Personal Financial Goals For 2024

2024 is just a couple of months away. How's your 2023? Have you went back over your 2023 goals to see if you have achieved them?

I know a lot of us are still in the process of recovering from the pandemic then now that there's an inflation. It's like the world is not giving us a break. But we can always do something about it. This time I discovered Calculator.me, a website that has a collection of calculators that you can use depending on what you need. It has Loan, Mortgage, Savings, Auto, Credit Card and Budget Planning.

As a homemaker, there are two calculators that I use on the website: Savings and the Family Budget Planning.

Both (actually all) calculators are very easy to use and understand. You just input the amount and it will calculate automatically. It is in USD but you can always just follow the amount in your own currency.

For the Savings Calculator, I mainly use this for my passive income and add more money to our emergency funds. I just enter the amounts and for the interest rate, I call/went to my bank to verify the specific annual interest rate. This calculator can be your guide to your savings goal for 2024!

For the Family Budget Planner, it's also the same, easy to use and calculates automatically for you. Budgeting need not to be complicated. The budget you make can either be for your monthly or annual budget. This budget planner can definitely help families like me with just the right amount of monthly income. I just wish you can customize the percentage for each expense. Nonetheless, it's still helpful to have a guide to my monthly expenses!

If you are planning to get a car or get a loan from the bank as part of your financial goals for 2024, there are calculators in the website too. It is never too early to plan your financial plans for the future. It's more of securing your future. This is not only for families like us but also for single people who would like to have a good financial standing for themselves and the future!

As for our family, we are saving up for a lot next year. I want to take my family on a vacation so working extra hard now to put more money on our savings!

Business Simulation Games Are So Fun and Addicting!

One of my favorite games online and on my phone are simulation games! They're so addicting and fun, it challenges my speed and accuracy! I recently found a new online game website: https://www.mortgagecalculator.org/money-games that has business simulation games and more! It also has Money Games, Real Estate Games and more!

When I go on a break in between my online work, I sometimes play my favorite games on the website! Today, I'll share a few of them!

Mahjong Solitaire is a simple tile-matching game.

- You match identical open (or free) tile pairs. A stone is considered free if there are no other stones on top of it and either the left or right side is free of other stones.

- If you get stuck you can select the shuffle button at the right edge of the game to reshuffle the remaining stones.

- You can even select different board layouts and tile types!

I love matching games! While they are a bit time consuming but once I start doing it, I can't seem to stop myself! I need to finish it! Plus the tile designs are so cute to look at, makes the game more fun to play!

If you enjoy mahjong games, there's also a Cooking Mahjong game! But this time the goal is to build recipes. The tiles are the ingredients, choose 3 tiles that will complete the recipe. The layout also changes every level

The next games are business simulation games. First one, the Burger Shop!

Burger Shop is timed 10-stage burger restaurant simulation game where players must serve the customer's order precisely. All you need to do is look at the customer's order, make the burger from the bottom up and serve it to them!

OMG, this was so confusing at first! I failed a few times at first but once I got the hang of it, it was easier but as you level up and there are many customers at once, it gets more challenging! You need fast eye-finger coordination!

Ice Cream Bar is another simulation game but this time you're serving ice cream treats! But this game has 20 stages and the goal is to serve customers before the timer runs out.

These are just the few games that I enjoy playing on the website! But there are other games that you might enjoy too! There's also games on NFT, BitCoins, real estate, stocks, coding games and more!

You can access all the games on this website: https://www.mortgagecalculator.org/money-games! Enjoy and comment your favorite game down on the comments section!

Is One of Your Goals This 2023 is To Save Money? Make Your Money Work This 2023!

Happy New Year, everyone! Are you the kind of person who makes New Year's resolution or goals for the year? I am not the type to make resolutions but more on making goals and making sure I sustain it for the years to come. One of my goals this year is to save MORE than what I saved last year and I just discovered a website that can help me with my 2023 goal! It's the SavingsCalculator.org!

The website allows you to input any currency so you can use this anywhere you are! SavingsCalculator.org has other calculators in their website like College and Retirement. 

With the COVID-19 lockdowns and the current crazy inflation, saving money can be a challenge but it's not impossible so let's start 2023 with a positive note! Savings Calculator has a Goals Calculator. It has 2 separate calculator: 

One is for "How Much" is your savings goal

One is for "How Long" will it take for you to reach your savings goal

With these calculators, you can easily calculate and adjust your savings goal for the year! Now, the hard part is actually doing the saving! I have to admit that I did a lot of online shopping during the lockdown, some were good purchases but some were really just bad budols. The WANT won versus the NEED haha! 

