Paid biweekly? You get two shots a year to get ahead. Here's how.
The post The Magical Third Paycheck: 5 Budgeting Hacks If You’re Paid Biweekly appeared first on Discover Bank - Banking Topics Blog.
After you’ve successfully put in an offer for your dream home and set a date for closing, you’ve come to the final steps of your home buying journey. However aside from getting the keys, you’ll want to be prepared for the additional costs, and steps that will be required for a successful home purchase. The […]
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When you create a budget that works for you, you gain a sense of peace and freedom that comes with taking ownership of your finances. Although there are many approaches to budgeting, certain systems prove to be more effective than...
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Some small moves can go a long way to changing your money mindsetâand lead you to goal-setting success.
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As we wrap up this year, it's important to reflect on positive lessons we want to take into 2021. Here are some of the top financial lessons.
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Do you like to save, have flexibility and skip hidden costs? Then the answer is probably yes.
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Last fall, our greyhound Tivo refused his breakfast on a Friday morning. He didn't eat or drink water all day, and we were worried. That night, we took him to the 24-hour emergency veterinarian and Tivo was diagnosed with a bacterial stomach bug and dehydration. We went home with antibiotics, a saline IV, and a $200 vet bill.
Thankfully, we could afford this bill for unexpected emergency care for Tivo. But if he were diagnosed with a chronic condition or needed a very costly intervention, we might find ourselves facing some heartbreaking financial decisions.
Pet insurance is often touted as a solution to these worries. With pet insurance covering some costs of veterinary care, you're never forced to choose between your beloved pet and your finances. However, does this kind of coverage make sense for most pet-owners?
Here's what you need to know about pet insurance so you can keep your fur babies bright-eyed and bushy-tailed for years to come.
As with human health insurance, pet insurance charges you a monthly premium for your pet's coverage. According to Value Penguin, the average monthly cost for canine pet insurance is $47.20, and the average for feline insurance is $29.54 for accident and illness coverage.
Of course, this doesn't tell the whole story of what to expect from premium costs. Many pet insurers increase premiums with the age of your pet. Which means the $47 per month you pay to keep your 4-year-old pup healthy could rise with his/her age, making the premiums harder to keep up with just as they're more likely to need age-related medical intervention. In addition, different breeds can have different premium prices, since there are some hereditary conditions that various breeds may be more prone to.
However, even with these potential issues, there are some methods to keep premiums manageable. For instance, some tried and true insurance reduction strategies work just as well for your pet's health insurance as they do for your own. These include increasing your deductible, reducing the percentage that the insurance reimburses, or limiting the annual payout rather than choosing unlimited coverage.
These strategies can keep your premiums affordable while still helping with big veterinary bills. But you need to be prepared to pay anything above and beyond the coverage limits you set up. (See also: 8 Ways to Lower Your Vet Bills)
It's also important to note that pet insurance does not necessarily cover every kind of health cost for your pets. To start, unlike (some) human health insurance, most pet insurance will not cover preventive care and annual exams. So you will need to plan for these costs on top of your premiums.
Pet insurance policies generally come in two varieties: accident and illness policies, and accident-only policies. In general, accident-only policies do not raise their premiums as your pet ages, making this kind of insurance more affordable long-term. However, accident-only policies tend to be cheaper because your pet is less likely to get injured than fall ill. If you decide to invest in pet insurance, getting both accident and illness protection will likely offer you more protection.
That said, each insurer gets to decide which illnesses, conditions, and services it covers, and not all ailments are covered. Many insurers also do not cover the diagnostic exam for a particular illness, even if the treatments are covered. Make sure you pay attention to the details of what your potential insurer will cover before signing up for coverage.
As with many types of human health insurance, most pet insurance policies exclude preexisting conditions. Unfortunately, some insurers consider health problems to be "preexisting" if they crop up within a year of the purchase of your policy. Insuring your pet when they're young is the best way to avert the preexisting condition coverage gap.
Finally, pet insurance coverage is usually handled via reimbursement. That means you'll be on the hook to pay the vet bill at the time of service, and you'll submit your receipts to your insurer to receive reimbursement. (See also: 7 Things You Need to Know About Pet Insurance)
With all the caveats, coverage gaps, and reimbursement requirements, pet insurance is not necessarily a slam dunk for everyone. In fact, many consumer advocates recommend that pet owners put aside an amount equal to the annual premium into a savings account each year. This will give you the same peace of mind that you can cover any potential health care needs for your pet while also allowing you to keep the money if you never need to use it.
However, if you struggle with financial discipline, this strategy will leave you in a difficult situation if your furry friend needs an expensive procedure. Pet insurance can provide you with the protection your pet needs even if you struggle with money.
Whether or not you decide to purchase pet insurance, remember that you'll have to pay upfront for any veterinary procedures. With insurance, you will get reimbursed for covered care, but you will still need to have access to funds to pay for Mittens' kidney stone removal or Rex's arthritis care at the time of care.
