Born on this day!! Guitarist Mason Williams is 82. Singer Marshall Thompson of The Chi-Lites is 78. Keyboardist Ken Hensley (Uriah Heep) is 75. Actor Ann Archer is 73. Actor Joe Regalbuto (“Murphy Brown”) is 71. Actor Kevin Dunn (“Samantha Who?”) is 65. Actor Steve Guttenberg is 62. Actor Jared Harris (“The Crown,” ″Mad Men”) is 59. Talk show host Craig Kilborn is 58. Singer John Bush (Anthrax) is 57. Actor Marlee Matlin is 55. Newsman David Gregory is 50. Country singer Kristyn Osborn of SheDaisy is 50. Director Ava DuVernay (“Selma”) is 48. Actor-comedian Dave Chappelle is 47. Actor James D’Arcy (“Agent Carter,” “Dunkirk”) is 47. Actor Carmine Giovinazzo (“CSI: New York”) is 47. Actor Alex O’Loughlin (“Hawaii Five-0″) is 44. Actor Chad Michael Murray (“One Tree Hill,” ″A Cinderella Story”) is 39. Drummer Jeffrey Gilbert (Kutless) is 37. Actor Rupert Grint (“Harry Potter”) is 32.

THIS DAY IN GENIUS HISTORY

79 – Mount Vesuvius erupted and buried the towns of Pompeii and Herculaneum.
1572 – 70,000 French Protestants, or Huguenots, were killed in the St. Bartholomew’s Day massacre.
1814 – The British set fire to the White House and the Capitol when they invaded Washington, DC during the War of 1812.
1821 – Mexico gained its independence from Spain with the Treaty of Cordoba.
1949 – The North Atlantic Treaty went into effect.
1968 – France became the world’s fifth nuclear power as it exploded a hydrogen bomb in the South Pacific.
1989 – Pete Rose was banned from baseball for gambling.
1991 – Mikhail Gorbachev resigned as the general secretary of the Communist Party after a failed coup attempt against him.
1992 – Hurricane Andrew hit Florida, causing record damage.

Today Is: International Strange Music Day, Knife Day, National Waffle Iron Day, Pluto Demoted Day, Vesuvius Day, Wayzgoose Day, William Wilberforce Day

TODAY ON TV!
Primetime TV (All Times Eastern)

CBS – 8:00 – Love Island  /  10:00 – National Convention
NBC – 8:00  – American Ninja Warrior  /  10:00 – National Convention
ABC – 8:00 – Holey Moley II  /  9:00 – To Tell The Truth  /  10:00 – National Convention
FOX – 8:00 –  The Kings Speech
CW – 8:00 –  Whose Line  /  8:30 – Whose Line  /  9:00 – Penn and Teller Fool Us

TV Talk Shows

Jimmy Kimmel: Dan Levy, Elle King, guest host David Spade
Jimmy Fallon: Jesse Eisenberg, Blake Griffin, Gracie Abrams (R 8/4/20)
Stephen Colbert: Jon Favreau, Jon Lovett, Tommy Vietor, Tim McGraw, Laura Benanti
James Corden: Maisie Williams, Bright Eyes
Conan: Don Cheadle (R 7/20/20)
The View: Madison Cawthorn, George Lopez (R 6/26/20)
Live with Kelly and Ryan: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Dr. Michael Roizen (R)
Ellen DeGeneres: Michael B. Jordan, Bryan Stevenson, Charlize Theron, Rex Orange County (R 1/8/20)
Wendy Williams: Wendy’s “Style Squad” dishes about all the fashion hits and misses at the Emmy Awards (R 9/23/19)
The Real: Niles Fitch, Lauren Speed & Cameron Hamilton (R 3/2/20)
Tamron Hall: Online scams and COVID-19 crimes

WHAT ARE YOU TALKIN’ ABOUT? Here are today’s PPM-Friendly Topics!

QUESTION: Is he the “FLORIDA MAN” of the YEAR?? He stole lottery tickets… then tried to cash in a $30 winner AT THE SAME STORE!! (Can’t fix stupid!)

 

QUESTION: What tipped off Alex Trebeck’s wife that he COULD BE SICK?? They were on vacation when she said, “Your skin tone just doesn’t look right!!!!”