So, here are some money-wise TO-DOs for 2023! And maybe this can help you too!

1. Delete shopping apps - I have deleted a lot of shopping apps on my phone. They're just too much temptation. I've only kept 2 apps which I use both for personal and business use.

2. Keep personal purchases at minimum. Buy what you need only! - Even with the 2 apps I've kept, there's still temptations! Sales and deals all over! Remember: A sale can still happen in the next few months. If you're not going to use it ASAP, you don't need to buy it! I've been a victim of this especially for skincare products and they end up expiring and that's money down the drain.

3. Buy in bulk for necessities - this may sound contradictory to NO. 2 but things like household products and toiletries, buying in bulk maybe heavy on the pocket at first but it's actually more economical in the long run. Buying shampoo, conditioner, laundry detergent, etc. in bulk saves you money and time as well!

4. Plan mall and dining out trips - With the inflation, prices of everything has went up. We have been home buddies since the pandemic but we get cabin fever too! But going out can be expensive. There's gas, parking, a little food shopping and we also indulge on dining out because this momma needs a break from cooking sometimes. We plan our trips, do some errands in the area, and eat within a budget only.

These are just a few tips on top of my head. Please do share your tips with me cause I like to save more! And when you can save more, you can go back to the website and calculate compound interest if you are going invest your savings in bonds or investment funds. You can always go to your bank and inquire about these!

2023 I am ready for you! Manifesting the biggest savings I'll ever have this year!!!

Best Immune-boosting Tips To Bring Into the New Year

According to one study, about 40 percent of American adults make New Year's resolutions. The top three resolutions are related to health. As the new year begins during the coldest months, when colds and the flu are going around, it seems like a smart thing to focus on. With Covid out there, too, you'll be doing yourself a favor by investing in immune support that can help mitigate the exposure to and duration of the myriad types of sickness that are out there waiting to get picked up.

 

Get Fresh Air Daily

One of the reasons that aerobic exercise is so enthusiastically pronounced as essential for a healthy life is that it involves the amount of oxygen that you are taking in and how fast your heart rate is as you're taking it. A normal resting heart rate for an adult is between 60 and 100 beats per minute. Walking, jogging or even stretching out in the fresh air can help cleanse your lungs and lower your heart rate, besides boosting your mood and increasing energy levels.

Keep a Nutritious Diet

Wellements Vitamins can promote health and wellness but they are greatly complemented by a nutritious diet. Studies have shown that a high-fiber, plant-based diet can promote the growth and maintenance of beneficial microbes, which have been known to stimulate immune cell activity. 

There are loads of foods that contribute to gut health and immune system health. Yogurt, sourdough, almonds and olive oil are just a few of the foods recommended for their gut health benefits. Tumeric can boost the immune system by modulating the activation of T cells, B cells and other elements that enhance your body's antibody response. Eating garlic also boosts the number of T cells in your body. 

Vitamin C is renowned for its ability to stimulate white blood cells. All citrus products have this ability, as well as that of neutralizing free radical molecules, which, in excess, can damage cells. Eating raw vegetables that keep all of their nutrients like beta-carotene is another stellar way to use your diet to boost your immune system.

Get Your Rest

Lack of sleep can negatively impact the immune system. Studies have shown that people experiencing a lack of sleep are more susceptible to picking up viruses and for having a harder time dealing with them. When you sleep, your body is in recovery mode and part of that recovery involves the production of infection-fighting antibodies and cells that are critical for your health. Getting sufficient hours of high-quality sleep enables a well-balanced immune defense. 

When you're wondering how to boost kids immune system, there are many similarities to boosting your own. Gut health is important, as are diet and nutrition. Immune boosters and good rest can keep you from getting the worst of what's out there. Even when it does catch up to you, these things ensure that it's not as bad as it might be with a weakened, or otherwise unprepared, immune system. Visit a health and wellness shop today to see the OTC immune-boosting supplements that are available and better your odds of making it through this cold and flu season healthy.

Fun Board Games For Kids All in One Website!

Another month, another kids game website discovery! This time it's very nostalgic because it's mostly board games from my childhood! It's such a fun website that I spent hours playing without me noticing that I've been playing for a long time. It's Board Games For Kids website!

