Whether you’re getting close to retirement or you don’t plan on retiring for a few more decades, it’s never too early to start financially planning for this stage in life. In fact, the more planning and preparing you’re able to do in the years leading up to retirement, the better off you’re likely to be.

One major aspect of your retirement planning should include budgeting for how you’ll spend your money through those years. So to help you in figuring all of this out, here are three tips for budgeting for your retirement years.

Start With Your Fixed Expenses

To start with, you’ll want to figure out what your fixed expenses are now and what they are likely to be when you get into retirement.

Depending on how close to retirement you are, you may not be able to project this super accurately. But if you already know how much you’re paying for things like utilities and other necessities, you can project out what you’re likely to be spending on those things later on, barring how inflation will go in the meantime. Once you know what your fixed expenses are, this can give you a great jumping off point for budgeting and preparing your finances now so that you can be ready to live within your retirement budget.

Make A Plan For Health Care-Related Expenses

In addition to the fixed expenses that you’re going to have when you’re retired, there’s a good chance that you’ll also have more health care-related expenses during your retirement than you do now. Because your health will likely change as you get older, requiring things like more doctor’s visits, surgeries, and potentially assisted living, you’ll want to make sure that you have these things in your budget.

To cover these kinds of expenses, you’ll want to know what you’re doing for things like health insurance, disability insurance, and more. These things can all help to subsidize costs if and when you need to use them to help with health care expenses.

Plan For The Lifestyle You Want

While you want to be sure that you’ve saved enough for retirement so that you can cover your fixed costs, most people would ideally like to live a bit more comfortably in retirement than just meeting the bare minimum. Because of this, you’ll want to make sure that you think about the lifestyle that you want in retirement and that you plan for that when coming up with your financial plan.

For example, if you want to travel more in retirement than you are now, you’ll need to factor these expenses in when planning your retirement budget.

If you’re wanting to be ready when retirement comes for you, consider using the tips mentioned above to help you plan and budget for this.

 

 

iGaming has become a lucrative industry – especially over the past few years. In 2020 alone, it had a market value of over $65.3 billion and is expected to grow to $128.1 billion by 2027. Online poker is a significant driving force behind this growth within the industry. It offers players simplicity, convenience, various iterations of the game to play – and even the chance to turn a profit.

 

All these benefits make it the perfect time for you to dip your hand in playing online poker for real money. For those new to the online version of this iconic game, below are just some of the tips you can use to do just that:

 

Play on a reputable site

 

The internet is full of scam websites, so playing on a reputable platform can save you from losing money. By assessing a site’s legitimacy, you can rest assured that providers will keep your information safe and your winnings ready to withdraw when needed.

 

One essential thing you should check is a platform’s operation license. This is because poker legality varies across the country. Only a handful of states (Nevada, Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Connecticut, and West Virginia) allow providers to operate under strict regulations. Playing on unlicensed sites could see you breaking the law or losing money by falling foul of someone operating unsafely and outside of regulations.

 

Try multi-tabling

 

As its name suggests, multi-tabling involves playing more than one table at a time. This online poker format is a crowd favorite since it allows users to earn more than simply playing single matches.

 

If you’re new to playing poker for real money, try taking on low-stakes multi-tabling games first. This will allow you to get accustomed to the speed of multi-tabling matches while not losing significant amounts of money. Once you have the hang of it, move on to higher-stake games. This way, you earn the experience needed to amass more considerable profits over time.

 

Join tournaments

 

Part of a professional poker player’s earnings comes from participating in tournaments like the World Series of Poker. The same can be said for online players, as many join competitive events hosted on the internet.

 

Once you’re confident in your online skills, consider enlisting in tournaments. Online buy-in fees are typically more expensive than in physical poker matches, but you can make up the difference as you move up to bigger events. Those that manage to make it to even the semi-finals often earn big, winning thousands of dollars. While tournaments are not an easy way to earn money with online poker, they can help you profit more than other online poker formats.

 

Always keep practicing

 

Don’t feel too discouraged if you feel like you aren’t good enough to play in tournaments or are struggling to keep up with multi-tabling. Research explains that poker is a game of skill involving things like critical thinking, decision-making, and emotion regulation.

 

Poker is not learned overnight, so practice consistently and hone your capabilities. For example, you can play against AI on free poker apps and training sites. Over time, you will become a better player capable of winning big – whether it be in regular online poker matches or larger tournaments. Ultimately, consistent practice is key to earning real money through online poker.