 

QUESTION: Do merchandise bundles, where you get an album as added value, DELEGITIMIZE THE BILLBOARD ALBUM CHART?? Some say yes… Taylor!!!

 

QUESTION: Ready for SOMETHING ELSE TO WORRY ABOUT?? NASA says an ASTEROID could hit the U.S.A. the day before the election!!! Just great!!!!!

 

QUESTION: What does this 4-year-old have that YOU don’t have?? That would be a HOLE-IN-ONE!!! (Maybe we should call him a “FORE-YEAR-OLD???”)

Britney Spears Conservatorship Extended

Britney Spears’ conservatorship has been extended until 2021.  Her conservatorship, which has been overseen by her father Jamie for the vast majority of its existence, has reportedly been the cause of some drama in recent months.  On Monday, Spears’ lawyer, Samuel D. Ingham III, reportedly filed court documents stating that she is “strongly opposed” to having her father, Jamie Spears, remaining as her sole conservator. Despite the request,  the conservatorship has been extended until at least February 2021.  Ingham was authorized to file a petition no later than Sept. 18 and have it set for a hearing on Oct. 14.  Documents filed earlier this week reportedly show that Spears is requesting that her temporary conservator, Jodi Montgomery, take on the role permanently.  The conservatorship was put in place in 2008 following the singer’s breakdowns.
*****Hey… that money isn’t going to spend ITSELF!! Somebody’s gotta help!!
******WE need a conservator.. to oversee our collection of baseball cards and radio station t-shirts!!
******This case is just another excuse to form an Internet Mob!!!

Rachael Ray’s Fire Started In The Fireplace

A fire that tore through celebrity chef Rachael Ray’s upstate New York home started in a fireplace chimney, officials announced Friday.  The state Office of Fire Prevention and Control said the Aug. 9 fire at Ray’s house in Lake Luzerne, N.Y., was accidental.  The blaze sent flames through the roof of the home, at the end of a private drive in a rural area about 60 miles north of Albany.  More than a dozen local fire departments worked to put out the flames. No firefighters or anyone from the household was injured.  “Rachael, her husband and their dog Bella are safe,” her rep, Charlie Dougiello, said at the time. She has been producing live cooking segments for her daytime talk show during the coronavirus pandemic from the upstate home with her husband working as the show’s cameraman and producer.
*******A fire in the fireplace? How retro!!
******Is it just us, or does this girl need to put on some makeup??
******Her house used to be “rare. Now it’s “well done!!”

Harry and Meghan Have Received Tons Of Freebies

The new book “Finding Freedom” reveals that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have received over $4.5 million in gifts from friends, brands and family members.  The handouts began on the night of their first date in 2016: Markle’s hotel room at the Soho house, which would have cost $535, was comped. Her friend Markus Anderson owns the trendy lodging.  While the couple was courting, Anderson “put them up” at a private four-bedroom cottage in the Cotswolds Soho Farmhouse and at the Soho House property at Babington in Somerset. He also arranged a weekend getaway for them, saving Prince Harry and his then-girlfriend $6,100.  Markle’s former bestie Jessica Mulroney aided the long-distance lovers by offering her a private jet from Toronto to London so they could date in secret, which would have cost $65,000.  During their 2018 wedding, popular candle company Diptique provided several diffusers, which go for $170, to cover up the “musty” smell of St. George’s Chapel, which Meghan wasn’t a fan of.  They jetted off to their secret honeymoon on a “private jet loaned by a friend.”  Queen Elizabeth gifted her grandson and his new wife their mansion, Frogmore cottage. Good thing she did — The Daily Mail says a similar house in the area recently sold for almost $4.3 million.  Meghan and Harry also vacationed with friends George and Amal Clooney at their Lake Cuomo home. The actor gave up his private plane for the couple to make the trip across the pond, saving them $17,000 in commercial air fare.  The gifts didn’t stop there: Meghan’s star-studded two-day New York City baby shower was hosted by Amal and Serena Williams, who fitted the $400,000 bill. Again, she traveled with Air Clooney, saving her a whopping $65,000, the Daily Mail estimates.  Free air travel is a frequent handout to the Duke and Duchess: Elton John provided the family with flights on his private plane so they could visit the star in Nice, France, during the summer of 2019, which would cost the layperson $7,900.  When the couple first arrived in the States, they set up shop in a mansion owned by Tyler Perry for four months – for free. For a similar rental in the Beverly Ridge area, it would set us normal people back $60k.
*******Meghan’s butt hurts!! It’s chapped from being kissed so much!!
*******Prince Harry doesn’t know the difference!! He’s gotten free stuff all his life!!
****Will they be able to make it in their new $14 million shack in Santa Barbara??
******When your grandmother’s face is on the money, isn’t everything free??

