Have you been paying attention to the recent economic news? If so, you know that inflation is making a comeback. It’s been years since investors and traders have had to worry about rising general price levels taking a significant bite out of profits. But, since early 2021, the cost of everything has been going up. That includes the price tags of just about every good and service at retail, wholesale, and producer levels.

The weakening national economy is hitting people in all industries and income levels. What if you’re an investor who wants to protect a portfolio from the pernicious effects of climbing prices? Well, there’s plenty you can do, so it’s not all bad news. For instance, whether your preference includes stocks, forex, commodities, good old cash, or precious metals, there are realistic, commonsense strategies for lessening the inflationary sting. Here are some of them.

Stocks

People who own large stock portfolios, either as speculative tools or for retirement purposes, have a lot to fear from inflation. For example, say you hold a portfolio of varied stocks that’s currently worthwhile and that it’s growing at an average annual rate of 12 percent. That’s a nice return, but if the inflation rate is seven percent, you’re automatically losing more than half of your yearly stock market income. You can minimize that hit by considering stocks that do well during inflationary times, like consumer durable shares and exchange traded funds that track commodities.

Forex

Inflation rates in the various national economies have a profound effect on forex trading and often dictate which currencies traders value the most. While there are no hard and fast rules for those who trade forex regularly, inflation is generally considered a key indicator of the strength, and overall health, of a country’s economy. For active traders, comparative inflation numbers can be highly instructive. For example, if Country A’s inflation rate is at 10 percent and rising, while Country B’s rate is at 9 percent and decreasing, there’s a good chance that the currency of Country A will weaken against that of Country B.
That’s because high and rising inflation rates tend to harm a national currency’s value. And, even though there are many other factors in play, inflation is one that has a significant impact on the relative strength of foreign exchange rates. Some of what traders use to estimate inflationary pressures include the CPI (consumer price index), PPI (producer price index), and interest rate changes.

Commodities

In difficult times, many investors turn to the commodities markets. Instead of owning an intangible piece of a corporation, investors who put their capital into a commodity are buying a piece of something real, like wheat, oil, cattle, copper, or any of hundreds of tangible assets that often experience value increases in otherwise troubling economic climates.

Cash

When the going gets rough, millions of investors get spooked and pull out of all the markets. They decide to park their money in cold, hard cash, often in bank or credit union savings accounts. While it seems like a wise move, holding cash during a spate of inflation can bring large losses. This is especially true for those who simply plunk all their money into low-interest passbook accounts, CDs, or money market funds.

Precious Metals

For hundreds of years, working people have purchased gold and silver as a hedge against inflation. It’s easy to track the popularity of these precious metals simply by tracking the inflation rate. When the rate goes up, the demand for gold and silver usually follows within a short period of time.

Remodeling can be a great way to increase the value of your home while also making it more livable for you and your family, especially if you have spaces that are in dire need of repairs. But it can also be quite costly. Even relatively small remodels like a bathroom remodel averages anywhere from nearly $13,700 to well over $21,000, according to Remodeling magazine. 

Of course, with homes going at record-high prices combined with the housing shortage, many homeowners are choosing to stay put and remodel what they have rather than buy a new one. But how do you come up with such a big chunk of money? There are hundreds of programs that can help homeowners upgrade their home, whether the goal is a bathroom remodel, roofing, energy efficiency, insulation, an addition, a heating system, siding, and more. 

The National Residential Improvement Association (NRIA) is one of those programs, an organization that can help you find grants and other means to help pay for home repairs. Here’s what you need to know about it if you’d like to get assistance through the NRIA for funding your remodel. 

What the NRIA Is

The NRIA is a non-government association, a private sector of prescreened contractors with a goal to help consumers get home improvements through a variety of programs that most aren’t aware of. Through those programs, homeowners can get access to government backed and low-interest loans, grants, tax credits, and other incentives. They provide the funding for the necessary remodels. The NRIA itself doesn’t arrange for home improvement loans, receive commissions, or sell home improvement products.

Home Improvement Grants

While the NRIA can help you receive funding through the programs mentioned, if you’re able to get a grant, it’s a kind of financial aid that you won’t have to repay. They are issued by local, state and federal governments. Of course, these have strict rules, a lot of competition, and there are auditing procedures too. Still it’s well-worth applying for and the NRIA can assist with the process with multiple types of grants available. 

Do keep in mind that if you don’t qualify for a grant, there are still many other options that may be available. You’ll work with a local NRIA Program Specialist who will help you understand the programs you might qualify for and their eligibility requirements.

How NRIA Contractors Work

The NRIA is sponsored by various contractors which allows the program to provide home improvement services for free. These contractors have all been screened to ensure they can be trusted. All must be NRIA certified and in order to achieve that contractors have to provide proof of their contractors license, business license, and proof of insurance. Only when those documents are approved by the NRIA will they be deemed credible. This proves to consumers that the contractors are able to maintain a satisfactory rating with local consumer reporting agencies. 

The goal for an NRIA contractor is to help homeowners make the necessary changes while sticking within their financial boundaries. It can be essential for many who need expensive remodels and/or repairs whether it’s to improve the home’s value or for safety reasons. 

Keeping up with the latest TV series nowadays seems like you need subscriptions to all the streaming platforms. But you don’t have to spend a fortune to watch all your favorite shows and movies. If all your money’s going down the tube, you’ll want to read this.

