reach Archives - Hanover Mortgages

Apache is functioning normally

June 4, 2023 by Brett Tams

Today, I have a post from a new blog friend of mine. As you all know, I’m all about being as positive as you can be, especially when it comes to your financial situation. Thinking about the negatives just holds you back and wastes your time. It’s much better to move forward, create a game plan to eliminate your debt, and stay as positive as you can. Read more in my post Why I Believe Being Positive Can Change Your Financial Situation And Your Life.

The majority of us have some sort of debt that we’re dealing with.

Whether it’s a small amount or a large amount it can still be a stressor in our lives.

Maybe it’s a mortgage, a car loan, student loans, credit cards or any combination of these. It’s a stress factor that many of us are letting take a hold of our lives.

I had a scholarship to a state university but turned it down to attend DeVry University. I had some small scholarships to help out, but I still accumulated student loans. After finishing my bachelor’s in Computer Information Systems, I went on to receive my MBA and then shortly after another Master’s Degree. So, I’ve accumulated quite a bit of student loans myself.

I’ve also owned a house since I graduated college and now have two rental properties. It was just easier to rent them out versus trying to sell them in a buyer’s market when I had to move due to my job. This led to my credit card debt that I accumulated over a decade ago. I finally managed to pay most of these off awhile back, but it was a struggle! Being on my own for the first time and having poor money management skills led to my financial stress. Thing about it is, once you realize and acknowledge that you have a problem, the better you can find a solution and learn from your mistakes.

We also have car loans just like most people. Both my husband and I have to have our own vehicles. Me, because I have to drive to work. Him, so that he can have a means of transportation in case he needs to take the kids somewhere. Side note: he has the luxury to be a stay-at-home daddy.

Being that he’s a stay-at-home daddy can be challenging, though. We don’t have that extra income like some families do. But, it’s important to us that at least one parent stays home with the kids until they’re all in school. The working parent had to be me due to where I was in my career compared to him. Therefore, we have been creative with our budgeting skills.

So, been there, done that. I lived the stress. I wore the stress.

I learned from the stress.

Do you feel like you just keep making payments, maybe even using your tax return to help out, but still feel as though you’re not even making a dent? You give up and start believing that debt is just a part of life. You learn to accept it. Maybe you make a budget. But you continue living paycheck to paycheck. It’s what you know. It’s stressful but it’s normal.

Financial stress is like any other stress.

It has the same effects on your mind and body as any other type of stress. Don’t think it’s different.

Stress can make you lose sleep. Losing sleep causes sleep deprivation. Sleep deprivation can cause hallucinations, memory instability, impact your social life and so much more. Don’t lose sleep over financial stress – it’s not worth it!

Stress can make you sick. Stress puts a huge damper on your immune system. Lack of immunity leads to an increase chance of getting sick.

Stress can cause high blood pressure. High blood pressure causes heart problems. It can lead to heart disease, heart attacks, abnormal heart beats. Heart problems can lead to things much worse than debt. Don’t let it!

Stress can cause depression. Depression also affects your health. It also messes with your hippocampus, the gateway to your memory.

Stress can cause heartburn. Heartburn can be extremely uncomfortable. The only experience I have with heartburn was when I was pregnant. I hated it. I felt like I needed to eat all the time to try to make it feel better. If this is you, then it could cause you to overeat.

Which leads me to, stress can cause weight gain. It can also cause weight loss depending on how you handle stress personally.

Stress also cause skin problems, like acne. So not only do you experience personal effects of stress, but now you’re showing it off to the world around you.

It’s time to make a change.

Debt doesn’t have to be a stress factor in your life. I’m not saying we should embrace debt. But, instead of focusing on the negative aspect of debt, focus on the positives. Alleviate the stress and concentrate on managing your finances to reach your end goal.

In honor of Positivity, My Word of the Year, let’s analyze this situation to find the negatives to uncover the positives.

The Negatives:

Mortgage Debt
Car Loan Debt
Student Loan Debt
Credit Card Debt

Now let’s take each of these negative points and find something positive.

Mortgage Debt: You are able to have a roof over your head. There are others out there who cannot. Be appreciative of the fact that you have a safe haven to take comfort in. Instead of stressing over your mortgage debt, be thankful for that roof over your head and feel safe, comforted in the walls protecting you and your family.

Car Loan Debt: You have transportation. A means to drive you to and from work. A vehicle to drive your children to the doctor when they are sick. There are others out there who do not have this luxury. You can choose to trade it in for a more affordable car to help with the stress or even go carless, if this debt is not worthwhile to you.

Student Loan Debt: You have an education. You have proof of what you know and it may have helped you land a job, a job that is helping you pay off that debt. There are others out there without a degree. Instead of lingering on the stress of having student loans, use the experience and knowledge you paid for.

Credit Card Debt: Realize that when you pay off your credit card debt, what your credit history will show. So don’t stress out over it. Just keep your focus on the end goal.

Author bio: Kimberly Farrally is the Co-Writer for Sweet Discord, an inspirational + lifestyle blog, and owner of Farrally Paperie, LLC, an invitation and party decor handmade shop. Learn more about converting the negatives in your life into positive opportunities. Together we can find inspiration for your lifestyle.

Do you find it hard to stay positive when paying off debt?

Apache is functioning normally

June 4, 2023 by Brett Tams

Are you interested in creating a budget?

68% of households in the U.S. do not prepare a budget. Here are my tips on how to make a budget, so that you can start creating a budget that works.

68% of households in the U.S. do not prepare a budget. Here are my tips on how to make a budget, so that you can start creating a budget that works. The average family carries a lot of financial stress. Most people have student loans, credit card debt, a mortgage, car loans, and sometimes even other forms of debt.

However, not many people have a budget.

According to a survey done by Gallup, 68% of households in the U.S. do not prepare a budget.

I believe budgets are extremely important and nearly everyone should have one. Rich, poor, middle-class, whatever you are, a budget will likely help improve your financial situation.

Some people think budgets are only for people living paycheck to paycheck, or those with no money.

WRONG!

Budgets are for everyone.

Yes, that means no matter how much money you make, you should probably have a budget. I recently read something that said couples who make $50,000 a month, on average, only save 4% of their income. FOUR PERCENT on a $50,000 monthly income? The majority of that monthly income went towards clothing, food, cars, and homes. I can’t even imagine how someone could blow through so much money each month.

This just proves my point, more people need a budget.

Budgeting may not be the most fun thing in the world, but it needs to be done. Budgeting can help you take control of your financial life, which can help reduce stress and let you reach your dreams.

Other budgeting-related articles you need to read:

Below are my tips on how to make a budget and creating a budget.

The positives of creating a budget.

Budgets help people manage their money better. It’s that simple.

Budgets are great, because they keep you mindful of your income and expenses. With a monthly budget, you will know exactly how much you can spend in a category each month, how much you have to work with, what spending areas need to be evaluated, among other things.

Budgets have helped people reach their goals, pay off debt, make more money, retire, and more.

Should a budget be electronic or on a piece of paper?

Everyone has a preference, so this depends on what will work best for you.

Pencil and paper can be great, but an electronic version (such as a spreadsheet, Mint, or Personal Capital) can help you easily make changes.

I suggest choosing whatever you are most comfortable with. It doesn’t matter how you keep your budget; it’s just important that you stick to it.

Side note: I recommend you check out Personal Capital. Personal Capital is similar to Mint.com, but much better. Personal Capital allows you to aggregate your financial accounts to easily see your financial situation. You can connect accounts; such as, your mortgage, bank accounts, credit card accounts, investment accounts, retirement accounts, and more. And it’s FREE.

You MUST track your income and spending.

What you want is to create a realistic budget. To show you where your money is coming from and where it is going, you need to gather all of your receipts, bank and credit card transactions, and so on.

Or, you could even take it a step further by tracking everything for the next month or two, this way you know you’re not missing any expenses. This means recording every single transaction with a note that tells you exactly what you bought (if a receipt is not itemized). Then, at the end of the month, you can evaluate your spending.

After one month of closely tracking your spending, I’m sure you’ll be shocked by your results. This is the best way to create a realistic budget, as you will truly see where your money is going, and this will help show you how much should be dedicated towards each category in your budget.

Plus, the shock from seeing exactly where your money is going will encourage you to be wiser with your spending.

Budget category: Income.

For the income part of your budget, it can be from varying sources. You can include income from your day job, rental properties, side jobs, passive income sources, and so on.

One common mistake is that many don’t realize their income can drastically fluctuate from month to month, even when you work the same hours every month or if you are paid salary. Due to this, you will want to be mindful of whether you are paid twice a month, every two weeks, once a week, etc. The difference of when you are paid can change the amount you make each month. Budgeting with a fluctuating income can be difficult, and in a future blog post I will go over it in more detail.

Also, I don’t think bonuses should be included in a person’s budget. Including them in your budget is not usually the best thing to do unless you are 100% certain you are receiving the bonus. I have heard of far too many people who have counted on bonuses only to be let down when it was less than anticipated. Your budget should be realistic, not a fairytale.

Related:

Budget category: Expenses.

Have you ever truly totaled your expenses?

When making a budget, many people only estimate their expenses. However, you actually should be taking your realistic expenses and putting them in your budget as your estimations may be way off.

Here are expenses you may include when creating a budget:

Home – House payment, rent, maintenance, utilities, insurance, property taxes, etc.
Car – This includes all car expenses such as your monthly car payment, gas, maintenance, insurance, license plate fees, and so on.
Television, cable, Netflix, Hulu, etc.
Cell phone.
Internet.
Food – This includes all groceries, eating out, snacks, etc. Seriously, sit down one day and add up your food expenses for the month before.
Clothing.
Entertainment – Entertainment can include many things, such as going to the movies, going out for drinks, concert tickets, sports, and so on.
Charity – If you regularly donate to charity, then this should be an area you budget for.
Savings funds – This can be for your retirement fund, wedding, travel, etc.
Taxes – If you are self-employed, then taxes will make up a large part of your budget.
Health insurance.
Miscellaneous – Pet expenses, fees, childcare, school, gifts, etc.

Related posts on creating a budget:

Keep your loved ones involved when creating a budget.

Even if only one person manages the family’s finances, the other person in the relationship should, at least, have somewhat of a clue. Conducting regular family money meetings is crucial to having a successful budget and meeting financial goals.

A budget doesn’t work if the other person doesn’t even know it exists!

Make changes when/if needed when creating a budget.

I recommend going over your budget on a regular basis. This may mean once a week, once a month, or something else. Do what feels right for you and what you think your situation calls for.

Many things can change in your budget. Your income may change, your expenses may change, or your goals may change. When something changes, you should adjust your budget to reflect that.

You may have noticed a recurring theme in this budget post, that you should be realistic about everything. Be realistic about what you make, what you spend, and if things need to be changed.

Do you believe in the power of creating a budget? Why or why not?

Apache is functioning normally

June 4, 2023 by Brett Tams

HSA pros and cons

Lately, my dad’s been praising the benefits of having a health savings account. This year, he had the opportunity to get the most of his HSA — bad news for his health, but good news for his wallet (side note: Dad is now doing OK health-wise). If you have one or are considering one, here are all the HSA pros and cons to consider.

But first, if you are looking for the 2016 and 2017 annual contribution limits for HSAs, here you go:

2016: $3,350 if you’re an individual and $6,750 if you’re saving for a family.
2017: $3,400 if you’re an individual and remains unchanged at $6,750 for families.

I’ve spent time researching, calculating and mulling over whether an HSA is the best option for me. After a few conversations with Dad, I decided to put together a pro and con list to help me both understand HSAs and decide if I should open one.

First, the basics:

What is an HSA?

An HSA is a highly tax-advantaged account that lets you save money for health-related expenses. It’s essentially like an IRA or a savings account for your health. And, after you turn 65, it’s even more similar to an IRA, because you can take out money for non-health expenses.

Who Can Get an HSA?

An HSA is always tied to a High Deductible Health Plan, or HDHP, and many will get them through work. A survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation revealed its mostly larger employers that offer HSAs: Fifty-two percent of firms with 1,000 or more workers offered this type of plan while only 25% of firms with 3 to 199 workers did. What’s most important to know here is that you can’t have an HSA if your health care comes from an HMO or a PPO — it has to be a high-deductible health plan. The IRS defines HDHPs this way:

“For calendar year 2016, a ‘high deductible health plan’ is … a health plan with an annual deductible that is not less than $1,300 for self-only coverage or $2,600 for family coverage, and the annual out-of-pocket expenses (deductibles, co-payments, and other amounts, but not premiums) do not exceed $6,550 for self-only coverage or $13,100 for family coverage.”