Lori Loughlin Sentenced

A federal judge sentenced Lori Loughlin to two months jail Friday — and scolded her for living a “fairy tale life” yet greedily grabbing “even more,” by conspiring to pay a half-million-dollar bribe to get her  daughters into the USC as fake rowing recruits.  “Here you are, an admired, successful professional actor with a long-lasting marriage,”  Boston federal Distict Judge Nathaniel Groton said in a virtual, Zoom sentencing that was part tongue-lashing, part wrist slap.  Loughlin enjoys “two apparently healthy, resilient children, more money than you could possibly need, a beautiful home in sunny, southern California,” noted Groton, who earlier Friday had sentenced her husband, Mossimo Giunnulli to five months for the same conspiracy.  “A fairytale life,” the judge admonished Loughlin.  “Yet you stand before me a convicted felon. And for what? For the inexplicable desire to grab even more,” he said.  “We can only hope that you will spent the rest of your charmed life, as you have said you will, making amends to the system you have harmed,” he told Loughlin.  She fought back tears as she expressed remorse for the humiliating scandal.  “I’ve made an awful decision,” she told the judge, her voice breaking during the video hearing.  “I went along with a plan to give my daughters an unfair advantage in the college-admissions process, and in doing so, I ignored my intuition and allowed myself to be swayed from my moral compass.  “While I wish I could go back and do things differently, I can only take responsibility and move forward,” she said.   Loughlin must surrender to start serving her sentence by Nov. 19. Her lawyers have asked that she be sent to Victorville Camp, the low-security section of a larger federal lockup in San Bernadino County, near her home.
*******They also requested an additional cell for her wardrobe!!
****Note to Hollywood bachelors: she’ll be alone for three months while her hubby serves his sentence!!
******That’s funny… all the mentally-challenged “legal experts” on network TV said they were going to beat the rap!! Hmm…
*******She’s been ordering different outfits from the Martha Stewart Big House Collection!!

Drew Barrymore Says Her Grandfather’s Body Was Stolen

Drew Barrymore just confirmed a bizarre rumor about her grandfather John Barrymore’s corpse.  She revealed on the YouTube channel Hot Ones that it was, in fact, true that her grandfather’s body was stolen from the morgue in May 1942 by his friends so they could all party together one last time.  She admitted that John’s three friends — Errol Flynn, W.C. Fields, and Sadakichi Hartmann — took his body and actually propped it up at a poker table.  “I hope my friends do the same for me,” Barrymore joked. “That is the kind of spirit I can get behind. Just prop the old bag up and have a last few rounds.”  She added, “I think death comes with so much morose sadness, and I understand that, but if it’s okay, just with me, if everyone can be really happy and celebratory and have a party, that would be my preference.”
********We’ve actually watched people die on some of these Zoom meetings!!
*******Good idea for a movie: “Weekend at Barrymore’s!!”

Ben Affleck Returning As Batman

Ben Affleck will be suiting up as Batman once again in DC’s upcoming The Flash movie starring Ezra Miller.  The film’s director Andy Muschietti made the announcement in an interview with Vanity Fair.  “He’s a very substantial part of the emotional impact of the movie. The interaction and relationship between Barry and Affleck’s Wayne will bring an emotional level that we haven’t seen before,” the filmmaker said. Miller’s Flash’s real name is Barry Allen.  Affleck and Miller will be joined by Micheal Keaton in the film who is also reprising his role as Batman. Keaton famously played him in 1989’s Batman and 1992’s Batman Returns, both from director Tim Burton.  Miller’s Flash will be traveling through different dimensions where he will meet different versions of DC’s stable of characters. Affleck and Miller already teamed up in 2017’s Justice League.  The Flash has no release date.
******Somebody needs money!!
******Maybe we could all travel into time… to a time when this is OVER!!

