GUEST POST: Get Financially Fit! | Making College Affordable

5 Ways to Make College More Affordable

The value of a college degree isn’t what it used to be, but its importance certainly hasn’t diminished. In fact, in Sallie Mae’s report, “How America Pays for College,” 90% of families expect their student to earn at least a bachelor’s degree, with 54% expecting a graduate degree. Of course, if you’ve read any recent news about the financial details of college education, you’ll know that it’s also a foreboding prospect: there is nearly $1.3 trillion in total U.S. student loan debt, ongoing wage stagnation, and the prospect of enduring years of underemployment.

But it’s not all bad news. A notable paradigm shift is taking place: this year, a whopping 98% of current students are actively engaging in ways to make their education more affordable.

So how does a student and their family better prepare themselves? Here’s our list of the top five ways families can make college more affordable:

Get Financially Fit! | Travel Food Costs

When it comes to travel, food costs can break the bank! Trent Hamm, contributor to U.S. News & World Report and writer on his website, TheSimpleDollar.com, shares with us How to Cut Food Costs While Traveling.

In a nation as big as the U.S., travel is often a big part of people's lives. Whether trekking to visit family or friends or simply to enjoy a national landmark, Americans frequently hit the road or fly the friendly skies.

Once you're away from home, however, one of the biggest financial challenges is food. Without the contents of your cupboard and the convenient tools of your kitchen, how exactly can you avoid spending a fortune on sustenance?

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Get Financially Fit! | July Shopper's Guide

There are still some days left in July—find out what you should be buying! Hitha Herzog, Chief Research Officer of H Squared Research, lecturer at Parsons School of Design and author of “Black Market Billions,” shares with us What You Should Buy in July: a Shopper's Guide.

If there were a modern-day bloodsport, summer shopping could be it.

Last year, Americans spent $83 billion on purchases and travel during the summer months, according to the National Retail Federation. That's up from $78 billion in the previous year. Lower gas prices and higher consumer sentiment has fueled the spend fest, but there is something more: the so-called "reputation economy."

"Ninety-two percent of consumers look at review and ratings online before making a purchase decision," says Naveen Gupta, CEO of BirdEye, a reputation-management and customer-experience company. "Retailers realize how fierce the competition is to acquire customers. One way to make them stick and gain customer love is by having competitive prices. The idea is simple: If retailers want to win, they must have [the] best prices, customer experience and reputation."

With so many retailers vying for those customer dollars, it's hard to figure out what you should buy now versus later in the summer. Here's a breakdown of five things you should leap on and wait for.

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Get Financially Fit! | Free Fun: Part 2

Looking for something fun to do this weekend? How about something to do for FREE?

Trent Hamm, writer on his website, TheSimpleDollar.com, shares with us 102 Things to Do for Free.

1. Check out the community calendar.
Look at your town’s website (as well as those of cities and towns nearby) or stop by city hall to find a list of events going on in the community, many of which are free. You’ll often be surprised at how many interesting (and free) activities are going on right now in your area.
 
2. Visit your local library.
Not only is a library a warehouse of books, most libraries also have extensive CD and DVD collections you can check out. Many libraries also have “story time” for young children, film nights, book clubs, concerts, author readings or lectures, and many other events that you may be unaware of – completely for free. Stop in and check out what they have to offer.
 
3. Get involved in community sports.
Many towns have community sports fields where both youth and adult sports leagues and activities are regularly going on throughout the weekend. Stop by, watch a game or two, and if something intrigues you, look into joining either as a participant or as a volunteer.

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Get Financially Fit! | Save Time

Thanks to today’s technology, it’s easier than ever to put mundane aspects of your life on autopilot, so you can spend less time stressing out about your tasks and more time doing what you love.

Michael Benninger of Mint.com put together a great article—Easy Ways to Automate Your Life—that features apps and websites that can help you free up your schedule and start living in the future by having your tasks take care of themselves.

Cook Up Tech Recipes

In a world where many of us carry computers in our pockets and have accounts with dozens of online services, it only makes sense to have these different technologies talk to each other. That’s where IFTTT comes in. An abbreviation for “if this, then that,” IFTTT is a free, easy-to-use service that lets users create “recipes” involving different digital triggers (“this”) and outcomes (“that”). IFTTT supports more than 300 channels (think Instagram, Spotify, Gmail, etc.) and can be used in millions of ways to make life easier. Here are some examples of recipes you can create:

• Instantly save your “Liked” Instagram photos to a Dropbox folder.
• Receive a text message whenever your favorite sports team scores.
• Trigger your air conditioner to turn on when the outside temperature hits 80 degrees, or make your lamp emit purple light when it starts to rain. (RIP, Prince.)

This is just the tip of the iceberg. Spend some time playing around with IFTTT and you’ll be amazed by how you can automate your life.

