Personal Finance

Better Finances for a Better You

Topic: "Cash Flow"

← Curating the web to find the most interesting and helpful information about your money.

Did you know?

Cash is less popular than ever. According to the U.S. Federal Reserve's 2024 Findings from the Diary of Consumer Payment Choice report, paper bills and coins made up just 16% of transactions in 2023.

Track your cash, credit, investments and bank accounts all in one place with Neontra →

Did you know?

The purchasing power of $100 U.S. can vary by as much as 26% from state to state. California has the lowest purchasing power ($87.50), while Arkansas has the highest ($113.40).

The Purchasing Power of $100 in Each U.S. State →

Word of the week

Purchasing Power

Purchasing power refers to the amount of goods or services that can be purchased with a unit of currency at a specific time. Over time, inflation reduces the purchasing power of a currency.

Understanding Purchasing Power and the Consumer Price Index →

Infographic of the week

Charted: Average Wage Growth in G7 Countries (2000-2022)

Average wage growth is a key sign of how well a country’s economy is doing. When wages rise, it typically signals that businesses are thriving and can afford to pay their employees more, which in turn boosts consumer spending and stimulates further economic growth.

Charted: Average Wage Growth in G7 Countries (2000-2022) How does your wage growth compare? →

Did you know?

The faces on every U.S. bill in circulation include five American presidents and two founding fathers. They are all men: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, Alexander Hamilton, Andrew Jackson, Ulysses S. Grant and Benjamin Franklin.

The Famous and Obscure Men Who Grace American Currency →

Infographic of the week

Chart: The Declining Value of the U.S. Federal Minimum Wage

This graphic illustrates the history of the U.S. federal minimum wage using data compiled by Statista, in both nominal and real (inflation-adjusted) terms. The federal minimum wage was raised to $7.25 per hour in July 2009, where it has remained ever since.

Chart: The Declining Value of the U.S. Federal Minimum Wage Nominal vs. Real Value of the U.S. Federal Minimum Wage →

Did you know?

Housing is the largest average cost at $2,025 per month, making up 33% of typical spending, according to the most recent Consumer Expenditure Survey from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

Neontra auto-categorizes your all transactions by essential, non-essential, debt payments and saving contributions so you can see what percentage of your expenses are going to housing →

Budgeting

College students can earn a $100 bonus and avoid monthly fees with the Chase College Checking Account

Here’s what you need to know →

Budgeting

TikTokers are trying to save more money in 2024 with the help of the new “loud budgeting” trend

Find out if this trend can help you reach your financial goals from Jasmin Suknanan →

Budgeting

6 Tips for Eating Healthy on a Budget

  1. Plan Your Recipes
  2. Shop With a List
  3. Buy Frozen or Canned
  4. Cut Cost With Coupons
  5. Buy Store Brands
  6. Try Growing a Garden
Eating healthy when money is tight can be challenging but these detailed tips can help →

Infographic of the week

Mapped: Inflation Projections by Country, in 2024

While inflation looks to be easing, there remains the risk of a second wave of price pressures driven by geopolitical conflicts and supply disruptions in the Red Sea. Adding to this, a stronger than expected labor market could drive consumer demand, pushing up higher prices. This graphic shows 2024 inflation projections around the world, based on forecasts from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Mapped: Inflation Projections by Country, in 2024 Inflation Projections, by Country in 2024 from the Visual Capitalist →

Infographic of the week

Mapped: Which is the Best U.S. City for Entry-Level Jobs by Pay?

The anxieties around a first-job are immense: fear of the unknown, performance pressure, and the need to navigate new professional environments. But good pay can help manage these worries. Lots and more has been written on which careers are the highest-paid, but how does geography factor into the equation?

Mapped: Which is the Best U.S. City for Entry-Level Jobs by Pay? Ranked: 50 U.S. Cities By Entry-Level Job Pay →

Did you know?

Before the discovery of gold in the Western United States, there wasn't enough precious metal in the US economy to make coinage. Prior to 1857, foreign coins were accepted as legal money.

Track your all your coins, cash, gift cards, crypto in one place with Neontra →

Word of the week

ATM

An "automated teller machine," or (ATM) is a machine that lets bank customers perform basic transactions, such as deposits and withdrawals. They are usually located in a wall outside of a bank or shop. Be careful of ATM fees.