Why You Should Get a Handle on Your Streaming

Spending all your cash and maxing out credit cards is hard on your budget. It leaves you with zero wiggle room, which can be a big problem in an emergency.

With your money tied up, you may not have any leftover to pay for unexpected doctor’s fees when you need to see a physician about a nasty cough.

If you can’t postpone your expense until the next payday, you may apply for a loan online. There are easy online loans that let you know if you qualify in a matter of minutes, making them ideal when you need money urgently.

The online loans specialists at MoneyKey recommend comparing the rates and terms thoroughly to ensure you’re getting the best possible option for your needs. But no matter what deal you get on interest or finance charges, you’re still paying these fees on top of the purchase you apply to your line of credit.

At the end of the day, you’re paying more for an emergency than if you could pay for it out of pocket.

How to Save Money Without Pulling the Plug

Does this mean you should forget about watching Loki as it rolls out on Disney+ and kiss watching the latest blockbusters goodbye? Not necessarily! Here are four tips for keeping up with your favorite streaming shows movies without spending money.

1. Share Streaming Accounts

Ask around, and you’ll find most of your friends and family have accounts for the same streaming services as you do. Talk to them about sharing these services. If you pay for Prime while they cover Netflix, you gain access to both streaming catalogues for the price of one!

2. Consolidate Your Accounts

Although you may have all the streaming services, you might not need all the streaming services. Take an honest look at your viewing history to see if you genuinely use every account consistently every week. If you watch movies and tv primarily through Hulu, saying goodbye to Netflix may be less painful than you think.

3. Replace Them with Free (and Totally Legal) Streaming Services

Amazon, Hulu, Netflix, and HBO want you to think their streaming services are the only way you can watch TV without cable. But that’s simply false. There are a lot of streaming services that broadcast tv shows and movies, at zero cost. At most, some require you to input your zip code to make sure you can access their catalogue.

• IMDB TV
• Peacock TV
• PlutoTV
• Sony Crackle
• Tubi

4. Visit Your Library

Your nearest library branch isn’t just a source of books and public computers. Depending on your city, it may also have partnerships with media apps. Plenty of libraries across the country allow their patrons access to streaming apps below.

• Hoopla
• Kanopy
• Overdrive

Bottom Line

You don’t have to stream all your money away. Follow these tips before you start up the popcorn and settle onto the couch for some guilt-free watching.

Being a mom is a full-time job, one for which you receive no paycheck. Often, the only thanks you get is a perfunctory Mother’s Day card with an even less inspiring message. You might also get a vase of fresh flowers that will wilt in a few days because as a full-time mom, you don’t really have time to also be a botanist. Your small children aren’t going to show you the appreciation you deserve because they neither know nor care about the many sacrifices you made to get them that box of cereal adorned with anthropomorphic, cartoon animals.

Okay, maybe that wasn’t the best choice for breakfast cereal. But you are doing the best you can. Meanwhile, your two-year-old is throwing fistfuls of it on the floor and stomping on it for the sheer joy of the crunching sound it makes. When are you supposed to have time to do anything else that is just as demanding as parenting? It is never going to be easy or without sacrifice. But you can do it with a little help from the universe. Other than waiting on that help, here are some things worth doing, and some advice on how to get them done:

Start a Home Business

If you are a stay home mom, you’re already home. That is half of home business. Now, it is just a matter of doing the business part of it. As you already know, that’s the hard part. There are many such businesses you can start without a giant government loan. That’s where yourcredit builder loan comes in handy. It is a lot more straightforward than other methods of getting emergency funds.

Some of the most interesting and successful businesses started out with out of work single moms who had no idea how they were going to make it all come together.Single moms are a part of the backbone of American business and ingenuity. If you prefer not to take out a loan, you will likely find other people who will partner with you and provide the initial capital. You can also turn to crowdsourcing outlets such as Indiegogo and Kickstarter. Raising capital for your venture is one of the easier aspects of getting started these days. The hardest part is just believing that you can do it. Conquer that, and you are well on your way to becoming another home business success story.

Going Back to School

The thing about going back to school is it sounds a lot like going backward. That is generally considered the wrong direction for someone trying to move forward in life. That said, if you are ever going to go back for anything, it should be to complete your education.Even a working mom can go back to school.

There are many reasons to go back and finish a diploma or college degree. It is going to be vitally important that your kids finish school and get their degree. It will be vitally important that you set the right example when it is time to convince them to stay in school. Even without kids, there is the immediate benefit of increasing your paycheck. With every degree you get, you can expect to make more money in your current field and have more opportunities to advance. You will be doing your online classes while changing diapers. It will not be easy. But it is possible. When you have accomplished it, everything else you do in life will be easier.

Being an Active Citizen

Some moms check out of politics and activism because they are too busy being a mom. But one of the most important aspects of being a mom is creating a better and safer world for your children. Moms are the people who can least afford to check out. If you want a greener planet, a fairer workforce, and a more level playing field for your children, you have to make the time to fight for it right now. There is surely something you went through that you don’t want them to go through. Now is the time to pave the better way for your children.

Starting a family business, completing your education, and active citizenship are worthwhile in and of themselves. As a busy mom, you might think they are beyond your reach. But being a mom is what such goals were made for.