Parafiks - A Personal Finance

10-Day British Virgin Islands Sailing Charter Itinerary

About a year and a half ago, RVing introduced us to a new friend who, like us, lives full-time on the road. He had previously lived on a sailboat, and after months of talking about it we finally arranged a sailing trip together to test whether sailing might become our next adventure. In June 2017, … Read more

Is Life Feeling Complicated? 18 Practical Ways to Simplify It

Learning how to simplify your life can have a profound, positive impact on your present and future. Managing modern life—especially your finances—can feel overwhelming. Between planning for retirement, paying bills, raising a family, and balancing work, it’s easy to become exhausted. Beyond physical clutter, many of us carry mental clutter as well. Learning ways to … Read more

How to Live Rent-Free: Creative Ways to Cut Housing Costs

Rent is one of the biggest monthly expenses for most people. Below are practical, realistic strategies for how to live rent free, save money, and in some cases earn extra income while eliminating or reducing your housing costs. Living rent free can seem unlikely, but many people manage it by trading labor for lodging, leveraging … Read more

6 Practical Ways I Cut My College Costs and Saved Thousands

How much does college cost? Many people ask this question. Almost every week I receive messages from students or parents seeking ways to reduce college expenses. That’s why I want to discuss college costs and how to build a practical college budget so you can save money while pursuing a degree.

College is undeniably expensive.

Still, it’s possible to earn a valuable degree without breaking the bank.

The average public university costs more than $20,000 per year, and the average private university exceeds $45,000 when you factor in tuition, room and board, fees, textbooks, and living expenses.

Even with high sticker prices, there are many strategies to lower college expenses and create a budget that keeps costs under control.

Read on to learn the practical steps I used to reduce college expenses. While I wasn’t perfect and did accumulate student loan debt, I earned three degrees on a reasonable budget.

Related articles:

How I Graduated From College In 2.5 Years With 2 Degrees AND Saved $37,500
How I Paid Off $38,000 In Student Loan Debt In 7 Months
Should I Ruin My Retirement By Helping My Child Through College?
How To Save Money – My Best Money Saving Tips

On Making Sense of Cents we often discuss ways to earn extra money. While reducing expenses is important (and a major focus this year), there’s tremendous value in using spare time to generate additional income. Thanks to past side hustles—which eventually became my full-time business—I was able to pay off my student loans, travel, quit … Read more

12 Smart Ways to Score a Free Sephora Gift Card

Are you searching for ways to get free Sephora gift cards? You’re in the right place. There are multiple legitimate methods to earn Sephora gift cards without spending extra money. Popular approaches include completing online surveys, using receipt-scanning apps, joining rewards programs, shopping through cash-back tools, and taking part in paid tasks. These options are … Read more

7 Items You Should (and Shouldn’t) Buy Secondhand

When I was younger, I worked as a manager at a thrift store called Plato’s Closet. If you’re not familiar, it’s a store that buys and sells young-adult clothing—trendy pieces in good condition. During that time I learned a lot about secondhand clothing and accessories, and I learned even more about how people perceive used … Read more

5 Myths About Renting a Room to a Stranger — What’s True?

Hey everyone! Enjoy this article by Mike. I was able to meet him at FinCon and he is super awesome! Michelle regularly updates her side income journey and one of her strategies is renting a spare room to her sister. Renting an extra room is an easy way to generate additional cash, and for Michelle … Read more

50+ Smart Ways to Save Money and Stretch Your Budget

Looking for money-saving ideas?

I enjoy helping people discover practical, realistic ways to save money. Learning how to save money helped me pay off nearly $40,000 in student loans, and I used many of the strategies you’ll find below.

I tracked a budget, reduced bills, started side hustles, and made other changes that added up.

There are dozens of money-saving ideas you can try—this list contains more than 50 monthly strategies you can implement.

Finding new ways to save can change your life. It can be difficult, especially if you already live frugally, but many of these tips work well on a tight budget.

Learning to save money can help you:

Stop living paycheck to paycheck
Pay off debt
Manage on a single income
Save for vacations
Build an emergency fund
Invest more
Create more flexibility in your budget

Whatever your goal, this post has ideas for everyone. You can break negative financial patterns and start living the life you want.

Hello! Today I’m sharing an in-depth interview that explains how to earn extra income by learning how to sell on Amazon. If you’re exploring a new job or side hustle for extra income, selling on Amazon could be worth investigating. In this interview you’ll be introduced to a practical approach to building an Amazon business … Read more