Bryson

Jun. 22
8:00 am

Save On Your Big Day

posted by Bryson

I’ve been thinking of marriage recently (not that I’m getting married anytime soon) and how expensive a wedding day really is. I’m a wedding photographer, so I know that pretty much everything dealing with a wedding is going to cost a lot. All you have to do is tack the word “wedding” onto anything, and the price for it goes up exponentially. Wedding cake, wedding photography, wedding video, wedding luncheon. You get the picture.

So, how do we save on things when it comes time for our big day? Well, one way I’ve decided is to ask your friends. Odds are, you’re going to find that some of the people you know are going to be able to help you for a lot less. One of your friends might be able to make you a cake, one might be able to take your pictures, one might be able to make you a video.

The point is, you don’t always have to pay exhorbitant prices for your wedding. Just look to your friends to help you. And you never know, the cake your friend makes might taste better than any professional one.

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Posted in Life, Relationship | 2 Comments »

Jun. 1
8:00 am

Self-Control - Do you have it?

posted by Bryson

Extreme Shopping #3Okay, we’ve all asked the same question: “How do I save?” and we’ve all heard the same answers: “With a dedicated savings” “With a money market account”. All that jazz. But, I got to thinking about what it really takes in order to save and I think I figured it out. The one thing that you need in order to save is: Self Control.

The definition of self control in the dictionary is this:  The activity of managing or exerting control over something. I know it sounds like something you’d hear from your mom, but it’s true all the same. If you’re wanting to save, you’re going to need to exercise a bit of self control. As simple as it sounds, it can be hard.  And before you know it, you have a shopping cart full of items you never needed in the first place!

When you’re out shopping, only buy what you set out to buy. When you see something you’d like to have, but that you didn’t intend to buy when you left your house, don’t buy it. That’s called impulse buying and it’s a sure way to spend more money than you need to. The same goes for food shopping. That’s why I always make a list of what I’m planning to buy. It helps me to control what I’m buying.

Now, if you’re already in the habit of spending your money as soon as you get it, this isn’t going to be an easy thing. It sure wasn’t for me. You’re going to have to work at it. But, if you do, you’re going to be saving more and spending less, which is a good thing.

So, just work on exercising some self control when it comes to your spending. It’s really going to help in the long run.

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Posted in Life, Money & Finances | 4 Comments »

May. 13
12:59 pm

Soda? We Don’t Need No Stinking Soda!

posted by Bryson

77295246Several months ago, my younger brother challenged me to a weight loss competition. The goal was to see who could lose the most weight before our family went on vacation in June. Part of the vacation would be spent on a beach, so we both wanted to have our bodies looking great, just in case.

Well, I’ve discovered I’m not very good at dieting.  So, the first two months went by without me losing a single pound. Granted, I didn’t gain any weight either. At the start of the third month, I decided to give up drinking soda and see what that would do for me. My usual 2 litre bottle of soda was replaced with a bottle of water. It took some getting used to, but eventually I was fine with drinking water each day.

And the kicker? I started to lose weight. Fast. In just 3 weeks I had lost 12 pounds. It was great. Now I just need to throw some more exercise in there and I’ll be set.

The reason I’m telling you this is that this has also saved me quite a bit of money. I was probably spending around $10 - $15 a week on soda and Gatorade and other drinks. Now, however, I’m not spending anything on drinks. I just bring my bottle to work and fill it up for free.

My question for you is: What things in your life are you spending money on regularly that you don’t really need?

Try giving it up for a month and see what happens to your savings/spending money.

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Posted in Life | 6 Comments »

May. 3
8:00 am

Haggling: Not Just A Funny Sounding Word

posted by Bryson

In Marne’s last blog post she mentioned haggling as a good way to save money, which got me thinking about the whole concept of haggling, and I thought I’d share my insight on the matter.

There are going to be places where haggling can save you tons of money on the item you’re buying. The French Market in Louisiana is a good example of that. It’s a giant flea market where everyone expects you to haggle. I don’t think I’ve ever paid more than half the asking price for something when I’ve been there.

But, not all places are going to be like the French Market. If you’re buying a TV from a place like Best Buy, it’s going to be hard for the sales associate to lower the price of the TV all that much. You might be able to get him to take $5 off the top, but not much more than that. So how do you haggle in that kind of situation? Well, you’re probably going to need some cables for your new TV and you might want a new Blu-Ray player to watch movies on. And while you’re at it, maybe even some Blu-Ray movies. Talk to the associate about that and see if they can’t get you a discount on them. If they can’t, you haven’t lost anything. What’s the worst they can say when you ask? With the price of TVs and cables and such nowadays, you can’t afford not to at least ask.

Haggling has been around for a long time. It’s something that obviously works or it wouldn’t still be done today. It’s going to usually save you at least some money when you’re buying something, so why not give it a try?

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Posted in Money & Finances, New Skill | 2 Comments »

Apr. 5
9:05 am

The Gameshow Of Life

posted by Bryson

Come on down! You’re the next contestant on the Price Is Right!

The Price is Right was always one of my favorite shows to watch growing up. I always dreamed about how cool it would be to go on the show and win all kinds of stuff.

Sadly, life isn’t that easy. If you want to go on a fabulous vacation to tropical Tahiti, you have to save up for it. If you want a brand new car, you usually have to take out an auto loan for it. Things like hot tubs and boats don’t just fall into your lap. (Unless you happen to win them on a game show.) Which is why saving is such an important thing for us to do. Saving is going to make it so we can afford the luxuries we want in life, and I think we all want some luxury in our life. So give saving a try.