 

Online poker can be a great way to earn a little bit of income so long as you have the time and commitment to play. Hopefully, these tips help you be smart in going about the process.

 

For more on life and finances, check out our other pieces here at Be A Money Blogger.

 

 

If you don’t currently own the home that you’re living in, you might feel like you don’t have the freedom or capabilities to make this space your own. And while this might be true to an extent, if you really want to turn this space into something that reflects you and your design aesthetic without going to the extent of doing actual renovations, you’ll be glad to know that there are still plenty of ways that you can tweak and change things up.

To help you see how this can be done, here are three budget-friendly ways to make your home your own when you’re a renter.

Hide Floors You Don’t Love

One part of many rentals that takes a lot of abuse is the flooring. And because getting new flooring can be expensive, many landlords aren’t looking for any excuse to put new flooring into their units. However, there are ways that you can hide floors that you don’t love while you’re renting.

To put down some new flooring without having to tear up what’s already there or ruin the current flooring, you might want to look into peel-and-stick flooring tiles. These types of flooring tiles will give you the freedom to put a new look and feel onto the flooring for very little financial investment. If this isn’t an option for you, you can always put down some rugs that you like to cover up parts of the flooring that don’t suit you.

Use Fabric Rather Than Paint

For many homeowners, adding a new coat of paint is a great and inexpensive way to make a room look brand new. But for many renters, painting isn’t something that they are allowed to do. So if you’re wanting to change up the look of the walls or ceiling in your space, you may want to use fabric rather than paint.

All kinds of fabric pieces can be pinned or stapled to the walls and ceilings of a space without causing much damage at all. And this way, you can put something you love over the walls that you hate and have the room look much more to your liking.

Go Ahead And Hang Your Art

In some rentals, landlords ban tenants from putting any holes in the walls. But if you have art or other decor that you want to hang up, putting a few holes in the walls might be necessary.

Rather than keeping your walls bare, consider how you might be able to hang your art with as little damage as possible. While you might be able to use some hooks that don’t actually go into the walls, small holes are usually very easy to cover up once you’re ready to move out.

If you want to make your rental feel like your true home, consider using the tips mentioned above to help you find ways to make some inexpensive changes.

 

Renovating your home is always a bigger job than you think it will be. Budgeting is super important for a successful renovation, because there is almost always something extra you’ll find along the way.

If you want to get the ball rolling on your home renovations, you should start with a thorough budget. Check out a few tips on how to formulate that budget, and go into your home renovation with confidence.

Decide on what you need renovated

Take the time to think over which needs aren’t being completely met by your current living situation. You may need more space. You may need a new bathroom. Whatever it is, deciding on exactly what you need to get done is the first step to formulating a budget for the work.

 

Pricing can shift rapidly, depending on what sort of work you need to get done, so think hard about how you use the space in your home before you go knocking down any walls.

Weigh the cost versus the value

When you spend money on upgrading your home, it’s important to know what kind of equity you’re gaining with the work. If you want to sell your home down the road, the equity you gain will help boost the selling price.

A minor bathroom remodel can draw more than a hundred percent ROI (return on investment) if you don’t go overboard with materials. Finishing the attic or basement are also two high return investments for your next renovation project.

Figure out how to finance the project

The most challenging part about renovating your home may be figuring out how to finance the whole thing. Unless you have a lot of money in savings, you will need to finance the work done to renovate your home.

Try looking into what a HELOC or a home equity loan can do to help you get the job done. Credit cards may also be a viable option for funding.

Get bids from several different contractors

Finding the right team to do the renovations on your home is another notable step to managing your renovation budget. You have to know what it’s going to cost you to have professionals do the work you aren’t capable of doing.

It’s great to have a strong DIY effort, but some things are better left to the pros. Scout out contractors, and be thorough. Interview at least three different options before making your final choice on hiring.

Mix materials to save money

You can save money on your renovation budget if you think rationally about the materials you use. For instance, you could spend a little more to put hardwood floors in the living room and kitchen, but add tile or vinyl to the rest of the house to save some dough.

U.S. Money Reserve has some of the most diverse precious metals pieces in its vault of gold and silver bullion, and the company has had many special sales on uniquely minted coins over the years. Earlier this year, it released a Queen Elizabeth II Coronation coin set in partnership with Australia’s Perth Mint. In October, the company released a Fantastic Beasts set around when the movie came out. Now, U.S. Money Reserve has a Spiderman homecoming set with three 0.999 proof coins, two silver and one gold, of the Marvel Comics legendary hero. The coins started circulating as part of U.S. Money Reserve’s Cyber Week sales, and they’ve become quite a hit with the company’s customers. The idea behind this set of pieces was to market both to coin and superhero enthusiasts. But U.S. Money Reserve has even more to its inventory than these sets.