I enjoyed playing Uno, Guess Who, Snakes and Ladders, Minesweeper, Dominos and more!

Classic Uno Game! Don't forget to click on the Uno icon when you have 1 card left because I keep forgetting to do so! Haha!

You can play from 2 to 4 players!

Guess Who was one of my favorite board games when I was a kid. My children enjoyed playing this too! You can choose the questions to ask the computer from a list. It's fun playing online as it is in real life and I won a few times too!

Another classic board game is Snakes and Ladders! I love and hate this game! I love it when I go up the ladder and hate it also when the snakes send you back down! Argh! But it's still fun nonetheless!

Minesweeper is a game I never win at all but still play it anyway because it's exciting! Haha! I remember playing it the first time on my neighbor's computer. You click to reveal blocks, then you can click on the flag button at the top to put flags where you are certain there are bombs.

I remember a neighbor also taught me how to play this Dominoes game! Dominoes is a game which allows a player to compete against 1 to 3 computer players to see who can get rid of their dominoes first. Players must match piece numbers to one of the pieces on the ends and when a player can not make a match their turn is skipped. I love playing this game and beating the computer! haha!

I thoroughly enjoyed playing my favorite games that took me back to my childhood! My kids tried some of the games they know and learned a few new games they haven't played yet. Love the variety of games Board Games For Kids offers and it fun for both kids and adults! I'll stop writing now and get back to playing more games! 

How To Budget and Save Money Wisely

When it comes to managing your finances, budgeting is a major part of it. When you receive your salary/income monthly/bi-monthly, you need to allot it for different things: insurance, grocery, utilities without running out of money. This is when budget comes in. I know it's not a fun thing to do but I think it is important to learn about money even at a young age. It's something I want my kids to learn now!

I'll share a few tips on how to budget and save your money wisely! I'm not an expert but I will share what I've done in the past and still do to this day.

There are a lot of budgeting methods. Find one that works for you! There's the 50/30/20 method. You ca read more about the 50/30/20 with this article from PruLife. I think this is the easiest to follow. You take up to 50% off your salary/income for needs, 30% for your wants and 20% for your savings or debt repayment. 

Debt can be from credit card loans, bad credit loans, car loans and there are a lot more kinds of loans out there (click here to know) and all of these carry interest rates. I know it's not an easy thing to get out of it but it is doable. Just focus on your budgeting method and goals. And it's better to pay them off as soon as you can so you can focus on saving because building savings can do a lot of things for us.

Small tip: having a piggy bank to put in all your loose changes helps too. It may be a small amount but having a "place" to put them in and count your savings at the end of the year. Whatever the amount can be used for your wants/needs or into your savings. 

Another budgeting tip that I adapted to this pandemic that really helped our budget is sticking and cutting down (a bit) our grocery budget. With the help of online grocery shopping, I can monitor our monthly grocery bill. Because I can see the running total of my grocery cart, I've learned to cut down on buying junk foods! With online grocery shopping, I get to stick with my budget and avoid impulsive junk food buying.

Cancel unnecessary memberships, subscriptions. I know I am not the only one who has multiple subscriptions to different services like Netflix, Viu, Spotify or subscription boxes. If you don't use it regularly, cancel it. You can always subscribe again in the future. There are streaming services that you can share with family members that allows multiple devices, this is a great way to save and lower your monthly budget. Also, if you still have cable tv but don't watch it anymore, it's time to cancel that too!

We also lowered our cell phone plans by half. Check what your provider's offers! I got a new cell phone plan that only has 6 months lock-in, gives free Apple Music subscription for a year (which I cancelled before they charged me!). You can always get a higher cell phone plan when your income/salary improves!

We've also lessened ordering food from food apps and eating out. We have saved a lot! I try to cook every meal as much as I can. We only order food/eat out when there's a special occasion like birthdays and anniversaries. And we get the budget for this on the 30% from the 50/30/20 method.

Decluttering and selling your clutter is a good way to get rid of your old things, earn from it and put more money in your budget/savings. I've been doing this for months and it helps a lot mentally too when I see less clutter in our house. My kids have outgrown their clothes during this pandemic and I've sold a lot already and I used that money to buy them new clothes! 

These are just a few little tips that help you with your budget and savings! There are more articles that you can find online like this from Manulife.

Savings can help you fund your next travel, your kids' college tuition, retirement savings and more. Budgeting will help you get to your goal! And when you have enough money, there are a lot of ways to invest and grow your money but that's another topic for another day! :)