SAVING MONEY

It’s Thanksgiving, which means American families are coming up with creative ways to make eating turkey less boring. Granted, deep frying anything makes it 1,000 percent more delicious, including giant birds, but you might want to consider an alternative this year.

Deep frying turkeys for Thanksgiving is a practice that has been growing in popularity. Unfortunately, it’s also been contributing to the growing number of holiday fires each year. While accidents during the holiday season are inevitable, you can greatly reduce the chance of spending your savings on an emergency instead of Christmas shopping by leaving certain activities to professionals.

Before you rent that deep fryer, take a look at how much holiday fires cost the nation each year (and if you decide to risk it anyway, be sure you at least have adequate home insurance).

We’ve all heard the saying “money can’t buy happiness,” but maybe it isn’t completely true. A recent study, reported on by the Wall Street Journal, indicates that overall satisfaction with one’s life increases as earnings rise–until you make $75,000 that is.

The study does indicate that an income higher than $75,000 still results in greater life satisfaction; the difference just isn’t as pronounced once you hit that $75,000 mark. However, when you consider that the median household income in the U.S. was $49,777 in 2009, it becomes apparent that a little more happiness could be bought by many of us.

Photo by thepinkpeppercorn at Flikr

When it comes to following a budget, you hear time and time again how you need to identify patterns of needless spending and then slash it from your balance sheet. Eat at home, rent movies, buy generic, take the bus. However, being a savvy saver doesn’t mean you have to lead a completely dull existence.

There are few holidays cherished more in America than Thanksgiving. It’s a time when we can get together with family, reflect on what we’re most thankful for and best of all, stuff ourselves full of a glorious combination of meat, potatoes, pie and other calorie-laden cuisine.

However, the first Thanksgiving was a celebration of making it through a tumultuous time on very little sustenance. The point was to show appreciation for what little food and resources the first Americans had to survive on. Now, the holiday has been distorted into a revelry of excess when many people cook more food than any human could possibly eat, then try to eat it all anyway.

Changing career paths is a decision that should never be taken lightly. This is especially true today when jobs are scarce and employment opportunities are limited. The current state of the job market might give a person pause; however, it should not be the only factor taken into consideration when switching careers.

Before taking the plunge into an unpredictable job market, consider the following mistakes that are commonly made when switching careers:

Do you have a secret savings account? If so, you’re in the majority. Long ago, one of my financial planning instructors, who’d been in the business over 30 years, said that most of his clients kept a clandestine cache of cash.

My ears perked up at this. Having come from the credit counseling world, I knew that a good portion of couples I had worked with had underground debt. But a little something extra that they were tucking away for emergencies or luxuries? Fascinating!

Financial emergencies can strike at any time, and unfortunately, they usually come with little to no warning. Job loss, vehicle or home repairs, medical expenses and other major events can quickly consume your emergency fund and leave you looking for a way to get by. But you don’t have to panic. Here are some tips for dealing with a financial crisis, starting with preparation:

Prepare Before Disaster Strikes

It sounds like a great idea: Spend money now to save energy and watch the savings add up over the long haul.

Except when it doesn’t work.

What do Woody Allen and personal finance have to do with each other, you ask? Maybe not a whole lot, but if we dissect his films closely, there are definitely lessons to be learned.

The over opinionated Woody Allen is constantly placing social criticisms, personal quips, and when examined closely, financial advice into his movies. By extracting these gems from across the span of his films and bringing them together, we can gain insight into some valuable tips on spending, saving and more.

Love this infographic? Click to see all of our recent infographics.

Saving money for Thanksgiving appears to be a concern for about 40 percent of families this year, which is why they instead want to change their plans, says a new survey conducted by First Command Financial Services. However, while it makes sense to make adjustments when money just isn’t available, there may be some ways to still have a Thanksgiving with most of the trimmings.

More Families Have Less for Thanksgiving