Buying a new laptop? Listen to find out how to find the right one for you. We look at the specs that matter most and which ones aren’t worth the extra money. 

Welcome to Part Two of how to buy the best laptop for you. Last week was focused on getting a great price on your tech. This week we’re going to look a bit into the specs, specifically figuring out how much is enough and what’s just overpriced bells and whistles.

In today’s show, we’re examining how you’re using your tech so you can find the best solution for you.

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Subscribe to Couple Money Podcast via iTunes, Stitcher, or copy this link to usewith a podcatcher of your choice. You can also find me hanging out onTwitter and Facebook.

Buying a Laptop: Looking at the Specs

Everyone is different so my answer may be same as yours, however I do want to share some general guidelines to make the decision process that much easier.

I understand the basics; I used to build my desktops. But as I was sorting through laptops, I was a bit overwhelmed by the specs being thrown at me.

Fortunately, my husband keeps up with tech so I asked him questions and asked his advice as I whittled down my list to a few contenders.

Seeing that others are in the boat I was, I convinced him to come back on the podcast to answer some questions. So if you’re in the market for a new laptop, you might want to save this episode and give it another listen before you shop.

Resources Mentioned on the Site

There’s so much information out there, so here are a few resources we talked about on the podcast to help you find the best tech solution for you.

* What is a Core i3, Core i5, or Core i7? via Tech Quickie

* Intel Processors: What You Need to Know to Get Started via Tech Radar

* Intel’s 6 Generation Processors

Learn how to buy the best laptop for you – get everything you need without paying a ton of money. We go over what features and specs to consider and ways you can maximize your buy.

My laptop picked the worst time to break – between the house, work, and the kids, I really needed things to go smoothly.

Unfortunately my laptop had other plans and just quit.

The good news is  I was planning on replacing the laptop, so I had savings. With a business conference coming up next month , I had to speed up my timeline. I had to get a laptop that could handle my work, had good battery life, and would last for years.

Sounds easy, right?

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Finding the Best Laptop By Focusing on Your Life

If you haven’t gone shopping for a laptop recently, I will say that there are plenty of options, but sorting through them and honing in on the best one for you and your budget..well, it can be an adventure.

Today episode I’ll share:

* Figuring out the kind of laptop you need

* sites to check out for deals

* apps that can save you money

While we’re looking at buying a laptop, I hope you can get tips the next time you make a big tech purchase.

Figuring Out What Tech Specs I Need

It’s not like they make it terribly easy. You have to decide between a ton of things, such as:

* Processor: Just looking at Intel’s options, do you want a mobile, i3, i5, or i7 processor?

* Data Storage: Do you go with Solid State or Hard Drive?

* Memory: How many GB does you need?

And of course, since this is a personal finance podcast, your budget is a key factor. How much do you have?

I want to highlight that shopping by function can help you get better value with your purchase because you’re going after what you need it for versus unnecessarily paying for bells and whistles that you rarely if ever use.

How are you planning on using your tech?

I needed a laptop that was portable and could handle my office work wherever I go. I have two little ones so a light but sturdy model would be practical.

Ultrabooks fit with my needs so I then had to make a consideration the specs. I skipped on the mobile processor because my typical workload.

That said, I didn’t need the top of the line i7 for the job. Which worked out well as those were out of my price point.

Did you find something you really liked, but it’s way outside of your price range? One thing you want to consider is with the previous model.

Seeing that there was a huge difference between disk space with SSDs and HD (talking about TB for HDs VS 256g for SSDs), I asked my husband, a software developer and who has tried out several laptops for work, for his thoughts.

My apologies as I’m not a tech expert – but from what I gathered, the reason for the huge difference between the two is how the data is written.

Teaching your kid about money with an allowance is smart. You can help them become financially savvy and develop generosity and entrepreneurship. 

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Subscribe to Couple Money Podcast via iTunes, Stitcher, or copy this link to usewith a podcatcher of your choice. You can also find me hanging out on Twitter andFacebook.

Using Allowance to Teach Kids About Money

One of most popular episodes last season was about teaching kids about money. I had interviewed Ron Lieber, NY Times columnist about his book, The Opposite of Spoiled.

We discussed helping kids to be comfortable with both how to handle money and teaching them to be thoughtful with their finances.

Today we’ll look at putting theory into practice – our oldest has began receiving an allowance. 

I know that many of you are in the boat – we want to pass on good money habits, so I hope giving you a peek at how we’re doing it may help make the milestone easier.

When Should We Start an Allowance?

Experts suggest starting an allowance around the time they start kindergarten, but you have a clearer on what your child can handle.

Believe it or not, some pre-schoolers may be ready for an allowance. Sesame Street created content that helped kids grab the fundamental concept of needs vs wants.

How Much Allowance Should We Give?