This should not be confused with a flexible spending account or FSA which can be used in conjunction with a traditional HMO or PPO.

Related >> Readers share their experiences with HSAs

Pros of Opening an HSA

Flexibility of Uses

You can use money from your HSA to pay for a slew of health expenses, from contact lenses to acupuncture, mental healthcare or a midwife. You might be surprised at some of the things you can buy with your HSA money. HSA Center has a complete list of eligible purchases.

Tax Incentives

The money you put in the HSA is tax-deductible. Also, the money you withdraw isn’t federally taxed, as long as you spend it on approved, health-related stuff. The HSA’s interest income isn’t federally taxed, either.

No ‘Use-It-or-Lose-It”

Unlike a Flexible Spending Arrangement or FSA, dollars in your HSA can rollover year to year.

You can Earn Interest

I think the amount of interest I earned recently was something like six bucks. So my initial reaction is whoop de do, but my frugal side reminds me that every little bit helps.

Responsible Planning

The most obvious benefit of the HSA is that you’re funding the future. You’re being responsible. The HSA is an emergency fund for your health.

You Can Take It With You

With an HSA, you can take your balance with you if you leave a company. And if you really hit tough times, you can even withdraw the HSA money to pay for non-health expenses. Of course, you’ll be taxed on that — plus, you’ll pay a penalty.

Related >> Health insurance options for the self employed

Retirement Advantage

After age 65, you can use your HSA savings as retirement money. You’re free to spend it, penalty free, on non-health expenses.

Free Preventive Procedures

Wellness procedures — breast exams, cancer screenings — are usually not subject to the HSA-compatible plan’s deductible. Those office visits are covered before the deductible, and often, they’re free. Of course, many traditional insurance plans have that same benefit.

Cons of Opening an HSA

Restrictions

There are limits to how much you can save. For 2016, you can only sock away $3,350 if you’re an individual and $6,750 if you’re saving for a family. In 2017, the contribution limit rise to $3,400 if you’re an individual and remains unchanged at $6,750 for families. Also, you can’t use money from your HSA to pay for your health insurance premium — unless you’re unemployed.

Cost of Office Visits and Prescriptions

I compared my traditional Blue Shield plan with their HSA-compatible plan, an HDHP. With the HSA, I’d be responsible for paying the full amount of doctors’ visits and prescriptions — until I met the deductible. But the deductible is $6,000 — I’m probably not going to reach that. If I have a couple of non-preventive office visits and prescription expenses a year, the HSA plan would end up costing me several hundred bucks.

Compared to my traditional plan, which requires that I pay $35/visit and $10/prescription (before the deductible), I could actually be spending more for the HSA plan — even considering the tax savings. I suppose it depends on what health issues arise and how much I’m willing to contribute.

Fees

Unsurprisingly, like any other bank account, an HSA comes with its share of fees. They vary, but from my research, most seem to have a start-up fee, transaction fee, debit fee, and in some cases, a monthly maintenance fee. Some may even have a minimum account balance fee.

State Tax

Even though the federal government allows deductions of HSA contributions, a few states don’t follow suit. Please check on your state’s policy before making any decisions on the tax merits of an HSA. Here’s one list of HSA policies by state to consider.

Not Meeting the Deductible

In all, the health expenses you may have to pay with an HSA plan could outweigh the tax savings. For example, one reader mentioned that the amount he pays in his prescriptions for the year makes the HSA not worth it. If the deductible isn’t being met, I can understand that. This seems to be one of those “it depends on the situation” scenarios.

But of course, it’s not just about tax incentives — the point of the HSA is also to save for the future. In the end, that seems to be what it comes down to, whether you’re using an emergency fund or an account with tax incentives. In my dad’s simple but shrewd words: “The bottom line is: save, save, save — as much as possible. Trust me, you will need it .”

If you’ve passed on an HSA, why wasn’t it worth it to you?

What are some other HSA pros and cons?

Source: getrichslowly.org

Apache is functioning normally

June 4, 2023 by Brett Tams

This post may contain affiliate links, which helps us to continue providing relevant content and we receive a small commission at no cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read the full disclosure here.

32k salary is a solid hourly wage; above most minimum hourly wage jobs.

For most people, an entry-level job would be pay just over $32,000 a year. The question that remains is can you make a living off $32k a year.

The median household income is $68,703 in 2019 and increased by 6.8% from the previous year (source). Think of it as a bell curve with $68K at the top; the median means half of the population makes less than that and half makes more money.

The average income in the U.S. is $48,672 for a 40-hour workweek; that is an increase of 4% from the previous year (source). That means if you take everyone’s income and divided the money out evenly between all of the people.

But, the question remains can you truly live off 32,000 per year in today’s society since it is well below both the average and median household incomes. The question you want to ask all of your friends is $32000 per year a good salary.

In this post, we are going to dive into everything that you need to know about a $32000 salary including hourly pay and a sample budget on how to spend and save your money.

These key facts will help you with money management and learn how much per hour $32k is as well as what you make per month, weekly, and biweekly.

Just like with any paycheck, it seems like money quickly goes out of your account to cover all of your bills and expenses, and you are left with a very small amount remaining. You may be disappointed that you were not able to reach your financial goals and you are left wondering…

Can I make a living on this salary?

$30,000 a year is how much an hour? Learn how much your 30k salary is hourly. Plus find a 30000 salary budget to live the lifestyle you want.

$32000 a year is How Much an Hour?

When jumping from an hourly job to a salary for the first time, it is helpful to know how much is 32k a year hourly. That way you can decide whether or not the job is worthwhile for you.

For our calculations to figure out how much is 32K salary hourly, we used the average five working days of 40 hours a week.

$32000 a year is $15.38 per hour

Let’s breakdown how that 32000 salary to hourly number is calculated.

Typically, the average workweek is 40 hours and you can work 52 weeks a year. Take 40 hours times 52 weeks and that equals 2,080 working hours. Then, divide the yearly salary of $32000 by 2,080 working hours and the result is $15.38 per hour.

32000 salary / 2080 hours = $15.38 per hour

Just above $15 an hour.

That number is the gross hourly income before taxes, insurance, 401K, or anything else is taken out. Net income is how much you deposit into your bank account.

You must check with your employer on how they plan to pay you. For those on salary, typically companies pay on a monthly, semi-monthly, biweekly, or weekly basis.

What If I Increased My Salary?

Just an interesting note… if you were to increase your annual salary by $11K to $43K per year, it would increase your hourly wage to over $20 an hour – a difference of $5.29 per hour.

To break it down – 43k a year is how much an hour = $20.67

That difference will help you fund your savings account; just remember every dollar adds up.

How Much is $32K salary Per Month?

On average, the monthly amount would be $2,667.

Annual Salary of $32,000 ÷ 12 months = $2,667 per month

This is how much you make a month if you get paid 32000 a year.

$32k a year is how much a week?

This is a great number to know! How much do I make each week? When I roll out of bed and do my job of $32k salary a year, how much can I expect to make at the end of the week for my effort?

Once again, the assumption is 40 hours worked.

Annual Salary of $32000/52 weeks = $615 per week.

$32000 a year is how much biweekly?

For this calculation, take the average weekly pay of $615 and double it.

$615 per week x 2 = $1,230

Also, the other way to calculate this is:

Annual Salary of $32000 / 26 weeks = $1230 biweekly.

Learn how to create a biweekly budget.

How Much Is $32K Salary Per Day

This depends on how many hours you work in a day. For this example, we are going to use an eight-hour workday.

8 hours x 52 weeks = 260 working days

Annual Salary of $32000 / 260 working days = $123 per day

If you work a 10 hour day on 208 days throughout the year, you make $153 per day.

$32000 Salary is…

$32000 – Full Time	Total Income
Yearly Salary (52 weeks)	$32,000
Monthly Wage	$2,667
Weekly Salary (40 Hours)	$615
Bi-Weekly Wage (80 Hours)	$1,230
Daily Wage (8 Hours)	$123
Daily Wage (10 Hours)	$153
Hourly Wage	$15.38
Net Estimated Monthly Income	$2,036
Net Estimated Hourly Income	$11.75

^{**These are assumptions based on simple scenarios.}

32k a year is how much an hour after taxes

Income taxes is one of the biggest culprits of reducing your take-home pay as well as FICA and Social Security. This is a true fact across the board with an all salary range up to $142,800.

When you make below the average household income, the amount of taxes taken out hurts your hourly wage.

Every single tax situation is different.

On the basic level, let’s assume a 12% federal tax rate and a 4% state rate. Plus a percentage is taken out for Social Security and Medicare (FICA) of 7.65%.

So, how much an hour is 32000 a year after taxes?

Gross Annual Salary: $32,000

Federal Taxes of 12%: $3,840
State Taxes of 4%: $1,280
Social Security and Medicare of 7.65%: $2,448

$32k Per Year After Taxes is $24,432.

This would be your net annual salary after taxes.

To turn that back into an hourly wage, the assumption is working 2,080 hours.

$24432 ÷ 2,080 hours = $11.75 per hour

After estimated taxes and FICA, you are netting $24,432 per year, which is $7,568 per year less than what you expect.

***This is a very high-level example and can vary greatly depending on your personal situation and potential deductions. Therefore, here is a great tool to help you figure out how much your net paycheck would be.***

In addition, if you live in a heavily taxed state like California or New York, then you have to pay way more money than somebody that lives in a no tax state like Texas or Florida. This is the debate of HCOL vs LCOL.

Thus, your yearly gross $32000 income can range from $21,872 to $25,712 depending on your state income taxes.

That is why it is important to realize the impact income taxes can have on your take home pay. It is one of those things that you should acknowledge and obviously you need to pay taxes. But, it can also put a huge dent in your ability to live the lifestyle you want on a $32,000 income.

32k salary lifestyle

Every person reading this post has a different upbringing and a different belief system about money. Therefore, what would be a lavish lifestyle to one person, maybe a frugal lifestyle to another person. And there’s no wrong or right, it is what works best for you.

One of the biggest factors to consider is your cost of living.

In another post, we detailed the differences of living in an HCOL vs LCOL vs MCOL area. When you live in big cities, trying to maintain your lifestyle of $32,000 a year is going to be extremely difficult because your basic expenses, housing, transportation, food, and clothing are going to be much more expensive than you would find in a lower cost area.

To stretch your dollar further in the high cost of living area, you would have to probably live a very frugal lifestyle and prioritize where you want to spend money and where you do not. Whereas, if you live in a low cost of living area, you can afford the cost of living and maybe save more money. Thus, you have more fun spending left in your account each month.

As we noted earlier in the post, $32,000 a year is well below the average income that you would find in the United States. Thus, you have to be wise with how you spend your money.

What a $32,000 lifestyle will buy you:

If you are debt free and utilize smart money management skills, then you are able to enjoy the lifestyle you want.

You are able to rent in a decent neighborhood in LCOL.
You should be able to meet your basic expenses each and every month.
Not be able to afford many of the fun spending luxuries.
Start saving with the 200 envelope challenge.
Ability to make sure that saving money is a priority, and very possibly save $1000 in 52 weeks.

When A $32,000 Salary Will Hold you Back:

However, if you are riddled with debt or unable to break the paycheck to paycheck cycle, then living off of 32k a year is going to be pretty darn difficult.

There are two factors that will keep holding you back:

You must pay off debt and cut all fun spending and extra expenses.
Break the paycheck to paycheck cycle.

It is possible to get ahead with money!

It just comes with proper money management skills and a desire to have less stress around money. That is a winning combination regardless of your income level.

$32k Salary To Hourly

We calculated how much $32,000 a year is how much an hour with 40 hours a week. But, more than likely, you work more or fewer hours per week.

So, here is a handy calculator to figure out your exact hourly salary wage.

$32K a year Budget – Example

Picture of planing how to make a budget with $32000 a year in income.

As always, here at Money Bliss, we focus on covering our basic expenses plus saving and giving first, and then our goal is to eliminate debt. The rest of the money leftover is left for fun spending.

If you want to know how to manage 32k salary the best, then this is a prime example for you to compare your spending.

You can compare your budget to the ideal household budget percentages.

recommended budget percentages based on $32000 a year salary:

Category	Ideal Percentages	Sample Monthly Budget
Giving	10%	$187
Savings	15-25%	$480
Housing	20-30%	$693
Utilities	4-7%	$107
Groceries	5-12%	$213
Clothing	1-4%	$16
Transportation	4-10%	$107
Medical	5-12%	$133
Life Insurance	1%	$10
Education	1-4%	$6
Personal	2-7%	$24
Recreation / Entertainment	3-8%	$60
Debts	0% – Goal	$0
Government Tax (including Income Tatumx, Social Security & Medicare)	15-25%	$631
Total Gross Monthly Income		$2,667

^**^{In this budget, prioritization was given to basic expenses and no debt.}

Is $32,000 a year a Good Salary?

