This article is about the perception of different price action trading. It also includes various trading strategies and the way of reading the charts. It can assist in reading commodities, futures, and chart movements and creating personal process and its action. Some strategies are depended on the technical analysis and individual opinions. It is such a type of trading that incorporates both fundamental and technical analysis. It is needed to make the right decision at the right time. [Read more…]
The Steps of Getting Success in the Forex Market
People improving their performance cam make them triumphant traders. To improve their performance, investors are required to do hard work and follow some strategies. The millionaire traders have not got to their current position by depending on luck. They have gained adequate knowledge about the market and have always tried to separate psychological complexities from crucial trading decisions. There are some guidelines for managing the buying and selling process to do well in the Forex market. Let’s dive into the details. [Read more…]
What Are The Biggest Things People Struggle With Paying Off Debt?
Upon entering the debt-free (or rather the debt freedom-seeking) community, I realized there are a lot more people who struggle with paying off debt than you may realize. There are thousands of personal finance influencers online and Instagram profiles documenting financial success. Seeing all of this success made me start thinking, do people really have a hard time paying the debt off, or are we each struggling to find the right path for our own family?
Do You Really Struggle With Paying Off Debt?
First and foremost, there is no doubt paying off debt is a struggle. There are so many things that stand in your way of being debt-free in this consumer-driven society. However, if you are paying off your credit card in full each month, but still holding on to auto loan debt, your focus may be misinformed. What most people are struggling with isn’t making the payments themselves but lacking a plan.
So, the thing to ask yourself is do you struggle with paying off debt or do you struggle with one of the following?
- Organization and/or planning: You struggle with putting together an attack plan for truly changing your finances.
- Resolve: You struggle with setting your mind to the idea of being debt-free. You have to set yourself up for success by making up your mind.
- Impulse: You struggle with controlling impulses that impact your finances (i.e. shopping, addiction).
It seems that oftentimes before people face their debt they need to face the above issues. Really, people don’t struggle to pay off their debt. They struggle with rehabilitating the behavior that got them there in the first place.
Things to Do
So, that is really where you start if you want to get off on the right foot on your debt freedom journey. You take a look at your actions, bad habits, and a sincere look at your finances. Consider some of the following tips to help you get started.
- Redefine your relationship with finance. Make sure you know what your goals are and remember money isn’t everything. Talk to your friends and family about your financial situation and what you are doing to improve.
- Get help. There are debt counseling services available. If you struggle with impulse-control or shopping addiction, therapy is also something to consider to rehabilitate your relationship with money.
- Continue doing things that make you happy. If there is one thing I have learned throughout my own journey it’s that if you are not happy day to day you will not meet your goals. You need to budget some money for fun things and things you enjoy to stay on track.
When it comes down to it, there are families with a single income paying off six-figure amounts of debt on Instagram, Reddit, Facebook, and just about any other social site out there. How? They have made the decision to really do it. They made a plan, resolved to stick to it and work through any issues along the way.
So, readers, do you really struggle with paying off debt, or are you struggling with something else?
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The Quest for Cheaper Housing
As I’ve been talking about for a few weeks, we are looking at moving… again. If you have been following the blog for a while, you know we started our financial journey while living in a motel (that is just a step above being homeless). We got moved into our apartment after that, then shortly after got the offer to move down to Atlanta. Since being in Atlanta, we’ve moved twice, and now we are just ready to move away from Georgia altogether. So, we started looking for cheaper housing to start saving more but questioned if it was the right decision.
Cheaper Housing vs. Quality of Living
The first thing you really need to decide is how much of your quality of living you’re willing to give up for cheaper housing. Cheaper is almost always going to mean giving up something. You may find it means shared laundry space, small living quarters, or heavily used appliances.
Consider how much money you would be able to save and how that would help the progress of your financial goals. Would that be worth giving up your quality of living for a short period of time? As a family, we’ve done this. We have been in a studio apartment for going on two years now and it wasn’t worth the discomfort we saved moving here. It has sent us running away from apartment living altogether. Giving up space was not the right decision on our part.
