Sarah Winfrey's blog
Posted 2 days 20 hours ago by Sarah Winfrey
Personal Finance
You know how it goes. One minute, you have extra money sitting in the bank just waiting for you to play with it. The next, your car needs repaired, or the cat gets sick, or the roof falls in and there's no way you can afford the bills without dipping into savings. Not only has your "fun money" disappeared, but so has some of your emergency fund, general savings fund, or goal-oriented savings fund. And we all know what happens next: more catastrophe, more bills, more dipping in when you meant with all your will to save this month. What we do when the savings numbers are slipping backwards like this can determine how much we actually lose during the drought and how quickly we bounce back.
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Posted 3 weeks 2 days ago by Sarah Winfrey
Investment
"Pa-doink" is the sound you hear when something small and heavy hits water. Think about a child throwing a coin into the fountain at a shopping mall: a toss and a pa-doink later, there's one more wish waiting to be granted and one more coin collecting at the bottom of the pool. I heard a story once about a man whose job it was to clean those coins out of the fountain. Twelve years later, the change from the bottom of the mall's fountain put his daughter through college.
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Posted 11 weeks 20 hours ago by Sarah Winfrey
Lifestyle
Do your normal financial routines feel blah? Does saving not give you the same rush that it used to? Does investing feel overwhelming, dull, or uninteresting? Then maybe you're managing your money with your head and not with your heart. While the idea is counterintuitive to most frugal people, listening to your heart when it comes to your money can help you create financial routines that stick with you, even through the most drastic of life's changes.
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Posted 18 weeks 3 days ago by Sarah Winfrey
Shopping
I'm not going to beat around the bush here. I'll just say it like it is. All the hype around Mother's Day is ricidulous. For a holiday that's supposed to celebrate the precious relationship between a mother and her child, there sure is a lot to distract me from that relationship. Over the years, I've come up with some ways to give to my mom that avoid all the hype and the sappy generic-ness of the holiday as its often celebrated.
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Posted 26 weeks 3 days ago by Sarah Winfrey
Art and Leisure
So you've decided to take the plung and make this summer the one where you take your dream trip to Europe. Or Thailand. Or Australia. Or all of the above. But you survey your luggage situation and find, much to your chagrin, that you are in dire straights indeed. Do you need a bag that's extremely portable, because you don't know what sort of situation you'll find yourself in? Do you need one that can handle a sizable load but still remain manageable? Do you need something you won't be ashamed of in your posh hotel? Whatever shall you do?
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Posted 28 weeks 22 hours ago by Sarah Winfrey
Art and Leisure
You live in it. It's your work space, your meal space, your resting space, your relaxing space. It's where you drop your things when you come home and where you search for them before you leave again. It's your living room, the place where much of your life unfolds. It's easy to let this room be the "whatever" room, the room where all the old or natty furniture goes because you don't have another place for it or money to buy more. This room, however, sets the tone for your day. So make your living room a place where you can live, and live well.
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Posted 29 weeks 17 hours ago by Sarah Winfrey
General Tips
As your friendly neighborhood Wisebread writer, I took it upon myself to find some of the most interesting articles on love and money that I could, and I did it all so you don't have to (this is the part where you thank me profusely in the comments).
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Posted 30 weeks 1 day ago by Sarah Winfrey
General Tips
In an unofficial survey, 99% of my friends said they need more rest. By "rest," I don't mean sleep, but time that is refreshing and rejuvenating, time that gives and does not take away. When I asked these friends this question, they readily admitted needing more rest and knew what it would change for them. Whatever your reason for needing more rest (and my survey says you probably do!), here are 88 creative ways to get it.
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Posted 31 weeks 2 days ago by Sarah Winfrey
General Tips
I'm going to be honest with you--the last three weeks have been the most stressful I've ever experienced at work. Between moving into a new position and finding out that things are not as hunky-dory as they looked to being manipulated by an office control-freak, it's been quite the month. My head has been spinning, my sleep disrupted, and my emotions on edge. But, as I finally find the time and space to take a breather, I find that my head is still on my shoulders (what a relief!) and I've learned some things along the way.
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Posted 34 weeks 1 hour ago by Sarah Winfrey
General Tips
"But Mo-om, I want it!" How many times have you heard that in the grocery store, or the toy store, or anywhere else, for that matter? Probably more than you can count. The truth is that, as adults, there are times when we keep ourselves from throwing these sorts of tantrums by buying something we don't need. We see an item, feel the same desperate need that child felt, and assuage our own feelings by buying the item. So it's time for all of us (and I include myself in this) to grow up, time to stop looking like adults on the outside but acting like chidren on the inside. To do this, we must learn to distinguish between what we need, what we need in certain conditions, and what we want.
