Friend of the blog Matt sent in a great question this week:
Hi Jesse – do you have any recommendations when it comes to life insurance? I know Term is the way to go, but that’s about all I got…
I scanned your blog posts and didn’t see anything too specific with it but if you have any guidelines for pricing or coverage recommendations, please let me know!
Matt
Matt’s Right. We Want Term!
Matt’s right. Term life insurance is the best option in 99.99% of cases.
Other types of life insurance (Whole, Variable, Universal, etc.) are bloated products that are “pushed” and “sold” far more often than they’re genuinely sought after. These products try to combine investing with insurance and end up being overpriced versions of each.
Some things aren’t worth combining!
The smarter option is to buy insurance that only acts as insurance and then use your remaining money to invest in pure investments. Term life insurance is just that life insurance product. All it does is provide money to your beneficiaries if you die. If you don’t die, it doesn’t pay. It’s simple.
But Do We Need Life Insurance?
How do we determine if someone needs life insurance?
I use the same framework I would use for anyinsurance question (home, boat, pet llama insurance, etc.).
Are you exposed to a financial risk that you could not comfortably recover from using your current asset base?
Let’s say your house burns down. Does that present a financial risk you could recover from using your current assets (cash, investments, etc)? If you answer no, then you need home insurance. (If you have a mortgage, your lender likely mandates you have insurance so they’recovered should the house burn down).
If your wedding ring got stolen, does it present a financial risk you could recover from? Personally, I wear a ~$200 tungsten carbide wedding ring. If my finger got stuck in a tragic 3-ring binder accident while compiling someone’s financial plan, I could replace that $200 ring without issue. I do not need ring insurance. Granted, the cosmetic costs of finger reconstruction might make me wish I had better health insurance…
Back to the point: that’s the framework to use! Does the downside risk present an insurmountable financial burden to you (or your beneficiaries?)
The answer for many younger readers with dependents (spouses, children) is a screaming YES. As in, “If I died and the family lost my income, it would be very financially uncomfortable for many years!”
But how much coverage do you need?
My Preferred Methods: Income Replacement and “DIME”
The two methods I prefer (and suggested to reader Matt) are the Income Replacement method and the DIME method.
Income replacement suggests you replace your income for a certain number of years, typically until your children reach a particular age or until your spouse reaches retirement age.
In my personal case, I wanted to replace my income until my youngest child (who is still technically hypothetical) is out of the house. I chose a 30-year term policy equivalent to ~20 years of my income (with a small discount rate for future years). No matter when I get hit by that proverbial bus, 20 years of income should cover my youngest child until they’re out of the house.
The DIME method adds up any outstanding debts, add in your income for a certain number of years, then adds your remaining mortgage, and finally adds on future expected education costs. Debts, income, mortgage, education.
The DIME method double-counts a few things. For example, I’m using my income to pay my debts and mortgage. I shouldn’t need to double-count them. Nevertheless, I like the idea of itemizing the biggest future expenses (college costs, mortgage payoff, etc.) and ensuring your life insurance policy can cover them.
The Best of the Rest
Other strategies I’ve seen for sizing life insurance policies include:
The Human Life Value (HLV) method. It asks an individual to consider their annual income for each year until their retirement, add in other benefits and bonuses, subtract the income used for their personal consumption, and then discount future income to today’s value.
Done correctly, this method should provide the beneficiaries with a lump sum of the resources you would have expected to provide to them over the remainder of your working life. It’s just a bit too complicated and mathematical for most people to get right.
The Budget-Based method simply multiplies your household’s monthly expenses by the number of months you expect those expenses to be maintained. It’s similar to Income Replacement, but looks at expenses rather than income.
Lastly, the “Rule of Thumb” (which I think is a poor name!) suggests you multiply your income by 10. Very much “one size fits all,” which is why I don’t like it.
Granted, one detail to note is that most life insurance sizing strategies are intentionally conservative, leading to policy sizes that are large enough during the highest-risk years but end up being too large as time goes on.
For example: a young family might need a $2M, 25-year policy on each parents. But by the time the kids are in college, that $4M of total coverage is surely too much.
Thanks for the question, Matt!
And to all of you: term life insurance is a smart financial planning move. But I hope none of you ever need to collect!
Thank you for reading! If you enjoyed this article, join 8500+ subscribers who read my 2-minute weekly email, where I send you links to the smartest financial content I find online every week. You can read past newsletters before signing up.
-Jesse
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Looking for the best ways to get free money from the government? Getting free money from the government might sound too good to be true, but there are actually several ways you can receive financial assistance. From helping with monthly expenses to finding unclaimed funds, these programs and resources can be a big help. The…
Looking for the best ways to get free money from the government?
Getting free money from the government might sound too good to be true, but there are actually several ways you can receive financial assistance. From helping with monthly expenses to finding unclaimed funds, these programs and resources can be a big help. The key is knowing where to look and meeting eligibility requirements.
This article will show you different ways to get extra money from the government. Whether you need help with your bills or want to get back money that belongs to you, there are many options for you.
Best Ways To Get Free Money From the Government
Below are the best ways to get free money from the government – for housing, children, health insurance, food, and more.
1. Apply for unemployment benefits
If you lose your job, you might be eligible for unemployment benefits. These benefits can help you cover some of your expenses while you look for a new job.
To qualify, you usually need to have worked a certain amount of time in the past year. Each state has its own rules, so you should check your state’s specific requirements.
You can apply for unemployment benefits online or by phone, and be ready to provide details about your recent jobs and earnings. This will help determine how much you can get each week.
The benefit amount is based on a percentage of your earnings from your previous job. It can range from about 40% to 60% of your past earnings. This money can be a helpful bridge while you search for new work.
Each week, you’ll need to report if you’re still unemployed and looking for a job. Some states may also ask you to document your job search activities so it’s important to follow these rules to keep receiving benefits.
Unemployment benefits probably won’t cover all your expenses, but they can make a tough time a little easier. Remember to apply as soon as you lose your job to start getting support right away.
2. Check for child tax credits
Child tax credits can be a big help for families.
You might be able to get money back from the government if you have kids such as for childcare or for just having children. The amount you can get depends on your income and the number of kids you have.
The Child Tax Credit now gives up to $2,000 for each child.
Make sure you check if you qualify for these credits. You can find out more by visiting the IRS website or talking to a tax expert.
3. Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)
The Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program helps pregnant women, new mothers, and young children get healthy foods. This program is a great way to get extra help when you need it the most, and this is free government money for low-income families. It’s focused on keeping you and your little ones healthy and well-fed.
If you’re pregnant, you can get help right away and continue to receive it for up to six months after giving birth. If you have children, they have to be under the age of 5.
To qualify, you need to meet income guidelines and show that you are at nutritional risk. This can include being underweight or having a diet low in essential nutrients. WIC then provides monthly benefits that can be used to buy specific foods like milk, eggs, and fruits.
To apply, you need to contact your state or local WIC office (you can start by Googling “WIC + your state name”). They will tell you what documents to bring and where to go for your appointment.
4. Use SNAP for food assistance
SNAP stands for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. It’s a government program that helps low-income families buy healthy food. If you qualify, you get an EBT card loaded with funds every month.
Using SNAP is easy. You can use your EBT card at most grocery stores and it works just like a debit card.
To qualify for SNAP, you need to meet certain income and other eligibility requirements. These can include having a low income based on your household size.
SNAP can be a huge help if you’re struggling to afford groceries. It allows you to buy essential foods like fruits, vegetables, meats, and dairy products.
5. Free and reduced breakfast and lunch at school
Your child may be able to get free or reduced-price meals at school through several programs, and these programs make sure kids have healthy meals every day.
The most well-known program is the National School Lunch Program (NSLP). It provides low-cost or free lunches to millions of children in public and nonprofit private schools.
Schools many times also have the School Breakfast Program. This is similar to the lunch program but focuses on providing a nutritious morning meal.
In addition to these programs, there is the Special Milk Program. This program provides milk to children who do not participate in other meal programs.
Some schools offer the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP). This allows schools in high-need areas to serve breakfast and lunch at no cost.
To find out if your child is eligible, check with your school. They can guide you through the application process and let you know what your child qualifies for.
6. Seek Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) is a government program that can help you if you’re facing hard times. It provides financial aid to families with children who are struggling to make ends meet and can help with childcare, job training, and finding work.
To apply for TANF, you need to contact your local TANF office. They will help you through the application process and let you know what documents you need.
It’s important to know that each state runs its own TANF program, so the benefits and services might vary. Be sure to ask your local office (you can also reach out to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services) what specific help they can offer.
7. Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)
If you need help paying your energy bills, you might qualify for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). This program helps low-income households with their heating and cooling costs.