 

Ripping The Tabloids (Throughout the week, we’ll give you the stories from that weeks tabs!)
**Please Credit Publication!

Brooklyn Beckham Sports Gold Band With Nicola!-(National Enquirer)

Band it like Beckham!  After Nicola Peltz posted a photo of fiancé Brooklyn Beckham wearing a gold band on his ring finger, tongues started wagging the posh couple had secretly tied the knot during quarantine!  The 21-year-old son of soccer star David and former Spice Girl Victoria announced his engagement to “soulmate” Nicola, 25, in July-but it looks like their love is moving along at lightning speed!

Her Heart Pounds for Priestley!-(Globe)

The holidays have come early for Melissa Joan Hart!  The 44-year-old actress is starring in “Dear Christmas,” an upcoming Lifetime romance flick with her real-life teenage crush-former “Beverly Hills 90210” heartthrob Jason Priestley, now 51.  “I haven’t told him yet but my 16-year-old self would be passing out,” spills the former “Sabrina the Teenage Witch” star.  Even hotter, Jason’s playing a handsome firefighter who warms Melissa’s heart for the holidays.  Fans are hyperventilating online over the flick’s red-hot pairing.  “My 33-year-old self is about to pass out,” writes a follower, while others gush:  “Who wouldn’t?  Can’t blame you, Jason will always be every ‘90s girl’s crush,” and “Sabrina and Brandon Walsh will be in one movie!  Can’t wait!”

Loose Talk-(Us Weekly)

“Oh s**t, ruh-roh.”-Her response after Kamala Harris, whom she’s portrayed on Saturday Night Live, was named Joe Biden’s running mate, Maya Rudolph.

“I know my baby’s cough.  She was drinking and she was eating grapes.  And I’m then like, ‘Oh my gosh.  Is she chewing?  Make sure you chew.’”-On being distracted by 2-year-old daughter Alexis Olympia Jr. on the sidelines of a recent match, Serena Williams.

“He’s not my husband, but that sounded cool when you said it.”-Her reaction to Dua Lipa calling Blake Shelton her spouse, Gwen Stefani.

“Obviously, some days I get more sleep than others, but it is what it is.  And it’s frickin’ awesome.”-On life with her 9-month-old twins, Kristen Wiig.

Gaga’s Mental Health Struggle-(Star)

Lady Gaga dropped some bombshells in a recent radio interview.  Admitting that “I can’t always control things that my brain does,” the 34-year-old revealed she’s been taking the powerful drug olanzapine to help treat her symptoms.  “I have to take medication to stop the process that occurs,” she went on, adding that the song “911” from her new album, Chromatica, is about the med, which belongs to a class of drugs called “atypical antipsychotics.”  The news is just the latest revelation from the “Born This Way” singer (nee Stefani Germanotta), who’s long been an advocate for mental health awareness.

Baby Steps-(Life & Style)

Malibu, Aug. 9

Well, hello, Raddix!  The world finally got its first glimpse of Cameron Diaz’s 7-month-old daughter with Benji Madden during an adorable family outing to the beach.  “Literally every single day, there’s just leaps and bounds,” the actress says of her rapidly growing little girl, “and she’s not the same baby that she was yesterday.”

Angelina & Brad’s New Divorce Dispute-(People)

Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt’s drawn-out divorce has stalled once again.  On Aug. 7-nearly four years after Jolie filed for divorce-her attorney Samantha Bley DeJean requested the removal of private judge John W. Ouderkirk, whom the couple hired to oversee their case out of the spotlight.  DeJean claimed in a filing that the judge-who also officiated Jolie and Pitt’s wedding in France in 2014-failed to disclose “ever-increasing business relationships” with Pitt’s lawyers, “relationships that were providing a steady stream of income.”  Ouderkirk has yet to comment, but Pitt’s attorneys responded, calling the filing “a Hail Mary” and claiming their dealings with Ouderkirk had been “fully disclosed to Jolie.”  Jolie, 45, and Pitt, 56, split in 2016 and were declared single again last year, but they’re still sorting out custody of their younger kids.  The next hearing is scheduled for October.