The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants found the average American family that pays an allowance spends about 50 cents per year based on the child’s age a week. So an 8 year old would get $4/week.

Because she’s four, we’re starting small – $1/week. We’re pretty sure it’ll go up later, but right now she’s happy with what she has.

You may be wondering how can she learn about spending if we’re giving her $4/month. What we’ve come up with is a contribution system.

Any extra she wants she has to put something in. I’ll give you an example with our groceries.

We have snacks as a part of our grocery budget – chips, sweets, you name it. We pick up things that all of us enjoy. However if she wants to get a particular snack that she wants for herself, you has put the money in.

Should we Tie Chores to Allowances?

I think there is a valid case to be made for both sides. For us, we decided to not tie them together for now.

We’re a family and to keep things manageable, all of us have to contribute.

We expect the essentials (tidying up her room, feeding her cat) to be done regardless if she gets an allowance or not.

The good news for us is that she enjoys doing ‘big girl stuff’ so we don’t have a problem with her cooperating with chores.

Find how you can cut the cord and set-up your tech so you can legally watch TV and movies without paying a ton of money. Brad from Internet TV Boxes guides us through streaming media players. 

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Disclaimer: Affiliate links are included. 

Subscribe to Couple Money Podcast via iTunes, Stitcher, or copy this link to use with a podcatcher of your choice. You can also find me hanging out on Twitter and Facebook.

Cutting the Cord Using Streaming Media Players

While no one wants to pay a ton of money each month, I’d say there are plenty of people, ourselves included, who enjoy watching a little TV or having a movie night at the house.

Today’s guest, Brad from Internet TV Boxes, is going to help us find an affordable solution.

Roku

What appealed to us about Roku is that there is no monthly fee for the basic service. You buy a unit and out of the box your Roku comes with a lot of free channels and content.

Hulu Plus

If you want to catch current shows, Hulu Plus can be a cheap option.Plus members can access their content on their electronics such as computers, iPod Touch, Roku,  and TV. Hulu offers less ads for their shows, but they are still included with a paid subscription.

Sling TV

Sling works by streaming your favorite television shows through the internet. They have packages with channels such as ESPN, HGTV, and Disney. You can grab them starting at $20/month and there is no contract.

Try Sling TV free for 7 days to see if it’s the right pick for you.

Cable Alternative Resources

If you want to cut the cord, here are some resources mentioned on the show you can try out.

* Tech Guide to Cutting the Cord

* Brad’s Top Six Streaming Media Set-ups

* Top 10 Free Roku Channels for Kids and Families

You can also reach out to Brad on Twitter and Facebook.

Mike and Lauren show how DIY home and car repairs can save you a ton of money. Learn what tools you need and which projects to start out with, no matter your skills. 

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Subscribe to Couple Money Podcast via iTunes, Stitcher, or copy this link to use with a podcatcher of your choice. You can also find me hanging out on Twitter and Facebook.

Welcome to the second season of the Couple Money Podcast!

We have more experts, more stories, and more tips on how the two of you can build up your marriage and finances. And sometimes the building part is literal.

Save a Ton of Money with DIY Home and Car Repair

For a lot of couples their homes and cars are some of their biggest expenses. While you may not be able to eliminate them overnight, you two can save a ton of money by picking up some new and handy skills.

Now if you have a major problem, by all means call a professional. That said, you may be surprised at how much you can do on your own.

There are plenty of basic and necessary skills and jobs you can do yourself. A good plumber can be pricey, so don’t waste your time calling them for small projects like unclogging your toilet.

Even though we’ve picked up here & there what we needed to keep things running smoothly around our place, I don’t think you’d like to get Do It Yourself ideas from us.

Thankfully we have Mike and Lauren (here’s their story) as guests who make DIY not only fun, but romantic.

Resources Mentioned on the Show

I highly recommend you go to their channel – Mike & Lauren – and subscribe.  It’s more than just DIY – it’s a little bit of everything which is why I love it.

A few of my favorites videos are:

* Ways We Save Money For Early Retirement

* How to Buy a Used Car (Without Getting Ripped Off)

* Does Homesteading Save Money? feat. BABY GOATS!!!

Mike and Lauren also had few picks you may love:

* Polarizing Purchases

* How To Retire Early – Our Plan For Financial Independence

If you want to get started, here’s a Big List of DIY Home Repairs and Maintenance.

Even though the podcast will be on break with new episodes over the next two weeks, there is plenty of work going on.

As loyal listeners and members of the community, I want to keep you in the loop. I also want to give you an opportunity to shape this new season.

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Bigger & Better Couple Money Podcast

My goal is to provide an informative podcast that motivates and excites you about improving your finances as a married couple.

Two areas where I want to improve are:

* how the podcast is presented to new listeners

* how polished the episodes are (on both the production and content sides)

New Podcast Cover

While I like how this current design got the gist of this podcast – it’s about helping couples work together on the money and marriage, I want to a podcast that captures a little bit of the how.

