The Mogo Blog

Save $100 in 10 Minutes: The Rolling Stones Tell You How To Save Cash

Sometimes as a smart spender, you need to decide when to be a smart saver. So here’s a tip that could save you $100 in under 10 minutes… and you don’t even need to do a thing! Sound too good to be true? Keep reading to find out what we mean and you’ll be able to save as much as you want. When you’re looking to cut your costs, it’s important to decide between needs and wants. For things that you actually need, you will have to adjust your budget accordingly. But in the famous words of the Rolling Stones ‘You can’t always get what you want’. For me, my spending gets out of control when I stop really thinking about what I want (and even convincing myself it’s something that I need). Let’s look at three things I want to get over the next two months, and see where I can make some cuts. (For the sake of explaining here, let’s assume they all cost $100 exactly). -      16GB photo card for my camera -      Renew 3 magazine subscriptions -      Concert tickets to a show in June When I actually

Save $100 in 10 Min: Go On The Hunt… For Cash

Easter is just around the corner and that reminded me about a fun ‘hunt’ that I went on last spring. This wasn’t for chocolate, eggs, or a seasonal bunny – it was for cash. My usual money searches usually revolve around couch cushions, casino floors or jacket pockets, but this one was a little more involved. About a year ago, I saw an ad on TV for a credit union and it reminded me about the account I had at my local credit union when I was a kid. Most of my paper route money went in there, and I used it throughout middle school. Near the end of high school I switched to a bigger bank and forgot about the account. Now – this has obviously been many years, but I decided to check out the dormant account to see if there were any hidden treats. To my surprise, there was $249 in there! It was like free money, even though the 11-year-old version of me totally earned it. Like the smart and responsible spender that I am, I put half of the cash onto my credit card bill and put the other half into my pocket for fun. Take

Save $100 in 10 Minutes: Go on a Savings Bender

When’s the last time you read a personal finance blog that told you to go nuts with your money? Buckle up, because I’m just about to… but not in the way that you’re hoping for. This concept was introduced to me by a friend of mine that likes to live it up on weekends. He takes trips, eats out constantly and generally appears to be loose with his cash. I asked him about it, and he told me that his finances go in two different extremes: He’s either very loose or very tight, and plans them both accordingly. I guess it’s hard for me to notice the times he’s NOT out spending his cash like an episode of Entourage. He’s actually got a smart, automated savings plan; has paid off his student loans and credit card debt; and is actively thinking about his money (even when he’s out on the town). I took a good lesson from this and one of his personal techniques: A Savings Bender. Instead of going out and looking to spend a lot in a short time, he looks to save as much as he can in a

Save $100 in 10 Minutes: New Paycheque Strategies That are Quick and Easy

I know when payday comes, the last thing you want to think about is budgeting, but here are some easy techniques that will help stretch your cash when it hits your account. Getting into these small habits will take about 10 minutes/month and wind up saving you well over the recommended $100. 5-10% Into Savings This isn’t exciting, but you’ll thank me later. If you’re able to sock away this much of your cash on each paycheque, it will make a major difference on your bottom line. As we discussed before, if you’re able to automate this process, you can do it once and forget about it. As soon as the cash is there, it’s safely saved. I do it, and after a month or two, I totally forgot about it. Automatic saving is the way to go. Think About the Bills Again, this isn’t super exciting, but on any given month you’ll need to pay rent, TV, Cable, Internet or any variety of bills. A good time to knock these out is when payday arrives. As a bonus, when you’ve paid those bills, you know how much left you’ve