And remember: Help control the pet population. ;)

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Posted in Life, Money & Finances | 4 Comments »

Mar. 15
10:00 am

An Awesome Attitude is Everything

posted by Bryson

Alright, I’m going to be the first to admit this: I don’t always have the most positive outlook on life. I tend to have a very bad case of Eeyore-itis. It usually makes me look at the glass as half empty instead of half full. (And sometimes I see the glass as broken on the floor.) It’s not a very good way to look at life. So, what could I do to change that? I felt pretty set in my ways. I didn’t think that I was ever going to be a more positive person.

But, on January 31st of this year, something changed. I can’t honestly say that I know what it was, but I was suddenly feeling so much better about life and where I am in it. I started to focus on all the good things that were happening to me instead of the bad things. It seemed that every day, something awesome happened to me. So, I decided to make it my goal for this year to have the most awesome year ever.

Now, you’re probably wondering why I’m posting this here. Well, it’s because it’s a first for me. I’ve lived my whole life as a pessimist. So, this sudden burst of optimism is a new feeling for me. And I have to say, I quite like it. It’s very refreshing.

So, I think I’m going to challenge all of you. This year, instead of dwelling only on the things that go wrong in your life, focus on all the awesomeness in your life. It’s there, trust me. Awesome things happen everyday, you just need to look for them, or make them happen.

So, what can we all do in our lives to make this year awesome? Let’s hear some of your ideas.

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Posted in Life, Random | 2 Comments »

Mar. 2
10:00 am

Moving Again

posted by Bryson

Well, I just moved… again. I honestly wasn’t expecting to move again this soon. (I just moved into my old place last April.) But, an opportunity presented itself and it was too good to pass up. Here’s a few things I’ve learned about living on your own that might prove useful to all of you.

First: When you live completely by yourself (no roommates) it’s a little bit stressful for the simple fact that everything depends on you. Nobody else is going to remind you to pay your bills or your rent. I found the best way for me to remember what bills I need to pay each month was to make a spreadsheet in Excel. I have each bill I pay listed, how much it is, and a blank spot for me to put an “X” in when I pay the bill each month. It’s really helped me out a ton.

Second: Now that I have a roommate, I’ve realized that it’s easier to get a nicer place when you’re not the only one paying the rent. My old apartment was really quite small and was only a one bedroom. I tried to throw a few parties there, but the family room area was far too small to allow for much partying. Now that there’s 2 of us paying rent on my new apartment, we were able to afford a much nicer place with more living space. It’s really quite nice.

Third: Having a hot tub in my new apartment complex is extremely nice.

These are just a few of the things I’ve learned in the time I’ve been living on my own. What about the rest of you that are on your own? Any sage advice you can share with the rest of us?

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Posted in Life, Money & Finances | 5 Comments »

Feb. 11
8:00 am

Marriage From A Single Guy’s Perspective

posted by Bryson

With Valentine’s Day right around the corner, I got to thinking about the level of romance in my life. I’m decidedly single at the moment, so Valentine’s Day is either going to be a day to be sad, or it will be just another day for me. I’m aiming for the latter this year.

As I said, I’m single, and I’m happy to be that way at the moment. But, I do know that there are some perks (financially) to being married. I’ve thought up a couple of them and thought I’d share them. Remember: I’ve never actually been married, so if these are all incorrect, let me know.

First: When you’re married, you don’t have to depend on just your own income. If you’re both employed, you both will have money to contribute to the pot. It’s going to make things like rent/mortgage payments and food buying easier for both of you.

Second: You’ll be saving more money by the simple fact that you won’t be “dating” each other anymore. When you’re single and looking, you’re going to spend a lot more on dates with people because you’ll be trying to impress them in the hopes that they’ll be more attracted to you. Now, I’m not saying that you won’t be going on dates after you get married, but hopefully the dates you do go on won’t be nearly as extravagent and costly.

There are more, I’m sure, but these are just the first two I thought of. So, to you married people; what are some other perks (financially) that come with marriage? And to you other single people; what do you look forward to most about the idea of marriage? Share with us!

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Posted in Money & Finances, Relationship | 5 Comments »

Jan. 20
1:32 pm

IRA or IOU?

posted by Bryson

So, I was browsing through moneyunder30.com and I found an article about saving for retirement. It listed 23 things you need to know about planning for retirement, but I’ll just list a few that stuck out to me.

1. Don’t be intimidated. All the numbers and acronyms are confusing, but this stuff isn’t as scary as it seems.

4. The 401(k) is your friend. A 401(k) is a way to save for retirement through payroll deductions at work. The money you put in now is tax-free; you’ll pay taxes when you take the money out.

5. IRAs too. An IRA is an individual retirement account. You can start one of these anytime at almost any bank or investment company. A “traditional” IRA works like a 401(k) in that you can deduct the money you put in on your federal taxes, but will pay taxes when you take it out. A “Roth” IRA is the opposite; you don’t get a tax break for your contributions, but when you retire, all of your withdrawals are tax-free. (Hint: Roth IRAs are great for young savers

6. There are limits. The IRS sets the maximum amount you can contribute in tax-advantaged retirement accounts every year. In 2009, savers under 50 can put up to $15,500 in a 401(k). The IRA contribution limit is $5,000 for savers under 50.

7. But you can do both! If you contribute to a 401(k) plan at work, you can still open an IRA. That means in 2009, you can stash away up to $20,500 for retirement. A good strategy? Contribute to your 401(k) up to the maximum your employer matches, then max out a Roth IRA. If you have more to save, make more 401(k) contributions).

These are just a few of the suggestions from the site, check out the article for other great suggestions.

What it boils down to is; if we don’t start saving for our future now, we’re going to be handing ourselves a huge IOU when it comes time to retirement, and then we’ll be kicking ourselves for sure.

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Posted in Money & Finances | 3 Comments »

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