I have several ideas, but nothing that I’m jumping at.

If it turns out like last time, I won’t finalize the picture until the episodes come out again.

So if you have any ideas, go ahead and send them in. You can sketch it out and send a pic through email, twitter, or Facebook.

If I use your idea, you will get a hat tip from me on the show.

Episode Format

This podcast is fun for me because as the tag line says, we looking at building up your marriage and growing your net worth.

It sounds like it would be limited, but there is so much you can dig into.

Some topics, like how to pay off debt faster may be more objectively based where we compare and examine pros and cons while others may consider the psychology behind certain behaviors like whether or not you should loan to family.

I truly like both and don’t want want to pick one. So the next season will continue to be a mix of both.

After doing 80 episodes that there isn’t a set format that would work. But I’m working on developing a framework that would help me structure the show.

That will save me a tremendous amount of time and I can direct that more on the content I produce.

It would also keep expenses manageable with the podcast.

With this next season, this podcast will continue to be available free. I’ll share some ideas I have on finances that doesn’t involve cheesy and unremarkable 15, 30 second ads in the newsletter next week, so if you haven’t signed up, go ahead now.

My question for you is the follow-up episodes. Do you enjoy them? Should they be tied directly to the weekly show? Or should I skip them?

Your opinion absolutely matters, so please feel free to reach out to me with your ideas, suggestions, and feedback.

Coming Back August 4th!

I hope to hear from you soon. If not though, please take care and be ready August 4!

Learn how you can make your finances work so one of you can be a stay at home parent. Get tips on how to get rid of debt and how you can balance working from home with little ones around. 

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Subscribe to Couple Money Podcast via iTunes, Stitcher, or copy this link to use with a podcatcher of your choice. You can also find me hanging out on Twitter and Facebook.

There are several reasons why couples may want to have at least one of them stay home with the kids. In most cases, it’s a mix of the practical and the emotional.

Financial Benefits to Being a Stay at Home Parent

On the financial side, day care can be extremely pricey.

The National Association of Child Care Resource & Referral Agencies (NACCRRA) found that the average cost of daycare in the United States for an infant or toddler is about $972 a month. For an urban area like NYC and San Francisco, it can be closer to $2,000!

For those with pre-schoolers, you’re looking at an average of $733/month.

That’s a significant amount and if you have two kids or more kids, daycare can be as expensive as your housing.

And then there is a satisfaction from spending time with your children.

Finding that balance can be difficult and each couple has to make choices based on their circumstances.

In this episode we look at some of the numbers and scenarios you might face. We’ll go over:

* Can you arrange the money to allow at least one of you to be with the kids at home?

* Should you delay or put it off if you two are in debt?

* Is it possible to be a work from parent (without losing your mind)?

We’ll share how it worked for us and get some tips and ideas from other couples who have made the transition.

Making the Money Work to Be a Stay at Home Parent

While some consider staying at home a luxury, most parents I spoke to made sacrifices with their budget so that one of them could stay home full time.

* Make sure both parents are on board – This is most certainly a team effort and both of you need to be excited about this transition.

* Review your current financial situation – You can’t go into this with blinders on. You want this change to not be overly stressful or tense. Grab your numbers and see where you are. Two of my favorite free online tools to use are Personal Capital and Mint. If you prefer pen and paper, do that.

* Move finances so the essentials are covered under one income – You don’t have to wait for kids to do this. Actually I think all couples can do their finances a huge favor if they adopt this goal. Do a line by line check of your expenses and try to get a better deal.

* Test run your new budget ahead of time – Here’s where you two can give yourselves some peace of mind and improve your finances. As soon as you can, begin living on that one income. Pretend that the stay at home parent’s paychecks aren’t coming in.

Learn how you can stage and prepare your home for an open house when it comes time to sell. These tips could help you sell it faster and get the price you want. 

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This week’s theme is about staging and selling house so you can get a better price. Your real eastate agent may suggest hosting an open house to get some traffic in.

Whether it’s your first time or not, I have some tips from the staging consultant that worked with us that are designed to help your home become more appealing to potential buyers.

Open House Prep Begins Outside

Let’s start with the curb appeal. Before they set foot in your house, you want to make sure buyers are excited about the place.

* Don’t block your house with cars. Move them out of the driveway and in front of the house.

* Clean and de-clutter your front lawn.

* Make sure your garage doors are down

If you need to, go to a garden or home improvement store and pick up some bright and cheery colored flowers to strategically place outside.

Making Your Open House Shine with Staging

Once potential buyers are inside, you can help them picture themselves living there by getting all the rooms ready.

