Welcome to Volume 2 of Monday Night Finance where we highlight recent personal finance articles.
14 Free Books Apps To Fuel Your Reading Addiction by The Frugal Fellow
Do you like reading e-Books but hate having to pay for each new book you want to read? Then this post is for you! As someone that frequently travels for work, I love my e-reader. It’s smaller than a single book and has unlimited potential. Unfortunately, I’ve been known to rack up $10-$30 a trip buying multiple books to read on the plane. Bob from The Frugal Fellow did a great job of summarizing 14 different ways to get free content for your e-Reader.
Not only is the (Overdrive) app free, but it also partners with over 40,000 libraries, according to OverDrive. That means you can also get tens of thousands of eBooks absolutely free by using this app. ~The Frugal Fellow
While I was aware of some of the apps (like using Overdrive connected to my public library), I was completely unaware of all of the different ways to obtain content. Several of these platforms, such as Project Gutenberg, focus on digitizing content which is now in the public domain after the copyright has expired. (Think “Great Expectations”). Other apps, such as Prolific Works, connect you with e-Books that are released free by authors to familiarize you with their content. After reading this article I’m excited to see if I can snag a couple of books for my next work trip for free!
4 Ways a Debit Card Can Help You Manage Money by TrueFees.com
It seems like nearly all of our transactions today are done by swiping or inserting a card. For me, I nearly always use a credit card and debit cards are a distant afterthought. In this article, TrueFee$ highlights some of the potential advantages of debit cards.
To determine which card type is best for you, consider your current money situation. ~TrueFees.com
One thing I learned from the article was that some debit cards offer rewards, similar to credit cards! I was unaware that you could earn points when using debit cards. In addition listing some of the other advantages of debit cards, the article highlights some of the best debit card reward programs.
How We Lived On $7,000 ($3,500 each) All-Inclusive for One Year by Screw The Average
For people pursuing FIRE (financial independence & retiring early), there are two objectives: (1) maximize income and (2) minimize expenses. Shannon and Sergio, the couple behind Screw the Average, absolutely crushed #2 last year. When I first saw the headline, I had assumed that there was some gimmick. Were they living in their parent’s basements? Did they barter for food? But the more of the article I read, the more convinced I became that the numbers were real and Shannon and Sergio live a really cool life.
Every dollar spent for the year has been included and we’re making every attempt to be transparent. Also, keep in mind that last year we spent the entire time in the United States and we traveled to Alexandria, VA, Philadelphia, PA, Chicago, IL, Atlanta, GA, and New York, NY.~Screw The Average
Many people’s largest expenses are housing and transportation. Shannon and Sergio minimize their housing expenses through full time house sitting. They also don’t have a car and rarely have needed to rent a car since selling it in 2016. The article is well written and completely transparent about their finances. If you’re living on $70,000 per year, it’s definitely worth a read to see what it’s like to live on 10% of that!
