I have always heard, that in order for us, as adults, to be able to truly enjoy life, we have to make sacrifices – sometimes, to our future.

And then there is the flip side, you have to sacrifice your current life to be successful, build wealth, and be comfortable when you are older – with the possibility of retiring when you are still young enough to enjoy it!

Is there ever a balance? Can’t we do both? Of course! But that in itself is a lifestyle change.

You need to rediscover what is most important in your life, and make a new list of priorities. Most of the time, when you do, you will discover that most of those things don’t cost a lot of money. Here is some of my list: Playing with my boys – regardless of where, enjoying peaceful time reading a good book, drinking some lemonade, or taking my dog for a walk. Those things cost little to nothing for me to do.

To go along with the above, we have to remember that people are what’s most important, not things. My focus from my list above includes doing things with my kids, having time for myself, and enjoying time with my pet. If we focus too much on the things we get for ourselves or the people in our lives, then we will definitely spend a lot of money.

Splurge – only sometimes. If you can force yourself to wait for something that you don’t really need, sometimes you will realize that you no longer want the item anyways. But remember that it is okay to treat yourself some of the time.

Slow down! If you look at how fast time goes by, you will realize that you need to really determine what things are most important. For me, I’ve realized how quickly the last three years have gone by. My boys are getting older every day. And it won’t be long until the oldest is in school. I won’t be able to spend as much time with him and so I need to make sure I am setting aside time now! He won’t remember most of the toys we have bought him over the last few years. But he will remember the time we spent together. And that really is priceless!

Utilize Geezeo to help get yourself on a course that allows you to be happy and content, now and in the future! Go ahead and set some goals so you can have a plan to make it all work!

Earlier today we talked about finding an extra $50/month to start investing. Here’s one better. Find $1,500 a year. While the article is aimed at young adults moving to urban areas, the advice is good for others as well.

From our friends at MainStreet.com.

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Five Ways To Make An Extra $1,500 A Year Without Even Trying
by Ben Joseph

We get it. Moderation is for the folks back home. You graduated from university, migrated to an urban center, and landed an entry-level job with a corporation. Hell, you deserve to spend $800 on a couch. Still, as you live the dream—complete with its price tag of 45% of your paycheck going to rent—here are five ways that some minor forethought can scare up extra scratch while keeping your devil-may-care lifestyle intact.

5.) STOP USING PRIVATELY OPERATED ATMS

Thanks to debit cards, the money clip is quickly going the way of the rotary telephone, especially for people age 25-34. Why carry cash when there’s a money-spitting robot on every corner? Still, the ultimate convenience is also the ultimate rip-off. A $1.50 fee on a $60 withdrawal? That’s a 2.5% loss! For accessing your own money!

Solution:
Don’t use them. The end. Stick to your bank’s no-fee ATMs, and always have cash on hand when needed. In what will be a recurring theme, planning ahead is always much cheaper than the alternative.

Savings:
The average ATM fee is currently $1.75, and the average young urbanite uses an ATM 8 times a month. Cut your usage down to zero, and you can score an extra $170.

Continuing reading to locate your extra $1,500.

“I can’t invest; I don’t have enough money!”

This is a popular excuse. Who can blame the people who use it? We’re all tempted to spend today and worry about tomorrow…later.

Here are five ways to find $50. That’s enough scratch to start investing in an IRA. You can do it immediately and gain a little piece of mind. ‘Cuz nobody’s looking out for your future, except you!

1 – Payroll deduction. Change your withholding so you can invest now instead of getting a refund from Uncle Sam later. Uncle Sam doesn’t pay you interest.

2 – Second jobs. Freelance, moonlighting, odd-jobs. They all can put some extra cash in your pocket. Instead of spending it, invest it.

3 – Found money. Whether a gift or currency found in pockets of an old jacket — treat this as “found money” and put it aside. You might not find $50 at once but you can collect it.

I refer to this as my “magic money” because it “magically” appeared. Silly as it sounds, it’s kind of fun to think my “magic money” is super-charging my account when I deposit it. Last week I found $10 outside a bar. Magically!

4 – Clean out, clean up. Chances are good you own something you never use and can sell on eBay. Sell enough of these items and eBay can literally fund your retirement account. Of course, it’s better not to spend and THEN invest. But hey, it helps.

5 – Create a micro-business. Create a specialized product you can sell online. With the proper audience addressed, it can bring small, but consistent, cash flow.

For example, I sell a specialized booklet online that I wrote and illustrated. It covers the cost of having a website and usually brings in at least $50/month…and for a period of two years that was all I was investing. It really helped out during grad school.