LIHEAP provides federal funds to reduce energy costs. This can include help with your energy bills and dealing with energy crises.
You can also get help making your home more energy-efficient. This is known as weatherization and might include things like adding insulation or fixing drafty windows.
8. Early Intervention and Head Start
Early Intervention services are great for families with young children who have special needs. These services help kids from birth to age three. They offer things like speech therapy, occupational therapy, and more. Most services are free, and others have a sliding scale fee. They make sure your child gets the help they need, even if you can’t pay.
Head Start programs are for kids aged three to five. They help with early learning and development. Head Start also supports families with health and dental services.
Both Early Intervention and Head Start focus on getting kids ready for school. They help children learn and grow in important ways and also support families by connecting them to resources they may need.
You can usually self-refer your child to these programs (each state has its own), or ask your pediatrician for a referral.
9. Apply for college grants
College grants are a great way to get free money for school. Unlike loans, you don’t have to pay back grants. They can help cover your tuition, books, and other school expenses.
One of the most well-known grants is the Pell Grant. For the 2023-24 school year, the maximum Pell Grant is $7,395. This grant is for students with financial need.
Another option is the Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG). This is for students with exceptional financial need. The amount you can get depends on your school and your financial situation.
To apply for these grants, you’ll need to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The FAFSA helps the government determine how much aid you qualify for.
Many states and schools also offer their own grants. Check with your school’s financial aid office to see what you might be eligible for. It’s a good idea to apply for as many grants as you can.
Grants can make a big difference in paying for college, so it’s worth the effort to apply. Make sure to look for scholarships too!
10. Public Student Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program
The Public Student Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program can help if you work in public service. This includes jobs like teaching, nursing, firefighting, and more. If you work in these fields and have federal student loans, you may be able to get your remaining loan balance forgiven after ten years of payments.
To qualify, you must work full-time for a qualified government or nonprofit organization. You also need to make 120 qualifying monthly payments under a qualifying repayment plan. Only payments made after October 1, 2007, count toward the 120 payments required.
The program mainly benefits people who work in low-paying, but important, public service jobs. It’s a way to give back while also getting financial relief. Though the application process can be long and require careful tracking, many find the effort worth it when their loans are wiped out.
11. Claim Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC)
The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) gives low- to moderate-income workers and families a tax break.
If your income is under a certain amount, you might qualify. This credit can either reduce the taxes you owe or increase your refund. For 2024, the EITC amounts can go up to $3,995, based on your income and family size.
To claim the EITC, you need to file a tax return, even if you do not owe any taxes. You should fill out Form 1040 and a Schedule EIC if you have qualifying children.
12. Get housing vouchers
Housing vouchers are a great way to get help with rent. They are commonly known as Section 8. These vouchers help low-income families, seniors, and people with disabilities afford safe and decent housing.
To get a voucher, your income must be below a certain level and this varies by location and family size.
With a voucher, you can choose any housing that meets program requirements. This gives you some freedom to pick a home that suits your needs best. The government will pay part of the rent, making it more affordable for you.
13. See if you qualify for down payment assistance
Buying a home can be tough, especially when it comes to saving for a down payment. That’s where down payment assistance programs can help prospective homeowners.
These programs come in many forms. You might find grants, loans, or other types of aid to help you with the down payment. Each state offers different programs and some are more generous than others.
To qualify, you’ll need to meet certain requirements. These can include income limits or being a first-time homebuyer.
14. Apply for Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is a program that gives monthly payments to people who are disabled, blind, or over 65 and have limited income. You may get help with food, rent, and medical bills.
To apply for SSI, visit the Social Security Administration (SSA) website. There, you can find the application forms and details about the process. You may need to provide information about your finances and living situation.
The application can be done online, by phone, or in person. If you’re under 18 or applying for someone under 18, there are special forms for children.
15. Look for health insurance in the marketplace
We all know that health insurance can be very expensive. Before you skip it, I highly recommend comparing pricing of health insurance on the Health Insurance Marketplace to see if you can find something more affordable for you and your family.
It’s a great way to get coverage and possibly save money. Sometimes, if you qualify, you can get free or low-cost health insurance plans.
Go to Healthcare.gov to start, and each state has its own Marketplace, so follow the specific steps for your state. It can be a little confusing, so make sure you have no distractions and can spend some time doing this.
During the open enrollment period, you can choose a new plan or keep your current one. If you’ve had a big life event, like losing your job, you might qualify to sign up outside the usual enrollment times.
16. Medicaid
Medicaid is a state and federal program that helps people with low incomes get health care. If you qualify, you can receive free or low-cost medical services, like doctor visits, hospital stays, and even prescription drugs.
Medicaid is especially helpful for families, pregnant women, seniors, and people with disabilities.
One of the best parts is that Medicaid covers a wide range of services – you can get help with dental care, mental health services, and even long-term care.
Your income and family size usually determine if you can get Medicaid.
17. Search for unclaimed money
You might have unclaimed money waiting for you. This money comes from many sources like unpaid wages, forgotten bank accounts, or unclaimed insurance benefits.
You can check by going to unclaimed.org, the website managed by the National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators (NAUPA).
Each state has its own database for unclaimed property. Check your state’s website to see if there is money owed to you.
Frequently Asked Questions
There are several ways you can get money from the government to help with different needs, like paying for food or getting extra support if you don’t make a lot of money.
What ways can I get money from the government?
There are many ways to get free government money. You can apply for unemployment benefits if you lose your job. Families can also check for child tax credits, which give extra money for children. Programs like WIC and SNAP can help with paying for food, and students can get free and reduced breakfast and lunch at school.
How can I get help from the government if I don’t make a lot of money?
Low-income families can use programs like WIC (Women, Infants, and Children), SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program), TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families), LIHEAP (Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program), and more to get help from the government if they don’t make a lot of money.
How can I borrow money from the government?
The government offers student loans for education through programs like FAFSA. Small businesses can apply for loans from the Small Business Administration (SBA). There are also some loan programs based on specific needs like starting a farm or buying a home.
What is FAFSA?
FAFSA stands for Free Application for Federal Student Aid. It’s a form that students fill out to get financial aid for college. It can help you get grants, loans, and work-study opportunities to pay for your education.
Can I borrow money from my social security benefits?
No, you cannot borrow money from your Social Security benefits. Social Security is designed to provide income during retirement or if you become disabled, so it’s not a source of loans or advance cash.
Is there free grant money for bills and personal use?
Yes, there can be grants for specific needs like paying utility bills or home repairs. You might also find grants for education, food, and health care. Check with local and federal agencies to see if you qualify for any of these grants.
How do I find out if I qualify for any government assistance?
You can visit government websites or contact local agencies. Many state and local governments have online tools to check your eligibility. It’s also helpful to reach out to community organizations that can guide you through the application process.
How To Get Free Money From the Government – Summary
I hope you enjoyed this article on the best ways to get free money from the government.
There are many ways to get free money from the government, such as for housing, to help pay for your children’s expenses, to afford health insurance, to buy food, and more.
Note: There may be changes or updates to the free government programs above. I recommend contacting the program to learn more. Also, please be sure to stay safe with your sensitive information and only use official websites (look for .gov websites and official government organization websites to start with to avoid scams).
What do you think of these free government programs? Have you ever used any of the ways above to get free money from the government?
Despite the prevalence of TikTok videos and recent articles detailing stories of individual college graduates struggling to find good jobs, the data tells a different story.
After all, the overall labor market is stronger than it’s been in decades. And Zoomers who recently graduated from college are certainly better off, in most respects, than previous generations of new grads.
“If you’re a recent college grad, right now things aren’t booming with opportunities like they were a couple years ago,” says Nick Bunker, economic research director for North America at Indeed Hiring Lab. “But it’s still really a relatively solid labor market. And hopefully, fingers crossed, the market stays strong for a couple years. And that gives you more opportunity to find a job as opposed to hanging your hat for the first six months after you graduate.”
When you compare the labor markets faced by Zoomers with previous generations, recent college grads now are better off than their older counterparts: Zoomer grads are earning much higher salaries today than Gen X did in the mid-1990s. Inflation may eat away at Gen Z’s high wages, but it doesn’t touch the stagflation of the 1970s and 1980s that baby boomer college graduates encountered.
The short recession that Gen Z experienced at the start of the pandemic is certainly no Great Recession, which technically lasted less than two years, but was followed by several years of tepid economic growth. That period stymied recent millennial graduates during crucial early employment years and is likely to negatively impact their lifetime earnings.
“It’s not just the year that you graduate,” says Bunker. “Your first years out probably make the most difference because that’s when you’re getting your foot on the career ladder.”
Gen Z bounced back fast
Despite the fact that the oldest cohort of Zoomers — 2020 grads — entered a job market with the highest unemployment rate in the modern era, that recession lasted just two months. And what followed was one of the strongest economic bounce backs ever.