Number of the Week-(In Touch)

1,100

-percent increase in sales for Phil Collins’ 1981 hit “In the Air Tonight” after a video of Indiana twins listening to the song for the first time went viral.

 

STUPID NEWS

Hemp Urinals Installed In The Netherlands

The capital of the Netherlands has installed hemp-filled urinals in public outdoor locations around the city as a means of combating the longtime problem of “wild peeing.”  Dutch company Urban Senses installed 12 GreenPee urinals in locations around Amsterdam that were identified by local officials as hotspots for public urination.  Richard de Vries, inventor of the GreenPee urinals, said the city initially installed four of the urinals in 2018, and they have now added eight more after determining the pilot program was a success.  “The result was there was a 50% reduction in wild peeing,” De Vries told CNN of the initial toilet installation. “It was a great success.”  The city of Amsterdam said officials are considering future research into whether the urinals could be made usable by women.
********There’s a website for that!!
*******Soo… you walk right up and pee in a planter?? That works!

Bear Steals From Grocery Store

A customer at a California grocery store captured video of a shoplifting bear strolling into the store and nonchalantly walking off with a bag of chips in its mouth.  Adina Baidoo said she was leaving the Safeway store in Kings Beach with her cart when she nearly ended up in a head-on collision with the bear.  “So there was this woman walking out of Safeway and almost into a bear…. that was me… I’m the woman,” Baidoo said in a Facebook post.   She said a witness made a high-pitched sound that caused her to look up in time to avoid walking right into the bear.  Baidoo captured video of the bear eating some garbage from next to a trash can and went to take her groceries to her van.  She filmed as the animal grabbed a bag of Tostitos chips in its mouth and left the store without paying for the snack.  See the video HERE.
*******Bears have no money!! Why don’t we give them a guaranteed annual income??
*******The bad part? The bear wasn’t wearing a FACE MASK!!

Ninja Museum Safe Stolen

A Japanese museum dedicated to the history and practices of ninjas was targeted by thieves who apparently knew something of stealth and speed themselves — stealing $9,470 in three minutes.  The Iga-ryu Ninja Museum, located in Iga, Mie Prefecture, said there were no staff members inside when the late-night thieves broke in and triggered an alarm.  Police were summoned to the scene and determined the thieves had used a crowbar to force the door open and made off with a 330-pound safe containing admission fees from more than 1,000 visitors.  The museum said about $9,470 was inside the safe.  The thieves are believed to have been in and out of the museum in about three minutes.  The museum is dedicated to the history and practices of ninjas, who were known for their skills in espionage, assassination, sabotage and guerrilla warfare. The practice of ninjutsu — the art of stealth — is believed to date back to at least the 14th century.
*******It’s hard to be stealthy when you’re lugging a 330-pound safe!!
******They’re actually still there!! You just can’t see them!!
*******Does a “ninja with a crowbar” sound right??

You Can Get Paid To Do Nothing

A university in Germany is offering “idleness grants” to Germans willing to abstain from activity as part of research for an exhibition on sustainability.  The University of Fine Arts in Hamburg said three people will receive the “grant for doing nothing” and be paid $1,900 to engage in a specific form of “active inactivity.”  The school said applicants are free to choose their own form of idleness — an activity to abstain from — and a panel of school officials will choose the three best pitches.  “Doing nothing isn’t very easy,” Friedrich von Borries, the architect and design theorist who designed the program, told The Guardian. “We want to focus on active inactivity. If you say you are not going to move for a week, then that’s impressive. If you propose you are not going to move or think, that might be even better.”  Von Borries said the period of inactivity is up to the applicant.  All submitted applications will form part of an exhibition called The School of Inconsequentiality: Towards A Better Life, which is planned for November. The exhibition will explore the question: “What can I refrain from so that my life has fewer negative consequences on the lives of others?”
******We’d love to do it… but we’ve already got that job!!
******The base assumption here is that if you just didn’t exist, everyone else’s life would be better!!
*****Germans have always been weird!! See: Hitler, Freud and Karl Marx!!

 

STUFF THAT’S COOL AND VIRAL

VIDEO: SHATTER PROOF GLASS FOILS ROBBERY!