Picture debating whether or not $32000 a year a good salary.

As we stated earlier if you are able to make $32,000 a year, that is a low salary. You are making around or just above minimum wage.

While 32000 is a decent salary just starting out in your working years, it is a salary that you want to rapidly increase before your expenses go up or the people you provide for increase. If not, you will be left working multiple jobs to make ends meet.

However, too many times people get stuck in the lifestyle trap of trying to keep up with the Joneses, and their lifestyle desires get out of hand compared to their salary. And what they thought used to be a great salary actually is not making ends meet at this time.

This $32k salary would be considered a lower class salary. You must make each dollar count in your budget.

Check: Are you in the middle class?

In fact, this income level in the United States has enough buying power to put you in the top 95 percentile globally for per person income (source).

The question you need to ask yourself with your 32k salary is:

Am I maxed at the top of my career?
Is there more income potential?
What obstacles do I face if I want to try to increase my income?

In the future years and with possible inflation, in many modest cities a 32,000 a year is not a good salary because the cost of living is so high, whereas these are some of the cities where you can make a decent living at 32,000 per year.

If you are looking for a career change, you want to find jobs paying at least 35,000 a year.

Is 32k a good salary for a Single Person?

Simply put, you can make it work.

You can stretch your salary much further because you are only worried about your own expenses. A single person will spend much less than if you need to provide for someone else.

Learn exactly what is a good salary for a single person today.

Your living expenses and ideal budget are much less. Thus, you can live comfortably on $32000 per year.

And… most of us probably regret how much money wasted when we were single. Oh well, lesson learned.

Is 32k a good salary for a family?

Many of the same principles apply above on whether $32000 is a good salary. The main difference with a family, you have more people to provide for than when you are single or have just one other person in your household.

The costs of raising children are high and will steeply cut into your income. As you can tell this is a huge dent in your income, specifically $12,980 annually per child.

That means that amount of money is coming out of the income that you earned.

So, the question really remains is can you provide a good life for your family making $43,000 a year? This is the hardest part because each family has different choices, priorities, and values.

More or less, it comes down to two things:

The location where you live in.
Your lifestyle choices.

You can live comfortably as a family on this salary, but you will not be able to afford everything.

Many times when raising a family, it is helpful to have a dual-income household. That way you are able to provide the necessary expenses if both parties were making 32,000 per year, then the combined income for the household would be over $64,000. Thus making your combined salary a very good income.

Learn how much money a family of 4 needs in each state.

Can you Live on 32000 Per Year?

As we outlined earlier in the post, $32,000 a year:

$15.38 Per Hour
$123-153 Per Day (depending on length of day worked)
$615 Per Week
$1230 Per Biweekly
$2667 Per Month

Next up is making $35000 a year!

Like anything else in life, you get to decide how to spend, save and give your money.

That is the difference for each person on whether or not you can live a lower-class lifestyle depends on many potential factors. If you live in California or New Jersey you are gonna have a tougher time than Oklahoma or even Texas.

In addition, if you are early in your career, starting out around 30,000 a year, that is a-okay place to be getting your career. However, if you have been in your career for over 20 years and still making $32K, then you probably need to look at asking for pay increases, pick up a second job, or find a different career path.

Regardless of the wage that you make, if you are not able to live the lifestyle that you want, then you have to find ways to make it work for you. Everybody has choices to make.

But one of the things that can help you the most is to stick to our ideal household budget percentages to make sure you stay on track.

One of the best ways to improve your personal finance situation is to increase your income. Here are a variety of side hustles that are very lucrative. With time and effort, you can start enjoying the lifestyle you want.

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Learn how to supplement your daily, weekly, or monthly income with trading so that you can live your best life! This is a lifestyle trading style you need to learn.

Honestly, this course is a must for anyone who invests. You will lose more in the market than you will spend this quality education – guaranteed.

Read my Invest with Teri Review.

If you’ve ever wanted to make a full-time income while working from home, you’re in the right place!

This intensive training combines thousands of hours of research, years of experience in growing a virtual assistant business, and the power of a coach who has helped thousands of students launch and grow their own business from scratch.

Learn how to buy and resell items from flea markets, thrift stores and yard sales. They will teach you how to create a profitable reselling business quickly

…no matter how much or how little experience you have.

Our friends Cody & Julie of Gold City Ventures are experts at creating five figures of passive income selling printables. Learn how to create your online printables business from scratch with our programs and templates.

Are you passionate about words and reading? If so, proofreading could be a perfect fit for you, just like it’s been for me! I’m excited to share how you can create a freelance business as a proofreader, just like I did.

The ultimate discounted bundle of my 4 best-selling courses and WordPress theme on how to build and grow a profitable blog.

Learn the best SEO practices and how to monetize your blog quickly!

Designed as a 101-level course on freight brokerage, you’ll learn the basics of freight brokering in this online course.

This course is designed for freight brokers in any setting, regardless of their employment status.

If you want to start your brokerage, we’ll show you exactly how to do it. If you are an agent or employee of a brokerage, we’ll take you through sales and operations modules designed to help you source more leads and move more freight.

You can make money as a freelance writer. Learn techniques to find those jobs and earn the kind of money you deserve!

Plus get tips to land your first freelance writing gig!

This is the perfect side hustle if you don’t have much time, experience, or money.

Many earn over $10,000 in a year selling printables on Etsy. Learn how to get started by watching this free workshop.

The Empowered Business Lab teaches you how to sell your digital products naturally with strategies that just make sense.

Monica helped me find my momentum and my want to pursue my business again.

After taking a second job as a driver for Amazon to make ends meet, this former teacher pivoted to be a successful stock trader.

Leaving behind the stress of teaching, now he sets his own schedule and makes more money than he ever imagined. He grew his account from $500 to $38000 in 8 months.

Check out this interview.

Source: moneybliss.org

Apache is functioning normally

June 4, 2023 by Brett Tams

There are a lot of Americans that skip purchasing a life insurance policy, especially once they start to reach their mid-50’s and early 60’s, but this could be an awful mistake.

When looking for life insurance at age 56 one of the greatest impacts on your premium is your health.

Unfortunately, at this age there are many medical conditions that can start to creep up if it hasn’t already started affecting you.

Depending on what type of medical condition you have, your rates may or may not be affected significantly. There are a lot of people that think if you have any pre-existing condition, you can’t get life insurance. That isn’t true.

Regardless, life insurance is something that everybody should have for their own peace of mind.

What Type of Coverage Should I Get?

Ninety percent of 56 year olds who obtain life insurance typically only need it for 10 to 20 years. This is the case because the purpose of the life insurance is meant to fill in for displaced income.

With this in consideration it is assumed that you will not need insurance after retiring and for that reason you only need a policy for the term of your working career.

Buying cheap term life insurance is the solution for this. This type of insurance is surprisingly affordable, especially considering all of the benefits that come with it. If you need more extensive or permanent insurance, whole life insurance is most likely for you.

As you can imagine, the biggest difference is whole life insurance is effective for as long as you pay the monthly premiums. This a significant advantage over term policies that expire after their predetermined time.

There are a lot of people that prefer having permanent coverage and don’t have to worry about reapplying for another policy. If you want the comfort of having a whole life policy, go for it, but be warned, you’re probably paying way more for life insurance coverage than you have to.

What are the rates for a 56 year old?

Your rates are going to be based on your age, your health, and much more. We can’t give you exact numbers, but we can give you a rough idea of how much coverage you’ll pay.

For example, let’s say you are a 56 year old man who wants to get a $500,000 insurance plan. You’re going to pay around $1,600 every year for your plan. A woman is going to pay $1,200 for the policy.

Here is some quotes for $250,000 of coverage for someone age 56:

Sex	10 Year	20 Year	30 Year
Male	Protective – $42.48/month	SBLI – $73.30/month	Transamerica – $161.88/month
Female	Protective – $32.07/month	SBLI – $55.46/month	Transamerica – $113.75/month

Keep in mind, these are only ballpark figures for life insurance coverage. There are so many variables, there is no way for us to tell you exact numbers without getting information from you.

What Risk Tables Does a 56 Year Old Operate On?

Pre-existing health conditions are the main reason people in this age group are declined for life insurance. This could be anything from diabetes to heart problems.

There are a lot of life insurance companies that have experience working with high-risk applicants of various conditions. These companies understand the conditions and how they can be controlled, which means they will view applicants for favorably than companies without that experience.

Even if you’ve been turned down for coverage because of your health conditions, there are still several insurance coverage options that you can choose from. Your health won’t prevent you from getting at least a small amount of coverage.

#ap62058-wwfont-family:Archivo,sans-serif#ap62058-wwpadding-top:20px;position:relative;text-align:center;font-size:12px#ap62058-ww #ap62058-ww-indicatortext-align:right;color:#4a4a4a#ap62058-ww #ap62058-ww-indicator-wrapperdisplay:inline-flex;align-items:center;justify-content:flex-end;margin-bottom:8px#ap62058-ww #ap62058-ww-indicator-wrapper:hover #ap62058-ww-textdisplay:block#ap62058-ww #ap62058-ww-indicator-wrapper:hover #ap62058-ww-labeldisplay:none#ap62058-ww #ap62058-ww-textmargin:auto 3px auto auto#ap62058-ww #ap62058-ww-labelmargin-left:4px;margin-right:3px#ap62058-ww #ap62058-ww-iconmargin:auto;display:inline-block;width:16px;height:16px;min-width:16px;min-height:16px;cursor:pointer#ap62058-ww #ap62058-ww-icon imgvertical-align:middle;width:16px;height:16px;min-width:16px;min-height:16px#ap62058-ww #ap62058-ww-text-bottommargin:5px#ap62058-ww #ap62058-ww-textdisplay:none#ap62058-ww #ap62058-ww-icon imgtext-indent:-9999px;color:transparent

Ads by Money. We may be compensated if you click this ad.Ad

How much Life Insurance do you need?

Aside from asking what type of policy that should get, this is the next most common question that we receive, “how much life insurance do I need?” and it’s one of the most important calculations you can make in regards to your insurance.

Shopping for life insurance at age 56 is extremely different than shopping for a policy in your 20’s or 30’s. There are many notable differences that are going to impact your life insurance needs. More than likely you don’t have as much debt as you did twenty years ago. One of the main goals of life insurance is to pay off any debt you would leave behind, you might be able to buy a much smaller policy at this stage of life.

Another key difference in a life insurance policy in your mid 50’s is your salary and how many people are relying on your income. Your salary is probably higher than it was when you first bought a life insurance policy many years ago, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that you need a larger insurance plan. If your spouse is still working, and your kids all have jobs of their own, you can consider getting a smaller, cheaper insurance policy.

Getting the Best Rates on Your Life Insurance Policy

Getting life insurance is important for the protection of your family, but it’s also important that it doesn’t break your bank. Even at 56, a life insurance policy can still be more affordable than most applicants assume. The older you are, the more your plan is going to cost, but just because you aren’t as young as you used to be doesn’t mean your policy has to be expensive.

The first way is to focus on your health. Aside from your age (which you can’t change), your health is the next most important factor that impacts your monthly premiums. Sure, you probably aren’t in as good shape as you were twenty years ago, but now is the time to focus on your health.

If you’re carrying any extra weight, it could hurt your monthly rates. The more weight that you’re carrying, the higher your chances of having health problems. The higher your risk for health problems, the higher your rates.

Shedding some of those pounds through a diet and exercise will not only lower the number on your scale, but it will also work wonders for your cholesterol, blood pressure, and much more. Not only is this great for your health, but good for your wallet as well.

Additionally, kicking your bad habits like smoking cigarettes will also save you several hundred dollars on your policy coverage. Smokers pay double on their monthly premiums, sometimes triple, versus a non-smoker.

Whether it is standard term life insurance or a no medical exam policy, the best way to locate the perfect plan is to partner up with an independent agent. Each insurance carrier is very different. Different plans, rates, riders, and much more. Sure, you can look through them all to find the best, or we can bring you 50 companies all at once.

We work with all of the top-rated life insurance companies so that we can shop for you and get the absolute best rates. Life insurance is a long-term investment, and just like any other investment, you want to make the best choice. You should always work with an expert to make your choice.

Source: goodfinancialcents.com

Apache is functioning normally

June 3, 2023 by Brett Tams

Inside: Learn why you may want to drive a beater car. Plus find tips to make sure you are getting a good deal.

