Setting a baseline budget helps us avoid lifestyle creep and save thousands
To create the baseline, we looked at our average monthly expenses as well as our average monthly income to find an amount that allowed us to pay our bills without extravagant spending. This was the amount we knew we could live off of.
In 2019, my husband and I were able to save a significant amount of money by budgeting on our baseline and putting extra commission and bonus money into our savings account. We knew there were upgrades we could have made to our home, but we were also looking to potentially move and wanted to save as much money as we could before then. Forgoing home projects and the latest iPhones, as well as watching what we spent in other areas, made it possible to save a considerable amount.
NBKC Bank mortgage interest rates
NBKC has a thorough, easy-to-use feature for seeing a customized interest rate on home purchases and refinances. Enter the value of the home you want to buy, down payment, state, and credit score to see your estimated interest rate.
NBKC shows rates for 30-year fixed, 15-year fixed, and 5/1 adjustable mortgages. It provides your interest rate, APR, monthly principal and interest payment, and lender fees. You ll see several columns with different numbers; the numbers vary depending on how many discount points you d use at closing.
The website is more in-depth than what most lenders provide, and you ll get a good idea of what you ll pay should you go through NBKC.
That said, this is one of those accomplishments you only want to celebrate once. So, I thought now would be the perfect time to share all the specific details that so many of you have been asking about.
From my days as a fresh-faced teenager to the grizzled 30-year old typing before you today (I found my first gray hair the other day, just FYI) I thought laying everything out in one easy-to-read article could serve as some inspiration. Or explanation. Or at least distraction.
Whatever your reason for reading, enjoy!
2006 (Age 16): $500 net worth
I bounced around various odd jobs before finding my highest-paying job ever – $10 per hour. For a teenager with no money, I felt like I d won the Powerball.
Today s mortgage and refinance rates: April 1, 2021 | Rates rise
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All mortgage and refinance rates have increased since last week, bucking the trend of falling rates over the last several days. Overall, rates remain at historic lows.
If you re looking to buy a home or to refinance, you might want to pursue a fixed-rate mortgage as you ll get a lower interest rate than you would with an adjustable-rate mortgage. You ll also secure your rate for the long haul, whereas your rate might go up later with an ARM.
It wasn t until she went through a divorce that she realized she hadn t been saving enough for her retirement. As a single mother with two children under the age of 10, plus a mortgage, she now had more financial responsibilities on a single income.
Her fears prompted her to take inventory of her retirement funds. At the age of 37, she assumed that her years of contributions would have gotten her close to building a comfortable financial future. But contributing the minimum had not been enough.
Upon recognizing that, Simmons was able to get herself on track and within a matter of four years, she managed to accumulate $750,000 between savings and investments, according to financial records viewed by Insider.