Which brings me to my next point, what are your limits when it comes to pursuing cheaper housing? Is it space, is it amenities, is it location? For us, being able to stay the next place we land for a while is important. We want to have a yard for our dog, extra room for expanding our family, and a home office. This way, we can stay put until we are either debt-free or ready to buy a home.
Should You Relocate to Save Money?
Another thing people often think of doing to help them financially is relocating. Especially now, when many people are working from home, relocating may be a good option. For instance, if you are self-employed, you may consider moving to a state with a lower income tax or if you are starting a family you may want to move somewhere with good schools and low property tax.
You may also find some rural areas have cheaper rent prices and even cheaper real estate. Those moves seem enticing when you look at the large savings, but you should also consider how it will impact your day-to-day life. How far will you have to drive to the store? Will you have to pay more for an internet connection?
Bottom-line
There is more to making decisions about your life than how much money you’ll save making that move. You should consider your entire life, happiness, and long-term goals when you are making any big decision in your life, even if it is something as small as seeking cheaper housing.
When it comes down to it, making decisions about your everyday life should take more thought and consideration. For us, our next step will be to find reasonably priced housing that our family can grow into and stay in for a while. Somewhere we can reach debt freedom and start saving for our first home. To me, this will be the perfect find over saving (insert amount here) each month.
Readers, what things do you place more importance on when making decisions in your life? Have you ever made a similar choice about housing?
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Barbara Friedberg Shares Her Secret to Wealth
Barbara Friedberg and I had a chance to sit down and have a chat recently. Usually, when I talk to people about their finances they are sharing some inspiring and amazing debt freedom stories. What is most inspiring about what Barbara had to say is that she never really had any debt, to begin with. For her, the idea of accruing debt never occurred to her. (Why couldn’t I have had that mindset, right?)
Here’s a look at the highlights of our discussion and the full video below.
What is the ‘Secret’ to Wealth?
According to Barbara, the secret to wealth has been hustling. There has never been a time she and her husband didn’t have multiple jobs or hustles at once, she said during our interview. Here are a few more of the highlights of the discussion…
- Investing is a huge part of Barbara’s key financial plan. She emphasizes that everyone should invest in some fashion.
- Emergency funds are another must, but it should be whatever amount makes you feel comfortable (i.e. three months, six months, or a year+ of expenses).
- Be flexible with your finances, especially right now. Be ready to make changes and look for new ways to make money.
Have a listen to the full chat below.
Final Thoughts
I enjoyed getting to talk to Barbara. Her mindset and ideas about money are something to be looked to for motivation. No matter where you are financially, you can hustle and make your goals happen and succeed.
As far as the secret to wealth or success in your finances, I think Barbara was right in many ways. You have to be willing to be a little uncomfortable to truly improve your situation. No good change comes from being comfortable. Paying off debt is uncomfortable. Living frugally to meet savings goals can be difficult. Hustling to get by or meet your investing goals can be nerve-wracking.
In the end, though, it is all worth it. Your financial freedom will be your reward. For every uncomfortable moment during your journey right now, infinite comfort awaits once you are free from financial worry.
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How Brian Paid Off $30,000 in Student Loan Debt His First Year Out of College
Any time someone chooses to seek debt freedom and succeeds in it is amazing to me. Dave Ramsey’s “debt-free scream” is always a heart-warming celebration to see online and speaking to people who have paid off debt always inspires me. Brian Meiggs’ story is yet another inspiration. He took the time to participate in a quick Q&A to share how he paid off $30,000 in student loan debt.
How He Paid Off $30,000 in Student Loan Debt
When it comes down to it, Brian was able to pay off his student loan debt by pure determination. When he graduated, that was his sole focus. He did not want that debt to have a hold over him for 10+ years, as it does with so many other graduates. Here is how Brian Meiggs got started on his journey and led him to debt freedom.
Q: Tell me a little about yourself. What inspired you to seek financial freedom?
