Landing your dream job doesn’t come cheap.

You can spend a fortune buying books from respected gurus, taking classes, subscribing to industry magazines, nabbing training software, and getting access to specialized databases.

And think how much time it takes to craft an effective résumé, find valuable job listings, and research the requirements (and pay) for your chosen field.

Getting from where you are to where you want to be in your career can cost you a ton of time and money.  But your library – yes, your library – can help you with all of these areas.

Here are five incredible and often overlooked resources that your unassuming, local library offers you absolutely free: [Read more…]

Suffocating in Your Pricey Cell Phone Contract? How to Talk & Text for Less

Suffocating in Your Pricey Cell Phone Contract? How to Talk & Text for Less

Are you suffering under the weight of your cell phone bill?

According to data collected by the Pew Research Center, 95% of U.S. adults own a cell phone.  At the same time, Aaron Smith, Associate Director of Research at Pew, has some sobering news.  Smith reports that “nearly half (48%) of smartphone-dependent Americans have had to cancel or shut off their cell phone service for a period of time, because the cost of maintaining that service was a financial hardship.”

However, if you think there’s nothing you can do about that painfully large chunk of change each month, think again.   [Read more…]

8 Everyday Products You Can Make for Big Savings

8 Everyday Products You Can Make for Big Savings

There are some things you buy over and over again.  And every time you buy them, you’re handing their manufacturer and your retailer a nice profit.

So it stands to reason that you can save a nice wad of cash by skipping the middle men and making those items yourself!

Think you can’t do it?  These 8 everyday items are not only inexpensive but easy to make right at home!   [Read more…]

How to Recover from Your Holiday Spending Hangover

How to Recover from Your Holiday Spending Hangover

It’s the new year!  You’re stoked to get it started by making and forging ahead on this year’s financial resolutions.

Then you get hit with the mother of all December credit card bills.

Your holiday spending has caught up with you.

Mesmerized by the twinkle of Christmas lights and humming along to the peppy tunes piped over department store speakers, you liberally swiped your plastic.  You splurged on shiny gifts for family, friends, pets, service providers, coworkers, acquaintances, and maybe even yourself.

Now Visa, Mastercard, Discover, American Express, and the whole gang are sending you post-holiday greetings in the form of hefty credit card bills.

Don’t give up on your financial resolutions right out of the gate.  What you need are some quick tips to regain control of your finances and get back on track toward making this year your best money year yet.

If your holiday spending bill wound up being overwhelming, it’s too late to change the past.  But you can make the best of the situation with three simple steps:
[Read more…]

Am I Saving Enough for My Child’s College Education?

Am I Saving Enough for My Childs College Education

In its Annual Survey of Colleges 2015-2016, The College Board estimated that a student living out-of-state at a public four-year college can expect to pay almost $15,000 for room, board, and other expenses, on top of an average $24,000 in tuition.

After adjusting for inflation, that’s an astounding 40 percent increase over the past 10 years, which leaves many parents to wonder — will I have saved enough to give my children the best education possible by the time they’re ready to go to college?   [Read more…]

Reclaim Your Space & Ditch Those Crazy Christmas Gifts

Reclaim Your Space and Ditch Those Crazy Christmas Gifts

It’s been a few weeks since Christmas has passed.

One by one, your neighbors have taken down their lights and chucked their trees to their curb.  Inside your home, the shiny glow of the holiday season has worn off, and you’re looking at your pile of presents with sober eyes.

You’ve tried on new clothes, flipped through new books, tinkered with new gadgets, and played with new toys.  And — in the midst of enjoying your Christmas haul — you’ve found a few duds.  Gifts that just aren’t you or don’t fit in with your life.

It’s not that you don’t love the people who gave you those gifts or the thought they’ve put into them.  Maybe your friends missed the mark with your tastes, or the gifts would have been perfect for you at a different time in your life.

It’s hard to think about getting rid of any gift.  Besides, isn’t that horribly rude?

No.

You’re not throwing the gift back at the giftee or telling her that it’s not what you want.  You’ve offered that person a heartfelt “Thank you!” for generously giving you something that she thought you’d love.  Now that gift is 100% yours, and you’ve got the freedom to manage your worldly goods how you see fit.

Need more convincing? [Read more…]

7 Budget-Friendly Gift Picks for the Christmas Eve Shopper

7 Budget-Friendly Gift Picks for the Christmas Eve Shopper

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

When I was growing up, one of our annual Christmas traditions was waving goodbye to Dad for a few hours on Christmas Eve.  He was off to the mall for Christmas gift shopping!

Every year, we never knew what to expect from Dad under tree.  In my case, I think that was primarily the result of having a kooky dad . . .

. . . but it’s slim pickings out there on Christmas Eve!

If you struggle to find great holiday gifts at the last minute, back away from the eye shadow collections and novelty socks.

Whether you’re a self-proclaimed procrastinator or the holidays have just snuck up on you this year, you absolutely can get your hands on gifts that people love.

And you can do it on a budget.
[Read more…]

10 Easy Ways to Slash Your Monthly Bills

10 Easy Ways to Slash Your Monthly Bills

How often does this happen to you?  You cash your paycheck only to have it disappear.  After paying your landlord, insurance guy, utility company, and everyone else, you’re left with next to nothing.

But what if you could hold on to more of your heard-earned money?  Pocket some extra in case of emergency?  Save hundreds or even thousands a year with these easy-to-implement tips.  [Read more…]

Purchase New or Used? Surprise Savings and Hidden Dangers (Part 2)

This post is part 2 in the series Purchase New or Used?.

Purchase New or Used

If you missed last week’s post on Part 1 in this series, click here to check it out!

Helmets

Picking up an inexpensive bicycle helmet at a yard sale may seem like a great deal at first, but the potential pitfalls negate the financial savings.

First, there’s the issue of sanitation.  A helmet – typically stored in a garage, in a basement, or even outdoors – may be rife with mold, bacteria, or insect eggs.  Plus, the previous owner likely left behind some combination of dead skin cells, hair product residue, dried sweat, skin infection, and head lice.

Second and more important, there’s the question of safety.  Older helmets may not meet current safety standards for protecting your head and neck.  Even more troubling, a helmet, which is designed to protect the wearer from a single accident only, may have been damaged beyond the point of proper functioning.  Plus, according to an article in the Health section of The New York Times, the plastic of every helmet deteriorates due to frequent exposure to sunlight and ozone.

With new, clean, undamaged helmets available online and in many stores for less than $20, there’s no reason to risk your life and health for a few dollars’ savings. [Read more…]