The nation’s unemployment rate has hovered between 3.4% and 4% since December 2021. The current rate, 4.1%, remains among the lowest in 50 years, which means Zoomer college graduates have strong prospects for getting jobs right out of school and moving up the career ladder.
Bunker says the job market has cooled compared with two years ago. There is far less competition among employers than in 2022, which means fewer opportunities, according to Bunker. But it’s not all that dramatic in the broader context.
“If we wind the clock a little bit more and compare to what we saw pre-pandemic, it’s around those levels,” Bunker says. He adds that when compared with previous cohorts of graduates, job opportunities are roughly in line with those enjoyed by millennials who completed college in the early 2000s.
Gen Z’s unemployment outlier
Even with all of the positive aspects of the current labor market, there’s still a unique trend among recent Gen Z graduates that earlier generations haven’t faced: an unemployment rate that’s higher than overall unemployment.
It’s a particular quirk seen when you parse unemployment data among recent graduates over the past 30 years. The unemployment rate as of March 2024 for recent graduates was 4.7% — a full percentage point higher than the overall unemployment rate at that time, 3.7%.
This is an unusual development. Before 2018, the unemployment rate among recent grads was almost always lower than overall unemployment, due to strong employer demand for highly educated workers.
The reversal is likely because there’s been a surge in demand for non-college-educated service workers since the pandemic.
Underemployment is still high among recent grads
Labor data shows that underemployment — the rate of those with college degrees who are working jobs that don’t require degrees — has always been higher among recent graduates compared with all bachelor’s degree holders.
“They go ahead and get that college degree and then they can’t get on a career track that uses that education,” says Elise Gould, senior economist at the Economic Policy Institute (EPI), a nonpartisan think tank.
It doesn’t help that certain job sectors have become more crowded. Majoring in computer science, for example, doesn’t guarantee a job anymore as tech companies pull back from hiring.
Underemployment among computer science majors is higher than those who study health-related programs, education or engineering, according to a February 2024 report by The Burning Glass Institute, a labor market analytics firm, and Strada Education Foundation. But fewer computer science majors are underemployed when compared with those who study social sciences, psychology, humanities and business management.
As of March 2024, some 40% of recent graduates are working in jobs that don’t require a degree versus 33% of all college graduates, according to data from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.
Salaries for recent grads have spiked
Gen Z college graduates can expect higher-than-ever salaries when they enter the job market: The typical recent college graduate with a four-year degree can anticipate a salary of around $62,609, according to an analysis of employer job postings and third-party data sources by ZipRecruiter, a job posting site. That roughly matches the Federal Reserve Bank of New York’s finding of $60,000 as the median annual wage for a recent graduate with a bachelor’s degree.
As the chart below shows, current median salaries are above those held by earlier generations of newly minted graduates when adjusted for inflation.
Even though salaries are at a peak for recent grads, the latest cohort might not be earning what they expect: A survey released by Real Estate Witch, a housing market research and review site, found 2023 graduates expected to make around $85,000 at their first job and the minimum salary they said they would accept is around $73,000. However, Real Estate Witch found that the average starting salary for a recent grad is about $56,000.
“If you’re a young person graduating now, maybe the differential between what you expected and what reality is, is quite large,” says Bunker.
It’s also possible that wage growth for young new hires may have plateaued as the momentum in the overall labor market that was pushing wages higher has now slowed, says Liv Wang, senior data scientist at ADP Research Institute, which measures workforce data. “If we look at ages from 23 to 26 — that includes a lot of recent grads — and the median hourly base pay for them is like $17, and that per-hour has been little changed since June 2022,” says Wang, citing recent ADP data.
Still, as Gould points out, young workers are disproportionately lower-wage workers — even if they have a college degree.
Jobs for New Grads: How Does Gen Z Stack Up Against X and Y?
Find out what the overall labor market was like when cohorts from Generation X and Generation Y (aka millennials) entered the workforce after college compared with today’s graduates. Read more.
Gen Z grads do face economic and employment uncertainty
Today’s college graduates heading into the workforce aren’t free from economic challenges. They’re dealing with elevated inflation that eats away at their wages. And when you earn less — as most young workers do — higher costs take a bigger bite. In recent years, the cost of housing has skyrocketed, especially for renters, while health insurance and car ownership have both grown more expensive. And, Gould says, like generations before, young workers fresh out of college who have student loan debt will carry an additional burden.
Salaries, overall, may be higher than ever, but it varies based on your degree. And there are still persistent gender and racial inequities to earnings, Gould points out.
But once again, the data shows it is still a pretty good time to be a college graduate and, in general, to have a degree.
It still pays to get a college degree
Those with college degrees remain more likely to be employed than workers in the same age group, ages 22 to 27, according to an analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Even an associate degree or professional certificate can give young workers a leg up, as many areas of the country are facing a shortage of middle-skills labor.
In March 2024 the unemployment rate for recent college grads — those ages 22 to 27 — was 4.7% compared with 6.2% for all young workers in the same age group.
(Photo by Nic Antaya/Getty Images News via Getty Images)
Navigating personal finance can be tough for young adults, especially with limited education on the topic in school. Sound financial advice is crucial for making smart decisions about budgeting, credit, and investments. Learning these skills early helps avoid debt, poor money management, and financial mistakes. Here are the top 10 best financial advice tips for young adults to set you on the right path.
1. Create a Budget
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Creating a budget is key for managing your money. It helps you track your spending and ensure you’re not living beyond your means. A simple step to managing your money properly.
To learn more: How to Budget Money
2. Manage Your Debt
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Managing debt is crucial. Keeping debt low and paying it off quickly helps maintain a healthy credit score and financial stability. As a young adult, it best to stay away from the temptation to spend on credit.
To learn more: How to Get Out of Debt in 5 Easy Steps
3. Invest Your Money
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Investing is vital for a secure future. Start early and let your money grow over time. It’s all about patience and consistency. Start by investing a minimum of 10% of each paycheck.
To learn more: The Simplicity of Investing
4. Start Saving Now
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Start saving early. Even small amounts can grow over time. An emergency fund can provide a safety net for unexpected expenses. Use a money saving challenge to make saving more fun!
To learn more: Top 20 Epic Money Saving Challenges Unveiled to Save Money
5. Limit Your Expenses
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Limiting expenses helps save more money. Track all your spending, even small purchases, to understand where your money goes. This will help you to invest the rest!
To learn more: How to Budget Money on Low Income: 20+ Tips to Cut Spending
6. Build Passive Income Streams
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Building passive income streams can boost your financial stability. Find ways to earn extra money through hobbies or skills.
To learn more: Find a Side Hustle that Works for You
7. Create a Cash Reserve
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Having a cash reserve prepares you for unexpected expenses. Save three to six months’ worth of income for emergencies.
To learn more: Breaking Down the Purpose of a Rainy Day Fund
8. Learn About Taxes
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Understanding taxes is important. Know the difference between your gross and net pay to manage your finances better.
Learn More: Difference Between Earned Income, Passive Income and Investment Income
9. Consider a Term Life Insurance Policy
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A term life insurance policy is affordable for young adults and provides financial protection for your future family.
10. Take Action
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Taking action is essential. Set clear financial goals, break them into steps, and stay persistent to manage your finances effectively. Don’t delay starting your financial stability!
Learn More: 10 Smart Financial Goals That You Need
Find More Ideas for Young Adults
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These tips for young adults will help you manage money well and not make the mistakes many others were guilty of. You can build a strong foundation with money. Make your finances a priority and you can quickly reach financial independence.
To learn more: Financial Advice for Young Adults: 10 Easy to Follow Money Management Tips
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More importantly, did I answer the questions you have about this topic? Let me know in the comments if I can help in some other way!
Your comments are not just welcomed; they’re an integral part of our community. Let’s continue the conversation and explore how these ideas align with your journey towards Money Bliss.
The latest annual report from The Counselors of Real Estate highlights 10 major issues expected to impact the housing industry in 2024, but developers are painfully familiar with at least two of them: labor shortages and skyrocketing capital costs.
Today’s market conditions help illustrate the case for green, factory building as an effective solution for developers, especially for those who’ve put projects on hold due to rising interest rates and dried up investor pools. Transitioning to factory building from on-site construction reduces building costs by 20% and significantly improves delivery time; and by using green materials, developers can open up new financing options that, together, turn project economics right-side-up.
Addressing a dwindling workforce and increased labor costs
The United States construction industry is facing an extreme labor shortage, falling short of roughly 650,000 workers needed to drive the completion of critical residential and infrastructure projects across the country. The root cause of this shortage is multifaceted – but is largely driven by an aging work population and a lack of interest from young talent. The result is a sharp increase in labor costs, and longer construction times. U.S. developers spent an extra $30 billion to $40 billion in 2022, drastically impacting bottom lines and the ability to get new projects financed. And the problem is only getting worse.