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Get Financially Fit! | Buying Organic

It's no secret that organic produce can quickly drain your pocketbook. Understanding which fruits and
vegetables to buy organic can help you save money in the long run. The Environmental Working Group's (EWG) Shopper's Guide to Pesticides identifies fruits and vegetables that have the highest and lowest pesticide residues. If you're worried about pesticides in your food, consider buying these 12 fruits and vegetables organic, starting with the most contaminated food.

The Dirty Dozen: 12 Foods You Should Buy Organic

12. Cucumbers
11. Cherry tomatoes
10. Sweet Bell Peppers
9. Tomatoes
8. Spinach
7. Cherries
6. Grapes

To view the EWG's complete list of foods you should buy organic, click here.

Get Financially Fit! | GUEST POST: Living and Saving as a Millennial Living with Your Parents

Living and Saving as a Millennial Living with Your Parents

The generation of the internet age is one of the largest and most diverse in the U.S. Although Millennials have been defined by a relationship to technology, the generation has been steadily redefining adulthood. Millennials have adapted and endured in a post-recession economy, their social and global values have inspired change in the labor market, and now one-third of Millennials are living in a parent’s home.

For the first time in the Modern Era, this is the most common living arrangement for 18 to 34-year-olds. This new normal has not come without its challenges. Many are saddled with student loans, consumer debt, and a serious lack of savings – both emergency and retirement. The silver lining? Living at home provides some much desired financial breathing room, just when it’s needed most.

If you’re a Millennial about to move back in with your folks, who has been living at home for a while, or is looking for a launching pad to independence, here are a few tips to help you make the most of your time at home:

Get Financially Fit! | Father's Day

Dads—This Father's Day, treat yourself by investing in yourself! Josh Felber, contributor to U.S.

News & World Report, Entrepreneur.com, Inc.com, Businessinsider.com and Forbes.com, shares with us 5 Ways for Dads to Invest in Themselves to Save Money.

To all you working dads out there: It's time to break away from your busy days to focus on investing in an important asset: yourself! With Father's Day around the corner, you're bound to receive a variety of gifts from your loved ones, but don't be afraid to treat yourself, too. Whether it be tending to your personal finances or enjoying a vacation, now is the time to start investing in yourself for your future.

Investing in yourself might be the most important financial decision you make. Not only will you see a future return, but it's a surefire way to improve your quality of life and become the best dad you can be. This Father's Day, consider these five ways to invest in yourself – and save a bit of cash while you're at it.

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Get Financially Fit! | Self-Care

Recharging your batteries is an important piece to achieving work-life balance. But some of the ways to recharge can be quite spendy—upwards of a couple hundred dollars! Can't afford pricey spa treatments or yoga retreats? Susan Johnston Taylor, contributor to U.S. News & World Report shares with us how to recharge for less—6 Ways to Treat Yourself on a Budget.

American consumers justify a myriad of expenditures under the guise of personal care, from massages and spa treatments to meditation retreats, yoga and adult coloring books. The massage therapy industry alone raked in an estimated $8 billion to $10 billion in the U.S. in 2013, according to the American Massage Therapy Association.

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Get Financially Fit! | Apps For Kids

No one ever said learning can't be fun! Sabah Karimi, contributor to U.S. News & World Report, shares with us 7 Fun Money Apps for Kids.

If your kids are already playing games on their smartphones or tablets, consider sneaking in an app that will teach them some valuable money skills. Educating your kids about money matters may not be at the top of your priority list, but they may be more inclined to learn about budgeting and money management when they're playing a game. Whether you want to teach kids how to save money or show them how to better manage their allowance, you can turn to a handful of money apps that make the whole process into a fun game.

Here are seven of the best fun money apps for kids.

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Get Financially Fit! | Saving For Retirement

Do you find yourself wondering how much money you should save for retirement or if you are behind in saving? Unfortunately, there is no one size fits all answer. How much you should save depends on what kind of retirement lifestyle you want to live as well as other factors such as debt load, income streams and retirement goal date. Mary Beth Storjohann, certified financial planner and contributor to U.S. News & World Report shares with us How to Know if You're Saving Enough for Retirement.

As a financial planner, one of the most common questions I am asked is "How much money should I have saved?" or "How far behind am I in saving for retirement?" My answer? It depends.

There's no one size fits all solution when it comes to how much you should have stashed away for your retirement. What you need will differ from those around you. Here's how to track your progress toward saving for retirement:

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Get Financially Fit! | Graduation Parties

It's graduation party season! Let the planning begin, but don't break the bank! Sabah Karimi, contributor to U.S. News & World Report, shares with us How to Throw a Graduation Party on a Budget.

As graduation season approaches, many proud families will plan parties to celebrate their high school or college senior’s accomplishments. Larry Fredlund, a Minnesota dad whose blended family includes seven kids, is a graduation party veteran, having celebrated four already. This June, he and his wife will celebrate their daughter’s high school graduation with a budget-friendly bash in their eldest son’s yard and garage.

