Carrie, Carrie Smith is the genius behind the Careful Cents personal finance blog. She’s a Certified Bookkeeper and Financial writer. She’s also a career junkie, social media addict, debt hater and food lover. Follow her on Twitter @applecsmith.
Paying off debt is probably one of the hardest financial struggles you’ll ever face. It’s right up there with losing your job and not being able to pay all your bills. Why? Because getting motivated to pay off debt (and staying out of debt) goes against what’s normal in our society. The normalcy of having debt is enough to keep…
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There’s nothing more discouraging than scrimping and saving your money all month — to pay off debt or reach your savings goals — and coming up short. In the past I’ve shared lots of different ways to make legitimate money from home and how to increase your income by using your skills and other assets. But now I’m sharing my…
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When I started the year long journey of paying down $14,000 of consumer debt, I noticed the best strategy for doing so was to increase my income. As a single person who made well under the salary of the average American worker, I knew I needed to make more money if I really wanted to reach my goal. Here are…
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At first glance the answer to this question might seem like a no-brainer, but there are a few factors that need to be considered. So before we can accurately answer this, let’s look at all the pros and cons, along with what other financial experts have to say. Here are a few things that need to be weighed when determining…
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Being in debt is something we all have a love-hate relationship with. We love the vacations, clothes, cars and stuff it can buy, be we hate to pay the bill at the end of the month. After finally coming to grips with my dysfunctional relationship with debt, I decided to get out of debt once and for all. Here’s how…
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Since we often discuss ways to earn extra income to accelerate your progress toward paying off debt, we decided to write a post about what it means to be a freelancer and how to freelance for those who might be interested. What is a freelancer? A freelancer, is someone who’s self-employed, building their own business instead of working for an…
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Taxes! Not the most exciting topic, but it’s one of those necessary evils we all have to endure. Oddly enough, I enjoy thinking outside the box when it comes to taxes and finding unique ways to save money. Who doesn’t want to make the most of their finances, by reducing how much taxes you owe and getting the maximum refund…
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This article is part of our new Career Tips resource center! I used to think the sole purpose for having a job was to bring home enough money to pay the bills and live comfortably. But after obtaining the “American Dream” and still feeling unhappy and unsatisfied with my life, I wanted more. Can you relate? Your career is a…
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The holidays are very busy and often very stressful times, not only for your sanity but for your wallet too. Being disorganized is not only annoying, but it costs you time and money. Consider these five ways that getting organized helps keep more money in your pocket and ensures a stress-free holiday season.
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After struggling most of my adult life with setting goals and not following through, I was finally able to achieve the ultimate financial goal – becoming completely debt free! This post will explain how to achieve your financial goals! Throughout my year long journey, I learned a lot about creating a plan, working towards a goal and finally achieving it….
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