Do you know how much you are paying in ATM fees? →

Word of the week

Cash Flow

Your personal cash flow is your income minus your expenses over a certain period of time — typically a month. To analyze your personal cash flow take your monthly income after taxes and subtract all your monthly outflows - items like rent, mortgage, credit card payments and other expenses. That number tells you if you’re living within your means.

Balancing lifestyle costs with regular saving and investing is the toughest part of personal finance →

Did you know?

At one time, Queen Elizabeth II appeared on at least 33 different currencies, more than any other monarch, an achievement noted by Guinness World Records.

Neontra creates a 360° view of all your $CAD, $USD, £GBP, €EUR and ¥YEN financial activities →

Did you know?

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The average person spends about $199.91 per day. This figure includes spending on housing, food, transportation, entertainment, clothing, healthcare, and other goods and services.

How do American spend their money? See how you compare →

Did you know?

A 2023 survey from Bankrate found 47% of U.S. adults have unused gift cards, vouchers, or store credits. The average American is sitting on $175, that's up from $116 last year.

You can track all your holiday gift cards with Neontra in our My Money section →

Word of the week

Gift Card

A gift card is a prepaid card used to pay for purchases. You can use gift cards at a single retailer or at a group of retailers, such as a chain or shopping mall. Generally, gift cards come with money already on them. Gift cards can be a physical card or an electronic card.

Prepaid Cards vs. Gift Cards: What's the Difference? →

Did you know?

It would take 4,000 double folds, forwards and backwards, to tear a banknote.

Track all your folded and unfolded cash in one place with Neontra →

Did you know?

The Secret Service was established in 1865 as a bureau in the U.S. Treasury Department to combat widespread counterfeiting. Following the Civil War, between a third and half of all cash in circulation was counterfeit.

Track your all your $USD, £GBP, $CAD, €EUR and ¥YEN in one place with Neontra →

Infographic of the week

How Americans of Different Generations Spent Their Money in 2021

Most consumer spending falls into the larger categories of food, housing, transportation, healthcare, and other goods and services.

How Americans of Different Generations Spent Their Money in 2021 View the interactive version of this chart highlighting how different generations spend money →

Did you know?

According to economists, coins and banknotes make up only 8% of the world's cash. The great bulk of money in circulation today is digital.

Follow every bank note & penny - Track and analyze your cash flow →

Did you know?

Making a penny these days costs more than one penny. That's right, the U.S. Mint estimates that the cost of each coin is about 1.7 cents.

Follow every penny, quarter and dollar you spend with our cashflow analysis →

Did you know?

According to Google Trends on November 8th 2023, searches for "cost of groceries" were at an all time high.

Learn about how to start monitoring your food spending with Neontra →

Did you know?

Grooves were inserted on US coins to prevent coin faces from being scraped off and sold as precious metal. A US dime has 118 grooves across its edge, compared to 119 on a quarter.

Learn how to start monitoring all your coins, cash, gift cards and investments with Neontra → →

Did you know?

The British Pound is the oldest currency still in circulation. The Anglo-Saxon Kings used silver pennies, or sterlings, as currency around 775 AD.

Track your all your $USD, £GBP, $CAD, €EUR and ¥YEN in one place with Neontra →

Did you know?

U.S. Cash in paper form is not "paper". American paper money is made of 75% cotton and 25% linen, which does not technically qualify as paper.

Learn how to start monitoring all your cash with Neontra →

Did you know?

Making a US nickel costs more than double what it’s worth. As of last year, every nickel cost 10.4 cents to make, up 40.2% from 7.4 cents in 2020.

If you interested in learning true cost of make coins read the US Biennial Mint Report →

Did you know?

All banknotes wear out in time. Since smaller-denominated notes are used more often, they have a shorter lifetime. Typically, a USD $1 bill will last about 21 months, while a $20 bill can last over seven years.

How may days does your money last? See all your spending visualized by day, week and month →

Did you know?

The Founding Father of the United States and famed inventor Benjamin Franklin's face appears on the $100 bill, but you won't find the $ sign. Believe it or not, the $ sign does not appear on any US currency bank notes.

The Faces on Every US Bill →

Did you know?

The 100,000-peso note issued by the Philippine government in 1998 is the largest banknote in the world. The note was created to commemorate a century of independence from Spanish rule.

Follow every bank note & penny - Track and analyze your cash flow →

Did you know?

