Soho Pbx World Uncategorized Ask a financial coach: What types of savings buckets should I have?

Ask a financial coach: What types of savings buckets should I have?

Saving Money is hard. We get it. The truth is, most of us never feel like we have “extra” cash lying around that we can just hide away in a savings account. So, if you’re wondering how to start, congratulations. That’s an important first step to creating a budget and savings plan to help you manage your financial future.

GIVE YOUR MONEY A JOB

Look at the money you have and give every dollar a single job. Set money aside money for bills, groceries, gas, energy bills, utilities, and phones—all your monthly expenses. As you track your spending, you’ll see where the money goes and get a clear picture of what’s left for non-monthly expenses.

Paying closer attention to your spending habits will also help you identify spending that may not be necessary or important. Can you unsubscribe from some of those streaming service apps? Do you actually use that gym membership? Are those impulse buys on Amazon really that important? As you dial this nonessential spending in, your savings will increase.

Consider the following groups of expenses when it comes to savings:

THINGS YOU HAVE TO SAVE FOR

These are non-monthly expenses that you know will occur at some point. Some of them are entirely predictable, and others are

 not. Examples of both types include:

Predictable Non-Monthly Expenses:

  • Annual car registration
  • Holiday shopping
  • Annual subscriptions

Unpredictable Non-Monthly Expenses:

  • Car repairs
  • Medical and dental bills
  • Vet bills

THINGS YOU WANT TO SAVE FOR

Now that you’ve covered the essentials, let’s get down to the fun. Start by identifying the Things you want to save for. Consider starting small, like saving for new clothing or tickets to a show you really want to see. But you can start planning for a trip to Paris or a ski vacation in Aspen too. Set up your accounts, and watch the balances grow. Your budget can help you make this happen.

Setting up Your Sub-Accounts

Determining your savings categories will help you budget accordingly so you can track your progress and know where you’re at when you need to access funds to pay a bill or deal with a problem. Consider the following categories to start:

Emergency savings

Ideally, setting aside three to six months of income in case of a job loss or disaster would be great. But it’s a lot. A $1,000 emergency fund is a good place to start but consider aiming higher once you get there.

If you’re risk-averse, a bigger emergency fund category can give you more peace of mind. If you have large financial responsibilities like kids or a house that needs maintenance or repairs, a bigger emergency fund might make sense.

Health and medical savings

Set aside funds to cover copays, uncovered balances, prescriptions, eyeglasses, elective treatments, and other cash outlays that health insurance doesn’t pay in full. Consider a health savings account (HSA) or flexible spending account (FSA). Both are designed to help you cover qualified Medical expenses, but they are different.

What is an HSA?

Designed to cover qualified medical expenses, an HSA can either be sponsored by an employer or opened by an individual. To open an HSA, you must:

  • Be covered under a qualified high-deductible healthcare plan (HDHP)
  • Not be covered by Medicare or any plan that is not a qualified HDHP
  • Not be claimed as a dependent

HSA contribution limits for 2024 are $4,150 for single individuals and $8,300 for families.

What is an FSA?

An FSA also allows you to save for medical expenses, but you don’t need to be enrolled in a high-deductible plan to qualify. Your employer only has to offer an FSA benefit. The FSA contribution limit for 2024 is $3,200 regardless of whether it’s for an individual or a Family..

CAR REPAIR OR NEW CAR SAVINGS

This one’s pretty straightforward. If you own an older car that requires regular maintenance, set aside enough to cover expected repairs, oil changes, tires, wiper blades, etc. Consider setting more aside in case a big repair is necessary. There are reliable estimates for annual car repair costs online. You may also consider setting aside funds for a new car down payment if that’s your goal. Calculate the price and decide what you can afford. The larger the down payment the lower your monthly loan payment will be.

Have a question for our Canopy financial coaches? Sign up for a financial coaching session today by clicking the link below. 

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Comparing The Top 3 Video Conferencing Services For Remote WorkComparing The Top 3 Video Conferencing Services For Remote Work

Video conferencing is becoming a necessity in today’s fast-paced world. Remote workers, telecommuters, and digital nomads need to collaborate with others to succeed. Video conferencing allows you to do just that. Whether you are collaborating with colleagues on a project or training new staff, remote work is essential for many workplaces. Here we will discuss three of the most popular video conferencing services.