Here’s a look at money-saving strategies from Fredlund and several party-planning pros.

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Get Financially Fit! | Time Is Money

Written By: Jeff Jaeger, Vice President - Menomonie Offices, WESTconsin Credit Union; and Cooper Larson, Teller, WESTconsin Credit Union

Time is money and hopefully for many young people this is something they are “RICH” with for quite some time to come.

Financial literacy and “richness” is an important part of growing up and becoming a successful adult. Starting these habits young and teaching young people good habits from the start will set them up for financial success in the long run. Saving money is a key to this. Feeling good about the money you have on hand can help take the stress out of every day expenses and future expenses, such as a first car or college.

Electronic Savings—Saving the easy way!

Setting up automatic savings is an easy way to save without even thinking about doing it. You can set up an automatic transfer out of your account weekly, biweekly, or even monthly, to savings accounts and loan payments. Now to put this in an easy perspective, you can think of savings as an ice cream sundae. A lot of different parts get put together to make one big yummy treat, just like a bank account!

Get Financially Fit! | Financially Smart Kids

This April, WESTconsin is showing youth and teens how to get "Credit Union Strong"! This year’s
National Credit Union Youth Month™ theme, “Credit Union Strong,” positions credit unions as a source of financial strength; all month long, credit unions will be transformed into high-energy health clubs, where staff members will serve as personal trainers to get kids in top financial shape. Trent Hamm, contributor to U.S. News & World Report and writer on his website, TheSimpleDollar.com, shares with us 5 Strategies for Raising Financially Smart Children.

Raising financially smart children in the modern world can be a real challenge. Their lives are full of material desires and marketing from an early age, their parents often commit financial mistakes themselves and they often do not see any reason to be concerned about money when their needs and most of their desires are met. How can a concerned parent pass on smart financial lessons from an early age that manage to get around these difficulties?

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Get Financially Fit! | Free Fun

Finally have a day off but not sure what to do? Maria Lalonde, contributor to U.S. News & World Report and blogger on Offers.com, shares with us 10 Fun, Free Ways to Spend Your Day Off.

Your kids are in school. Your errands are complete. You've taken the day off work. The world is your oyster.

But when you're used to jam-packed workdays and busy weekends, you may feel uneasy or even daunted by the prospect of a day with absolutely nothing to do.

To help you relax, recharge and rejuvenate your passion for life, we've included a list of 10 inspired things to do with your day off. The best part? They don't cost a dime.

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Get Financially Fit! | Save Time or Money?

In today's society, time has become a rare commodity. It seems we are often looking for ways to free up our time such as convenience foods, online shopping, etc. But saving time can come with a hefty price tag! Hitha Herzog, Chief Research Officer of H Squared Research, lecturer at Parsons School of Design and author of “Black Market Billions,” shares with us the 5 Traps Consumers Fall Into When Trying to Save Time.

Time. These days it's a commodity more precious than gold. Most of us could use more of it, and find that when an extra hour or two does come our way, it's devoured like a crave-worthy dessert.

Retailers have devised ways to "help us out" by providing shortcuts to shopping, cooking and bill-paying. The problem is, these shortcuts end up costing big bucks. To help suss out what drains your wallet faster than you can say "please charge that," here are five money wasting habits consumers get duped by, while trying to save time:

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Get Financially Fit! | Tips for New Grads

New grads often times are offered many tips and tricks for making it out in the "real world." It can be
a little overwhelming. Geoff Williams, contributor to U.S. News & World Report, shares with us just 5 Must-Know Money Tips for New Grads.

If you have a son or daughter graduating from college this spring, or if you're the son or daughter in question reading this, it may have occurred to you that figuring out how to pay for college was the easy part. Your real financial education is about to start: that is, how to best manage the money you're going to make.

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Get Financially Fit! | Debt Organized

Are you trying to get out of debt? Start by getting organized. John Agate, Senior Marketing Manager
for Mint.com, shares with us how to get organized in order to pay off or down debt.

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Get Financially Fit! | Youth Savings Habits

Teaching your child to save can be as difficult, if not more difficult than teaching them good habits like cleaning up their room, eating their veggies and brushing their teeth. Laura Schlachtmeyer of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau shares with us how to develop a savings mindset from early childhood to young adulthood.

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Get Financially Fit! | Start Saving

GUEST POST: Financial Literacy Month Is a Great Time to Start Saving

Financial Literacy Month provides an opportunity for everyone to learn more about their personal finances and take steps to improve their financial picture. This year’s celebration kicked off on April 1, 2016. If you’re looking for a place to start your review of your holistic financial picture, America Saves provides 3 easy ways to assess your current situation and take action to save.