Okay, let’s preface with… my dad has been in the car industry for over 40 years. So, I have grown up in dealerships, car garages, and service centers. My friends call me an expert, but I prefer to just be helpful so they don’t overpay when buying or getting repairs done.

Now, that authority is established, let me help you understand the beater car mentality.

If you are looking for a cheap used car, but don’t know where to find one, check out this guide that will help you get started.

Buying a used car can be tricky. It’s not just about finding one that is inexpensive, but also getting the right size for you and your lifestyle.

There tends to be more mystery surrounding what it’s like buying a new car from the dealership than an old one from somewhere else.

The main reason is that usually, they do not disclose how much of the price tag is going towards depreciation. What happens when your brand-new vehicle goes through years worth of wear and tear? It depreciates at a staggering rate and you end up with the same old car that’s only worth what is left of it.

Did you notice that keyword in the last paragraph – depreciation!

For many who are choosing to lower their costs and pursing FIRE movement, they know that a brand new car will depreciate the most within the first five years.

In this article, I will be shedding some light on how to find a cheap used car in your area if you are shopping for one. Also, if you are maintaining a beater car, you will find the tips to make sure your car lasts many more years.

Driving a beater car is not a sign of being poor or reckless. You still need proper auto insurance to drive.

With this guide, you’ll find out which cars have what features and quality that will fit your needs and lifestyle. Now, let’s find a car with features that are important to get around town and save your wallet!

Beater car is a term used to describe a vehicle that doesn’t look like it has any value. But could still be worth something if you have the right tools and know-how!

What Is a Beater Car?

A beater car is usually an older, higher-mileage vehicle that still runs and is legal to drive.

The term “beater” was coined because many of them have cosmetic damage and mismatched paint.

A beater car is rarely pretty but “gets the job” when it comes to getting you and yours from here to there.

What is the point of a beater car?

A beater car is a reliable and easy-to-fix car that is cheaper than a new car.

The point of a beater car is to save money and reduce the amount of maintenance that needs to be done on it.

It has little intrinsic value, & while not “easy on the eyes,” a beater car is generally a smart choice to wear into the ground.

There are many advantages to buying a used car, including insurance savings, tax breaks, and lower operational costs.

Beaters can also provide peace of mind because they are easier to repair if something does go wrong.

Should you drive beaters?

People are in different situations when they are buying cars.

The best customers for cheap cars are either first-time car buyers or people who have to save some cash to reach a financial goal they set in place.

On the other hand, if you like reliability, make income from your car, enjoy looking good, or do not know your way around a car, maybe you should skip a beaters car.

How Can You Recognize a Beater Car?

A beater car is a car that is older and cheaper than other cars in its class. It may also have high mileage or corrosion on the body. You can look for these signs to help you identify a beater car.

More than likely, they will be easy to spot. Many common ones include Honda, Toyota, and Suburu. Those are the engines that can keep on running!

This post may contain affiliate links, which helps us to continue providing relevant content and we receive a small commission at no cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read the full disclosure here.

Is a Beater Car Worth It?

Well, there are two sides to the coin on this one. So, we will present both arguments first.

Definitely Worth It

Simply put, a beater car is one that doesn’t cost a lot of cash. You can find reliable and affordable beaters if you know where to look. In most cases, the best way to find a cheap used car is by checking out local classified ads or online listings.

Beater cars are a great way to save money on all sorts of fronts.

For starters, they’re cheaper to buy than most other cars. Additionally, used cars can help with taxes, insurance, and maintenance costs.

In short, a cheap car is a great way to get around while keeping your expenses low.

Um, Hello – No!

A beater car is not worth it. There are many reasons why you should not buy a beat-up vehicle. The first reason is that they are cheap, and the owner will most likely not take care of them properly. Not only will the car need repairs, but you could also have to buy a new one.

Didn’t you know that you can lease a vehicle for next-to-nothing with a low-interest rate? (p.s. don’t fall for that line. Leasing a car is the worst thing you can do financially. That is a post for another day on leasing vs buying a car.)

All in all, it depends on what you need and what you can afford at the moment. For many, the answer to this question is yes, but only if you are looking for a cheap car.

What is the price of a beater car?

A used car is a vehicle that has been previously owned, so it has depreciated in value.

The price of a beater car is difficult to determine and varies depending on the quality of the vehicle, its condition, and what it might have been used for. Typically, you can find a solid mechanical vehicle for around $5000.

You can always check against the KBB price and run the VIN to check its reported history.

Beater Car Benefits:

The benefits of a beat-up car are listed here. Many people are proud of their vehicles and proudly want to be a part of the 200k miles club.

They include the opportunity to drive around with no maintenance, the ability to use it for parts, and the freedom from monthly payments.
A used car is cheaper upfront than a new car.
Cheaper on insurance. Beater cars require minimum coverage, so they’re cost-effective for monthly expenses.
A beater car is cheaper on gas (this is true for sedans; not so much for SUVs or trucks.)
The car will retain its value and not depreciate much more.
The car can still be sold for what was paid for it, as long as it is in the same condition.

Now, let’s dive a little deeper into each of these.

#1. Cheap Price

One reason to prefer a cheap car is because of the low price point.

For the first time ever, the price of a new car tops $47000 – an all-time high (source). That is a whole lot of money especially when it loses most of its premium in the five years.

Driving a beater may not feel as luxurious as driving a newer car, but the cheap price point lets you save money.

#2. No Car Payments

There are many benefits to not having car payments.

One of the most obvious is that you save money. In addition, not having car payments can also reduce stress and anxiety levels, because you’re not as tied down to a monthly payment.

It is not normal to have a car payment your whole life. That lifestyle will cost you a fortune with lifestyle creep.

#3. Cheaper Gas

Old and beaten-down cars that don’t require premium fuel will be heaven for your wallet, saving you hundreds, maybe even thousands of dollars per year.

Gas prices vary throughout the day, so drivers should plan their trips around the cheapest prices. In addition, using a cheap car can save you money on gas in the long run.

#4. Cheaper Parts

First of all, you need to find a reliable mechanic or be able to do some of the work by yourself.

In addition to being cheaper, older car parts are also easier to find. Car parts are still available from common car manufacturers, so you don’t have to go through a premium supplier to get what you need.

Additionally, the older vehicles do not have the fancy chips like the newer cars that make the cost of parts increase and the difficulty of getting those types of parts.

#5. Minimum Insurance Coverage

Buying a used car saves money on car insurance.

You only need to meet the minimum insurance requirements of your state, and you don’t have to worry about finance companies taking out full coverage collision and comprehensive insurance.

However, you may want comprehensive coverage if the cost is minimal compared to replacing the car. For instance, if you pay an additional $50 per year for full comprehensive coverage that will give you the $5k worth of your car back if something happens. That may be worth the extra cost.

Plus driving a car with a lower resale value can help save on vehicle taxes.

#6. Less Depreciation

Older cars have already depreciated in value over the years, so they aren’t going to lose much more during the period of your ownership.

Plus if the engine gives out, you can always sell it for scraps and parts at the local junkyard. That will help you recoup costs for another one.

Remember, you wipe away value from your brand new car once you drive off the dealer’s lot (source). This is a hot debate on whether your car is an asset or liability.

#7. More Freedom

When you are not bogged down by expenses of maintaining a high-value car, you have more freedom.

This is more freedom in your budget and more time freedom as you don’t have to work hard to pay for your mode of transportation.

Think about it… if you invested $500 a month for seven years at the average rate of return of 8%, you would have accumulated $55,000. Compounding interest will do amazing things for your net worth.

Beater Car Downsides:

Saving money is the biggest benefit of buying a used car.

Beater cars are potentially less safe than modern cars.
Long-distance car rides might not be possible with a cheap car
Downsides to having a good beater car include the possibility of breaking down and being far away from home if needed.
Possible more maintenance.
There is more risk. You don’t want to gamble.

#1. Less Safety

Cars from before the 2000s don’t have the same crashworthiness as newer cars.

This is a factor that you cannot deny and a serious factor when considering your purchase.

In a collision, they are more likely to sustain damage and injure the passengers inside.

#2. Low Probability of Longer Trips

These are great for commuting around town and getting you to and from.

However, there is a low probability you want to use them on longer trips.

Given there are many things that could go wrong, you don’t want to break down far from home or even a nearby city where you can get repairs done.

You don’t anticipate needing to take this car on long trips in the near future because there is a low probability of needing to take it on longer trips. This is due, in part, to the fact that it doesn’t have great gas mileage and you don’t think you’ll need to use it for long distances.

#3 – Higher Maintancence Costs

You always need a sinking fund for repairs when you own a beater. Period.

You are one drive away from something going out and needing to be repaired.

Also, you need to find a quality mechanic that thrives on keeping older ones running without nickel and diming you along the way.

You cannot use a dealership service center to maintain your baby.

Which Are the Best Beater Cars?

Picture of a honda accord as one of the best beater cars.

The best beater cars are cars that are cheap, have low mileage, and are easy to repair. The cars are great to use as a daily driver, but they are not ideal for long distances.

Cheap cars can be a good option for car buyers on a tight budget or for young drivers.

There are many reasons to consider buying a used car over a new car, but the decision ultimately depends on the buyer’s needs and preferences

What are some good beater cars?

These reliable beater cars can be a great way to save money on car buying.

Some of the better cars to choose from that would make for a great beater include Toyota Corolla, Honda Accord, and Honda Civic.

They are old, but still in pretty decent shape. All in all, you want to look for one that is very well maintained and highly cared for. The ones sitting in your grandparent’s garages that were hardly driven and immaculately maintained.

What to Check Before Buying a Beater Car

The best way to ensure that you’re buying a good quality car is to do some research and make sure you know your facts.

All dealers are not created equal, so it’s important to check out what other people are saying about the dealer. Also, make sure that the car you’re buying is in good condition and has a clean title.

Many times, a beater is a car that is used to transport things such as furniture, trees, etc. Sometimes they are usually not very well maintained and maybe not very well cared for.

However, a used car can still be a good car for someone who is looking for a cheap car and does not care about the condition of the car.

Specifics to Look For:

Low mileage
Consider the brand/model
Fuel economy
Exterior and interior condition
Reliability
Maintenance history
Number of owners
Number of accidents
Anything rebuilt like the engine

For example, one of the Toyota Corollas I owed was older but had a new engine installed. Thus, the value of the Corolla was higher as the engine had minimal miles on it.

In fact, here is a picture of it… doesn’t look like a junker right?!?!

Questions to Ask Yourself:

Before buying a used car, you should check the following:

Is it in good shape?
On the engine, is it manual or automatic?
Is it the right size for your needs?
Does it have enough power?
Does it have enough room?
Is it reliable?
Is it comfortable?
Easy to drive?
Is it safe?

How to Buy a Beater Car

Picture of an infographic on buying a car.

When buying a beater car, you should check the following things:

1. Finding One to Buy

Many times, this will be the hardest part. Sometimes, the easiest if someone needs to get rid of one quickly.

Try buying a beater car from friends or family.

The next place to check is your mechanic. Remember, they are your best friends in this process and always know the movement of these types of cars.

Also, you can check online – Facebook Marketplace, NextDoor and Craigslist are great options but follow your instincts.

Lastly, you can try a local dealership. However, be very careful as you don’t want to be scammed or pay more than the car is worth.

2. Check the VIN Number

VIN stands for Vehicle Identification Number. A VIN is a serial number that identifies the make, model, and vehicle type of a motor vehicle.

The VIN number is a unique identifier for a car that can be used to learn about the car’s history and identity. The number is usually 17 characters long and contains both numbers and letters. It can be found on the dashboard, driver’s side door, or engine of the car.

More importantly, it can be used to learn about the car’s history and identity, including its make, model, year of manufacture, and more. Even if the car was stolen.

3. Look at Mileage

Beaters usually have high mileage, but how high is too high?

Do your research for what could be a red flag. Look up how the specific make and model you’re considering holds up in high mileage.

In this regard, lower is better, although beaters will generally have higher mileage than a newer used car. Look for beaters with 80,000 to 150,000 miles on the odometer, but don’t go over 150k miles. You want to drive it into the 200k mile club, right?

4. Run the Auto History Report

You want detailed information on a car’s history, including maintenance and repair records. This can be helpful in determining whether or not a car has been well taken care of. If a car has had many owners in a short period of time, it may be an indication that the car was neglected.

The VIN number (vehicle identification number) helps you obtain a vehicle history report by running through a service, like CARFAX. Companies like VINCheck.info and AutoCheck provide vehicle history information, too.

A good indication that a car may have been neglected or doesn’t run well is the fact that it has had many owners in a short period of time.