U.S. Money Reserve has been selling physical gold and silver bullion to customers around the world for more than 15 years. The company’s coins are certified and tested thoroughly for purity, which is why U.S. Money Reserve is known as America’s Gold Authority®. While seasoned buyers may be the primary crowd buying from the company, they have quite a bit of information detailing why nearly everyone should consider owning physical gold and silver.

Why is buying physical gold or silver so important today? Generally, when people want assets they can later liquidate or save for retirement, they look at traditional vehicles such as owning stocks, buying real estate, or maybe even stockpiling cash somewhere safe. Those options can certainly be helpful, but should an economic disaster occur or the markets become completely destabilized, you may need a better asset that can survive these kinds of situations. Gold and silver are reliable and stable assets that have endured throughout history. Owning physical gold may not be for everyone, and most experts will not advise putting all your savings into it because it still has its risks but having a portion of your assets backed in gold and silver could be vital in the long run.

One reason why U.S. Money Reserve has built its reputation as America’s Gold Authority® is because it has experts in the industry who have a long history of working with gold products. One of the company’s key leaders is President Philip N. Diehl, a former public accountant in the Texas state comptroller’s office and, most notably, the 35th U.S. Mint Director. Diehl was influential in bringing about congressional action to legalize minting the first ever platinum coin, and now he’s active in educating consumers about different gold coins. He even gives an introduction to U.S. Money Reserve’s Gold Buying Kit and informs people on how to begin a self-directed IRA program for physical gold. You can find out more about this information and get started buying gold or silver bullion by visiting the company’s website.

 

When you’re looking for a home through real estate listings, Canada offers 2 basic options. You can either buy or rent. But which is the better option?

The truth is that the right or wrong answer will not be the same for everyone. It depends on your particular needs and situation, and only you can decide which option is better.

To help you understand, here are the core benefits and drawbacks of each option

Buying a Home PROs

• The value of the home can increase over time so you may generate more profit when you sell compared to your interest earnings when you leave your money in a savings account.
• As the home is your legal property, you’re able to use it as you see fit without a landlord limiting you. You can change the home style and renovate to suit your preferences and needs.
• You can earn income immediately from the home by renting it out. You can then use the rental income towards paying off your mortgage.
• If you use the property to generate income, you may enjoy some tax deductions.
• When you make montage payments on time, you improve your credit score.
• You can use the property as collateral when you borrow money.

Buying a Home CONs

• You may not pay rent, but you need to pay the mortgage, the property taxes, the home insurance premiums, and the costs of maintenance. Add these expenses together and they can exceed rent by a huge margin. So you better earn enough money to cover them all.
• It’s very possible that you don’t make profit on the home, especially when you resell very quickly. Real estate is an investment, and there’s no such thing as a sure investment especially for short-term profit.
• You’re not able to move to another address as easily. You will have to sell your home first.

Renting a Home PROs

• You’re a lot more mobile when it comes to your home location. It’s a lot easier to move to another apartments for rent in aurora il. So if you get a new job on the other side of town, you can just get a new apartment in that general area.
• You’re also able to live in a place where the home prices are simply too much for you. This means you can enjoy the various restaurants, clubs, and services that the more affluent can enjoy.
• Moving out is much easier for you, compared to how a homeowner needs to find a buyer for the home. You don’t have to find a replacement, as that’s the job of the landlord or property owner. If you signed a lease, you can always find someone to take over or you can even rent out the property.
• Rent doesn’t cost as much as the expenses involved in home ownership. So you’re able to use your money as you see fit, as your budget is freer. You can put that money in stocks, or even invest it in real estate. Or you can be a renter for all time and you can enjoy life with your spending money.

Renting a Home CONs

• Your lease or rental agreement limits how you can use or renovate your home. You will need to get the approval of the homeowner if you make any changes.
• There is no wealth creation. Your rent is lost forever, as you can’t get it back. You don’t put that money in home equity.
• The amount of rent you pay may increase every year, and you have no choice but to pay if you want to stay.
• If you have a lease, you’re not sure of it will be renewed. So you have to be ready to move out if it isn’t.

So which set of pro’s and con’s appeals to your preferences and budget? As always, the choice of whether to buy or to rent is entirely up to you.