VIDEO: TRAILER FOR “THE BATMAN”

 

A LIST FOR MONDAY

13 Pro Budgeting Tips for People Who Wonder Where Every Paycheck Goes

PennyHoarder.com

1. Set Your Goals Before You Make Your Budget

Without a goal, a budget is just a spreadsheet that tells you to have less fun.

Think about what you want in the next five to 10 years, and figure out what financial situation you need to get there. Whatever your goals are, know that any sound financial foundation starts with an emergency fund.

You might then want to pay off debt, save for a down payment on a home, or increase your savings.

Decide where you want to be financially next year and the year after. Knowing what you want to do with your money will guide you as you figure out how to budget, and it will greatly increase the likelihood that you’ll stick to it.

2. There’s No One Size-Fits-All Budget. Find a Plan That Works for You

There are so many budgeting methods out there, and every guru says theirs is the best. But ultimately you have to choose the one that works for you.

If you’ve got an ambitious goal, we recommend trying a zero-based budget first.

To make a zero-based budget, start by prioritizing your expenses from essential to nonessential. Then, assign every dollar in your paycheck a “job” on the list until you run out.

The most important things — housing, food, minimum debt payments — get taken care of first, and you can disburse the remaining money for your goals and fun in their order of importance to you.

Zero-based budgeting is great for Type A planners. If you prefer to be a little more loosey-goosey, a 50/20/30 budget is a great option. With this approach, you don’t have to think too much about your expenses. You just allocate 50% of your income to your needs, 20% to savings and 30% to wants.

3. Use a Budgeting App or the Envelope System to Track Your Spending on the Go

It’s hard to lug around your laptop or binder to keep up with each budget category, so a budgeting app is a great tool for updating your budget on the go. There are many out there, whether you like to enter each transaction manually or see everything updated automatically.

If your goal is to take an intense look at your spending, manually tracking your transactions is going to work best. Once you’ve been budgeting for a while and you’ve got a grasp on your spending, syncing transactions automatically works fine.

If you still can’t stick to your budget, the envelope system can help you succeed without so much emphasis on constant tracking.

After you decide how much money goes toward each of your expenses, put the money you’ll spend for each expense in a given week into separate envelopes and carry them with you. Once an envelope is empty, you’re done spending in that category. You can keep receipts in the envelope and examine your purchases later.

Envelopes are best for categories you’re prone to overspending on. You probably don’t need envelopes for things like gas and utilities, because you’re not likely to go on a gas-buying spree.

Popular categories for envelopes are restaurants, groceries, clothes and entertainment.

4. Use the Past to Predict Your Future Income and Expenses

Whether you choose a zero-based budget, 50/20/30 budget or some other method, you’re going to have to calculate your income and the amount of money you want to put toward every category or individual expense.

Salaried employees will get off easy when they calculate their incomes. If you have a variable income or side hustles, you’ll need to do some digging.

Look back at your income from the past six months, or as far back as you can if you’ve been at your current job for less time. Then find your average monthly income and the average amount of each paycheck.

Expenses like utilities can also be unpredictable. Check your online statements to see which months were higher versus which were lower so you can make future budgets. You may not be able to take that impromptu weekend getaway the month your electric bill will be $300, but it might be totally feasible during a month it’s going to be $75.

5. Make a Monthly Budget AND a Budget for Each Paycheck

Since most bills are monthly, it’s important to make a budget for the entire month to get a clear picture of everything due. But by breaking that down further into paycheck-by-paycheck budgets, you can pace your spending so you don’t end up penniless by the 20th.

You can make categories as vague or as specific as you want, but put as many barriers in place to prevent yourself from overspending in the first half of the month.

This is another time when the envelope system helps you, but you could do the same thing with reloadable gift cards for specific stores.

6. Don’t Confuse Infrequent Expenses With Emergencies

These aren’t the unexpected expenses that you’d cover with your miscellaneous or emergency categories. Infrequent expenses are the charges that come up once or twice a year — but we always seem to forget will happen.

Like when it’s Dec. 23 and you’re still not done with your holiday shopping. Who could’ve predicted Christmas would be on Dec. 25 AGAIN?!