5. Checked by Your Own Mechanic

If you haven’t figured it out by now, a trusted mechanic is a must!

Before agreeing to the purchase, you must have the vehicle independently audited by your own mechanic. This may come at a small cost, but it is better to know the condition of the mechanical systems before you purchase.

Also, your mechanic can tell you what you should pay for it as well as any outstanding repairs or maintenance that needs to be done.

6. Passed State Inspection

When buying a car, it is important that it passes state inspection. If it doesn’t, you may end up spending more cash on repairs and/or fines.

You can ask for the last inspection report. If it has been more than a year, it is worth testing it again.

In any case, you don’t want to buy a car only to have it break down on you soon after.

7. Take it for a Test Drive

When you’re looking to buy a used car, it’s important that you take it for a test drive. This allows you to listen to any loud noises and also gives you a chance to feel the car out.

If something doesn’t feel right, then it’s probably not the right car for you.

When you’re looking to buy a used car, it’s important that the seller allows you to take the car to a mechanic for a test drive. If they don’t, it’s probably because they’re trying to hide something and it’s best to move on.

Fixing a Beater Car:

The best option for fixing a beater car is always to do the repair yourself. This will save your finances and allow you to learn more about how your car works. There are a variety of resources available online that can help you with this process, including videos, articles, and forums.

If you find a car with engine problems, you will need to consult a mechanic. The problem may be something simple that is quick fixes with a tune-up, or it may be more serious.

If the cost of repairing a used car is almost as much as what you paid for the car, then it may be time to move on.

Selling a Beater Car:

The process is very similar to buying it except now you are the seller!

The same places you would look for one would be the same places you would sell it – friends, NextDoor, Craigslist, mechanic, or Facebook Marketplace.

You might even be able to get some cash for your beater car by trading it in at a dealership. The dealership will likely give you less than if you had sold the car to a private party, but it’s better than nothing. However, some dealerships have pretty awesome trade-in policies to get you in a new and more expensive ride!

Reasons NOT to Buy a Beater Car

The most common reasons not to buy a used car are that they are very expensive to fix, impractical in terms of fuel efficiency, and require more time and effort than expected.

However, those of us who have owned older sedans, SUVs, or trucks know the significant savings associated with it and get many weird looks for others.

Top 10 Reasons NOT to Buy a Beater Car:

You want/need a good-looking car.
High reliability is a priority.
You are a one-car family.
You will lose your mind trying to fix it.
It’s going to break down and you’ll be stranded somewhere, losing money.
You will have to get a new car eventually anyway.
It’ll cost you more money in the long run because it’s not worth fixing up and selling later on.
You won’t be able to sell it for what you paid because it’s too beat up.
You think leasing a car is a better deal.
Deep down, you think a car payment is normal.

Is an Older Beater Car an Issue for You?

Beater cars can be a good option for people who want to save money on their car costs.

There are many advantages of a cheaper car including avoiding car loans and down payments, cheaper gas, and minimal insurance requirements. Plus used cars have already lost much of their value and are a better investment.

Maybe a full one beater isn’t right for you, but maybe a seven-year-old minivan with 85,000 miles is perfect.

In all honestly, people who are looking for a cheap car should consider buying an inexpensive car instead of a luxury car.

Now, I want to hear your favorite stories about your precious gem and how many miles it lasted…

Source: moneybliss.org

Apache is functioning normally

June 3, 2023 by Brett Tams

Here on Making Sense of Cents, I talk a lot about different ways to make money on the side and the many great side hustle ideas. I do this because I truly believe that making money on the side can change a person’s life.

After all, learning about different ways to make money on the side changed my life.

My main side hustle a few years ago mainly consisted of me blogging here on Making Sense of Cents. Then, it quickly grew, my income matched and then exceeded my day job income, and I actually made the decision to leave my day job in order to pursue my side hustle full-time.

As you can probably tell, starting a side hustle significantly improved my life and it’s something I will ALWAYS be extremely happy about. My side hustle income allowed me to pay off my debt quickly, leave the job I disliked, start working towards my passion, and travel extensively.

Taking part in the many different ways to make money on the side can allow you to:

Pay off your debt;
Save for things such as a vacation;
Stop living paycheck to paycheck;
Reach retirement sooner;
Not feel as stuck at your job;
Become more diversified.

Many others believe in the amazing power of side hustle income as well. I recently interviewed many side hustlers, freelancers, business owners, and more about the different ways they’ve made money on the side and compiled them into one extremely informative blog post to help all of you. Plus, they share their tips on how to manage side jobs better so that you can make money on the side while not going crazy.

Below are over 40 different side hustle ideas and tips from the experts. There are many different ways to make money on the side and I’m sure you’ll find one below.

Related articles on side hustle ideas:

Here are over 40 ways to make money on the side:

Start a blog.

Blogging is how I make a living and just a few years ago I never thought it would be possible. I now make a great living online, I travel full-time, and I enjoy the work I do.

I made over $300,000 last year by blogging and will make more than that in 2016 (I’m hoping to double my income this year).

There are many ways to make money on the side and one of the top ways I recommend is to start a blog. You can create your own blog here with my easy-to-use tutorial. You can start your blog for as low as $3.49 per month plus you get a free domain if you sign-up through my tutorial.

Become a Brand Ambassador.

“A side hustle that I absolutely love is being a Brand Ambassador. A Brand Ambassador quite simply shares talking points and usually free swag with the public in order to build brand awareness. Brand Ambassadors typically work on the weekends at different events so the trick is to manage family time if you have a family. For more information on how to become a brand ambassador check out the following post: How To Become a Brand Ambassador.” – Michelle Jackson

“Love meeting new people? Many cities have active brand ambassador Facebook groups that are constantly looking for product demonstrators, trade show spokespeople, tour managers, and more! And brand ambassadors can expect to earn $15-20 per hour.” – Kate Dore

Related: Become A Brand Ambassador And Make Extra Money

Write a book.

“Self-publish a book on Amazon that focuses on a topic at the intersection of 3 things: 1. your passion; 2. your expertise; 3. a need in the marketplace How much a person could make would be based on how much they want to charge for the book, but I would say you could make anywhere from $50 – $300 / month, depending on your book content / audience.” – John Lee Dumas

“Anyone can be a self-published author now and it is one of my favorite side hustles. Whether you want to share tips on how to do something or want to write a fictional story, any topic can be published. How much you make depends a lot on how much competition there is for the same type of book. I make between $300 and $500 a month for a crowdfunding book I wrote last year while my investing books make between $100 and $250 a month. The best thing is that, once published, they will keep making money year after year.” – Joseph Hogue

“Publish a book. It is easier than it used to be. You can self publish or if you have a platform such as a blog with associated social media you can pitch to publishers and generate interest there. Publishing a book increases credibility and leads to other opportunities such as speaking, course, freelance writing, judging, presenting awards, launching events and a lot of media exposure. Depending on how you do, what niche it is, how well you market it you can make anywhere from nothing right through to millions. Personally, getting asked to publish a book back in 2010 changed everything and was a pivotal turning point for me. Quite a few friends of mine earn a few hundred thousand a year from their books and associated content, others a couple of million. Most authors only make a few thousand if they are lucky though. It is all in how you market and how much of a following/community or tribe you have.” – Kylie Travers

Become a virtual assistant.

There are many ways to make money on the side online, and one of them is by becoming a virtual assistant.

“My favorite way for someone to make extra money from home (and what I would personally do if I needed extra money FAST is to be a virtual assistant. Specifically, I would be a VA to bloggers. There are so many ways to do this, including assistant with social media, creating images, writing content, etc. There are lots of Facebook groups set up specifically for people to sell content to bloggers. Really your income is only limited to the time you want to invest in it. Some VAs charge per hour and some charge per project/post. With a few hours per day, I’d say you could easily make $50-$100 extra per day.” – Lena Gott

“I’ve made most of my money by working as a VA and blog manager for busy blog owners. I fit my side hustle in alongside my full-time job by reminding myself that I was making a temporary sacrifice of sleep and free time in order to build my business to the point I could quit my job. I now make over $5,000/month online with my business.” – Kayla Sloan

A virtual assistant helps a business run more smoothly. You can be contracted for one project (such as collecting data for research) or it can be a continuing job such as replying to e-mails and comments. Virtual assistant work can range widely. There are many, many tasks that people hire virtual assistants for.

Related: How To Become a Virtual Assistant and What Does a Virtual Assistant Do?

Become a coach.

“Coaching is a great way to make side income. It needs practically no monetary investment… just time. Just be mindful of what you charge per hour, as almost everyone starts way smaller than they really should. When pricing your coaching services, if in doubt, double it!” – Chris Ducker – ChrisDucker.com

“One on One coaching is a really simple and fast way to start earning income fast for yourself. While people who’ve been doing this for a while will typically earn around $300, $500 an hour, someone just getting started could expect to earn $50 a $100 an hour. The benefit with this side business is that you can earn more per hour starting out which means you won’t have to work as much to earn as much. Also, consider offering package deals, this will allow you to sell at a higher price point and this gives a definite start and end date to things.” – Chris Holdheide

Sell on eBay or Craigslist.

“I go through twice each year and pick up items I’m not using to sell on craigslist or ebay. I make about $3-400 each time I do it. That’s an extra $800 for something cool!” – Lauren Bowling

“One of my favorite ways to make extra money is to go around my house and find one thing to sell on Craigslist every week (particularly on Fridays right before the weekend when everyone loves to get rid of their money ;)). It not only helps you de-clutter and get rid of stuff that’s no longer important to you, but also make some good side money that you can then bank towards something you do care about! I made over $1,200 doing this last year and it helped fund a Roth IRA. Give it a shot!” – J. Money, BudgetsAreSexy.com / RockstarFinance.com

“One way that a person can make side income is by selling items on eBay. The amount of money varies. It depends on how many items you are selling and also the type of items. I’ve had months where I’ve made $300 (part-time), but I’ve also had months where I’ve only made $50.” – Jason Butler

Whether you have old clothes you want to sell, a car, electronics, or something else, eBay or Craigslist can be a great way to sell many different types of items.

Related: How To Sell On Ebay

Edit for others.

“One way a person can make a side income is to provide edits to authors. The amount they can make depends on the type of edits they provide and the number of projects they take on. I primarily take on larger projects that involve either developmental edits or line edits (or both!) but short story projects can also be a good way to work on brief projects while making a side hustle and break up the monotony of projects that are the same length. How much a person can make can also vary based on how they charge; for example, I charge per word in order to provide a better estimate, but some people charge per page. ” – Megan Harris

Get paid to search online.

Did you know that you can take paid online surveys to make extra money?

Swagbucks is just like using Google to do your online searches, except you get rewarded points called SB for the things you do through their website. You can also earn points by taking surveys, watching videos, and shopping. Then, when you have enough points called SB, you can redeem them for cash, gift cards, and more. You’ll receive a free $5 bonus just for signing up through my link!

InboxDollars is another online rewards website I recommend. You can earn cash by taking surveys, playing games, shopping online, searching the web, redeeming grocery coupons, and more. Also, by signing up through my link, you will receive $5 for free just for signing up!

Another one you may be interested in related to this one is Nielsen Digital Voice. Digital Voice is a part of Nielsen, which I’m sure you’ve heard of. All you have to do is surf the web and you may be able to start earning money.

Become a proofreader for court reporters.

In 2014, Caitlin made slightly over $43,000 by being a freelance proofreader, while also going on several fun vacations. If you are looking for a way to make money on the side, this may be something you want to look into.

“Court reporters use digital stenography machines in combination with computer-aided transcription software to write verbatim records of various legal proceedings. They report depositions, trials, hearings, arbitrations, case management conferences, compulsory medical examinations, examinations under oath, and pretty much any other type of legal proceeding. Because of the sensitive nature of legal proceedings, it’s imperative that as many errors as possible be eliminated from transcripts — an especially major error could ruin an entire trial! A fresh set of eyes will 99% of the time catch more errors than the same eyes who saw the text from start to finish, too. An excellent proofreader is a huge asset to a court reporter — especially a court reporter who wants to make more money.” – Caitlin Pyle – Make Money Proofreading By Becoming A Freelance Proofreader

Answer surveys.

You can get paid to answer surveys and to test products all from the comfort of your home. Due to this, I think it’s one of the easy ways to make money on the side as you don’t need any experience, skill, inventory, or anything like that.

Survey companies I recommend include VIP Voice, American Consumer Opinion, Survey Junkie, Clear Voice Surveys, Pinecone Research, Opinion Outpost, Survey Spot, Prize Rebel, and Harris Poll Online. They’re free to join and free to use! It’s best to sign up for as many as you can as that way you can receive the most surveys and make the most money.

