This week I’m hitting the four-month mark here in Guatemala. Since catching the travel bug back in 2003, I haven’t spent many consecutive months in one country. After a round-the-world trip that ended in 2004, I lived in Guatemala from 2004 to 2006 but was always on the move, exploring the region, returning to Europe, […]

Good morning! Today, I’m excited to share a guest post from Ben Carlson, who writes at A Wealth of Common Sense. He talks about personal finance, investments, and using common sense to get ahead financially. If money wasn’t an issue, how would you spend your time? Would you travel, live by the beach, hang out […]

This is the eighth part of my journey converting the land I bought in Guatemala and my new life here. If you missed the earlier parts, you can catch up on them. Since it’s the last day of the year, let’s take a look back at the house expenses. We’ve spent a lot so far, […]

One way to ensure a joyful start to the new year is by managing your holiday spending wisely. While it sounds simple, how often do we actually stick to it? Here are a few practical tips to help you stay within a reasonable budget this holiday season: ### Create a Per-Person Holiday Budget The National […]

Why do people find it so hard to change their habits? “It’s just what we do,” “It works for us,” “We’re fine this way.” Really? You’re spending $200 more on electricity than necessary because you can’t be bothered to check a comparison site, and then you complain about being broke? You stop for a $5 […]

I’m Eva Baker, a 17-year-old high school student with a keen interest in securing my financial future, and I love to help other teens do the same. When I’m not at the gym rock climbing or daydreaming about my future wedding, I’m busy sharing my financial journey on TeensGotCents. Living in a world full of […]

### Working Hard on the Roof Before I moved to Guatemala, I was considering houses in the South of France. For the same price, I would have ended up with a run-down house that needed a lot of fixing. I imagined myself as a carpenter, mason, and architect, tackling all the repairs. Realistically, though, I […]

Now that you’ve got your finances back on track, it’s time to consider giving back. Often, during tough financial times, we don’t think about giving. I’m not going to lecture you about karma or what books say about tithing, but simply put, giving is an amazing, selfless act that doesn’t require you to be wealthy. […]

Just a heads-up: Hostgator is offering 75% off hosting and domains for the next hour or so, and then 50% off for the rest of the day. You don’t need any coupons to get these deals. I’ve been using Hostgator since day one and really appreciate their customer support and all the tools they offer. […]

Happy Monday! It’s indeed a happy one because the work is coming to an end. While BF was away, we almost lost a whole week of progress. They were building a small extension to serve as storage, with clear instructions: pour concrete on the floor, build three walls (the fourth attaches to the house), and […]