A: My name is Brian Meiggs and I’m an entrepreneur who spends most of my time building finance-niched websites from the ground up and making them profitable. Some of my recent projects include My Millennial Guide, Saving Junkie, and SavingExpert.
I’ve always been a hustler. In college, I bought used iPhones and flipped them for a profit. I had a few corporate finance jobs after college, but I found myself bored and without a purpose. I knew I didn’t want to work a 9-5 until I retired so I looked for a way out. I started a blog and eventually, it took off, and now I do it full-time. I enjoy every moment of it and the freedom it brings.
Q: How much debt have you paid off?
A: I graduated from college with around $30,000 in student loan debt. Being a 23-year-old, that is a lot of money. I spent so much time building a rock-solid budget and maximizing my income in order to tackle this debt. I paid off all of my student loans within one year of graduating college. It was so liberating.
Q: How long had it taken to get to where you are financially?
A: It definitely took me a while to start making my desired income. I thought back and reflected, “man, I’m really doing it!” What helped me reach my income goals was looking at other bloggers who were making anywhere from $10,000 to $30,000 per month. I figured if they could do it, why can’t I?
It wasn’t until my 3rd year of blogging that I felt comfortable with quitting my day job. I was working as a Credit Risk Manager making around $85,000 per year. Once the income from my blog was making me more money per month than my job, I felt comfortable quitting.
I have a funny quitting story, but that’s for another time. Now, I’m making more than six figures per year with all my websites. I simply enjoy the financial independence and not the money itself.
Q: What was the key to your success?
A: My success came from looking at other bloggers who were successful and trying to make my website better. I’m at a tipping point where if I really want to grow, I’m going to have to hire a full-team to help with management. I really enjoy running everything myself but if I want to continue to grow, this needs to happen.
Q: What is the most important part of your finances?
A: The most important part of my finances is continuing to maintain the lifestyle I am currently living. I’m not opposed to splurging on things that I want or saving every penny. I recently purchased my dream exotic car (BMW i8) and I have no regrets about it.
Q: How do you stay debt-free now?
A: Staying debt-free is done successfully by spending less, finding additional sources of revenue and scaling that up, and having a budget that I actually follow.
Q: What is something you wish you could tell your younger self about money?
A: Money is passive. It comes and goes and while it can make you temporarily happy, creating memories and experiences whether solo or with friends and family, that’s more valuable.
Q: What is your favorite quote?
A: “The root of joy is gratefulness” – Brother David Stiendl-Rast
Q: Is there anything you would like to leave readers with?
A: I just wanted to thank you for reading my story and learning a bit about me. I would say the best way to invest is in yourself. Never stop learning or teaching yourself new skills. Every day you should be better than the day before. What do you want in life? Go out and get it. Perseverance is failing 19 times and succeeding the 20th.
Closing Thoughts
Looking at the success in Brian’s story and how he paid off $30,000 in student loan debt, I thought to myself, “Man, I wish I had done that!” Could you imagine starting out your adult life with absolutely no debt? Hopefully, sharing his story inspires other young people to consider doing the same or taking similar approaches to pay off debt and focus on financial freedom.
Readers, what do you think about Brian’s story? How would paying your student debt off immediately impacted your finances? Was it ever a possibility?
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How to avoid the common mistakes in the stock trading business
Everyone wants to become a professional stock trader. Those who are skilled at trading make a decent profit without losing too much money. For the safety of the trading capital, you must follow a strategic approach and take the trades with proper discipline. As you gain more experience with this market, you will slowly learn to avoid the most common mistakes in the stock trading business. Sadly, the new traders in Hong Kong don’t even know what their mistake is. They are using the most aggressive method and trying to earn huge money without knowing about the key steps to take the trade. For this reason, some of them even blow up the account. Today we will teach you to avoid some of the common mistakes in the stock trading business. [Read more…]
Why is No One Talking About Shopping Addiction and Bankruptcy?
