Joseph Hogue's Blog, page 82

Top 10 Investing Myths and How to Avoid Them

These 10 biggest investing myths play on the hopes and fears of investors and can cost you big money over the long-run

Investing is hard.

No, wait. Investing is easy.

If investing were easy, why did the average investor book annual returns of just 2.6% on a stock and bond portfolio over the decade to 2013? Because the average investor constantly fights their better judgement and submits to investing myths widely held as conventional ‘wisdom’.

Use a rational and disciplined investment strategy ra...

When Filing Bankruptcy is a Good Thing [and how to beat it]

After nothing else has worked, sometimes filing bankruptcy is the only solution to a fresh start.

So you’ve tried debt consolidation, cutting your budget to the bone and just about every other money saving trick you can find but nothing seems to help. There seems nothing left to do and you just wish you could get a do-over.

Whenever you´re down and out the only way is up – isn’t just catchy lyrics but sometimes the only thing you’ve got to hold on. Times like these, you may be able to get that ...

Beat the Paycheck to Paycheck Curse

Are you living paycheck to paycheck and missing out on the opportunity to make your money work for you? Learn to save money without sacrificing!

I can't save money!!

When I talk to people about saving money I almost always get the same response, “I can’t save money now. I’m living paycheck to paycheck and making minimum payments on everything just to keep the bills paid.”

I can certainly understand that. Running a daycare out of our home for most of my life, I was usually able to pay the bills b...

Why I am NOT paying off student loans early

Paying off student loans early isn’t always the obvious financial decision. Make your own decision on the trade-off between student loan repayment and other goals

One of the most popular topics on personal finance blogs is that of paying off student loans, the faster the better. Amazing headlines are made from someone paying of student loan debt in the tens of thousands over just a couple of years.

And why not? The total amount of student loan debt in the United States has doubled in the last se...

5 Legit Ways to Earn Extra Cash

I’ve seen my share of get-rich scams and gimmicks. Check out these five legit ways to earn extra cash and actually make some money!

Running a daycare out of the home for most of my life meant saving and making a buck go farther. I loved taking care of children but it wasn’t going to make me rich and I often had to look for side-jobs and other ways to earn extra cash to pay the bills.

For every legit idea to earn extra cash, I probably saw at least ten other scams and schemes. I fell for a few bu...

How to Get More Money and Everything Else!

Only your mother is going to hand you everything you need without being asked! Find out the right way to ask people for something to get more money and anything else you need.

Do you make what you’re worth at work? Do people generally give you the deal you want when you’re buying something?

If the answer is no then I’ve got another question for you…

Do you actually ask and know how to ask for the things you want?

Too many people go their entire lives without feeling like they are valued or get w...

How Building Wealth is like Weight Loss

Building wealth doesn’t have to be a complicated process but you’ll need self discipline and a plan to meet your financial goals

I’ve always had a good metabolism and never found it too difficult to keep in shape. Even after the constant exercise routine in the Marine Corps, I never had a weight problem and always wondered why so many struggle with weight loss.

After all, it’s simple right? To lose weight, you need to burn more calories than you consume. You don’t need a fancy gym or personal tr...

9 Free Websites that Really Mean Free

Whether there’s no free lunch or you get what you pay for, these 9 free websites break the mold and really deliver on their promises

They say that nothing is free or if it’s free, it’s not worth having. After deleting the spam email out of my inbox every morning, I have to say that I’m starting to believe the old adage. I’ve gone on enough “free” vacations and subscribed to too many “free” websites only to learn later that the word must mean something entirely different to some people.

That’s wh...

How to Turn a Treadmill into Financial Freedom

We all buy things we don’t need or never use, things that truly fit the description of “stuff”. Find out how to sell your stuff and use it to get one step closer to financial freedom.

“I’m going to buy that treadmill! It’s expensive but it will force me to start exercising and will be worth the price tag in the long-run.” That’s what I told myself before shelling out $280 for a treadmill at Walmart.

Three months later and the treadmill had been used maybe ten times and was buried under a pile of...

The Secret to Find Cheap Flights for your Vacation

Vacations can get expensive with hotel, food and admissions. Check out these secrets to find cheap flights and take the frugal vacation of your dreams

Frugal Grandma decided to take a little vacation, so I began hunting for the best deals on airlines. First I looked through the various cheap flights being offered. They just weren't cheap enough. I knew what I wanted to spend and they weren't even close. So I searched a little for “find cheap flights” and a whole new world of frugal travel opened...