Factory-built homes aren’t new but are severely under leveraged by developers for multi-family construction. For one, factory-based construction reduces labor costs by making work more efficient and tapping into labor pools that traditional construction can’t access. Traditional construction requires workers to move from house to house and project to project – and less time actually building. And the itinerant nature of the work makes it unattractive to a large part of the workforce.
Good factory builders, on the other hand, operate like car production lines, where the structure moves to the workers who are specialized and stationary. Those workers produce more per labor hour, which means less labor cost per square foot of structures built. And, because the work is done in one place and in more pleasant and controlled factory conditions, it is easier to attract talent, particularly people who might not usually consider construction as a profession, such as women and younger workers.
Time is also money. Factory building doesn’t just provide a developer with confidence in delivery timelines by avoiding inclement weather or scheduling delays; it can also cut build times and skilled labor hours by up to 50%. Shortening the build time means less project overhead, and less interest carry. Those are savings that go straight to a developer’s returns.
Green isn’t just the color of money – it’s the source of untapped funding
In addition to higher costs of development, projects are also sidelined because of reduced availability of bank financing, higher interest rates and investors unwilling to pick up the slack. Just a few years ago, a developer could borrow up to 80 percent of a project cost, but in today’s economic environment, only 50-60 percent of a project is likely to be financed – leaving a significant gap. Here, too, green factory building can be a solution. Energy efficient homes open the door to new and better financing options.
There are innovative factory-based builders who use materials and assembly methods that allow for significant energy savings that will endure for the life of the home or building. The energy efficiency of this type of construction makes it eligible for “green” financing. Green bonds, for example, are earmarked to raise money for climate and environmental projects, and they enable sustainably minded investors to fill the gap that traditional investors have left.
By reducing the total cost of a project with labor and materials savings and then adding better financing options, a developer can get back to delivering projects that meet financial objectives. For example, consider a project with a total cost of $50M. With traditional onsite construction and today’s capital costs, this project may only deliver an unattractive 15% IRR. But consider a scenario where factory-based construction allows a developer to reduce the total cost of the project by 10% or more and also access green financing to cover upwards of 30% – that same project could be delivering an IRR greater than 30%.
Given market conditions, it’s no surprise that multifamily construction starts are down substantially– but not for lack of demand: there’s an estimated deficit of 3.8M homes across the U.S. In other words, opportunity is knocking for developers who can structure economically viable projects. With the right factory-based, sustainable builder, it’s possible to get back to strong IRRs and sustainable profits.
Chris Anderson is the CEO of Vantem.
This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of HousingWire’s editorial department and its owners.
To contact the editor responsible for this piece: [email protected]
While there is no widespread preferential mortgage, and family mortgages are not available to everyone, developers and banks are launching their own programmes
Photo: Динар Фатыхов
Widespread preferential mortgages have not been available in Russia since Jiuly, and even extending te family mortgage will not radically solve the problem due to its limitations. “In June, developers fulfilled the plan by almost 200%, but within a week and a half in July, many have experienced a negative situation — almost no clients in their offices.” This is how developers are describing the decline in sales of new buildings. According to them, they are forced to create joint programmes with banks — to subsidise rates, instalment plans and so on. The Central Bank is dissatisfied, but “without this, we will get a market decline or stop,” people from the industry are saying.
Family mortgage extended in Russia
Real estate market played discussed how the mortgage market was doing without government support at a business breakfast in Kazan on 10 July. Shortly before it began, it became known about the extension of family mortgages in Russia. The news was greeted with enthusiasm, but it was noted there was no as massive support for families as before. Parents of children under six years of age inclusive, as well as disabled children, will be able to take out a loan at a rate of no more than 6%. And only for the construction of a private house. You can buy an apartment only in small towns with a population of up to 50,000 people and regions with little construction or those with their own development programmes.
“If you look at the number of children under 18 years of age in the republic and compare it with the number of children under 6, this is the main difference from the previous programme, then there are approximately 3-4 times fewer such families today. This also needs to be taken into account,” said Aygul Latypova, executive director of Ak Bars Dom.
“If you look at the number of children under 18 years of age in the republic and compare it with the number of children under 6, there are approximately 3-4 times fewer such families today,” said Aygul Latypova. Dinar Fatykhov / realnoevremya.ru. Динар Фатыхов / realnoevremya.ru
The loan limit in the programme will be 12 million rubles for Moscow, Saint Petersburg and their regions and 6 million for the other regions. You can combine a preferential loan with market programmes (for loans above 6-12 million, interest will be charged at the market rate), in this case, loans are limited to 30 million and 15 million rubles in big and remote regions, respectively.
“With a 21% rate, mortgages and home purchases have become unaffordable”
Only a limited category of citizens will be able to take advantage of a family mortgage. Therefore, in order to keep the market of new buildings from falling, an alternative to the cancelled mass preferential programmes are needed, people in the industry are saying.
“We have come to the point that mortgages began to live according to market conditions. Now the rates are equal to 21%, and there is no need to say that the market is doing well. If we compare monthly payments under preferential programmes and the current rate of 21%, the amounts have tripled. Borrowers who are now taking out a mortgage pay about 95% of their payment only as interest to the bank. Therefore, I consider such rates to be an obstacle; due to them, mortgages and home buying have become unaffordable,” said Rustam Azizov, director of mortgage sales and implementation of financial instruments at A101 Group of Companies.
The developer gave an example from Moscow where average loan size for an apartment for 12 million rubles is 10 million. At the current level of market mortgage rates of 21-23%, the monthly payment exceeds 180,000 rubles. “At the same time, only 2,500-3,000 rubles from this amount go to repay the loan itself, and the rest goes to interest repayment. Thus, the amount of overpayment for an apartment worth 12 million rubles for the entire loan repayment period is more than 33 million rubles,” the speaker explained.
To replace the public preferential programmes, developers and banks are offer their own programmes: subsidised rates, instalment plans, combo mortgages and so on. In particular, once can take out a mortgage at 8% a year now. The rate for the first few years will be subsidised by the developer. Of course, the apartment in this case will cost more.
“I consider such rates to be an obstacle; due to this, mortgages and home purchases have become unaffordable,” said Rustam Azizov. Dinar Fatykhov / realnoevremya.ru . Динар Фатыхов / realnoevremya.ru
“In general, we probably need to somehow restructure our thinking and try to work without government programmes. It is clear that if we completely remove state programmes now, everything may stop altogether, so they are making some restrictions — now for a family mortgage, they demand the child to be under 6 and so on. But somehow we all worked before the pandemic, and it still worked out. We need it to make it work out now,” urged Anatoly Norshtein, founder of Metr.Club mortgage aggregator.
“The regulator encourages us to make discounts, but this is not always reciprical”
As Realnoe Vremya already reported, a month ago experts predicted a serious decline in sales in the new real estate market — up to 40%. The first days of July and the cancellation of preferential programmes partially confirmed these fears.
“In June, developers fulfilled the plan by almost 200%, and in for one and a half weeks in July, many people had a negative situation, there were almost no clients in the offices,” noted Rustam Azizov. “That’s why banks and developers are now offering some alternative options to reduce the market rate at least in the short term. Let’s hope that the key rate will decrease in 2025-2026 and mortgages with high rates can be refinanced,” he noted.
The Central Bank is closely monitoring the development of the mortgage market and the work of banks with developers to create their own home buying programmes. “The regulator calls them schemes, we still call them a method of purchase: for the developer, it is a method of implementation, for the client, it is a more or less accessible method of purchase,” the developers object. The Central Bank expressed its dissatisfaction calling on credit institutions and developers to better offer discounts to clients. But the industry has noticed that this is not always possible.
“If the Central Bank begins to somehow limit the programmes from developers, this will be quite problematic. The regulator is encouraging us to make discounts, but, unfortunately, this is not always reciprocal. If my discount is 20%, this will not lead to a monthly payment where we will subsidise this 20% according to the programmes. In other words, the payment will still be significantly higher,” explained Aygul Latypova.
“The regulator is encouraging us to make discounts, but, unfortunately, this is not always reciprocal,” the speaker explained. Dinar Fatykhov / realnoevremya.ru. Динар Фатыхов / realnoevremya.ru
The Central Bank is working to create and implement a mortgage standard in Russia. However, while it is not there, all attempts to maintain the development pace of the mortgage market cannot be cancelled, the industry is convinced: “This is wrong, simply because then there will be no alternatives or opportunities for market development. Imagine if the same subsidised rates from the developer did not exist now. Let’s be honest, our monthly payments have tripled according to the market rate, but the real incomes of the population have not increased since q July. What are we talking about then?”