Keep a chart that includes your semiannual and annual expenses to determine what you need to save every month to cover them. Open a separate checking account or savings account where you put money every month to cover these expenses.

7. Remember the Obvious: You Need to Spend Less

Count this among the budgeting tips no one wants to hear. Once the planning is done, it’s time for the hardest part: sticking to your plan.

If you’re in the habit of spending more than you make, your first priority is to find ways to save money.

We don’t mean you need to find better sales and clip more coupons. As much as we love a good coupon stack, the most important thing you can do is buy and spend less.

Some of our favorite tips to cut spending are:

• Make a meal plan, and stick to your grocery list.
• Prep meals on Sundays so you’re less likely to eat out during the week.
• Opt for free events in your area instead of pricy activities or bars.
• Try running and body-weight workouts instead of paying for a gym membership.

There are countless ways to save money. Our best tip: Start by slashing expenses that are making a big dent in your budget instead of shaving pennies off already manageable ones.

Do everything you can to resist the temptation to make impulse purchases or spend beyond your budget. An easy way to do this: Leave your credit card at home, and use cash envelopes or a debit card.

8. Use the 30-Day Rule to Stop Impulse Buys

If you still need to curb impulse buying, follow the 30-day rule: When you want to buy something that’s not in your budget, make note of the item in question for next month’s budget and revisit it in 30 days. If you still want it, you can consider buying it if you can afford it.

Online shoppers can use the Icebox Chrome extension that allows you to choose a 30-day “cool off” period before you can buy something.

9. Negotiate Your Bills to Save Money

People often take for granted that what they’re paying for their phone, internet and insurance is what they have to pay. By contacting your providers to negotiate your bills, you could lower your bills once or twice every year.

You can do this yourself by calling all your companies or using a negotiation app like Trim or Empower.

If you’re trying it yourself, be friendly, ask for more than you want, and back down from there. Stop when you feel you’ve reached a good deal. Oh, and be prepared to be on the phone for a while.

10. Remember That Things Will Go Wrong

Student loans and credit cards aren’t paid off overnight. And the perfect budget isn’t made in a day.

Things will change and go wrong. Impulse purchases will be made, and budgets will get obliterated by life’s little surprises. The most important tip for budgeting is to not give up.

When things go wrong, alter your budget to compensate. Move money from one category to another, put less in savings, or try a side hustle to add some wiggle room. And know that sometimes you’ll find yourself ripping up the entire budget and starting again from scratch in the middle of the month.

Eventually, you’ll get this whole budgeting thing down. But it’s going to start with a lot of bumps in the road.

11. Have an Income-Sinking Fund for When Your Income Is Less

When you calculate your income and get your monthly average, compare it with your income each month throughout the year. In months you expect to make more than average, take the difference and transfer it to your income-sinking fund. It’s a separate account where you put money you plan to take out in the near future for a specific purpose, such as supplementing your income on low-earning months.

During months when you expect to make less, you can withdraw up to your monthly average to help with expenses.

12. Hold a Monthly Budget Meeting

The first budgeting tip is to have a monthly meeting that both of you are required to attend.  Whoever enjoys budgeting more can make the budget, but the other partner still has to contribute something. Whether they change one line or many, we repeat: They must contribute.

13. ‘Subtle’ Hints Can Help if Your Partner Hates to Budget

If your partner isn’t on board with budgets, they’ll need a little convincing.  Ashley Patrick of Budgets Made Easy tried having budget meetings with her husband, but he wasn’t interested.

Patrick desperately wanted her husband to be part of their financial planning, but he wanted her to handle everything. So she turned to money-saving guru Dave Ramsey’s podcast.  “The biggest thing that fully got him on board was playing Dave Ramsey podcasts in the car, especially when I did it on a long road trip,” she said. “Hours of Dave Ramsey helped change his mindset.”

Both people need to be flexible with the other’s priorities and supportive of their goals. Budgeting together won’t be easy at first — but it’ll lead to a lifetime of financial strength and happiness.

 

The preceding material was compiled and edited by Brandon Castillo.  The Editor-In-Chief is Gary Bryan.  The Radio Genius Show Prep Service is licensed for use on-air only by subscribing radio stations.  Other means of redistribution is forbidden.
© 2020 – Radio Genius Show Prep