How Great Sales Can Derail Your Money Plans

Aimless shopping is brutal on your wallet. You know what it’s like: “Oh, I’ll just stop off at the mall to poke around; I’ll see if anything catches my eye.” This is a terrible idea if you’re trying to stick to a smart financial plan. Trips to stores like that usually result in impulse purchases that will bloat up your credit card bill and take cash away from purchases that you need. How does this happen? More often than not, sales. We’ve seen it before with coupons. Crazy ½ off sales and 3-for-2 discounts are great marketing for stores and businesses. Deals like this get you in the door with your pocket book open. This is the difference between real savings and perceived savings. If you’re out shopping for shirts and they’re on sale, great. But if you’re looking for a pair of work shoes and earrings are on sale… you’re not exactly saving any money at all. How to Avoid the Sales-Trap Go shopping with a plan. If you’re on a tighter spending plan, shopping should be an errand, not a fun activity. Know what you’re shopping for before

10 Easy Ways To Relax For Less Than $20

We asked the Mogo Savings Community how they relax for less than $20 for  chance to win a spa retreat. We randomly selected Nancy C. Laurence as the winner of a $150 gift certificate to a local spa. Below are just 10 of 130+ responses we got on how people relieve their stress! 1. “2 words KIT KAT all i do is buy myself a jumbo sized kit kat bar and sit back and give myself a break.” – Robbie A. 2. “I relax by sitting on the riverbank with my fishing rod and a six- pack. A fishing trip for exactly $12.40!” – Serena D. 3. “Go to the beach with my air mattress and read a book on the lake.” – Sandra S. 4. “For under $20 , I can rent a movie, buy a bottle of wine and light 10 candles, and have a good night.” – Patty G. 5. “One word….hammock!” – Leo S. 6. “I put $20.00 in my gas tank and take a drive out into the country!” – Andrea W. 7. “Turn off the tv and computer, put on some good music and just breathe…” – Tracey N. 8. “Lay back with a good book and some smooth

How Much Do Your Money Habits Cost You?

Everybody has habits, right? There are good habits, and bad habits, and everything in between. The question of the day is: How much do your habits cost you? Nah, I don’t want you to quit everything to save money – that’s not what this article is about. Instead, just ask yourself what your habits (good and bad) are and how much they run you each month. For example: I’m a coffee fanatic. I stopped getting lattes a long time ago because I was spending over $30 a week on them, not counting gas. I didn’t want to give up the coffee though, so now I spend about $15 a week on good coffee and creamer. Total Savings: $720 a year. Wow! It adds up fast doesn’t it? In case you’re wondering about the math there: $30 a week x 4 weeks per month = $120 a month $120 a month x 12 months = $1440 a year. By cutting my weekly expense in half, I saved $720 a year. I’ll warn you though; playing the habit game is habit forming! Once I realized how much I was saving by making small compromises (not doing without, just