* Tidy up all the stuff off the floor – toys, pet stuff – get it all out

* Turn the lights on, open up the blinds

* Wipe down counters

* Vacuum the carpets and Clean the floors

* Have the house at a comfortable temperature

* Open all the doors (except closets)

* Play music (classical or soft rock) and make sure it is low enough people can carry on a conversation

Finally it would be best if you leave your home while the open house is happening. Your gent is trained and can keep an eye on guest and gauge their interest for you.

Sounds fairly simple, but these tips can play a big part with selling your house!

Learn how staging your home can help you sell your house quicker and for more money. Plus get the top staging tips that won’t cost you an arm and a leg. 

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Subscribe to Couple Money Podcast via iTunes, Stitcher, or copy this link to use with a podcatcher of your choice. You can also find me hanging out on Twitter and Facebook.

Why Staging Your Home Matters

You’re basically trying to make it easier for potential buyers to see themselves living in the house. We’re visual creatures and sometimes we need some help figuring out if our furniture will fit in a room or even how we’d use a certain space.

It could be that factor that helps sell your home quicker. According to International Association of Home Staging Professionals (IAHSP) a staged home on average sells in 11 days versus 90 days for one that isn’t.

There are different levels of staging your home, depending on its current condition. I saw some articles on replacing countertops and upgrading floor.

That’s not my focus on this episode. I’m highlighting things you two can do on your own on the cheap that will pay off.

Declutter Your House  Room By Room

If I had to boil down the tips the staging consultant gave, it would be: declutter. You want enough items that the buyer can see how the room is being used, but you don’t to overwhelm them with all your stuff.

We certainly had some things that needed to go away so we went room by room and used the four box method:

* Put Away

* Sell/Donate

* Storage

* Trash

If you’re keeping a ton of things for storage you probably should re-evaluate if you really need that item or if you should unload before you move to your next place.

Tips on Staging Your House to Sell

Before the come in, make sure your house gives a great first impression. Polishing up its curb appeal to make sure you’re not driving potential buyers away.

* Freshen up mulch areas

* Pressure wash wash the house, driveways, and decks if they need it

* Put some colorful flowers in carefully planned spots

* Get a new welcome mat

* Store your gnomes and other lawn ornaments

Once inside, you want your house to put it’s best face forward. The two biggest places you  need to look great are your floors and walls.

* If you have carpets, have them professionally cleaned. Hardwood floors should be refinished.

* Re-caulk the house as needed.

* Retouch/Paint around the house

* Clean and Check all light fixtures (100w)

* Clean, Clean, Clean the house

* DEpersonalize the room

* Pets – hide evidence

Yes it does take work the first time you prepare the place, but all you need are touch-ups for the showings (hopefully not many because your staging has won them over).

Learn why it’s important to come clean about debt to your spouse. We also go over the process to make things easier and I have a success story I want to share to help you two be more open about your finances in your marriage. 

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Admitting to Your Spouse That You’re in Debt

Money and marriage do not have to be a source of friction,  but for some it can be painful, especially when one is hiding debt from the other.

Keeping financial secrets can be harmful beyond the money. You break your spouse’s trust in you which is poison to your marriage.

Coming clean is never easy, but it’s absolutely necessary if you want to keep your marriage and fix your finances.

* Admit that you have a problem. Your spouse deserves to hear the news from you.

* Be open with the debt. You may think you can open up little by little, but it’s better to rip off the band aid.

* Agree to lay off the cards. Protect your family’s finances and stop using them.

* Create a debt pay off plan together. Here is where the two of you need to especially be open with one another. Make sure that the plan you come up with is something both of you agree on.

* Decide on your next steps. What can you do to prevent this from happening again? It takes effort because you’re trying to not just address the symptom, but the root cause – Reevaluating why you’re spending and why you’re hiding things.

You may need some professional help, both for your marriage and your finances, but it’s well worth the effort!

Working Together and Getting Out of Debt

I wish you two the best and if you’re looking for a success story, please check out Episode Eight with Travis Pizel about Getting Free From Debt. He reached a point where they were unable to pay all of their monthly bills and he had to admit to his wife they they were in six figures of debt. 

He shares how that conversation went the long and hard journey they took and how they are debt free and now on top of their finances.

I hope his story helps you with your marriage and finances.

Newlyweds and Finances

Since it is wedding season, I want to mention that Toni had me over the Midday Money Show and had a fun chat about newlyweds and money.

Here are some things we went over:

* Questions couples need to ask (and have answered) before saying “I Do”.

* How to set up the money date to address finances without turning it into an interrogation.

* How couples at odds financially can work together effectively.

* Tips for sticking to a wedding budget and facing this financial endeavor as a couple.

Even though the focus is on engaged and newlyweds, I really feel you should have a listen.  Toni & I share our hard learned lessons and the progress we made communicating better with our husbands.

Catch it on Debt Free Divas when you have a chance.

Until next time take care!