Clean homes.

“One great way for a person to start making some side hustle income is to clean houses. It’s a chore that’s always in demand (I personally hate having to clean), and it’s pretty easy to get into. You can make anywhere from $100 a job and up, all depending on the time and level of cleaning you do.” – Glen Craig

Find a part-time job.

There are many, many part-time jobs out there that may be able to work along with your schedule at your full-time job. You can find a job on sites such as Snagajob, Craigslist (yes, I’ve found a legitimate job through there before), Monster, and so on.

Start an e-commerce store.

“A great way to make a side income is with an e-commerce store. Unlike a blog or an info site which does not actually sell anything, an online store allows you to quickly scale and generate revenue immediately after launch. My wife and I made over 100K in profit in our first year with our shop.” – Steve Chou

Drive a taxi or become an Uber driver.

“Drive a taxi at night. I’m reliably told that on Friday and Saturday a taxi driver who owns his/her car can make up to $300 per night. Nothing to be sniffed at! But what you decide to do as ‘side hustle’ depends on what you like to do and what you are really good at. If you like dogs, start a dog walking/sitting hustle.” – Maria Nedeva

“I’m always looking for new ways to make a few bucks so that I can then share the results with my readers. I wanted to test out Uber so that I could see if it was worth it. I drove part-time (weekends and evenings). The first week of driving generated me $651.60. Since the article went live, many of my readers have started driving on the side. You won’t get rich, but the extra money adds up. The other positive is that you save money by not going out. This side hustle will help you pay off debt and save up for your major goals. Good luck on the road and cheers to your new friendships that you’re going to create.” – Martin Dasko

Related: How To Become An Uber Driver

Write online.

“Freelance writing is an excellent side hustle because you can commit your time “per article,” and work at any time of the day or night. Most people can expect to make $50 per article and up. However, a lot of people – including myself – make considerably more as a professional freelancer.” – Holly Johnson

Test websites.

“One cool way to earn money on the side is by testing websites. There are a number of sites out there, but UserTesting.com is the best. You get paid $10 for testing websites and apps and following their instructions. It’s simple, easy, and you can earn about $30/hour with this. The work is not guaranteed, but it’s a great way to maximize any of your downtime with earning extra cash.” – Grayson Bell

Prepare taxes.

“One great side hustle most people can easily learn is preparing taxes. If you start your own tax preparation firm, your potential is unlimited. However, if you’re just learning, try getting a part time job at a place like Liberty Tax or H&R Block or a local CPA firm. At the big brands, like Liberty Tax or H&R block, you can probably expect to make between $10 to $15 per hour depending on your location and experience. This job is generally only seasonal, so it allows you to have summers and the holidays off from your side hustle.” – Lance Cothern

Become a photographer.

“Photography! Most people only think to hire a photographer for big events like weddings and baby announcements because photographers are expensive. Charge $100-$200 for an hour package at a local park, and in one weekend by booking your friends and family, you can easily make $2k with just family portraits. With the popularity of photo cards from sites like Shutterfly, you can be a saving grace for families on a budget and you’d be surprised at how many folks you know who would hire a photographer in budget!” – Shannyn Allan

Create a website.

“I’ve created several simple websites about apps and websites that I like and use. I write about how the apps work, pros/cons, other similar apps, etc. Some of the apps or websites give me credits or money when I get new users to sign up or use their service. I’ve made about $4,500 over the last three years, and I haven’t spent more than a few hours working on the sites during the last two years. I’d say overall I only put in 20-30 hours.” – Louis DeNicola at Saveful.com

Become an online tutor.

Online tutoring has become an open market place for the gig economy. This is a great option to make money on the side, or even convert it to full-time. Studypool provides a great platform for tutors to simply answer student’s question and get paid (no video chat required). You can earn up to $500/week tutoring part time or potentially up to $60,000 a year tutoring.

Take part in research studies.

“If you live in a city, or near a university or teaching hospital, you can make money participating in research studies that need human subjects. Just go to craigslist, click on “volunteers”, and type in “research”. There are a wide variety of studies out there: some are medical (if you’re generally healthy, you can often be a control subject), and some are more about psychology or other related disciplines. You can make anywhere from $10-$20 for a short, one-time study to hundreds or even thousands of dollars for longer, more involved studies. Another benefit is that you get to learn about the research that’s being done, which is often fascinating.” – Sarah from The Yachtless

Make money online.

“The best way that I know how to make side income is online. Specifically, by freelance writing and blogging. The amount of make you can make online is unlimited. If you’re just starting, maybe you’ll make $500/month. But over time, you can increase your earnings to $5,000/month and before long even more than that. I don’t know another side gig where the income growth potential is so high.” – Natalie Bacon

Film weddings.

“One way that my wife and I made $5,000 in the past year on side income has been filming weddings. A year and a half ago we had no video experience. Once we bought a camera and posting videos, we’ve had friends and friends of friends start asking us to film their weddings. Most everything we learned about video came from asking other film peeps to show us the ropes or looking up “how-to” videos on Youtube. Since weddings are typically on the weekends, they really are an ideal side hustle. They don’t get in the way of our typical work week at all and they pay high margin. Once you have some film experience under your belt, you can charge $3-5k per wedding film, easily. If you’re interested in getting started filming weddings, I would recommend tagging along with an experienced shooter. From my experience, they are always looking for good help if you’ve got an eye for good shots and can work well under a little stress (there will be brides after all). This past fall we apprenticed and was well worth the long weekend shoots. We learned so much about shooting good wedding film and made a good amount of money in the process.” – Heath Padgett

Create a product to sell.

“I’m biased, but I think creating an online product and selling it is one of the best side hustles a person can do. But people shouldn’t be scared for the term “product”. A product can be anything – an idea or content, a course, a widget, a downloadable printout, anything! And there are so many different avenues to sell today: create a blog, start an Etsy shop, sell on eBay or Amazon. The great thing about the Internet is that there is somebody out there that is looking for something and everything. If you’re a teacher, sell your classroom notes. If you’re an engineer, share your though processes. Anything can be turned into content, and anything can be packaged and sold.” – Robert Farrington

“The ways to make a side income are really endless. I’ve encountered so many ways entrepreneurs are able to make a side income. Although blogging has been the most lucrative way for me to make a side income, my favorite way is creating courses. Creating a piece of content showcasing your expertise in a specific are and people paying you for it is a great and rewarding feeling.” – Jeff Rose

Manage databases, apps, and more.

“Managing, designing or configuring cloud-based apps- ranging from social media and content management systems (like WordPress) to databases. I learned to administer salesforce.com databases for nonprofits and last year made $6,000-$15,000/month pretty consistently working from home. (The going rate for these services is $50-$200/hour) What helped me was going through a self-study course on the platform, getting a couple of certifications, doing some spec work, then going out and asking clients if they needed my services. I call it “Learn, Slay It, Sell It.” Find out about growing trends, get up to speed then see if people will pay you to do it. If you become enough of an expert at it, they will! The nice thing is that it doesn’t have to be anything you studied in school, just something you studied on your own and mastered enough to be marketable.” – Aja McClanahan

Build websites.

“One way to make side income is to build websites for people and for businesses. The first website I ever built I charged $1200. Even if you dont know programming, it is easy to learn by watching free tutorials on Youtube. I think it would be very realistic to make $2,000 – $3,000 on the side building websites.” – Deacon Hayes

Become an alcohol demonstrator.

“Back in college, I made extra money on side side pouring alcohol samples for people in grocery stores. It was easy and paid well, considering how I don’t even know how to open a wine bottle (If I wasn’t using a product in a bottle that had a twist top, I asked someone else to help open it). The job paid $20 to $25 per hour and I could choose when I’d like to work and what job opportunities I’d like to accept. If you like to talk to people and prefer a laid back and good paying side job, being an alcohol demonstrator is definitely worth looking into.” – Chonce at My Debt Epiphany

Become a consultant.

“Become a consultant in your spare time doing some of the same work you might do in your full time gig. This works best with white collar office type roles where you can do your work at home at your computer. Just make sure you don’t compete with your current employer.” – Jim Wang

Tips from the experts on ways to make money on the side.

Along with the many different ways to make money on the side above, I also asked experts for their top tips when it comes to managing a side hustle.

“One of the best ways to think about how to make extra money is to identify what people are already paying for. I, for example, recently hired someone to manage my Pinterest account. That’s a great hustle you can master through a course or ebook, then execute from anywhere on your own time. Make someone else’s overwhelm your opportunity.” – Stefanie O’Connell

“Set boundaries. If you don’t you will get pulled in every direction and your health, personal life, finances, everything will suffer. Set boundaries for times you will work on your side hustle, what you are willing to do and stick to it. Don’t let checking social media creep into time you are watching your kids play sport or time you were going to work out. No money makes up for lost relationships or lost health. ” – Kylie Travers

“To accommodate a side hustle that makes a serious second income one ought to re-organise their life. I’d say that keeping a time/task diary helps. For a week write down all you do and how long you do it for. Analyse it and decide to stop doing anything that is: a) not productive; and/or b) doesn’t give you a lot of pleasure. You’d carve up a lot of time. You can also start looking for activities that you can combine to save time; e.g. running and commuting to work.”- Maria Nedeva

“My favorite (and least-favorite at the same time) way to manage everything (four kids & four blogs) is to work when our kids go to sleep. I will do some things during the day, but nothing that will require my attention for more than just a few minutes. My husband and I work from home, on our blogs, so we spend around 4 or more hours every night working side by side on them. We also try to squeeze in two hours during the preschool hours. This allows us to spend our time with our kids during the day and work together at night. While we might be a little more tired than usual right now (haha!) we figure that we can make up this time when our kids are older and in school. 😉 It is all about balance and finding time when we can. We can’t give 100% of ourselves to everything at the exact same time, so setting aside time for family and time for working is what works best for us – so we can give 100% to our family during the day and then 100% to our blogs in the evenings.” – Becky Mansfield

“My best tip for finding time to make extra money on the side is to give up watching tv. I used to watch one or two shows each evening, and now I spend that time working on my blog. I also stay up a little later than usual some evenings to get work done so I can spend my days with my kids. I’ve found that if you make it a priority, you will find time.” – Lena Gott

“You can make extra income in many ways – the only real limit is the limit you put on yourself. If you’re technically inclined, you can monetize that in your “off” hours. If you’re knowledgable about a certain topic you can freelance write in that area. Even if you have no skills, which I don’t believe, you can do something as simple as work around your neighborhood to walking/sitting for dogs while people are away from home. The opportunities really are endless to make extra income, you just need to want it and think outside the box.” – John Schmoll

“As someone who works full time and runs a blog on the side, I am a master at time management and planning. The best advice I have to managing both a job and a side hustle is to prioritize. If your job is number one and your side hustle is number two, then you may have to say no to anything that interferes with these two priorities (e.g. events with friends or family). Personally, prioritizing my goals and creating a plan to achieve them, have been the two most important factors to succeeding with a job and a side hustle.” – Natalie Bacon

“Organization of your time. I work a 9-5 job, I come home and walk my dog, then cook dinner. As you can imagine that doesn’t leave a ton of time for your side hustle. It means organizing your time for your side hustle. After I finish eating dinner, I budget an hour to my side hustle. Now that doesn’t seem like a lot, but if you do it every weekday that adds up to 5 hours you spent on your side hustle. You might have missed “Making a Murderer” but you added $100 to your pocket.” – Even Steven Money

“Because I was writing for my full-time job and also freelance writing/blogging as a side hustle, the last thing I wanted to do after an 8-hour day was come home and grind out more copy. Because of this, I leaned heavily on my weekends and my evenings became sacred. Every Sunday evening from 4-8 I’d work on my blog or any projects I had in the pipeline. Writing on Sunday evenings became so routine I find myself doing it now even though I work for myself full time and can write whenever I want! So that’s my advice: pick out a chunk of time that’s just for you and keep the date with yourself religiously. No one ever likes to hear it, but the truth of the matter is that it takes sacrificing in other areas of your life to truly side hustle and make it worth your time.” – Lauren Bowling

“Top tip: manage your time smarter. Managing your time has everything to do with FOCUS. Tasks will expand to the time you allot them, so schedule the things that are important to you, and stick to that schedule. It’s not about finding more time, it’s about leveraging the same 24 hours we all have in a day, and focusing on ONE goal at a time for your side income will help you accomplish that goal. Better yet, The Freedom Journal will guide you through setting and accomplishing your #1 goal in 100 days, so my top tip would be to grab The Freedom Journal and start taking action! :)” – John Lee Dumas

