You’re Never Too Old for a Good Back-to-School Sale

Posted on August 6, 2018August 6, 2018 by Laura McMullen

So you’re not in the market for a protractor. And the last time you needed glue sticks, you also needed permission for field trips. Shop back-to-school sales anyway, because stores discount more than just the items on school supply lists.

Even if you’re not a student, you can take advantage of deals on home goods, clothes, shoes, electronics and, yes, school supplies. (Although you’ve graduated to the term “office supplies.”)

Study up on the bargains below.

Home goods

This time of year, “there are a lot of sales for college kids and for parents outfitting dorms,” says Annette Economides, who with her husband, Steve, operates MoneySmartFamily.com. And you can scoop those deals on dorm furnishing without having to arm-wrestle for your preferred bunk bed.

Bedding and towels. If you need new bedding and don’t want to wait until Black Friday sales, this is the time to buy it, Economides says. For example, comforters, sheets and duvet covers are on clearance at Bed Bath & Beyond. And it’s also a good opportunity to replace your towels cheaply. Kohl’s, for example, is selling some bath towels, hand towels and beach towels for under $10.

Storage and organization supplies. At Target, Kohl’s and other retailers, look for sales on closet helpers, such as shoe organizers, hangers and laundry hampers. Keep an eye out for storage supplies, too. At The Container Store, for example, you’ll find discount storage boxes that double as seats ($29.99) or benches ($59.99) until Aug. 12.

Clothes and accessories

You can find “great deals and promotions” on clothes this time of year, says Katherine Cullen, director of industry and consumer insights for the National Retail Federation. Those back-to-school sales usually include adult sizes, and, as Cullen points out, items like jeans have become more office-appropriate.

Shoes and clothes. You can find sales on jean brands such as Levi’s at J.C. Penney Aug. 9 through Aug. 12. During the same dates, look for shoe sales at both J.C. Penney and Macy’s. At many stores, you’ll come across clearance on summer clothing, too, Economides says.

Backpacks and lunch bags. If you’re still lugging around the same backpack that held textbooks, it may be time for an upgrade. Look for discounts on backpacks, as well as insulated lunch bags, at Office Depot, Macy’s, Kohl’s and other retailers.

Office supplies and electronics

Whether you want a new computer or to refill that cup of No. 2 pencils, you can find discounts on both high- and low-tech office gear.

Electronics. Check out Walmart and Office Depot for deals on computers, laptops and tablets that are available to everyone. Compare costs for the specific item you’re eyeing, and take advantage of these stores’ price-matching policies. You’ll likely find deals on smaller electronics and accessories, too, such as earbuds and earphones, flash drives, portable speakers and more.

Office supplies. Look for sales on notebooks, folders, binders, pens, pencils, highlighters and just about any other office supply at Office Depot, Target and Staples. “This could be a good time to see if you need anything for your home office,” Economides says, because “all the school supplies are on sale for rock-bottom prices.”

Take advantage of these prices, but don’t let them lure you into buying fistfuls of pens you don’t need. Before you go shopping, whether it’s for notebooks or jeans, “always take stock of what you have at home first,” Economides says.

Then make your own school supply list.

The article You’re Never Too Old for a Good Back-to-School Sale originally appeared on NerdWallet.

Image by Jozef Polc via 123RF

How to Have a Proper Parental Fight Over College Costs

Posted on February 1, 2018January 5, 2018 by Teddy Nykiel

As teens submit college applications and weigh different post-graduation paths, their parents face tough decisions, too. Do they:

Help pay tuition, even if it means dipping into retirement savings?
Take out parent loans, as a growing number of people do?
Encourage their children to attend a dream college, no matter the cost?

When couples clash over the answers, it’s often because their values about money and education are at odds, says Megan Ford, a financial therapist at the University of Georgia and president of the Financial Therapy Association. Financial therapy, a relatively new field, addresses financial, emotional and relational challenges.

Imagine a hypothetical student’s parents. One equates prestigious institutions with success and is bent on sending the child to an Ivy League school. The other believes a less-expensive state university offers an equally valuable education. Of course, the child’s opinion matters, too.

To reconcile a disagreement, start by understanding costs for your family. Then have honest conversations, look for common ground and call in experts if necessary.

Establish your college-cost baseline

First, estimate what college would cost your family at different schools. Look up school net price calculators — almost every college is required to have one — and compare the amount you’d owe after grants and scholarships at various institutions.

You may be surprised. For example, contrast Harvard University’s sticker price of $69,600 with its estimated net price of $9,600 for a Massachusetts family of five with a gross annual income of $100,000 and one undergraduate student. Going Crimson could be cheaper than attending a state university where the sticker price is lower but the financial aid package smaller, resulting in bigger out-of-pocket costs.

Net price calculations are just estimates, but they’re a good starting place for discussing whether parents will contribute and the sacrifices they might need to make to do so.

Hear each other out

When it comes to financial disputes, relationship therapists recommend digging into the reasons behind opinions before compromising or trying to persuade. People’s values about money and education are often rooted in their past, Ford says.