This means that one of the best ways you can protect your furry friends and avoid heartbreaking financial choices is to have an emergency fund. With or without pet insurance, set some money aside for the unexpected so you can enjoy your four-legged family members for years to come. (See also: 7 Easy Ways to Build an Emergency Fund From $0)
Paying yourself first is a budgeting strategy that suggests individuals should contribute to a retirement account, emergency fund, savings account, or other savings vehicle before spending their paycheck on anything else. The pay yourself first method is a pretty simple...
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While many rewards enthusiasts focus on signing up for new credit cards to earn signup bonuses, not everyone has the time or desire to play the signup game. There is effort involved in tracking multiple cards, annual fees, and rewards programs, after all, and some people don't want to spend their time or mental energy this way.
If you're someone who falls into this category, you may be better off maximizing one or two cards instead of chasing rewards. Fortunately, you can earn plenty of rewards over time if you're savvy about your card's benefits and bonus categories.
The key to getting the most out of your rewards cards is understanding how they work and looking for opportunities to earn more points on your everyday spending. Here are some tips that can help.
Because rewards cards offer points based on each dollar you spend, maximizing the amount you can spend on credit is the best way to boost your rewards haul. The smartest strategy to use here is figuring out how many of your monthly bills you can pay with a credit card.
While you may not be notified or aware, it's possible that bills you've been paying with a check or debit card for years can be paid with a credit card without any fees. While your bills may vary, some expenses you should try to pay with a credit card include:
Keep in mind that these are just some of the bills you could be paying with credit. Depending on your situation, you could have additional, uncommon expenses to cover that could be paid with credit with ease.
Also, remember that these additional bills should be paid with credit on top of your everyday expenses like groceries, dining out, gas or bus fare, and miscellaneous spending. Every time you buy something in person or online, you should strive to pay with your rewards card if you can.
It's also important to leverage your favorite card bonus categories, whatever they may be. This is especially important if you have a few cards with different bonus categories since you'll want to make sure you're using the right card for bills that let you earn bonus points.
Let's say you have a travel credit card that earns 3x points on dining and travel and another card that earns 6x points at the grocery store. In that case, you would be smart to use the travel card for dining and travel purchases and your other card when you stock up on food. While the amount of rewards you earn with individual purchases may seem nominal, using the right card for the right purchase can help you earn a lot more rewards over time.
Most of us have bills set up to be paid automatically, whether it's our Netflix and Hulu subscriptions, gym membership, or utility bills. Make sure each bill you have set up to be paid automatically is set up to be paid with your rewards card and not a debit card. This way, you can earn rewards points on those expenses every month.
Many flexible rewards programs, frequent flyer programs, and hotel loyalty programs have shopping portals you can access to earn extra points. Major airlines like American, Delta, and United also have shopping portals that work similarly. (See also: How to Maximize Rewards Through Credit Card Shopping Portals)
Some programs like Southwest and Delta also offer dining clubs. These programs let you earn additional points or miles just for dining at participating restaurants in your area. It's easy and it's free to join, so you may as well earn extra miles on your spending if you're going to dine out anyway. (See also: Everything You Need to Know About Airline Dining Rewards Programs)
If you are skeptical the average family can rack up meaningful rewards without signing up for new cards over and over again, look at how this might work in real life. For example, imagine a family of four with two rewards card-toting adults. Across the two of them, they have:
To figure out how much this family might earn, we used Bureau of Labor Statistics spending averages from 2017. Here's a rundown of that data for the year plus how much a family could earn in rewards over 12 months based on average expenses:
Total rewards: $923.75
While $900+ is a lot to earn in rewards within a year, you have the potential to earn a lot more. After all, these are just some of the expenses the average family faces and not all of them. If you could pay some additional big bills with credit each month like daycare or your rent, you could significantly add to your bottom line.
While maximizing rewards cards is a smart idea if you're using them already anyway, there are always pitfalls to be aware of when you're using a credit card. Here's what to watch out for during your quest for more cash back and travel rewards.
While there are many bills you can pay with credit without a fee, some vendors, merchants, and service providers charge a fee to use a credit card as payment. Fees are especially prevalent on bills such as utilities, cable or internet, rent, and insurance. Make sure to verify you aren't being charged a fee to use credit before you proceed.
Don't forget that some rewards cards charge annual fees. These fees may be worth it depending on your spending and rewards haul, but you should always factor them into the equation to make sure each fee is worth paying. If you're against paying annual fees, look for rewards cards that don't charge one.
Using a credit card for all your expenses may simplify your financial life, but it could also cause your budget to fall out of whack. Make sure you're only spending on purchases you planned to make anyway, and that you're tracking your spending and paying off your credit cards regularly.
Never use credit cards for purchases you can't afford to repay if you're pursuing rewards. The interest you'll pay will always be much more than the rewards you earn. If you're worried using credit will cause you to rack up debt you can't afford to repay, you're better off sticking to cash or debit instead.
If youâre someone who struggles with financial anxiety and stress, practicing a financial self-care routine could help. Start with 3 habits.
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