“Mortgage was born in Ancient Greece in the 6th century BC, lived for 2,600 years and will definitely not die after 1 July,” Arkady Bocharnikov, head of the mortgage lending department of Ak Bars Bank, was positive.
The speaker provided general data on the issue of mortgages in Russia. Recent months have shown that about 2 million families annually improve their living conditions through mortgages. The ratio of mortgage debt has, of course, increased, the speaker admitted, but at the same time, our indicators are still lower than in the USA and Germany. Russians have taken out a mortgage for 18 trillion rubles, which is 11% of GDP.
“We have the potential here, we can increase the mortgage debt of the population 4 times, and the economy will do great.” Therefore, I would not say that after 1 July there will be no mortgages. In terms of big numbers, we still have to grow and grow,” the expert believes.
In terms of housing provision, the figure reached 25 square meters per resident of Russia ,and an annual increase is approximately a square metre. We haven’t yet reached the level of other countries; we can double the amount of housing owned by the population, the speaker added. “It should also be taken into account that it is the size of all the Khrushchyov blocks of flats built in the 1960s and 1950s , which, of course, need to be updated.”
We can increase the population’s mortgage debt four times, and the economy will do great, noted Arkady Bocharnikov. Dinar Fatykhov / realnoevremya.ru. Динар Фатыхов / realnoevremya.ru
“Developers are now in such conditions that we do not determine how much we can sell”
Arkady Bocharnikov believes that with the cancellationf of preferential programs, alternative ones will be actively developed — from banks and developers. In his opinion, they will be especially in demand in the next years.
“We launched a mortgage at 8% for a year or two, and at the moment this is salvation. But it also requires costs from the developer. With such market rates, despite all the standards and prohibitions, the market still forced us to create joint programmes with banks. Without this, unfortunately, we will either have a market decline or a stop. Developers are now in such conditions that we do not determine how much we can sell. We have estimated financing, our sales are strictly regulated. Therefore, banks are interested, and we are interested in creating mechanisms to make housing affordable,” Aygul Latypova emphasised.
In the next month, all major players in the mortgage market will present their programmes to support demand for primary housing, says Rustam Azizov: “Banks like developer are also interested in maintaining the pace of house sales and, as a result, the issue of mortgages. Such loans have an extremely low level of overdue debt — 0.02%. In addition, mortgage borrowers have a fairly high LTV rate, that is, readiness to use other banking services.”
According to Anatoly Norshtein, market mortgage rates will not decrease to the numbers that are acceptable for most apartment buyers until mid-2025. “The mortgage market will survive but through special joint programmes with developersas well as programs that were not previously in high demand,” the expert believes.
According to Anatoly Norshtein, market mortgage rates will not decrease to the numbers that are acceptable for most apartment buyers until mid-2025. Dinar Fatykhov / realnoevremya.ru. Динар Фатыхов / realnoevremya.ru
The future demand for housing in the next two months was largely met in June, so the sales figures of July and even August will be irrelevant; the real situation will not be clear until September, experts say.
“Until this moment, the market may see a transition to targeted support for certain categories of citizens (doctors, teachers, employees of core enterprises), which can more effectively resolve important government issues. In addition, it seems appropriate to extend government support for mortgages for young families in order to encourage young people to start families and have children at a younger age, says Rustam Azizov.
One of the options, in his opinion, could be the Youth Mortgage that can be extended to young professionals under 30. It can be implemented within a new Youth of Russia national project. The maximum loan term in the programme can be increased, up to 50 years, this will help reduce the monthly payment. The interest rate in the programme taking into account subsidies from the state can be no more than 3%. At the same time, it is recommended to set the maximum loan amount at 15 million rubles for Moscow, Saint Petersburg and their regions and at 12 million rubles for the other regions.
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Have you ever thought about life lessons about money?
Honestly, most of us haven’t because we go through our day-to-day lives without taking the time to reflect or even journal about our experiences.
This past week, I had the chance to visit my kid’s elementary school during lunchtime. It has been a LONG time since I have stuck foot in a lunchroom. Wow – that room is loud! Really quickly I realized some lunchtime lessons we tend to forget in life.
These are the best money lessons you need to know.
The teachers were present to keep the lunchroom in order. My hats are off to them! They are amazing ladies with gifted talent (and personally, I am thankful for each of them). They kept control of the chaos to make sure the students did what they needed to do – eat lunch while still enjoying their friends.
After observing the students and the teachers, I realized habits start at a young age. If those habits, don’t change. Then, the cycle repeats. As kids, we learn behaviors whether good or bad (and most of them stick with you through your adult life).
It is a matter of choosing which path we want to live.
So, you are probably wondering what does an elementary lunchroom and money have in common??? I’m going to unpack four lessons learned in grade school that people struggle with in their money life.
These are the financial lessons you must embrace to enjoy a life of financial independence.
How Can I Learn About Money?
Just like reading, writing, and arithmetic, financial literacy is important. It is a building block to becoming financially secure. More specifically, being smart with money opens up doors of opportunities.
You are in the exact place you can learn about money.
Here at Money Bliss, we believe people want to learn to alter money management, so they can enjoy life and money.
Unfortunately, financial lessons are not taught in school or at the home.
So, that means as a college student or young adult, you must become self-taught. There are lots of various opinions and advice that you can get. Some of the best money books are highly rated because they have solid money management tips that are life-changing.
Stick around our Money Bliss tribe! I guarantee you will find insightful tips as many others have that will change your personal finances.
Money Lessons You Need in Life
The important lessons in life are simple.
They are basic practices in life. These are not specific tactics to help you get out of debt, budget better, or save more money.
Your mindset will determine success or failure – just by how you are thinking.
Research has proven that your mindset will determine your outcome.
These are the daily money lessons you need to remember that will help you reach financial freedom.
These life lessons about money are you already know, but you may need to practice them more often.
1. Stay Disciplined
The first lesson is about discipline. Going back to the lunchroom, the kids know the expected behavior. It takes discipline to sit down and actually eat lunch vs. throwing food and chatting with friends then no food is eaten. As adults, we know how much income we make and how much we can spend. With money, it takes discipline to stay within a budget or as I prefer to call it – Cents Plan.
In today’s society, there are many ways to fast cash whether by using credit cards, payday loans, or even a home equity loan. It is super easy to rack up thousands and thousands of dollars in debt in a short amount of time. While it may be fun spending all of that fast cash, it comes at a steep price called interest.
Discipline is living within your means.
It takes discipline to say, “No, you can’t afford this.”
Even better is learning how to live below your means and save more money each month.
2. Avoid Pushing the Boundaries
Oh, children are the best at the second lesson! How far can I push the boundary? At what point, do I actually cross the line? During my time in the lunchroom, I observed students after students trying to push the boundaries. Remember, they have wonderful teachers who have taught them the expected behavior.
However, it is natural behavior as humans to test the boundaries.
With money, pushing the boundaries typically starts out small. $20 over on groceries this month. $100 on eating out because we had to celebrate a birthday. Picking up that one item just because it is on sale even when there isn’t enough money to cover the basic expenses. Then, after time, it starts a snowball effect.
It just keeps rolling and rolling, getting bigger and bigger until overspending is out of control and the person is now smothered in debt.
With money, is pushing the boundaries truly worth it? Why should you test your own boundaries when money is at stake? The answer is no. Stop pushing the boundaries.
In the end, you are only hurting yourself financially by testing the limits and causing undue stress.
Related Money Management Posts:
3. Keep the Focus
Um, hello? Are you listening? Still, reading? Good! Yes, focus is the third lesson.
The lunchroom serves one primary purpose – fill up the belly with food before the next class comes in. However, my observations proved that was the last priority on any of those kids’ agendas. Thankfully, the wonderful teachers were present to provide guidance and focus them back on the task on hand. Did it take one reminder? Um, no. Many reminders to stay focused on their primary purpose.
In our society, there are MORE distractions than ever before. Plus the distractions will keep growing exponentially as technology advances and history has proven. So, what does that mean for you and your money?
Develop a plan and stay focused. Don’t stray. Don’t let others change your plan. Focus.
When we paid off our student loans, we were focused on ONE thing. Pay off our loans as soon as possible. Thus, freeing up cash flow in our Cents Plan. We didn’t stray. No changing our minds when things got tough. We stay focused on our vision – PAY OFF OUR STUDENT LOANS.
Staying focused means creating an overall money vision and making money goals.
Every single day, you are focused on making decisions that will make sure reaching your money goals is attainable.
4. Accountability
Teachers through school help keep kids accountable. They were present in the lunchroom making sure chaos didn’t break out. These teachers provide a firm guiding hand with a huge dose of caring love.