She recommends asking questions like, “What did education mean to your family growing up?” and “How did you pay for your college?”

Explore whether a stance represents a broader emotion, says Jennifer Dunkle, a financial and couples therapist in Fort Collins, Colorado. The parent lobbying for the pricey private school, for instance, may regret not attending his or her own dream college. The other parent may have put himself or herself through college and want the child to practice responsibility by doing the same.

Find areas you align on

Strive to find areas, however small, that you agree on. Here’s a freebie: Kids should submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, known as the FAFSA, so they can be eligible for federal grants, work-study programs and, if necessary, federal student loans.

As you seek agreement, Dunkle recommends an exercise derived from the research-based Gottman Method of couples therapy. You each draw a large circle. Inside, write things you’re not willing to waver on — for instance, “We will not dip into our retirement savings to pay for the kids’ college.” Outside of the circle, write what you’re willing to be flexible about, for example, “I paid for college completely on my own, so my child should do the same.”

Then, compare notes. Seeing the issues on paper may illuminate a compromise.

Call an expert

If you’re still gridlocked, consider bringing in backup. A few sessions with a couples or financial therapist can help if you’re struggling with communication or underlying emotional issues, Ford says.

In addition, a certified financial planner can help you crunch numbers — for instance, by how many years would you need to delay retirement if you pay for your daughter’s $50,000-a-year private college? Experts generally recommend prioritizing your retirement savings above a child’s college costs; you have a limited earning time left, while your child has longer to offset college debt.

Throughout the college-planning process, remember that it’s natural for emotions to run high when a kid leaves for school, Dunkle says.

“It’s a developmental change in the life of the family,” she says. “It can be a hard transition for everyone.”

Teddy Nykiel is a staff writer at NerdWallet, a personal finance website. Email: teddy@nerdwallet.com. Twitter: @teddynykiel.

This article was written by NerdWallet and was originally published by USA Today.

Image by Cathy Yeulet via 123Rf

What You Should Know About Money in Your 30s and 40s

Posted on January 7, 2016January 4, 2016 by Kevin Voigt

Changing your financial state requires a kind of time travel to commune with your future self. Where do you want to be in 10, 20 years? Are you on the right path, or heading in the wrong direction?

The time value of money—that is, how savings, investments and debt levels compound with the passing of years—means that money habits, good or bad, created when we start to earn cash echo into the decades that follow. And a whispered bit of wisdom up front can keep you from howling over your mistakes later in life.

We polled our NerdWallet network of Ask an Advisor certified financial planners about the greatest regrets and lessons you should learn in your 20s, 30s and 40s. (Click here for our post about your 20s.) Taken together, these could be considered 12 steps toward securing your financial future. And they all hinge on two keys skills we must learn—and often relearn—in our money lives: prepare and stick to a budget, and establish good savings habits.

Your 30s

Regret is a great fulcrum for change. By the time you reach your 30s, your attitudes toward cash (hopefully) have matured, tempered by past mistakes and informed by new responsibilities.

“People in their 30s are approaching that time in their life where they will have many life milestones: marriage, children and a new home,” says Jeremy S. Office, principal of Maclendon Wealth Management in Delray Beach, Florida. “By this time, you should have paid down (or paid off) student debts, settled into your career, and are probably thinking about starting a family. Hopefully the financial habits you set in your 20s will provide you with the knowledge of what you can save and afford to do.”

Still, the lure of easy credit that an established career brings can set up pitfalls, especially if you judge yourself against more-well-heeled friends and family. “Perception is not necessarily reality. Nice clothes, expensive cars and homes are not what they are cracked up to be, and are more of a liability than an asset,” saysAnika Hedstrom, senior financial analyst and advisor for SkyOak Financial in Medford, Oregon.

“Avoid the ‘gotta’s—I gotta have this, I gotta have that, I gotta have it now,” adds Michael Keeler, president of GFS & Association in Las Vegas. “Credit is easy to get and easy to abuse. Live within your means.”

Tying the financial knot

The bigger problem in marriages is not incompatibility or infidelity, but rather mismatched ideas about money. Know your partner’s money personality and find the middle ground—fast.

The good news: A recent study found that millennials are better at having “the money talk” than older couples.

“Discover your partner’s money personality before you get married, and go through counseling if necessary. This alone can help minimize arguments of money, establish mutual expectations for using your money and create a shared vision or purpose for the future,” William Pitney, a financial advisor with Focus YOU in Foster City, California, says. “Once married, have a monthly big-picture review of your finances so you can monitor your progress toward your goals and make adjustments as necessary.”

Childproof your finances

There’s no greater joy than having a child—and no greater challenge to your finances. “Child care expenses alone could add over $10,000 a year on average to your expenses for the first few years,” says Shannon L. McLay of Next-Gen Financial.

If budgeting and savings haven’t been a part of your life, having a kid will kick-start that habit (and leave you kicking yourself for not starting sooner). Child care is costly, and college bills are not so far away.

“If not by now, the habit of saving can be expanded to include other priorities you may have,” Larry R. Frank Sr. of Better Financial Education says. “That emergency fund from your 20s? Keep it full, too.”

