Finding Your Way Home

If you’ve paid off your debt, you owe yourself a round of applause. It’s a rare feat, and one that should be celebrated—in moderation.

Now that you have extra money coming in each month, the first thing you’ll want to do is have a plan in place so that you don’t turn around and find yourself right back where you started.

Here are three things you can do with your money to set yourself up for continued success in the future:

Studies have shown that looking at certain colors can impact your mood, so if you’re looking to brighten your days, look at the walls.

Orange
This color boosts social connection, so paint a wall in your living room or kitchen a vivid orange and enjoy deeper, longer, joyous conversations.

Yellow
This sunny color is one of the most obvious mood brighteners, and there are many shades of yellow soft enough for an entire room.

Asphalt is a popular choice for paving driveways. It’s an environmentally-friendly material that can be recycled and is unlikely to cause damage to vehicles. Asphalt also lasts for decades and can enhance your home’s curb appeal, but eventually, it may show signs of wear or damage. If you notice any of these problems, they should not be ignored.

Retiring early is a great idea if you can afford it.

Unfortunately, few people plan for retirement as well as they should. A common rule of thumb is to save 10 times your final salary to retire by age 67. For someone with an annual salary of $50,000, that would mean having $500,000 saved in retirement funds.

If you want to retire early, you probably already know you need to have a good chunk of money saved. But there are some other things you can do too:

So, you’ve decided to list your home on the market. You've probably enlisted the help of a realtor, or at least researched what other comparable homes in your area are going for. You probably have a good idea of what your home is worth, but are you considering all the factors to include in your listing? Consider the following items, and make sure you’re accounting for them in your listing price.

Window Treatments

Credit cards can help you afford things you need if you don’t have the money right now, but they often lead to trouble. Some people overspend, while others are forced to rely on credit cards more than they’d like because of a job loss or an unexpected expense.

No matter how you got into debt, if you’re struggling to make your monthly payments, you’re probably feeling overwhelmed. It may feel like you’ll never be able to get out of debt, especially if you have high interest rates.