“The best way to find more time for side hustles is to eliminate things you thoughtlessly do that add no value. Consider how often you look at the same news feed updates on Facebook over and over again. If you just check Facebook once per day, you’ll get the same info and save a bunch of time.” – Lance Cothern

“My top tip for managing a side hustle is to be very organized. Every week, I have a “planning night” where I put actionable items on my calendar and then I follow through with them. I also use Trello to manage projects and outline what “steps” they are in and keep checklists in Trello so I make sure I don’t miss anything. A person can find more time for side income pretty easily – devote half an hour over lunch, or take time away from your favorite TV show to look for ideas, and then do them!” – Megan Harris

“The number one thing you can do to manage your life and your side hustle is to simply schedule time for it and have your family hold you accountable to it. You can make time for anything you set your mind to. You somehow manage to watch your favorite show each week, make dinner as a family, etc. Well, if making extra money is important, you’ll find the time. Maybe it’s before work or after the kids are asleep? There’s always time. The trick is, set a designated time, ask your spouse and tell your kids that this is what the time is for, and then use that time to make things happen!” – Robert Farrington

“Managing a side hustle is like any other aspect of your life. If you want to succeed at it, you need to prioritize it. So, allot the time, work through the time, make your side income and then get back to the other aspects of your life.” – Chris Ducker – ChrisDucker.com

“I’d suggest starting small with just a few hours a week. It’s easy to look at your free time outside of your job and think you can easily add 20+ hours of work per week. This can easily lead to burnout, and which might kill any motivation you had for side gigs.” – Jeffrey Trull

“One of the best things you can do for your goals is to wake up an hour early and *only* spend time working on what’s truly important to you. Sure you can watch less TV at night or hustle on your lunch breaks, but I find a single hour in the morning when everyone else is sleeping to be much more productive. And then you’ve started the day off with a major accomplishment no matter what else happens the rest of the day! It’s a beautiful thing!” – J. Money, BudgetsAreSexy.com / RockstarFinance.com

“Find something you enjoy doing that you don’t normally get to do otherwise. Turning it into a side hustle will offer incentive to make time for it. For instance, if you love pets and aren’t currently a pet owner, you can sign up with Rover and dogsit, or maybe work as a dog walker. That way you’re killing two birds with one stone.” – Jackie Lam

“The best way to make time for a side hustle is to learn to manage your time better. If you’re watching three hours of television each night, for example, you may need to give that up to work on your side hustle instead. If you’re still too busy, consider getting up at 5:00 or 6:00 a.m. I did that for over a year before I was able to quit my 9-5 job to pursue my side hustle full-time.” – Holly Johnson

“You need to make time for your side hustle. I would work on it during lunch, at morning before I went to work. Sometimes I would do it when on nights and weekends. I think most people could find 1 – 3 hours per day to work on a side gig.” – Deacon Hayes

“First, make a weekly calendar of all the events in your life. On that same calendar, enter in the blocks of time you plan on working on your side hustle. Treat those times like anything else that is important on your calendar. If you schedule time from 8-9pm on Wednesday and you forgot your favorite show is on, no excuses! Commit to these times and don’t let anything interfere that isn’t a family emergency.” – Jeff Rose

“My top tip for managing a side hustle is work at a scheduled pace. Set aside a certain number of hours every week and make sure that you make consistent progress. To find more time, I’ve replaced television and YouTube surfing for more productive activities.” – Steve Chou

“I used to struggle with finding extra time outside of my work and family life. The one tip I recommend is use your down-time more effectively. Instead of watching an hour of TV, take that hour and work on a side hustle. If you’re a night owl, use that when everyone else is asleep to create a business or develop a product. We don’t use all time effectively, but just taking chunks here and there and building a side hustle can change your life.” – Grayson Bell

“Choose your side hustle wisely. Choose to market your skills and talents instead of just looking at it from a financial standpoint. Earning a lot of extra money sounds nice, but if you don’t enjoy what you are doing, you will start to dread it quickly and it will take up more of your time. I’m able to work quickly and efficiently on side projects I enjoy so I can make the most of my time. I also try to cut out mindless tasks that take up time like binge watching television or browsing aimlessly through social media.” – Chonce

“The opportunities to earn extra money are endless. But your time and energy are finite. Prioritize a health diet, exercise, socializing, and relaxation. You will be rewarded with extra energy for a side hustle on top of your day job.” – Kate Dore

“You don’t have to make it a part-time job. Make it a hobby first and don’t stress out about getting it done immediately. Find five hours a week to work on the book. Spend a couple of months learning everything you can about the subject or developing the characters/idea. Books can be as short as 40 or 50 pages or as long as you want to write them.” – Joseph Hogue

“If you really see a future in what you are doing, invest in your “side-hustle” by creating systems and ways to duplicate yourself i.e. subcontracting work when possible. Since we are a debt free family, our “personal burn rate” was low enough where I didn’t have to pocket all the business revenue. I eventually began to subcontract workers to fulfill client requests. It was a huge time saver for me and kept it a part-time gig for me that was relatively stress-free.” – Aja McClanahan

“Choose a side hustle that you also get some sort of personal benefit out of, in addition to the extra cash. For example, you might choose a side hustle that helps you get more exercise, or that gives you the chance to earn a new skill, or that allows you to meet new people, or just something you find really interesting. You’ll be more likely to stick with it if there are multiple benefits.” – Sarah Noelle

“You need to make it a priority. The best way to make it a priority is to understand why you need this extra income – pay off debt? Save more for retirement? That goal will drive you. Then make sure you list all the non-essential tasks you do and rank them, your side hustle will be above some tasks… make sure you hustle before you do those tasks.” – Jim Wang

Hope you enjoyed this expert roundup on different ways to make money on the side. Do you want to make side hustle income? Why or why not?

Apache is functioning normally

June 3, 2023 by Brett Tams

If your appraisal is so low that you owe more on the house than you could sell it for, there are several options for you to consider.

The 30-year fixed mortgage rate keeps getting lower and lower, making it a great time to refinance your mortgage and cut your monthly payment. But as Pat Esswein, associate editor of Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine, reports, homeowners have to clear a few hurdles before they can refinance.

One of those hurdles is the appraisal, which determines the value the bank will assign to your home.

That’s an important number because it determines your refinancing options and affects your monthly payment and interest rate. For example, if your home value drops and your loan-to-value is higher than your lender allows, typically 80 percent, you have to either increase your equity with cash or pay for mortgage insurance.

I recently spoke with Esswein about ways to get the highest possible value before the appraisal, and what to do if your appraisal comes in low.

What to Do Before an Appraisal to Get a Higher Home Value

There are a few things you can do to get highest possible appraisal possible.

First, consider researching the appraisal company. “This may be a little bit of a stretch, but when looking for a lender, ask what appraisal management company they order appraisals from,” says Esswein.

What you want is an experienced appraiser who really knows your local market, and you’re most likely to find that kind of appraiser at “a smaller, local appraisal management company that probably pays more and therefore attracts the best appraisers,” says Esswein. “Some companies go for the cheapest hires who also are willing to travel really far, so that means they’re inexperienced and they don’t know your area very well.”

Second, get your home in shape. “Make your house show well,” says Esswein. “Clean, declutter and fix things that need to be fixed so that when the appraiser comes, they’ll note that your house is in the best condition it can be.”

While you’re at it, create a house file for the appraiser that documents any upgrades or recent repairs, such as the new roof you installed two years ago. “When the appraiser actually comes to your home, have the file ready for them and walk around with them to point out the upgrades,” says Esswein.

Third, research recent comparable home sales. “Even though you may feel that prices are rising in your market, and in many markets they have, the appraiser still has to find comparable recent sales to support the value,” says Esswein. “One recent comp doesn’t make a trend, and appraisers may be adjusting prices more slowly than you wish.”

Instead of hoping the appraiser will pull a complete list of comps, Esswein suggests contacting a real estate agent to ask for a list of recent comparable sales, which you can add to your house file. “An experienced real estate agent will know what’s most comparable to your house,” she says.

What to Do If Your Appraisal is Low

So what happens if your appraisal is lower than expected? Is it possible to get another appraisal from a different company?

Esswein says you could shell out $250-$350 for a second opinion, then appeal to your loan officer with the new appraisal. “But before you do that, you should ask your loan officer if they’ll even consider the second appraisal,” says Esswein.

It’s more likely that the first appraisal will stick, but you still have options for refinancing.

Let’s say your home is appraised for $180,000. You still owe $162,000 on the mortgage, which is 90 percent of the value of the home. What are your options?

When it comes to maximum allowable loan-to-value, 80 percent is usually the magic number, so there are three things you can do if you aren’t at 80 percent.

Option one: Bring more cash to closing. If you can afford to put in an additional $18,000 in cash, you’d reduce the loan balance to 80 percent of the value of your home.

“Keep in mind that even if you anted up that money, you still have to have enough money in your reserves to satisfy any lender requirements for adequate savings, which is usually two months’ worth of mortgage payments, but can be more,” says Esswein.

Option two: Refinance into an FHA loan. An FHA loan is a Federal Housing Administration-backed mortgage loan.

Although an FHA loan requires just 3.5 percent equity, “with recent increases in FHA’s upfront mortgage insurance and monthly premiums, private mortgage insurance (PMI) could be cheaper,” says Esswein. Which brings us to…

Option three: Pay for PMI. PMI protects the lender if you stop making payments. “Because home values have fallen, many homeowners who didn’t need PMI when they bought their home will need it when they refinance,” says Esswein.

If you opt to refinance and need PMI, there are two ways you can pay for it.

One way is to simply pay for PMI yourself, which typically costs 0.5 percent to 1.5 percent of your loan amount per year. “Your lender will add the cost of PMI into your monthly mortgage payment,” says Esswein. “You would continue to have to pay the extra premium each month until you have 20 percent equity, at which point you can contact the lender and ask them to cancel PMI. Otherwise, when loan-to-value reaches 78 percent, they have to drop PMI automatically.”

The other way you can pay for PMI is lender-paid mortgage insurance. With lender-paid mortgage insurance, the cost of PMI is folded into your interest rate. The less equity you have, the higher your rate. “The higher rate applies for as long as you have the loan, so this option makes sense only if you don’t plan to own your home for the long term,” says Esswein. “You’re going to have to pay the higher rate for as long as you have that loan, it’s not going to fall away when you reach 20 percent equity.”

Before you decide to take lender-paid mortgage insurance, Esswein says to calculate your monthly payments and the total interest you’ll pay over the life of the loan, based how long you plan to keep loan.

So if you have to take on PMI, is it worth it to refinance? After all, you’re trying to lower your payments, not add extra fees!

Esswein says that as long as you’re saving money, it’s worth it. “PMI is a tool you can use if you need it, and if you’re still reducing payments and saving on interest, then it makes sense,” says Esswein.

And even if you have enough cash to bring your loan-to-value to 80 percent, you might think twice about spending it. “Before you bring cash to the table, decide what else you might want to spend that cash on,” says Esswein. “Don’t drain your emergency fund to avoid PMI.”

Finally, if your appraisal is so low that you owe more on the house than you could sell it for, you have options, too. Esswein recommends makinghomeaffordable.gov, which highlights home loan programs and refinance options for people who are underwater on their homes.

Source: getrichslowly.org

Apache is functioning normally

June 3, 2023 by Brett Tams

The value of new loans has slid backwards, dropping in April after a solid rise the previous month.

According to the latest data from the ABS, the value of new loan commitments for housing fell 2.9 per cent to $23.3 billion in April (seasonally adjusted), after a 5.3 per cent rise the previous month.

ABS head of finance statistics Mish Tan said the value of new owner-occupier loan commitments fell 3.8 per cent to $15.4 billion in April, while the value of new investor loan commitments fell 0.9 per cent to $7.9 billion.

The value of new owner-occupier home loan commitments (excluding land and alterations, additions and repairs) fell 3.9 per cent to $14.3 billion.

Meanwhile, the number of these commitments fell just 0.1 per cent.

Compared to pre-pandemic levels from February 2020, the value of new owner-occupier home loan commitments was 10.2 per cent higher in April 2023, while the number of these commitments was 5.3 per cent lower.

The average value of these loans has risen by 21.8 per cent (in original terms) over this period.

The number of new owner-occupier first home buyer loan commitments fell 0.9 per cent, after a rise of 16.5 per cent in March.

This was 16.2 per cent lower compared to a year ago.

The value of new owner-occupier housing loan refinances between lenders fell 8.6 per cent but remained high at $13.0 billion, after reaching a record high of $14.2 billion in March. Borrowers continued to switch lenders amid a high interest rate environment.

