In 2016, I spend most of my time working several jobs burning the candle at both ends. There was the full time job that took about 40 hours a week, a side hustle of soccer refereeing on weekends and weeknights, plus the occasional work on a horse farm or house sitting. Life was busy with work and earning money. The problem was that my finances did not have a plan. Yes a budget was needed, but more than a budget a plan for the money.
Budgets Making Cents is more than budgeting your money. It is about using financial tools to create wealth for you. If you have no plan for your money you will continue to grind at the wheel hoping that your money does not run out. Here we provide useful information to help you to save more, invest better, and to even make more money.
Our Mission:
At Budgets Make Cents, we are committed to making saving simpler, investing simpler, and helping people to learn how to use money better. With the right tools in your hands you can make your financial goals a reality. We seek to help people save more, invest more, and create a financial plan for your future.
Personal finance is often very personal. The thought about helping people is derived from my personal experiences. I, too, worked super hard, but had nothing to really show for it until I started to read websites like this. I learned about how to budget money, invest it better, and secure a future that has led to Coast FIRE.
The hope is that you will find information helpful. Come and follow along. Learn a thing a two to create your financial future. It could be saving enough for retirement. It could be trying to have enough money to purchase a house or even to retire early. We all have different financial goals, but you need to start somewhere. That place is here.
So what are you waiting for? Let’s get started on this new financial journey.
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Meet The Team:
Steve Cummings
Steve is a personal finance writer, traveler, and outdoors enthusiast. Steve has been writing and teaching about personal finance to people since 2019. He aims to get people to learn the fundamentals of saving and investing into simple index funds and ETFs.
His specializes in frugal tips, travel tips, credit cards, and ETFs when he writes.
Mona Bagasao
Mona is a teacher, editor, curriculum creator, higher education educator, and teacher trainer. She worked at Eckerd College for over a decade as an Educator, and continues to write, create curriculum for several schools.
She is the lead editor for Budgets Make Cents, and she goes through each piece before it is published.
Sam Mire
Sam Mire is a freelance writer who has spent seven years delving into the intersection of personal finance, the complex machinery that makes law firms grow, sink, or stagnate, and the psychological ruts that prevent individuals and professionals from fulfilling their financial ambitions. He has ghostwritten for law-firm founders, Builder Magazine’s Builder of the Year, and CEOs at the vanguard of legal marketing, payment processing, mortgage lending, and more.
In his spare time, Sam agonizes over whether this is the best use of his spare time.
Tommy Chang
Tommy Chang is a fitness YouTuber who is studying in Budapest getting a Masters in Business Administration. He has been following Steve’s personal finance tips for a long time creating his own portfolio and helping Steve with running his website. His hobbies include fitness, personal development, baking, and of course personal finance.
He helps with photo editing, loading up posts, and doing what is needed around the website such as marketing and creating a vision moving forward.
Mission Statement:
Budgets Make Cents is committed to providing accurate, fair and unbiased news coverage to
our audience. Our mission is to deliver high-quality journalism that informs, educates and
engages our readers while upholding the principles of integrity, transparency and accountability.
1. Accuracy and Fairness: Our team verifies information rigorously before publishing. We
attribute information to reliable sources and provide a balanced representation of diverse
perspectives.
2. Independence and Integrity: We are committed to avoiding conflicts of interest that may
compromise journalistic integrity. Our site clearly distinguishes between news reporting and
opinion pieces. We refrain from accepting gifts, favors or compensation that could influence
reporting.
3. Transparency: We clearly disclose sources and methods used in the reporting process,
correct errors promptly and transparently, and clearly label sponsored or paid content.
4. Privacy and Sensitivity: We respect individuals’ privacy rights in reporting. We exercise
caution and sensitivity when reporting on traumatic events and avoid unnecessary harm or
sensationalism in the pursuit of a story.
5. Editorial Independence and Process: Our site clearly distinguishes between editorial
content and advertising. We maintain editorial independence from advertisers. Our team follows
a transparent editorial process from idea generation to publication. We conduct regular editorial
meetings to discuss and assess content strategy.
6. Community Engagement: We encourage reader feedback and constructive criticism. Our
goal is to foster a sense of community by responding to reader comments and inquiries, as well
as monitoring and moderating user-generated content to ensure a respectful and inclusive
environment.
7. Diversity and Inclusivity: We strive to represent a diverse range of voices, perspectives and
communities. We are mindful of language and images to avoid perpetuating stereotypes or
biases.
8. Social Media Use: Our team uses social media responsibly to promote content and engage
with the audience. We clearly distinguish between personal and professional social media use
and always avoid sharing unverified information on social media platforms.
9. Compliance with Legal Standards: We adhere to local, national, and international laws and
regulations and seek legal advice when necessary to ensure compliance with defamation, libel,
and copyright laws.
Review and Revision: This editorial guideline policy will be regularly reviewed and updated to
adapt to changing journalistic standards, industry best practices, and the evolving needs of our
audience.
Date of Last Revision: March 15th, 2025
Budgets Make Cents Editorial Corrections Policy
At Budgets Make Cents, we are committed to providing accurate and reliable information to our
readers. In the event that errors occur, we strive to correct them promptly and transparently.
This editorial corrections policy outlines our approach to addressing and rectifying errors in our
content.
1. Identification of Errors: Our editorial team is responsible for monitoring and identifying
errors in published content. We encourage our readers to bring any potential errors to our
attention through the designated channels (email, comments, or a dedicated corrections form).
2. Types of Corrections:
- Minor Errors: Typos, grammatical errors, and minor inaccuracies will be corrected
- without a separate correction notice.
- Substantive Errors: Material inaccuracies or significant errors that impact the overall
- understanding of a story will be corrected with a clear correction notice.
3. Corrections Process: Upon identification of an error, the editorial team will promptly review
and verify the accuracy of the correction. Corrections will be made directly within the article, and
a note will be added at the end of the article explaining the nature of the correction.
4. Correction Notice: A correction notice will include a brief explanation of the error and the
correction made. The notice will be placed prominently at the end of the corrected article to
ensure visibility.
5. Timeliness of Corrections: Corrections will be made as soon as the error is verified,
regardless of the time of day. If a correction impacts the understanding of breaking news, efforts
will be made to correct it promptly and visibly.
6. Transparency and Accountability: We are committed to being transparent about our
mistakes and taking responsibility for correcting them. The corrections policy is easily accessible
to readers on our website.
7. Handling Retractions: In cases where a published article is found to be substantially
incorrect, misleading or harmful, we will issue a retraction notice. Retractions will be clearly
labeled, explaining the reason for retracting the content.
8. Reader Engagement: We encourage readers to engage with us regarding corrections and
provide feedback on our corrections process. Reader feedback will be taken into consideration
for ongoing improvements to our editorial processes.
Review and Revision: This corrections policy will be regularly reviewed and updated to ensure
its effectiveness in maintaining the highest standards of accuracy and transparency.
Date of Last Revision: March 15th, 2025
Budgets Make Cents AI Policy
Budgets Make Cents recognizes the potential benefits of incorporating artificial intelligence (AI)
technologies into our journalistic practices. At the same time, Budgets Make Cents recognizes the danger it poses to our industry.
Because of that, we at Budgets Make Cents promise that all content we produce is 100% human-made without any assistance from AI. We take pride in being real people, those who love being frugal and talking about money, providing real content to our readers. We thoroughly check everything from our writers to ensure they are written by humans and not AI. If you feel that AI-made content is on the website, please email us at [email protected]