How do you find an extra $50/month? Coupons? Sharing childcare expenses? Something weird or unusual? Share your ideas here.

Remember to take a few minutes to participate in our brief survey. Results on Monday. Click here!

Are these good times, or bad? Voice your opinion at this brief survey. Results next week!

Ever get the feeling large sums of money are just outside your reach? Brace yourself for a big surprise. Gigantic amounts of cash are within your reach. This excellent article from Mainstreet.com shows you where.

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Get the $200,000 Bonus That You Never Knew About
By Laura Moran

The last thing recent college grads are thinking about is retirement but, it may be something to move up on the list of things to plan for.

As thousands of twenty-somethings descend upon the workforce in the coming months, many will be given the option to contribute to a company sponsored 401(k) and all have the option to open an Independent Retirement Account (IRA). While saving is always a good idea what many recent grads don’t realize is how just how important timing is to their bank account.

Consider this tale of two investors from Jay Berger, a certified financial planner in Traverse City, Mich. If one investor contributes $2,000 each year to an IRA starting at age 21 and ending at age 25, the money that he has invested will compound to be $552,625 by the time is he 65 and ready to retire. In contrast, if another investor decides to start contributing $2,000 each year to his IRA later in his career, at age 35, and continues to contribute up until retirement, his money will only have compounded to $361,887 and he will have had to invest more of his own cash.

Continue reading about your $200,000 bonus here.

One classic personal finance book is “The Millionaire Next Door” by Thomas J. Stanley and William D. Danko.

For anyone unfamiliar, the book covers habits and strategies of “normal” people and how these behaviors contribute to a million-dollar (or more) net worth. Everyone profiled in the book share what could be called “middle class” incomes and values. A common trait is being somewhat low-key on the exterior (no flashy millionaires here!).

Chapter Three is titled “Time, Energy, and Money”. In it the authors write:

“PAWs [Prodigious Accumulators of Wealth] allocate nearly twice the hours per month to planning their financial investments as UAW [Under Accumulators of Wealth] do.”

The book was published in 1997. I wonder what the 1997 PAWs would make of Geezeo?

One of Geezeo’s strengths is the ability to collect all your financial accounts in one place. If you monitor your accounts on a regular basis it is much easier to do so at one location (Geezeo) instead of logging into many different banking websites.

But few were probably monitoring their accounts and investments online when the book was written.

Interestingly, this chapter went on to say that UAWs [Under Accumulators of Wealth] spend more time worrying about being able to retire comfortably or ever accumulating significant wealth (pg. 71). The authors conclude they have every right to be concerned! To illustrate the point, the chapter outlines the choices between two fictional doctors — Dr. North and Dr. South. Despite high-paying professions one ends up with better financial resources.

So what does this have to do with you? Do you exhibit behaviors of a PAW?

I would guess that the Geezeo community has a greater percentage of millionaires and millionaires-in-the-making that most websites. For starters, our users monitor their accounts on a regular — even daily — basis. They save time checking multiple online accounts. But, they are likely to spend more time thinking about, and acting upon, longterm financial strategies. Couple that with the ability to discuss your strategies with peers, and, I think it’s safe to assume that being involved at Geezeo is good for your net worth.

So ask yourself today: what am I doing on a regular basis to secure my financial future? Am I using my time, energy, and resources to the best of my knowledge and ability? What goal am I actively pursuing (paying off debt, saving a cash cushion, and saving for a home are three popular goals). If you’re just starting, click here to check out some of the Geezeo community goals.

For this and other personal finance books, check out the Geezeo group “Bookworms Unite”.

Here’s to your time + your energy = your money!

Are you rushing 70mph to buy yourself a gas-saving hybrid? (Don’t drive that fast… driving fast uses more fuel!). Here are a few reasons why buying a “greener” car may cost you more green — for now.

Why Green Cars Are Not Always Saving Machines
by Lauren Tara LaCapra

Rushing to trade in your current car for a smaller, more fuel-efficient model will likely cost more money — not save it — according to an analysis by Consumer Reports.

What you’ll spend on less-tangible costs like depreciation and interest will outweigh savings at the pump in most cases, even with gas prices approaching $4 a gallon, the publication, which is owned by the nonprofit Consumer Union, said.

If you’ve owned your current car for three years or less and haven’t paid off the loan, it isn’t worth downsizing, according to Consumer Reports’ calculations. That’s because the greatest depreciation occurs during the first three years, making the car less expensive to own after that point. Depreciation — or the declining value of the car — makes up about 48% of vehicle costs during the first five years of ownership, on average, compared with 21% for fuel.