There is no doubt that your finances can have a hefty toll on your mental health and vice versa. I have been talking to more people about their money for the blog and just to make talking about finance a norm with friends and family. While discussing personal finance with them, I’ve noticed something many people aren’t talking about: the correlation between shopping addiction and bankruptcy.
On an even broader note, many people don’t seem to notice the correlation between mental health and finance either. But don’t be fooled. Both addiction and mental health can have a profound impact on your financial situation and leave you stuck.
A Correlation Between Shopping Addiction and Bankruptcy?
I know a few individuals who have filed for bankruptcy. That is absolutely terrifying to me, but for many people who have filed, it doesn’t seem to phase them a bit. In fact, almost all of them have open, recurring debts for things they don’t really need. Programs like Afterpay and Klarna have only exacerbated this issue.
Even though they have filed for bankruptcy, which means they are holding much more debt than they could ever pay off for the foreseeable future. This has to be proven with documentation and, even then, you still may have to forfeit assets and pay off debts for another five years before they are erased.
However, filing for bankruptcy is doing nothing for the impulse control disorder that leads to compulsive shopping. For individuals with these control problems, bankruptcy offers them a clean slate to shop even more with new credit.
Are You a Shopping Addict?
While it is not formally recognized as a mental condition, shopping addiction is a real problem for many people. Luckily, it is manageable with therapy and direction from professionals. You may have a shopping addiction if any of the following applies to you…
- You spend a lot of time thinking about shopping and planning purchases. We aren’t talking about meal planning and budgeting here.
- It becomes evident that shopping interferes with other parts of your life (i.e. your financial future).
- Whoops! You go over your budget fairly often and rely on credit regularly.
- Your debt and finances as a whole are just entirely too complicated.
- There are secrets you keep about shopping.
- You have found that shopping gives you an almost euphoric high.
If you find yourself agreeing with more of these than not, you may want to seek help in getting your spending habits under control. You can also attend anonymous groups for addiction that allow you to connect with others who have gone through similar situations. Once you have a handle on how to change your habits, create a plan to move forward with paying off your debts.
This will ensure you break the cycle of shopping addiction and bankruptcy.
Mental Health and Personal Finance
Shopping addiction isn’t the only mental health issue impacting personal finance either. Addiction in general can have a wicked effect on a person’s finances. Additionally, mental health conditions, such as depression, anxiety, and cognitive disorders can also have a serious impact on the way you spend, save, and accrue debt.
In general, poor mental health can make it extremely difficult to manage and even earn money. Then, once you realize your finances are not in order, your anxiety about your money will just increase. Things can quickly start to seem overwhelming, even impossible.
Final Thoughts
All of these things can be helped, can be treated, and need to be talked about. The problem is, many people want to skate around the issues with bandaids or temporary fixes. That is why this week I’m asking why is no one talking about shopping addiction and bankruptcy?
Talk about money, debt, mental health, and hard issues with your close friends and family. Removing the stigma around these topics can help everyone heal and do better.
As always, if you or a loved one is suffering from substance abuse, addiction, or mental health issues, call the National Mental Health Hotline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357). They can help direct you to professionals that can better assist in dealing with the problem at hand.
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It’s Okay to Call It Quits
If you have been following the blog, you know our move to Atlanta has been less-than-kind to us. From the job we moved here for going out of business to relocating again within the city to the craziness going on everywhere in the world, our fight-or-flight instinct is kicking in and everything in us is saying flight.
What Now?
That being said, we’ve decided to move again to somewhere cheaper and somewhere that has been calling to us for a while: The great state of Tennessee.
We’ve made it a personal goal to be moved by the end of the year. Currently, Chattanooga is looking like the top pick, though we have looked farther north in Eastern Tennessee as well. After doing some research, the cost-of-living there is much less and our taxes will be lower there, with us both being self-employed.
On top of that, the move all-around will buy us some happiness. We have always loved Tennessee and the mountains. Not to mention, we would be able to leave Atlanta behind and truly get a fresh start, with better financial prospects on the horizons (seriously, at least $400 in savings in rent per month alone). At the same time, we will only be about an hour and a half from our new friends here in the city.