Wouldn’t it be great to have an accountability standard for money? Unfortunately, we don’t have many great examples around us. The U.S. Government is trillions of dollars in debt. Most Americans carry debt on their shoulders while living paycheck to paycheck.
We have never been taught to be accountable with money.
The first step to being accountable with money is an accountability partner – either your spouse, friend, or coach. Someone who will keep your best interests in mind.
The second step is to have benchmarks to hold yourself accountable to. Understand how our tagline “Where Cents Parallel Vision” means to you and how to apply it to your life. Make sure to set long-term visions with attainable short-term financial goals. Also, journaling your journey is a great way to stay focused and track progress!
If you are struggling to find accountability, make sure to join the Money Bliss Tribe!
Related Money Management Posts:
What’s the best lesson you’ve learned about money?
Personally, for me, it is living with millionaire habits and possessing their mindset. This all happened well before becoming a millionaire and deeply in debt.
It started by believing that I could be successful with money.
These powerful money lessons helped shaped my perspective, and ultimately, the desire to change money statistics with this blog and online business.
If you are stick in the negative mindset of always being poor or broke, that is where you will stay (unless you decide to take control of your mind). Living paycheck to paycheck is an unfortunate place to be.
If you believe that you can become a millionaire, then that is the best lesson you will learn about money, too.
Every money decision is a building block towards financial freedom. There isn’t one thing that will take you from negative net worth to over $1,000,000.
It is a cumulative effort of many daily resolutions that will change your personal finances.
You Need these Important Lessons about money
All of these money lessons we learned early in life, but still need reminders on a constant basis.
In all honesty, they will help every facet of your life. Build the life of your dreams and find money success.
Don’t forget these personal finance lessons:
Stay disciplined
Stop pushing the boundaries
Focus on money goals
Keep accountable
Think like a millionaire
In order to succeed with money and become financially free is to put into practice the lessons taught in school. We don’t have teachers watching over our every move to guide us.
We need to remember why it is so important to stay disciplined, stop pushing the boundaries, stay focused on our plan, and find accountability.
One of the benefits of the Money Bliss Steps to Financial Freedom is it provides a guide with all of these money lessons on how to succeed the fastest.
The steps are to be done in order, therefore, stay focused on the current step and not be distracted. Ten steps to walk through your life’s journey. They won’t happen overnight.
Just like in school… you took one grade at a time, learn what in needed to advance to the next grade.
Take these important lessons about money and willingly use them in every aspect of your life. You will be overcome with how much you are capable of accomplishing!
The Money Bliss Steps are developed to build upon one another and lay the foundation for financial freedom.
Learn how to manage your money, your way. Not have your money manage you.
Side note on teachers and mentors… I am thankful to all of the teachers who dedicate their lives to enriching students’ lives. Each and every one of you makes this world a better place! Thank you.
Know someone else that needs this, too? Then, please share!!
Did the post resonate with you?
More importantly, did I answer the questions you have about this topic? Let me know in the comments if I can help in some other way!
Your comments are not just welcomed; they’re an integral part of our community. Let’s continue the conversation and explore how these ideas align with your journey towards Money Bliss.
High prices and elevated interest rates, combined with low inventory, are discouraging homebuyers in the Charleston region, as demonstrated by the double-digit percent decline in sales last month.
June should have been one of the busiest months for the residential market, but sales across the nation slumped for the third month in a row.
While Charleston tends to be insulated as a popular move-to destination, Berkeley, Charleston and Dorchester counties’ home sales fell 13.1 percent, according to preliminary data the Charleston Trident Association of Realtors released July 9.
And much of that has to do with buyers struggling to sell their homes elsewhere to relocate to the Lowcountry, said Jarrett Hodson, banker with Sweetgrass Capital in Charleston.
“People were getting aggressive coming into summer wanting to move, but for a lot of people it didn’t work out,” Hodson said.
In June, 1,587 homes changed hands in the region, a notable drop from the 1,923 sales in June 2019, the year before the pandemic. Sales volume is still higher for the first six months of 2024 compared to the same period of 2023 but barely, by less than 1 percent.
“What’s happening is if somebody can’t sell their house in Ohio, they can’t move to Charleston,” Hodson said. “There’s been a heavy, heavy movement from the Northeast, the West, but as those markets take a hit (so does Charleston).”
As a result, home sale contingencies — where a would-be buyer can walk away from a sale if they can’t sell their home by a certain date — are rising, he added.
While some can’t move, other potential sellers are unwilling give up their low-interest mortgages in the 3 percent range that they locked in during and before the pandemic, said Tara Bittl, an agent with Realty One Group Coastal in Mount Pleasant.
“We used to say people moved every five to seven years; now we’re trending closer to 11 because of that interest rate change,” she said.
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The lack of movement contributed to the local inventory level rising for the fifth month in a row to 3,813 properties, which is still considered low. A balanced market would have about 7,000 listings.
Bittl said the reduced inventory has a number of impacts, from bidding wars in certain areas to casual buyers putting their moving plans on hold.
Without genuine motivation, they really need their “heart to swoon” to commit in this market and there aren’t enough options out there right now, she said.
The Federal Reserve has yet to take action that would ease mortgage rates, which are making it more expensive for buyers to borrow at a time when real estate prices and home insurance premiums also are rising.
The average 30-year-fixed mortgage rate sits at 6.95 percent and 15-year FMRs are 6.25 percent as of July 3, per Freddie Mac.
Median home prices in the Charleston area continued to rise in last month, increasing 4 percent to $425,000 and up 57 percent since mid-2019. Insurance runs about $3,400 on average in South Carolina, according to the National Association of Realtors.
“You have to consider the cost of everything, not just the interest rates,” said Stacy Smith, broker in charge of Smith Spencer Real Estate in Charleston. “A young person buying a home is now totally pushed and it’s daunting.”
Turnkey homes are selling quickly at every price point, she added.
Homes where sellers want top-of-the-market prices for even what they consider minimal work are sitting, pushing the average days on market in June to 35 days, up 25 percent year over year, according to the June sales report.
Homebuyers want houses they don’t have to fix up, Smith said. Borrowing money to replace a roof or refurbish floors comes at a higher cost, too.
Homes in Nunaka Valley neighborhood of East Anchorage. (Loren Holmes / ADN)
Last year in Anchorage, housing reached its least affordable level in the last 21 years — worse even than during the Great Recession more than a decade ago, according to new data from the Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development.
State economists reported a similar statewide trend in May. In 2023, housing in Alaska was at the least affordable level since 2006.
The cost of home ownership in Alaska has increased dramatically since 2018, according to data provided by Alaska Housing Finance Corp. The average mortgage payment — principal loan amount plus interest, but excluding property taxes, insurance and other costs — rose by 52% between 2018 and 2024.
Rents have soared in that same time period.
“The rental market has gone up by about 24% in terms of the pricing escalation across the state,” said Daniel Delfino, an economist and director of planning at Alaska Housing Finance Corp.
City officials have called the situation in Anchorage a housing crisis. They’ve pointed to a tangle of factors: the spike in housing costs, a low rental vacancy rate, a rising number of short-term vacation rentals, a decline in housing development, increasing building costs and a labor shortage, among others.
The new data sheds further light on the difficulties of renting or buying a home in Anchorage today.
It’s become a central issue in recent city policymaking and discourse. Mayor Suzanne LaFrance, sworn in on Monday, says housing is a top priority for her administration.
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The Assembly has aimed to spur more housing development with a series of changes made to city code over the last two years. Late last month, the Assembly voted to essentially eliminate single-family zoning in the Anchorage Bowl, by allowing duplexes to be built in areas that were previously zoned only for houses.
To Assembly Vice Chair Meg Zaletel, one of the sponsors of last week’s measure, a housing crisis means that people across the economic spectrum “can’t achieve appropriate housing, attainable housing that’s suitable to their needs,” she said.
“That’s renters who are stuck at the top of the rental market who can’t move into home ownership. That’s people needing to double or triple up in order to afford rent. That means there just aren’t enough housing units for the market to respond to the various circumstances and needs,” she said.
More expensive, fewer homes for sale
Downtown Anchorage, photographed from Fish Creek. (Loren Holmes / ADN)
The median rent in Anchorage increased by 7.8% since last year, rising from $1,275 to $1,375 in 2024, according to AHFC’s data. That doesn’t include the cost of utilities.
AHFC’s rental data comes from a yearly survey in March done by the state Department of Labor. It “runs the full gamut” of rental housing, from studios to four bedrooms and larger, and excludes rentals that have income restrictions, like those for affordable housing programs, Delfino said.