Continuing reading about the pros and cons of hybrid cars at MainStreet.com

The word “risk” is so frequently used you might start feeling numb to its meaning. It seems the word “risk” shows up everywhere: with the HR rep when you set up your 401(k), when you purchase stocks, when you purchase a home…the list goes on and on.

But what is it, and how should you view risk with relation to your financial decisions?

Let’s answer that question with another question. What do you mean by risk?

For example, the same “risk” could be different — riskier — between two people. Why? It’s all based on circumstance and context. Your young cousin could bet money at the track. His failure would hurt, but, that same behavior by your fixed-income grandmother would obviously be riskier. (Bettng at the track, I’ll add, isn’t a sound financial plan!)

Here are seven ways to define “risk”. Which apply to you?

1 – Risk is not investing at all because inflation will erode true savings.

2 – Risk is investing aggressively when you’re just a few years away from retirement.

3 – Risk means you can lose it all.

4 – Risk is being a day trader — buying and holding stock isn’t as risky.

5 – Risk is basing investment decisions on emotional things, or, things that don’t really matter to the intrinsic value of the investment.

6 – Risk is letting someone else make your financial decisions for you.

7 – Risk is opportunity. Greater risk yields greater returns.

So how do you broadly define risk in your own life? I personally like #7. If you view risk as an opportunity — and play wisely according to your own sense of boundaries — the payoff can be great. Do I always treat risk as opportunity? No, and I don’t think anyone else does, either.

Bottom line: risk fluctuates. No matter how you define it, be willing to redefine it so it doesn’t redefine you.

Check out this related article at TheStreet: Nine Questions about Investment Risk.

Are you one of those people who will leave your fortune to…your dog?

Few of us will do so but a lot of us will pay dearly for the family pet. Most of us will say that the expenses are worth every penny.

No doubt: the cost of owning a pet can add up in surprising ways. First there are the obvious expenses: food, medical bills, pet-sitting expenses, and routine care. Then there are the incidentals like toys and treats. Occasionally you’ll have the expense of paying for your pet to travel with you, live with you, or other unexpected “pet fees”.

And then there are the flat out questionable expenses. Who among you will admit to paying for feline-and-me glamour photography? For a handmade sweaters for your dog? Or rain boots for your pet parakeet? People part with hard-earning money in surprising ways when it comes to their fur/feather/feline/fish companions.

Unfortunately, there is a flip side of this cash outpouring. When times are tough some people think the pet should be the first expense to cut. Suddenly, a pet’s basic needs seem too expensive.

It is shocking that people will abandon their pets. But this happens too frequently.

We returned home this holiday weekend to find our neighbor’s cat, and her litter box, on our doorstep. It appears as if our neighbor moved out. No note; just the cat.

My real estate friend tells me that she’s seen people leave their pets at home when they move out. I’ve heard that nationally this is becoming more frequent as more people are forced to leave their homes. How cruel.

Luckily, there are ways you can help.

First, you can neuter your pet. The cost is typically very reasonable and your efforts help control the population of homeless animals. If you don’t own a pet you can adopt one from any number of charitable organizations. Avoid the pet store and other breeders.

Secondly, you can contribute to organizations that care for abandoned animals. The SPCA is a great one to help. There are also many other local organizations or breed-specific organizations. Share your favorites in the comments section. Monetary contributions are appreciated. However, donations of time and care items (like blankets) are necessary, too.

Lastly, you can help make it socially unacceptable for animals to be treated so poorly. Raise your voice when you see animals in bad situations. It costs nothing. Doing so shows greater respect to your animal family members than any toy you can purchase.

Friday! If it’s your payday you may be tempted to splurge. But before you blow your paycheck on collectible figurines, take a minute to evaluate how small amounts of money quickly accumulate.

This great article provided by our partner, Mainstreet.com.

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Save $10 Now, Pocket $100K Later
by Jeffrey Strain

Little amounts can make a large difference to your finances.

As gasoline and food prices continue to rise, the squeeze to make family budgets balance each month becomes more of a struggle. After the big savings have been found and taken, smaller savings have to be found to make ends meet.

This can be frustrating as it can feel like everyone is being nickled and dimed to death. That’s why it’s important to realize how these small amounts can make a huge difference in your overall financial health.

You’ve likely heard about the little ways to save money a million times. Money-saving advice includes standards like packing your lunch instead of buying it at work, skipping the Starbucks and making your coffee at home and watching videos at home instead of going out to the movies. While you may have grown tired of hearing them, they are still as true as ever and even more important when the economy is struggling.

Continue here to see how it all adds up….