Moving Forward

With the wedding planning and school starting again I've been spending a lot of money lately. And as such, I have been thinking about money a lot.

As my money flows out the door and my savings accounts dwindle I've found that I need to take a moment and remind myself what personal finance is. It is about more than budgets, numbers, and restriction. It is not about how much money you have in the bank or saved for retirement. It is not even about how much money you make.

Instead it is about your future, your goals, and your priorities. It is about deciding what you are going to spend your money on and what you can do without. It is about the compromises you make to get to where you want to be. Personal finance is as complex as you are. Books, blogs and classes can give you the tools to take control of your finances, but only you can decide what really matters.

I've been thinking a lot about the future (probably having to do with my upcoming wedding). If all goes well I have one more year left of school and F and I have to decide where we want to be next. I love living in NYC, but it is expensive and F and I cannot have the lifestyle we want if we stay here. I've also been thinking a lot about what is next career-wise after I finish with school. I enjoy my job, but it is not what I want to do long term. I also feel overworked and underpaid on a regular basis. Will this continue to happen if I stay in this field? How do I balance making the money I want to earn and continuing a job I love? These are big decisions and personal finance is going to weigh heavily in them.

In the short-term F and I are focused on paying for our wedding. And I'm focused on finishing my degree. I'm determined to finish by next summer. Personal finance matters a lot in both my short-term and long-term decisions, but it is not the be all and end all decision maker.

Photo by h.koppdelaney

Starting Out In Life: How To Pick Up Cheap Furniture

This post is from The Digerati Life, a personal finance blog with resources on frugal living, credit card management and other personal finance topics.

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There is that time in our lives where we move on from being "kids" to being "adults." That time when we start to realize that we can no longer play video games for days on end. That time when we come to terms that we need to get a job because our college student loans need to be paid and our parents are gently nudging us out of the family home. The time when we're so excited about finding that "perfect apartment," and when we do, we can't wait to fill that "perfect apartment" with equally "perfect stuff." That time is that exact moment when it hits us:

"Man. I can't afford to buy all my stuff from Ikea."

So before you go home dejected and think that you'll always live on a ratty mattress and eat your meals sitting on the floor, cheer up, for you can actually find great pieces of furniture for a reasonable amount of cash. You just have to know where to look.

Here are great places to find furniture and houseware bargains:

• Garage, yard and estate sales


• Friends who are moving


• Warehouse sales


• Defective stock and inventory from furniture companies


• Angie's List, Craigslist, Yelp and other online classified sites


• Retailers that offer coupons, discounts and sales


• Auction sites like eBay

People usually advertise garage sales in local papers and places like eBay and Craigslist, where you'll find a good selection of furniture and appliances. Also be on the lookout for friends who are moving out-of-state and who would need to dispose of their stuff. Better yet, you could initiate the inquiry by asking your friends who are moving if they are interested in parting with any of their belongings, given that a lot of furniture can be pretty cumbersome to move. You can also opt for furniture swaps -- would you know anyone who's willing to trade? Your lamp for a friend's toaster, or something along those lines. Bartering, for the win!

Frequently, warehouse sales can also yield huge discounts on furniture purchases. Many stores and retailers advertise their sales events on a regular schedule. If you have friends working for retail stores or furniture companies, you may want to inquire if they sell their defective items at cost. From my experience, a lot of retail stores or furniture companies may actually discard items that have pretty minor defects. Some of these establishments will sell their merchandise at greatly discounted prices.

Case in point: one of my friends was able to score a breakfast table at around a third of its original price, right at the department store itself, simply because the table had a few scratches, little nicks which actually seemed part of the wood grain itself. Pretty neat, huh? So take advantage of the quality assurance policies of your local retail and furniture stores. Don't hesitate to ask around!

Lastly, getting into the habit of using coupon codes can also help you save. Online stores like Overstock.com work like brick and mortar warehouse stores: they gather all the stock and inventory that have been left over from department store shelves, and resell it at a price you would still consider a steal.

So don't lose time moping about how you can't get new bedroom sheets without having to whip out your favorite credit card. Be resourceful, follow our tips, and shop wisely!