The word cash was originally used to describe the type of round bronze coins with square holes commonly used in the Tang Dynasty, called kai-yuans.

Track your kai-yuans and analyze your cash flow →

Budgeting

Creating a budget in college can help you understand where your money goes each month, which is a good first step to take when you’re learning to manage your finances.

5 Tips for Saving Money and Budgeting in College →

Infographic of the week

The average monetary value of each type of person

Monarchs and world leaders appear more frequently than other people on the world’s currency. But, since many of them appear on multiple denominations, the average value of their notes and coins is lower than that of historians, mathematicians, and singers.

The average monetary value of each type of person How do spies, historians, monarchs and athletes compare? →

Did you know?

Canada had a 25-cent banknote known as the "shinplaster" that first appeared in 1870. It was in circulation for about 65 years as the intrinsic value of metal rose above the value of coins.

Learn more about Canadian 25¢ banknote known as a "shinplaster" →

Budgeting

What Is Kakeibo? Kakeibo, pronounced “kah-keh-boh,” translates as “household financial ledger.” Invented in 1904 by a woman named Hani Motoko (notable for being Japan’s first female journalist), kakeibo is a simple, no-frills approach to managing your finances.

‘Kakeibo’: The Japanese method of saving money →

Did you know?

Canada stopped using the penny in 2013. A penny is worth so little that it was costing more than a cent to make each one! Today, when buying with cash, we round to the nearest five cents.

Follow every penny & dollar - Track and analyze your cash flow →

Serious Stuff

The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) issued "grocery rebate" payments to eligible Canadians on July 5th.

You could receive a maximum payment of up to:

If you are single

  • $234 (no children)
  • $387 (with 1 child)
  • $467 (with 2 children)
  • $548 (with 3 children)
  • $628 (with 4 children)

If you are married or have a common-law partner

  • $306 (no children)
  • $387 (with 1 child)
  • $467 (with 2 children)
  • $548 (with 3 children)
  • $628 (with 4 children)
Learn more about eligibility requirements directly from the CRA →

Did you know?

Nearly 3 in 4 Canadians report rising prices impacting their ability to meet day to day expenses in 2022, according to StatsCan.

See where you can save more money →

Saving

Rob Carrick speaks with Shir Magen, the CEO of HomeStars on his Stress Test Podcast about the popularity of renovations, the types of renos that add value to your home and money-saving tips for those considering heading down the reno route.

Saving Podcast: Renovating can help you get the home you otherwise can't afford →

Did you know?

The first Canadian woman to appear on a bank note was Viola Desmond. She appears on Canada's first vertical banknote issued in 2018.

Learn more about Viola and the $10 notes' unique features →

Budgeting

In a 50/30/20 budget you should aim to spend your net income in this way: - 50% on your essential needs - 30% on your non-essential expenses - 20% on savings contributions/debt repayments

Neontra auto-categorizes your expenses so you can quickly see how your 50/30/20 budget is tracking →

Did you know?

There are over 1.5 billion Canadian bank notes in circulation. In fact, if you stacked them all together they’d reach a height of over 150 kilometres. That’s officially outer space!

Canadarm2 and the $5 polymer note →

Budgeting

Making a budget can help you: - set spending limits - find ways to pay down your debts - reduce costs and save more - live within your means - reduce stress - have more money for things that are important to you - feel in control of your money

Start building a better future with a budget today →

Saving

Money Shame - You’re broke, but you blow $100 on a dinner you can’t afford. You feel like you’re bad with money and your way of coping is to ignore your finances.

Saving Podcast: You're not bad at money - you're suffering from money shame →

Did you know?

At the national level, full-time graduate students paid, on average, $7,437 for the 2022/2023 academic year, whereas undergraduate students paid $6,834. This represents a 1.7% and 2.6% increase, respectively, from the previous year.

Tuition fees increase for Canadian undergraduate and graduate students →

Infographic of the week

How Much Should You Tip In Each Country?

How much should you tip when traveling abroad? The answer can vary wildly depending on the country and what type of service you are using.

How Much Should You Tip In Each Country? Servers and bartenders depend on tips to supplement wages →

Budgeting

While you would be forgiven for being nose-deep in your books, it’s time to take a minute to reflect on how you’re managing your money. Do you have a budget? Or are you spending on the go?

21 money-saving tips and tricks for students →

← Curating the web to find the most interesting and helpful information about your money.