The value of total new loan commitments for fixed term personal finance rose 1.5 per cent. Lending for the purchase of road vehicles rose slightly by 0.5 per cent.

The number of properties coming to market has slowed in recent months.

According to PropTrack, nationally, new listings in April decreased 28.3 per cent compared to the previous month.

Compared to last year, new listings were down 23.5 per cent in April.

Oxford Economics Australia senior economist Maree Kilroy said the imbalance between underlying demand and supply has placed a floor under prices.

“New listings have fallen to a decade low, and price growth has returned in markets where households have a greater incidence of purchasing with cash such as the upper quartile of Sydney, Melbourne and Perth,” she said.

▲ Oxford Economics Australia senior economist Maree Kilroy says new listings have fallen to a decade low.

“Whether price growth is sustained over the remainder of 2023 is uncertain.

“The impact of rising interest rates on existing at-risk borrowers is yet to play through, with a wave of fixed-rate mortgages to soon rollover. “This still has the potential to trigger a material lift in pressured sales that can offset the current momentum in property prices in the back half of 2023.”

Canstar finance expert Steve Mickenbecker said the combination of higher interest rates and supply constraints could mean even more potential buyers miss out in today’s strained market.

“The recovery in property prices in capital cities around the country in recent months is largely driven by a shortage of supply, rather than a return to buoyant demand for property.

“Sellers are sitting back waiting for more favourable conditions and that demand is unlikely to come before interest rate cuts become a near certainty.

“Raising a deposit is still a hurdle to home ownership, made all the more difficult by higher rents and other living costs.

“But affordability of repayments has now become an even greater deterrent and it is going to be quite some time before we see any relief.”

Canstar’s analysis shows the average variable rate for existing borrowers has risen from 2.98 per cent in April 2022 to reach 6.73 per cent after the cash rate rise of May of this year.

This adds about $1133 a month to repayments on a $500,000 loan over 30 years or $2268 on a $1-million loan.

Source: theurbandeveloper.com

Apache is functioning normally

June 3, 2023 by Brett Tams

INSIDE: Need help knowing how to budget? This step-by-step guide will help you create a budget that actually works. Includes free printable budget spreadsheet template!

This post may contain affiliate links. That means if you click and buy, we may receive a small commission. Please see our full disclosure policy for details.

When you’re trying to pay off credit card debt or save money, you’ll hear it time and again: “You need a budget.” But if you’ve never created a budget, the mere thought may make you want to run and hide. Making a spending plan that works is not hard, however, if you have someone to help you.

create a budget that works

If you’re ready, I can help. Below you’ll find step-by-step instructions to follow to create your budget, whether you’re a beginner or have budgeted in the past.

You can use a pen and paper with our printable form or software for online budgeting.

Improving your money management skills doesn’t just mean spending less. It also means learning about your spending habits and making changes.

A few tweaks may help you pay off your debt and reach long term goals, such as saving for retirement.

MY BUDGET JOURNEY

I know it can be terrifying to really look at how you spend your money. Trust me, I’ve been in your shoes. But I’ve learned that the things that were the most challenging in my life have led to the biggest rewards.

Declaring bankruptcy was a low point for me. But it also taught me many valuable lessons about personal finance. Most importantly, I learned why I must have a budget.

My husband and I used to have a “bare bones budget.” Except it wasn’t, really. Rather, it was a piece of paper where I’d write down who I had to pay every month, so I didn’t forget.

When we began our journey to become debt-free, we had to look at all aspects of our finances. One thing we did was sit down together to create a budget.

Seeing our expenses and income in writing for the first time still sticks with me. I remember being in tears. It was shocking to see that we had not been in better control of our money.

Creating a budget made us acknowledge where we were, and we realized that we didn’t like what we saw. It instantly provided us with a goal: We wanted to make positive changes and get out of debt. It took time, but we did achieve our goal (and that was one of the best moments of my life).

I am going to be blunt here. Creating your first budget and managing your money with it will bring significant challenges your way.

But I can guarantee that it will be worth it in the end. Just wait until you can finally control where your money goes instead of the other way around. It is liberating.

Before we begin, you can download our free budget form by clicking on the pink box below.

If you want something more high-tech, I recommend You Need A Budget (YNAB) or EveryDollar. These are apps I’ve tested and reviewed. Both work very well, so I’m confident recommending them to you.

WHAT IS A BUDGET?

A budget is a plan that lists your estimated income and expenses for a specific period of time. Most people use a monthly budget period. Budgets are helpful for everyone, no matter what your financial situation is.

Tracking your spending in the past helps you predict your future cash flow so you can start saving more.

WHAT SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN A BUDGET?

It’s important to include every dollar you earn and spend when making a budget. Tracking your income is easy, but your budget should also include spending categories. Some you need to remember to use include:

Your list may include more categories or fewer. Our budget template includes categories that will cover just about anyone.

Read more: The categories you need to include in your budget

HOW TO CREATE YOUR BUDGET

Now that you have your categories, it’s time to start filling in the numbers. Follow these instructions to prepare your budget.

Step 1: Gather Necessary Papers

Before you begin, be sure you have all the things you’ll need. These include (but are not limited to):

Bank statements, including debit card payments
Pay stubs
Credit card statements
Utility bills
Monthly bills from various stores
Personal/vehicle loan information

Step 2: Calculate Your Income

Next, look at your pay stub(s). Your budget should reflect your monthly income. If your paychecks come more frequently than once a month, some simple calculations are necessary to come up with an accurate monthly income.

Here are some formulas to help you:

If you’re paid biweekly (i.e., every other Friday), add four pay stubs and divide by two to get your average monthly income.
For monthly pay, you can use the income you see if the amount listed for each pay period is the same. Otherwise, add three or four months’ worth of income and divide by the same number of months.
If you’re paid weekly, take the total of four income periods.
When you’re paid hourly or on commission (i.e., your income fluctuates), add your last four months of salary and divide by four to reach an average. If your income varies frequently, you’ll need to adjust your budget more often than someone with a regular income. You may also want to follow our tips for creating a budget with irregular income.

Step 3: Determine Fixed Expenses

You must make certain payments, such as your mortgage or rent, insurance premiums and car payments, on a regular basis. These recurring expenses are usually a fixed amount.

If your bill varies slightly each month (for instance, if your utilities aren’t on a budget billing system), take the past three months’ worth of statements and average them to get your estimated payment.

You can use a spending form to figure out the exact amounts to include in your budget. For example, say your October gas bill is $45.79, your November bill is $52.95, and your December bill is $49.22.

Add those three numbers and divide by three to reach your average (in this case, $49.32). I recommend you look at the months when your utility bills are the highest. For instance, you may use more gas or oil in the winter, so use those months as the basis for your budget.

One of the most important rules of personal finance is to pay yourself first. Do this by adding categories for saving. You need to save for a rainy day as well as for long term goals, such as college or retirement.

You can set up automatic transfers each month from your checking account to a savings account for your emergency fund (aim to build up at least three months’ worth of living expenses). If you have a retirement plan at work, such as a 401(k), your money is automatically withdrawn from each paycheck before you get it.

Step 4: Calculate Discretionary Expenses

Your discretionary expenses include those that vary more, such as food, gasoline and clothes. Treat them the same way you treated the gas bills described in step 3. Make sure you take the average of three months’ spending to get the figures to add to your budget.

Be sure to include occasional expenses, such as car repairs and maintenance. The goal is to pay these bills with your regular income instead of running up credit card bills.

Step 5: Fill in the Numbers

Transfer the figures you’ve calculated above to the appropriate spots on the budget form or spreadsheet. Put your monthly income at the top, followed by the amounts for each expense category.

The categories listed on our form are a guide for tracking your spending. You can add categories that aren’t included or ignore the categories you don’t need.

Add all your income and all your expenses. Then subtract your expenses from your income. The result should be zero. If it’s not, then figure out the changes you need to make.

If your total is a negative number: You’re spending more than you earn. Reduce your spending until the total reaches zero.
If your total is a positive number: You haven’t spent everything you make. Either increase your debt payments or your savings.

FINE-TUNE YOUR BUDGET

After you complete your budget for the first time, you may feel discouraged. As mentioned above, it happened to us. But once we started to rework the numbers, I began to feel better. I began to feel like I could live with a budget. It was tough, but nothing in life worth having is easy!

To balance your budget, first look at your fixed expenses. One I always like to mention is cable. We found out we were paying way too much and found a way to cut the expense in half. (As much as we would like to cut the cord entirely, we’re not yet there.)

Perhaps you could do the same and sign up for a lower-cost cable plan to free up some income. There are many other ways to reduce your monthly expenses, such as reshopping your insurance or refinancing your mortgage.

Once you’ve cut back your fixed expenses, it’s time to look at your discretionary spending. Perhaps you’re eating out a bit too much, so your budget takes a hit. You may even be overspending on shoes. These are areas where you might need to scale back to balance your budget.

Making these decisions isn’t fun, but consider what is more important: paying off debt or buying a bigger television. These are choices only you can make. But if you’re willing to scale back now and pay off debt, it will be worth it when you can buy that new TV or those new shoes without guilt!

If you’ve scaled back on everything you can and your budget still doesn’t balance, make some calls to your debtors. Ask for a reduced interest rate or a lower minimum payment on your credit cards. You never know what they will accept until you make those phone calls.

My husband and I wanted to get out of debt, so we decided that we wouldn’t eat out as often. For more than two years, we ate dinner out no more than 10 to 20 times a year. We saved a lot of money, which we used to pay off debt. It was challenging, but the result was well worth the temporary sacrifice.

WHAT TO DO ONCE YOU HAVE A BUDGET

First of all – congrats! You now have a budget you can use. You should revisit and update your budget at the end of each month.

After a few months, you probably won’t need to make any changes. But if you get a raise, have an added expense or finally pay off your car, that will require a shift in your budget numbers. Remember that your budget must always end in zero!

Creating a budget isn’t easy, but once you have one set up and continue to refer to it, it will pay off. You’ll find it helps because you are now telling your money where you want it to go rather than it telling you where it is going each month. Financial control is a fantastic feeling.

how to budget for beginners

Source: pennypinchinmom.com

I learned from the stress.

Financial stress is like any other stress.

Related Posts

Below are my tips on how to make a budget and creating a budget.

The positives of creating a budget.

Should a budget be electronic or on a piece of paper?

You MUST track your income and spending.

Budget category: Income.

Budget category: Expenses.

Keep your loved ones involved when creating a budget.

Make changes when/if needed when creating a budget.

Related Posts

What is an HSA?

Who Can Get an HSA?

Pros of Opening an HSA

Flexibility of Uses

Tax Incentives

No ‘Use-It-or-Lose-It”

You can Earn Interest

Responsible Planning

You Can Take It With You

Retirement Advantage

Free Preventive Procedures

Cons of Opening an HSA

Restrictions

Cost of Office Visits and Prescriptions

Fees

State Tax

Not Meeting the Deductible

$32000 a year is How Much an Hour?

Let’s breakdown how that 32000 salary to hourly number is calculated.

What If I Increased My Salary?

How Much is $32K salary Per Month?

$32k a year is how much a week?

$32000 a year is how much biweekly?

How Much Is $32K Salary Per Day

$32000 Salary is…

32k a year is how much an hour after taxes

32k salary lifestyle

What a $32,000 lifestyle will buy you:

When A $32,000 Salary Will Hold you Back:

$32k Salary To Hourly

$32K a year Budget – Example

recommended budget percentages based on $32000 a year salary:

Is $32,000 a year a Good Salary?

Is 32k a good salary for a Single Person?

Is 32k a good salary for a family?

Can you Live on 32000 Per Year?

What Type of Coverage Should I Get?

What are the rates for a 56 year old?

What Risk Tables Does a 56 Year Old Operate On?

Getting the Best Rates on Your Life Insurance Policy

What Is a Beater Car?

What is the point of a beater car?

Should you drive beaters?

How Can You Recognize a Beater Car?

Is a Beater Car Worth It?

Definitely Worth It

Um, Hello – No!

What is the price of a beater car?

Beater Car Benefits:

#1. Cheap Price

#2. No Car Payments

#3. Cheaper Gas

#4. Cheaper Parts

#5. Minimum Insurance Coverage

#6. Less Depreciation

#7. More Freedom

Beater Car Downsides:

#1. Less Safety

#2. Low Probability of Longer Trips

#3 – Higher Maintancence Costs

Which Are the Best Beater Cars?

What are some good beater cars?

What to Check Before Buying a Beater Car

Specifics to Look For:

Questions to Ask Yourself:

How to Buy a Beater Car

1. Finding One to Buy

2. Check the VIN Number