It’s Okay to Call It Quits
I’m not going to say calling it quits doesn’t suck in some ways. It definitely does. We moved here in March of last year with stars in our eyes, thinking Atlanta would be life-changing for us and bring new opportunities. It just hasn’t been what we thought it would be or what we needed it to be.
You know what? That is okay.
What isn’t okay is continuing on in a place and mental space where you are mentally drained constantly. So, if your sanity relies on it, and (in our case) your finances also benefit from it, it is okay to call it quits. You aren’t a failure. This experience, place, thing, plan wasn’t for you.
Lessons Learned
Before we do move, we have discussed some overall lessons learned from this…
- Don’t move anywhere that you’ve never spent time. At least go check it out for a weekend before making the decision.
- Just because you can afford it doesn’t mean you should do it. This is especially the case with housing – we are overspending in Atlanta in a huge way.
- Don’t be afraid to say no and also don’t feel like you owe anything to anyone. A lot of our problems here in Atlanta were due to us giving loyalty to people that didn’t deserve it.
Final Thoughts
This can be a hard thing to swallow, especially when you have put a lot of time and effort into making something work. However, it applies to just about everything in life: relationships, jobs, situations. It doesn’t make you a quitter or a failure. It means you know you want something different.
One thing we are both looking forward to is what this move will mean for us in terms of our debt freedom journey. I can’t wait to keep you updated on preparation for the move and how we continue to tackle our debt in the months to come.
Readers, have you ever moved to improve your lives financially or otherwise?
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A Few Things to Know About Loans
The current life standards have forced many people to think about the option of getting a loan whenever they want to buy something or enjoy a good holiday abroad. Even though people are paid much better than 20 or 30 years ago, the standards have risen to a point where you need to apply for loans several times throughout your life.
This is not something that we should be ashamed of. After all, those are things that we have to get used to. Some research has shown that more than 60% of the people in the world are living in some kind of debt. There are many things to know about loans and paying them off, but we wanted to share a few interesting facts about them which are highly informative.
Debt Consolidation
When you get a loan, it’s important to have a plan on how to pay it off. If you don’t have a plan, you might end up not being able to keep up with the monthly payments which can lead to a lot of trouble. One way to manage to overcome a problem like this is debt consolidation.
Debt consolidation is a form of refinancing in which you take a loan which will pay off all other loans. There are many advantages to it, like lower interest rates, fresh start on monthly payments, etc. But, these advantages come only if you get this type of loan form a good and credible company. So, it’s extremely important to choose a good company which will help you deal with your financial difficulties.
The overall lower interest rate is what makes debt consolidation loans so popular and handy for anyone who is having trouble paying off their debts. With this type of loan, the repayments can spread over to a larger period.
They Are Available Online
As we all know, there are plenty of advantages that came with the rise of the Internet. Many services have been made available online. Such is the case with online loans. Many online lenders hand out loans to people all around the world and they became extremely popular lately. The reason for that is that they are very easy to deal with.
Online lenders are flexible with their clients. To make things even better, their approval rates are much higher than the ones of the banks. Online lenders have a 70-75% approval rate, whereas the banks have around 55-60%. The applying process is also much faster – all you need to do is fill out an application and wait a few days for feedback.
Countries With Low Interest Rates
The top 3 countries with the lowest interest rates in the world are Switzerland, Denmark, and Japan. The good economic state, as well as the politics of the countries, have been huge contributors in making them stable and ‘affordable’ to the people. Feel free to check out the top 5 list here.
Side Jobs Can Help You Pay Loans
This may sound a bit funny, but many people around the world take up some side jobs as a way to help them pay off their debts. And they can extremely helpful, a lot more than you would think. There are plenty of easy profit-making side jobs that can better your financial status and ease your worries when thinking if you are able to pay off your debt. Going online to make money is also a good idea.
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