This year’s increase comes after Anchorage rents rose 14.2% in 2022 and jumped another 5% in 2023, according to state data.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development defines being “housing cost burdened” as spending more than 30% of a person or household’s monthly income on rent or mortgage payments and utilities.
Among economists, there isn’t a broadly used definition of a “housing crisis,” nor is there a defined level of ideal affordability, said Rob Kreiger, an economist with the Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development who authored the May report.
That’s because what may be affordable varies by the circumstances and income of an individual, he said.
But with Anchorage housing at its “least affordable level” in two decades, “I think right now, what we’re seeing is, it’s really prohibitive for first-time buyers to afford a home, and it’s really expensive to rent as well,” Kreiger said.
Statewide, “it’s more expensive, and there are fewer homes on the market,” Delfino said, adding that the reported number of homes sold and mortgage loans recorded has dropped “pretty significantly over the past couple of years.”
According to the National Association of Homebuilders’ chief economist, more than 86% of residents can’t afford the cost of a newly constructed home in Anchorage.
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State economists measure home purchase affordability with the Alaska Affordability Index, a calculation that uses the average mortgage payment and average monthly wages to determine how much income it takes to afford a home.
An average index of 1 would mean that average monthly wages are just enough for one person to afford the average monthly mortgage payment for an average priced home.
The state and Anchorage saw the lowest indexes — the most affordable housing — in 2020 and 2021. Mortgage interest rates dropped significantly during that time as the federal government took actions to stabilize the economy during the pandemic, Kreiger said.
But by 2023, Anchorage’s affordability index jumped to 1.8. That means to afford the average Anchorage home, it takes about two people working full time at the average wage.
The Anchorage-specific data only dates back to 2002, and housing last year was at its least-affordable level in that timespan.
In 2023, Alaska’s overall affordability index was 1.66, the highest since 2006. That dataset dates back to 1992.
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‘Alaska has a problem with keeping young people’
What the state data doesn’t show or quantify is how the rapid increases in housing costs are affecting everyday residents, Delfino and Kreiger said in separate interviews.
“Given that things have moved a lot, and so quickly recently, it’s that stuff underneath the data set that affects real people that I would say is probably really pressing when we talk about the affordability,” Delfino said.
Before passing the zoning measure, the Assembly last month heard an outpouring of testimony from Anchorage residents. Many described struggling to find homes to rent or buy, or told stories of loved ones moving away because housing here is scarce and expensive.
“Based on my experiences as a renter and as a young person in Anchorage, it is very difficult for young people to find adequate housing in Anchorage. If you have a pet — forget about it,” said Sean McDowell, a renter in South Addition. McDowell said he lost his previous housing because the owner turned it into an Airbnb for the summer.
“We all know that Alaska has a problem with keeping young people. If there’s nowhere to live for young people, if it’s difficult to find a long-term rental in Anchorage, young people are going to keep leaving,” McDowell said.
Sean McDowell testified before the Anchorage Assembly about the lack of affordable housing at a meeting in June . McDowell is a renter in the South Addition neighborhood, where he was photographed this week. (Anne Raup / ADN)
“To what extent is housing playing in people’s decision to leave or stay here? It’s hard to say,” Kreiger said.
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As homeownership becomes more expensive, the point in a person’s life when they switch from renting to buying a home moves further out, Kreiger said in his May report.
“That gap is wider and wider, so it’s harder and harder to make that transition. So we see people that, six years ago, would have become homeowners, staying in an increasingly tight renter market,” Delfino said.
And then there’s wages.
For some Alaskans, raises and regular cost of living pay increases have helped to defray the pressure of rapidly rising housing costs.
But for many residents, it’s unlikely wages will increase quickly enough in the near term to make up the difference, Kreiger said.
“When we’re looking at inflation that’s as recent as it is, how quickly everyone’s salaries have caught up to the increased cost of living, I think, drives how acutely people feel the affordability pinch,” Delfino said.
A worker in Alaska, paid at the state’s minimum wage, $11.73 an hour, needs to work 75 hours a week in order to afford a modest, one-bedroom apartment at the statewide fair market rent, according to the National Low Income Housing Coalition’s annual report.
A full-time worker in Anchorage needs to make at least $27.96 per hour to afford a two-bedroom at the fair market rent of $1,454. A person making minimum wage would need to work 96 hours to afford the same apartment, according to the report.
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Getting back to average
Homes in Anchorage’s Westpark development south of Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport. (Loren Holmes / ADN)
Another factor in increased housing costs is how rapidly mortgage interest rates have risen. Interest rates are a “critical component” making housing less and less affordable, Kreiger said.
When rates dropped during the pandemic, “it brought a lot of competition and buyers to the market that wouldn’t have otherwise been able to participate,” Kreiger said.
The average sales price for a single-family home in Anchorage rose 26% between 2019 and 2023, from $389,477 to $490,596, according to state data.
“Because you had that big rush of buyers and all that competition, and you have on top of that, this limited amount of homes for sale and limited construction … that’s really what I think put prices up so high,” Krieger said.
Since then, the average interest rate for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages has seen an unprecedented rise, according to Kreiger’s May report.
The average rate in Alaska is 6.33% — the highest since 2006.
Not only is it more difficult for a first-time home buyer to purchase a place to live, but the high interest rates can keep people stuck in homes they’ve owned for a few years.
“When the costs go up, especially if you’re a person who locked in an interest rate at 2.5% and you’re looking at moving, it’s the question of, could you afford your own home if you had to buy it today?” Delfino said.
For many residents, the answer is likely no, he said.
It’s another impact that’s difficult to quantify.
“We know all these things are happening,” Kreiger said. “… We know that there’s people who are stuck, we just don’t know how many there are.”
Still, for many longer-term homeowners who’ve built up equity, the market has never been better, Kreiger said in his report.
Housing affordability is unlikely to change much in the near term, Kreiger said. Wages will rise over time, but not quickly. Home sales prices “may level off and may come down a bit,” but not significantly, he said.
Interest rates are the most realistic variable that could help drive the index back down, he said.
Barring another major event like the pandemic, the rate is “not going to come down to where it was,” Kreiger said. “And depending on how things go with inflation, it may not actually happen for quite some time, but eventually they will come back down and create more of a normal situation.”
Anchorage’s average affordability index between 2002 and 2023 is 1.47.
In order to get back to the average affordability, wages would need to increase 22.5%, or home sales prices would need to drop by 18.4% — or around $90,000.
If only the average interest rate for a mortgage changed, it would need to drop to 4.5%.
Do you want or need to learn how to get free diapers? Diapers are one of the biggest expenses for parents, and they can last for years! The average child can go through over 5,000 diapers, so that is a lot of money. Finding ways to get free diapers can help you save money and…
Do you want or need to learn how to get free diapers?
Diapers are one of the biggest expenses for parents, and they can last for years! The average child can go through over 5,000 diapers, so that is a lot of money. Finding ways to get free diapers can help you save money and make sure your baby always has what they need. There are many options available that can make this possible.
By exploring different programs and resources, you can find free diapers for your baby. From diaper banks to local giveaways, many organizations are ready to help. It’s important to know where to look and what’s available to you so that you can save money and get more free things.
Related content:
Best Ways To Get Free Diapers
Below are the best ways to get free diapers:
1. Ask in a Buy Nothing group on Facebook
One great way to get free diapers is to ask in a Buy Nothing group on Facebook. Buy Nothing groups are local groups where people give away items they no longer need.
Join a group in your area and make a post saying you need diapers. Many parents have extra diapers their baby outgrew and would love to give them to someone who needs them. Make sure to mention the size of diapers you need because this helps others see if they have what you’re looking for. And don’t forget to check the group’s rules before posting.
Or, you can also wait to see if anyone shares that they are giving away diapers too. Many kids outgrow their diaper size or become potty-trained and no longer need diapers. I see free diapers being given away in my local Buy Nothing group all the time.
It’s that simple! These groups can be very helpful and you may find other baby items, too (like free baby clothes and toys).
2. Join rewards programs
Many diaper companies have rewards programs that can help you get free diapers.
Pampers has a rewards program called Pampers Club. By using their app, you can scan your receipts and get points for each purchase. These points can be redeemed for free diapers, baby food, toys, and more. For example, you get $0.20 Pampers Cash for every diaper code you enter and $0.05 Pampers Cash for every wipes code you enter.
Huggies also has a loyalty program. You can earn points when you buy Huggies diapers or wipes. Just take a photo of your receipt using their app, and these points can then be exchanged for free diapers and other baby items.
Other major diaper companies, like The Honest Company and Seventh Generation, also have a rewards program for purchasing their products. Signing up is usually free and can save you lots of money.
Rewards programs might also send you free samples of diapers and discounts, which can be nice to get.
