Saving

If you have been an avid reader of this blog, you have probably read about our monthly grocery budget. This might surprise you, but different from the average bank customer, I meet my ATM only once a month.

You see, I know that this ATM around the corner from where we live does not give me my money for free. No, it slows down my ship to the golden shores by reducing the members of my rowing team. It is like a downsizing cycle in a company, do it once, know the exact number of employees that have left, and concentrate on moving your company forward.

Do you remember the first time you were given a piggy bank? When I was a child I had a little plastic elephant and a ceramic penguin where I would stash away my extra coins. When someone gave me a bank note, I would always put it into the ceramic penguin and protect it like treasure. I was always positively surprised by how much money I had in my little treasure chest when unscrewing the piggy bank after a year.

Is it possible to save € 1,410 per year while watching television without missing out on your favorite shows, without missing out on the newest Netflix or HBO documentary? Money that you can easily save, or earn, depending on your vantage point, while indulging in the newest episode of Game of Thrones or Luke Cage. In fact, not only can you watch your favorite show and make money, you simultaneously save time and help the environment. Free money. No investment, no risk required. While you are earning thousands you can also do something for that waistline.

Across the European Union and the USA we are faced and struggling with ridiculously low interest rates. The argument by central bankers and politicians alike is that it forces banks to lend more money to businesses and deposit less money with the central banks. Their arguments hold true: business lending is at a very low point with many small and mid-sized companies finding themselves in dire need for bank loans.

Have you ever wondered What is money? Money is such an influential and substantial part of our lives. Whether you want to buy food, pay rent, pay off your mortgage, go on holiday, go for drinks with friends, buy new clothes or latest smart phone, money is the key that will allow you to pay your dues and realize your dreams.

What would we be without our laptops, whether they are Apple, Lenovo, Toshiba, Samsung, or any other make. Laptops allow us to work on the go, sit in cafes and beaches and earn money, chat with friends, watch movies while sitting on a train or plane. They are undoubtedly one of the coolest achievements of technological engineering of the last decades. However, they have one shortfall: their batteries.

Ever wondered how much you spend on fuel each time at the pump, every week, month or year and your potential savings when filling up your car? Here are two calculators that will help you determine how much you are spending on fuel and how much you are saving with the currently low fuel prices in comparison to 2015.

Your car can make you significant amounts of money; and no, you don't need to drive for Uber to reap the financial benefits of your automobile. Truth be told, it is not the car per se, but the choice you make when buying your new car.

A few weeks ago I was reminded of my days as a bachelor. I was out with friends, all single males with good jobs, wonderful lives, spending many a night out in clubs and bars seeking women and partying until dawn.

As we were ordering another round of drinks, one of them suddenly turned and, in utter disbelief, reflected upon the amount he had spent over the last year during those party nights. He estimated that he had spent in excess of €10,000 on partying. He was not alone, as we ran the numbers, most of those at the table came up with similar numbers.

Doesn’t it sound familiar? You look around your apartment or house and see all these items clogging up your precious living space? Things you have not used in years, some you don’t even know why you ever bought them, and others you wanted to part with a long time ago, but simply never got around to doing so. It can feel like with each additional unused item, your breathing space is lessening and somehow more a burden than joy.