MeetMe Conferencing Services

MeetMe is a web-based video conferencing service that lets you connect with up to 10 other people at once. Your online meetings are accessible from almost any device and shared with others. The service is free to both organizer and attendees. MeetMe is for face-to-face meetings, conference calls, video chats, and team brainstorming sessions. You can control the meeting from the organizer’s account and add notes to the video to help others understand your discussion. More resources are at https://vizualsymphony.com/.

When using MeetMe, you can choose the location of the meeting, as well as set meeting time limits. The organizer can also turn on voice recording, so the meeting is recorded and stored for later viewing. In addition, MeetMe’s meeting management tools make it easy to track who is attending and which meetings are open for remote collaboration.

Zoom Video Meetings

Zoom is a cloud-based video conferencing service that lets you connect with up to three people simultaneously. Your online meetings are accessible from almost any device, and you can record and share with others. Zoom has over two million monthly users, and its free plan supports up to two people participating in online meetings. Business accounts (priced from $10 per user per month) offer unlimited participants, mobile device support, and a variety of collaboration tools. More tips are at vizualsymphony.com.

Cisco WebEx Services

Cisco WebEx is a significant provider of Web-based video conferencing services. With a WebEx account, you can connect with up to 25 people at once in high-definition (or downscaled quality) via computer, tablet, or mobile device. You can also access meetings from almost any browser-enabled device, including Apple and Android mobile devices and Mac and Windows desktops.

You can choose to host meetings or view them online. If you choose to host meetings, you can create a meeting room and require people who join to enter the room by name. Cisco WebEx provides online tools for managing meetings, such as viewing the session history, who has joined the meeting, and who has been kicked out.

Helpful Video Conferencing Information

With video conferencing software, you can still connect with colleagues even if they are not physically located in the same place. This article includes the three best video conferencing systems for remote work and learning. Hopefully, this information will help you. Learn more on this topic Vizual Symphony.

Commercial Real Estate Leasing GuideCommercial Real Estate Leasing Guide

A commercial lease agreement allows a business to rent a commercial property from a landlord and is significantly different from residential leases. Having a guide to negotiating commercial leases and how to negotiate leasing office space is invaluable as there are many costly mistakes that can be made, as well as missed opportunities with lease agreement terms. 

Read below and discover how to navigate a commercial lease and secure the right property for your business.

Define the Commercial Space You Want to Lease

Before looking for commercial real estate, you need to define the parameters of the building or space you want and need. Having a list of qualities such as budget, office space size, must-have amenities, accessibility, and security can help limit your search for commercial real estate to lease. 

Accessibility, for example, is important to consider, whether customers will be coming to the property or not, as it`s important that your employees can get there as well. Consider the foot traffic, what kind of neighboring businesses are around, parking space, and proximity to public transportation. 

How is the Commercial Real Estate Zoned?

Commercial zoning is important to consider as different buildings fall within different uses. For example, a warehouse and office space are both considered commercial property but will be zoned for different types of businesses. The type of zoning dictates what type of business can make use of the commercial space and is typically local jurisdiction.

When choosing where to look for commercial spaces, check with your local chamber of commerce or zoning regulations based on ZIP code. This will help you narrow your search even further so you can focus on which commercial lease to look into. 

Types of Commercial Leases

Once you`ve narrowed down what a commercial building must have, your budget, and where zoning permits you to do business, you can look at the commercial leases offered by the different properties. It`s important to consider what type of commercial lease is appropriate for your business needs as well as the details of each lease. There are three primary types of commercial real estate leases:

Full-Service Lease

This is the most common type of commercial lease and usually with office space. Essentially, the landlord is responsible for the expenses of the property like taxes, insurance, maintenance, janitorial services, and utilities. There are no hidden costs and enables businesses to accurately budget for their monthly and annual lease payments.

Net Lease

A net lease agreement is typically cheaper in annual rent, but can also include monthly “usual costs,” such as property insurance, taxes, and common area maintenance items. These leases can be single, double, or triple net:

  • Single: the tenant pays rent plus a pro-rata share of the building`s property taxes
  • Double net: the tenant pays a portion of the property insurance on top of rent and property taxes
  • Triple net: the tenant pays the pro-rata share of property taxes, property insurance, and common area maintenance items. These are more common with restaurant and retail commercial spaces. 