I do want to mention that diaper rewards programs can take a long time to earn enough points for free diapers. So, I wouldn’t look at this method to be your only way to get free diapers – instead, it’s simply a way to save a little bit of money on diapers.
3. Sign up for diaper coupons
Getting free diapers can be as simple as signing up for diaper coupons. Many diaper companies, like Pampers, have special promotions and deals for joining their mailing lists or clubs, and you can get coupons sent right to your inbox.
Having these coupons can cut down on the cost of diapers. Some companies even give free samples along with their coupons.
To get started with this, simply go to your favorite diaper brands’ websites and look for any sign-up options.
Related to this: Don’t forget to browse coupon websites. They sometimes collect deals and coupons from various diaper and baby brands in one place, so that you can see who currently has the best diaper deals. This makes it easier for you to find what you need without having to visit multiple websites.
4. Use cash back apps
Cash back apps can help you save money on diapers. These apps give you a percentage of your money back on purchases. Apps like Ibotta, Rakuten, and Fetch Rewards tend to have deals on baby products. You can use these apps to buy diapers and earn money back.
For example, I just logged into my Ibotta account to see what diaper deals they currently have. These are constantly changing, but right now you can get $6.00 on Huggies, $3.00 back on Luvs Diapers, $3.00 back on Pampers Swaddlers, $2.00 back on baby wipes, and more.
Fetch Rewards currently has diaper deals too, such as earning 2,000 points for buying Luvs Diapers.
These diaper deals are easy to get. First, download the app and create an account. Then, browse the deals for diapers. When you find a deal, follow the app’s instructions to activate it before you shop, and make sure to save your receipt.
After buying the diapers, upload your receipt to the app. The app’s system will check your purchase and add the cash back to your account. You can accumulate money over time and transfer it to your bank or use it for more purchases.
What’s great about cash back apps is that strategy can be stacked so that you can earn even more points and free diapers. For example, you can use both Ibotta and Fetch Rewards at the same time for the same box of diapers, and you can even scan those same diaper boxes to add them to any diaper rewards programs you’re a part of too (such as Pampers Club and Huggies Rewards).
5. Follow diaper brands on social media
Diaper brands sometimes give away free samples and coupons through their social media pages. If you follow them, you can be among the first to know about these offers.
Brands also share special promotions and discounts on their social media. By keeping an eye on their posts, you can grab these deals before they expire.
This isn’t exactly the best way to get free diapers (I like many of the others on this list more), but it is a possible way to get free diapers.
6. Check online marketplaces
You can find free diapers on online marketplaces. Sites like Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, and Freecycle tend to have people giving away baby items they no longer need.
Search in the “free” section or post your own request for diapers. Many parents are happy to pass on extras rather than throw them away.
I also recommend joining parenting Facebook groups. You can find them by searching “your town name + parents” or something similar, or even just asking other parents you know. Even the smallest towns have these, so there is a good chance yours does too. Members tend to share tips on where to get free diapers or may even have some to give away. For example, I am a part of a parenting group in my local area, and free diapers are given away at least a few times a week by parents whose child outgrew them.
Of course, you’ll want to be careful when meeting strangers for free diaper pickups. Always choose public places and, if possible, bring a friend with you for safety. Check the condition of the diapers to make sure they are still usable.
7. Visit local diaper banks
Local diaper banks are a valuable resource for families in need. These organizations collect and distribute free diapers to families who can’t afford them.
Diaper banks often have partnerships with community centers, churches, and other local organizations. They can help connect you with additional resources to support your family.
Always call ahead to check the hours and requirements of the diaper banks. Some may need proof of income or residency, so bring any necessary documents with you.
8. Join parenting forums
Joining parenting forums is a great way to find free diapers (such as the What To Expect forum). These online communities are full of parents sharing tips and resources. Some forums have threads dedicated to diaper giveaways and swaps.
On these forums, you can also learn about local diaper banks and other community resources. Parents share details and experiences, helping you find the best options so that you can save money and time.
9. Apply for government assistance
If you need diapers for your baby, government programs can help.
One way is through the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program. Some states also give diaper allowances too.
For example, California’s CalWORKs program provides diapers to certain families who qualify. Washington State also has a diaper allowance for families getting TANF.
10. National Diaper Bank Network
The National Diaper Bank Network (NDBN) can be a big help if you need free diapers. They work with over 225 community-based diaper banks across the U.S. These diaper banks collect, store, and give out free diapers to families who are struggling.
To find a diaper bank near you, visit their website at NationalDiaperBankNetwork.org. They connect families to resources that help provide diapers and other baby necessities. This can be a lifesaver if you’re having trouble buying diapers for your child.
If you need help quickly, you can call 2-1-1. Specialists are available 24/7 and can help you find local resources, including diaper banks. They can also guide you toward other basic needs, like food and housing support.
11. Reach out to nonprofit organized playgroups near you
Nonprofit local playgroups have more than just fun activities for kids. Many also provide essential items like diapers to families in need.
I am a part of two local playgroups, and they both constantly have diaper drives and are giving out diapers. While I am personally not in need of free diapers, I do know how helpful these types of groups are for our children and families. For the playgroup that I am in, you can simply put in a request for diapers and someone will contact you right away about your options.
You can start by searching for playgroups in your area, asking around in local Facebook groups, or talking to other parents in your neighborhood. You might find listings online or through community centers too.
When you contact these groups, ask if they have any diaper assistance programs. Some playgroups partner with charities to distribute free diapers to families who need them.
Joining one of these playgroups has other benefits too. Your child will get to socialize and play, and you might make some new friends with other parents. It’s a win-win!
12. Add diapers to your registry
Adding diapers to your baby registry is a smart move. You can get a good supply of diapers at your baby shower.
You could also ask for different sizes as babies grow quickly, so having different sizes will help you be prepared.
You can also create a diaper fund. Friends and family can contribute money so you can buy diapers as needed.
I have even seen a new trend lately where people have a raffle at their baby shower for a new TV or something else that is expensive. For each box that a guest brings, they are given one raffle ticket. I’ve seen some parents get a TON of free diaper boxes this way!
13. Reach out to parenting nonprofits near you
Parenting nonprofits are a great resource for getting free diapers. These organizations often provide supplies to families in need.
Nonprofits like Help a Mother Out and Baby2Baby work to increase access to diapers and other baby essentials.
Finding these nonprofits in your area is simple. Try searching online or asking for recommendations from local community centers or hospitals.
14. Contact nonprofit organizations
Nonprofit organizations that aren’t related to babies can be a great resource for getting free diapers too. They sometimes distribute diapers to families in need.
This can include local churches, food banks and food pantries, the Salvation Army, and shelters.
15. Use cloth diapers
Cloth diapers are a great way to save money. They can be reused many times, which means you don’t have to keep buying new ones.
There are many types of cloth diapers. Some have inserts you take out and wash separately. Others come as one piece. Find what’s easiest for you.
Using cloth diapers might seem like more work. However, they can save you thousands of dollars over time. Plus, they are better for the environment since they reduce waste.
Frequently Asked Questions
There are many ways to get free diapers. Some programs provide them for low-income families, while others give samples or help through government services. Here are answers to common questions about how to get free diapers.
What programs give free diapers to low-income families?
Many states have diaper programs for families in need. Reaching out to programs like TANF, diaper banks, and local nonprofits can be a good way to get free diapers for low-income families.
How can I get free diaper samples sent to my home?
You can get free samples by reaching out to diaper manufacturers. Many companies, like Pampers and Huggies, send free samples if you join their rewards programs or sign up for their newsletters.
How to get free diapers from the government?
Some government programs, like TANF, give diaper support. Specific states, such as California and Washington, have allowances for families with young children. Check with your local social services office to learn more.
Can I get help with diapers through the WIC program?
The WIC program mainly focuses on providing nutritious food (like baby formula and other grocery items) to low-income families. It does not usually cover diapers. However, some local WIC offices might be able to share information with you on nearby organizations that can give you diaper assistance. Also, unfortunately, you cannot use the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) for free diapers either.
How to get Pampers for free?
Sign up for Pampers’ rewards program and follow them on social media. They sometimes have promotions and giveaways where you can earn points that can be redeemed for free diapers.
Does Huggies send free samples?
Yes, Huggies offers free samples. Join the Huggies Rewards program and keep an eye on their social media for any sampling events or promotions. If you sign up for any baby boxes while you’re pregnant, there are typically a few free Huggies diapers as well.
What can be used instead of diapers?
If you’re out of diapers, cloth diapers can be a good alternative.
How To Get Free Diapers – Summary
I hope you enjoyed this article on how to get free diapers.
As you can see, there are many ways to get free diapers. No matter the quantity of diapers that you need, you may be able to get help affording diapers.
What do you think is the best way to get free diapers?