Budgeting
-
How To Save On Your Taxes
February 19, 2020
Categories: Budgeting, Personal Finance, Savings, Seasonal, Taxes
Are you kicking yourself for how you handled last year’s taxes? You can feel better about next year by learning a little bit about tax savings now. Consider Donations Not only is donating to charity a great way to give back to the community, but it is also a smart way to have a tax write-off. It needs to be a charity that is recognized by the IRS in order to do this. This will require some organization on your part over the course of a year. You will be required to have written
Read More -
10 Saving Resolutions to Make This Year
February 5, 2020
Categories: Budgeting, Personal Finance, Savings
Start the year out strong so you can finish the end of next year with a bang! These are some of our favorite savings resolutions that are great for novice savers or experts! 1. Start with the emergency fund. The first step you should take this year is to make steps to build up an emergency fund. Don’t let the unexpected set you painfully back in your budget and even from your ability to pay bills. Seventy eight percent of Americans live paycheck to paycheck and cannot afford to have a
Read More -
How Do I Pay Off My Debt?
January 29, 2020
Categories: Budgeting, General, Personal Finance, Savings
Extreme amounts of debt can weigh heavy on your shoulders. It has been found that extreme amounts of debt are linked to higher rates of suicide and depression. This is why it’s so important to have an understanding of good debt vs. bad debt and how you can go about paying back your debt efficiently. Don’t Let it Define Your Life You, of course, want to have your debt paid off as soon as possible. However, letting it define the value of your life is counterintuitive to being
Read More -
How to Boost Your Retirement Savings
January 22, 2020
Categories: Budgeting, Personal Finance, Retirement, Savings
Maybe you are already off to a good start when it comes to saving for retirement, but there may be some ways in which you can amp it up. If you could boost your retirement savings even by a little now, it can pay off big time later! Here’s how: Step Up the 401(k) Most companies offer a matching contribution of up to three percent to your 401(k). If you aren’t taking advantage of this now, make sure you do so immediately. Once you have established this for a year, consider ramping
Read More -
Kick Off The New Year With These Savings Tips
January 8, 2020
Categories: Budgeting, Holiday, Personal Finance, Savings
Wow - we can’t believe it’s already 2020! The new year will bring children, weddings, new business opportunities and more. With that being said, we want to make sure you can continue to prosper financially. Here are our favorites savings tips to help you kick off the new year! Start saving for retirement. Yes, it’s far away and you can’t really see the benefits right now. But, starting to save for retirement now will be crucial in how much money you’re able to
Read More -
4 Ways to Make Adulting Less Difficult Financially
December 30, 2019
Categories: Budgeting, Personal Finance, Savings
Even if you don’t want to admit it, you’re an adult. Some parts of adulthood are fun and exciting, while others are not. Part of being an adult is to become financially independent and embrace some of the less adventurous tasks. We’re here today to help give you four simple ways you can make adulting less difficult when it comes to finances. Create a Budget You’ve heard this before and you’ll hear it again, but it really is important. Nowadays, there are
Read More -
6 Tips to Budget for a Home Remodel
December 23, 2019
Categories: Budgeting, Personal Finance, Savings
Sticking to a budget is always a challenge, especially if it comes to a remodel within your home. That’s why we’re here to give you the structure you need for your newest renovation. Pull out the hammer and get ready for your home remodel the right way with these 6 budgeting tips. Prioritize What needs to get done first or what has been bugging you the most? Start there. That will be your first update and then go from here. You’ll need to know how much is too much, which means
Read More -
How to Create a Family Budget
December 16, 2019
Categories: Budgeting, Family, Personal Finance, Savings
As your family grows, so will your budget - but where do you even begin when trying to make one? With all the demands of taking care of your family, it may be hard to find time to make a budget...and stick to it. However, you’ll be ecstatic once you start seeing your hard work pay off. Take a look at how you can begin creating your family budget with these starting points. Put Everything On The Table You’ll want to list your income and expenses - don’t leave anything out (even
Read More -
Best Ways to Create a Money Goal for 2020
November 27, 2019
Categories: Budgeting, Personal Finance, Savings, Seasonal
With just a little work, you can map out your financial goals for the upcoming year. With money, it can seem overwhelming or tricky to know where to begin. Luckily, Bank of Louisiana is here to help! We’ve come up with some of our favorite ways you can create your money goal for 2020. Figure Out Your Finances The first step you should take is to calculate how much income you take in each month after expenses. You may feel that you have a good estimate, but once you start racking up all
Read More -
Have You Thought About These Holiday Saving Hacks?
November 20, 2019
Categories: Budgeting, Holiday, Personal Finance, Savings, Seasonal
It’s the holidays! As they come closer, you’ll want to be preparing your budget for the food and presents you’re buying. But, be careful not to overspend! Here are our top sanity-saving holiday hacks to follow. Be Frugal Online Use cashback apps like Ibotta and Ebates when you shop online for the holidays to save money and earn bonuses. There are also ways to earn free gift cards online when you take surveys, such as using a program like Swagbucks. Simplify Your Giving Don’t
Read More