Modified Gross Lease

This type of lease is a mix of full-service and the net lease. For example, a commercial tenant might pay for their portion of the property taxes, insurance, and common area maintenance items, but in a lump sum along with the rent. The benefit here is that the rent is fixed without any hidden costs or sudden expenses. The utilities and janitorial services are covered by the landlord and if the taxes, insurance, or common area maintenance items increases the rent still stays the same. 

Find a Broker to Facilitate the Commercial Lease

Commercial real estate leasing can be intricate and costly when mistakes are made or to get out of, if you`re able to at all. It`s important to have a commercial real estate agent or a tenant broker to help guide you through the process and go over the leases for the building or office space with you. Here at Goodale & Barbieri, we provide tenant representation to help our clients secure the right commercial space for their business. As one of the largest developers, property managers, and a leading real estate firm, we understand what to look for with tenants and the nuances of negotiating a lease, as well as the market. Since 1937 we`ve handled properties of all sorts and currently have over 4 million square feet of commercial property. Discover more about working with experienced experts by following the link below.

To find out more, please check out commercial real estate

Level-Headed Strategies For Van Living – Finding HelpLevel-Headed Strategies For Van Living – Finding Help

Living in a car is one of the most popular ways to save cash. It allows you to travel with minimal effort and cost in addition to having extra space for storage. As a matter of fact, living in a car might be the ideal choice if you`re trying to save money. However, it`s essential fullpocket.co says that prior to making this decision, there are a couple of things which you will need to consider. You need to know about the expenses and pitfalls associated with residing in a car.

1 thing that you need to do is check the insurance policy for your car. Most individuals are unaware that most policies apply to automobiles and not to homes. Hence, while the coverage for your house may cover damages, your automobile insurance couldn`t cover the same. Hence, it is important that you check your policy coverage for both types of vehicles.

Have A Peek Here

Secondly, if you`re residing in a rented car, check with the owner if they provide a storage facility. This will definitely save you a lot of money. If not, you may look for other options like renting an office space in your locality. There are a number of offices that rent out space on a daily or monthly basis.

Thirdly, check with your friends and acquaintances about living in a vehicle. They may get an idea about the pros and cons in addition to any other options which they could have considered. By getting their opinions, you can move accordingly. Additionally, you can look at the advertisements that display cars available.

Fourthly, the search for an appropriate car. There are various sorts of cars available on the market. Some cars are costly and others are cheap. Consequently, it`s crucial that you identify your requirement before you move. Whether you would like a compact car or a four-wheel driveway, for example, you need to know your requirements. You can start by taking a look at the kinds of fuel that are used in the cars.

Fifthly, you want to find out your expenditure and earnings. When living in a car, you do not have to worry about either the cost or revenue. You just have to focus on how you wish to spend your time. This way, it is simple to calculate your expenditures as well as your revenues. Living in a car would be extremely easy if you follow these simple tips.

Moreover, there are several other benefits of living in a vehicle. For instance, it would not be difficult to commute to work if you own a vehicle. You would not need to worry about parking your car and then taking it to the workplace. The cost of driving your own vehicle would be a good deal less than the expenses involved with parking your own automobile.

By living in a car, you also save a great deal of time. It is very inconvenient to walk or cycle from one place to another when you need to travel in a hurry. Thus, having a car is a benefit. However, you should also learn how to manage your finances properly so that you could use the extra cash to purchase things for yourself.

Another advantage of living in a car is that it is economical. Most people simply cannot afford to pay high prices of purchasing and storing a vehicle. In such instances, living in a car becomes the best alternative. Even if the monthly cost is higher, you can easily manage it with your own salary.

Most individuals have the opinion that they can easily survive and lead a comfortable life if they are working for somebody else. However, you must always bear in mind that in order to save money, you need to have a solid financial plan in place. If you`re planning to buy a car, you should always consider factors like your long-term requirements and your short-term targets. By way of example, it`s not advisable to purchase a sports car if you are planning to go to the races frequently. Thus, living in a car to save money is a sensible option.

If you feel that you`re in need of more space and feel that you want more freedom, living in a car would be an ideal solution. However, you should ensure that you don`t end up living in a cramped automobile. Furthermore, you should ensure that you do not compromise on the quality of the car as you will need to spend on maintenance and repair. Living in a car would also work out to be costly. Therefore, living in a car to save money is the wisest option.