Rent or buy?

The largest purchase most people make is of a home. Although down payments may vary, advisors suggest having at least 20% saved for a down payment to determine “how much home” you can afford.

But should you buy? The lure of building equity versus the expediency of renting comes down to one thing, really: How long do you think you’ll stay put?

“If your job has you moving or changing income a lot, best rent,” Frank says. “Buying high and selling before you can profit is how you lose your shirt.”

If you do decide to buy, “negotiate hard to get a great mortgage,” says Bonnie Sewell, a certified financial planner based in Leesburg, Virginia. If your career has you moving before you planned, “you could keep [the house] and rent [it] out, creating an investment asset.” But that can be a slippery slope if you’re not prepared for the added responsibilities of managing two homes in two locations.

Compound interest—the eighth wonder of the world

Be it your 401(k) retirement account, 529 accounts for your child’s education, life insurance or other investments, compound interest is a magical thing. This is the time to sprinkle that fairy dust in your financial life.

“As we all know, compounding is the eighth wonder of the world,” Seasholtz says. “Time and even a small amount of money adds up over the years; I still have my investment I began when I was 26 years old.”

“If your employer offers a retirement plan, participate, even if it just seems like a drop in the bucket,” Houchins-Witt adds. “The drops will eventually fill the bucket.”

Your 40s

If you were careless with your cash but didn’t have any regrets before, you certainly do now. That’s OK.

“Life happens,” Pitney says.

Don’t go into greater debt as a way to jumpstart investing. “For 40s, realize that debt service depletes usable money in a family’s after-tax, lifetime income pool,” says J Kevin Stophel, principal at KumQuat Wealth in Chattanooga, Tennessee. “Don’t think investments will necessarily outperform debt service, particularly unsecured credit.”

“Realize that the science of happiness informs us that it isn’t about things but is about relationships and experiences,” he adds. “Focus on these instead of bigger, better, more.”

Breaking up is hard to do

As about half of marriages end in divorce, it’s important to protect your financial independence. Some couples are able to amicably separate their assets, agree on alimony and leave each person’s credit rating in tact. For others, that is easier said than done.

“Divorce is not fun. Its not going to be an easy thing, so don’t kid yourself,” Hedstrom says. “It can get nasty. Protect yourself, use experts and make sure you always maintain your independence.” This includes knowing all of your and your spouse’s outstanding debts, account balances, and bills and due dates.

Ultimately, Sewell advises, “both spouses should understand the money!”

Ramp up your retirement accounts

Put your 401(k) into overdrive. If you aren’t already doing full employer contributions, do it. It might also be time to tip the savings balance from your kid’s education to your retirement. Your kids can get low-interest loans for college; there’s no low-interest loan for retirement.

“If you are behind on your retirement planning because of your [own] student loans, then your 40s are the perfect time to kick-start the retirement plan rather than boosting the education fund [for your child],” McLay says. Adds Houchins-Witt: “As your income increases, increase your retirement savings. You won’t notice it as much if you increase your contributions each time you get a raise.”

And continue to build upon the foundation you set in your 20s. “That emergency fund? Keep it still—you’ll have to have that until you retire—and yup, it will become the first dollars you can spend once you retire,” Frank says. “Retirement sounds like a long ways away, right? Graduating high school or college was just yesterday, wasn’t it?! In the blink of an eye, here’s the grandkids!”

Insurance matters

Now that you have people counting on you, it’s time to plan for the worst. Life insurance matters.

There are two major types: term life insurance, which covers a specific length of time (say, 10 or 20 years), and permanent (or whole) life insurance, which continues for as long as you live. Premiums for term policies are cheaper because the insurance lasts only a limited time, whereas those for permanent policies are more expensive largely because they provide guaranteed cash value for your beneficiaries.

“Term insurance is pure insurance, while permanent insurance is part insurance and part investment (with many moving parts, and a much higher cost),” says Jarrett Topel, owner of Topel & DiStasi Wealth Management in Berkley, California. “Term life insurance is like renting, and permanent life insurance is like owning. And, while we would all love to be owners versus renters, until you have significant assets and incomes, renting often makes the most sense.”

Len Cohen, owner of CF Services Group in Gaithersburg, Maryland, notes: “Some term insurance policies are convertible. This means that they can be exchanged for permanent policies during the initial term period in the same underwriting class, with no medical questions. Since you cannot be certain that your health will still be good in 10 or 20 years when you are more financially solvent, this is a very important feature.”

It’s not too late

So maybe you’re deep in credit card debt, you have no life insurance and saving for retirement feels like a fantasy. Here’s the thing: You still have two or three decades of working life ahead. It’s never too late to start.

“Meeting with a professional planner is perhaps the most important thing you can do to begin preparing yourself for life’s largest expenses: 20 to 30 years or more of retirement and paying for a college education,” Pitney says. “Many life events seem to derail plans, but minor changes in your 40s can have significant payoffs down the road.”

Illustrations by Brian Yee.

This article was originally published on July 10, 2014 at www.nerdwallet.com and can be found here.