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Posted 35 weeks 1 day ago by Sarah Winfrey
Investment
It's getting to be that kind of year again--the time when you anticipate filling out your tax returns, sighing with relief, and then realizing that you're not finished with forms yet. If you're a student looking at loans, there's at least one more to go, the dreaded FAFSA. Up until a few years ago, I approached the FAFSA with some trepidation. It wasn't the form itself--that wasn't bad at all. The problem came when I thought about taking out even more money than I already had to finance my education. Was it really worth it? Would I ever be able to pay them back? Was I getting myself further and further into debt needlessly and uselessly?
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Posted 37 weeks 1 day ago by Sarah Winfrey
Entrepreneurship
It's easy to list "Start Business" as a goal for the new year, but do you know what that actually means? About a year ago, I asked myself that question. Over these last months, I've done a ton of research on what it would realistically take to start a small business. I've had various ideas and have researched them all, and the list below contains items that seem to be true across the board.
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Posted 38 weeks 1 day ago by Sarah Winfrey
General Tips
The holidays are fun but, honestly, they're exhausting. It seems like there is more of everything than at any other time of year: more social events, more items on the to-do list, more money to spend and more stress about how to spend it. It's no wonder so many of us are tired. Here are a few ideas to perk you up.
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Posted 39 weeks 1 day ago by Sarah Winfrey
General Tips
"I know I've been eating so well and losing weight, but it's a holiday party and those desserts look excellent...it's just this once." "I said I wouldn't spend money on myself this Christmas, but these are such good sales. Just this once, I'll buy myself a present." So many of us find ourselves making statements like this to ourselves during the holiday season. We know our goals, and we're usually faithful to them, but we give ourselves special leeway over the holidays. Unfortunately, these decisions can come back to haunt us later. Not having our usual structure undermines our ability to stick with good habits. But we can develop new routines to counteract that. These will help us survive the holidays without damaging our goals.
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Posted 40 weeks 2 days ago by Sarah Winfrey
Life Hacks
Most people don't find frugality fun. Describe a thing as frugal and people will tune out. Describe a person as frugal and he immediately seems uninteresting. However, this does not have to be true. Make frugality into a game if you really want to achieve your financial goals.
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Posted 41 weeks 23 hours ago by Sarah Winfrey
Food and Drink
So it's The Day of the Turkey (at least here in the US) and we all know there will be leftovers. Since I can only eat so many TLT (Turkey, Lettuce, and Tomato) sandwiches, I've come up with some easy recipes and ideas so all that tasty bird doesn't just go bad.
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Posted 42 weeks 21 hours ago by Sarah Winfrey
Shopping
Do you want every gift you give to be from the heart? Do you dream about ending the power of materialism? Is encouraging sustainable community on your list for next year? Do you like championing local designers? Would you like to bring any of these values into your Christmas celebrations? If so, then the Handmade Pledge might be for you.
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Posted 43 weeks 2 days ago by Sarah Winfrey
Life Hacks
I don't know about you, but I hate grocery shopping. I hate it even when I get to shop at fun places, like Trader Joe's or Whole Foods. It takes so much time, and I never know if I'm getting a good deal or not, because I'm not organized enough to write down prices. Lately, I've been investigating some different ways to shop. Here are some grocery shopping alternatives that just might give you the break you need!
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Posted 44 weeks 2 days ago by Sarah Winfrey
Personal Finance
Sometimes wanting something and trying for it aren't enough. The honest truth is that, no matter how frugal you are, no matter how extensive your emergency fund, no matter how good your invetment portfolio, things can come up that ruin your financial situation. We don't like to think of these things (or, at least, I don't!), but they can happen. My family could be out on the street next month, despite our careful planning and tracking of our finances, and so could yours.
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Posted 45 weeks 21 hours ago by Sarah Winfrey
Life Hacks
A lady I know of died last night. It was expected; she was diagnosed with incurable cancer last spring. I didn't really know her, as I'd just recently moved into a place where I would have had contact with her. I wish I'd known her, as her friends are going to some great lengths to honor her. It's been really cool to see people coming alongside each other, comforting each other, speaking meaningful things to each other. One of the things that has comforted people, that I've heard them mention when they think about her and her family, is that they are in a secure place financially.
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