Melissa Batai, Author at The Outlier Model - Page 3 of 4

Four Mistakes I Made In College (I Hope My Kids Don’t Make)

Melissa Batai / January 27th, 2014 / 5 Comments

Live and learn… While this old adage is true, I hope my children’s financial future is brighter than mine. I hope I teach them to make smart financial decisions. So if they do make poor financial decisions, it affects them only in the short term, rather than decades as some of my financial mistakes have affected me. Here are some things I hope my kids do differently than me: Eating Out I...

Posted in: Education Tagged with: cost of university, education, saving money, saving money in college

Creativity: Your Ticket To Saving Money

Melissa Batai / January 20th, 2014 / 11 Comments

“I’m just not that creative…” How many times have you said that or heard someone else say that? You might think of creativity as simply being an accomplished artist, a good writer, or being able to make a cute craft. But it goes far beyond that. Creativity can save you money. Lots of money. Creativity with Food According to The Huffington Post, “the average American...

Posted in: Minimalism and Frugality Tagged with: cooking for beginners, cooking meals at home, creativity, frugal cooking tips, saving and frugality

Can You Afford Four Houses?

Melissa Batai / January 6th, 2014 / 18 Comments

One of my guilty pleasures after a long day of work is to watch a show or two from a series on Netflix. Right now, I’m watching the TLC series Sister Wives about a polygamist family where there is one husband and four wives. Don’t forget the seventeen kids. Photo courtesy of hollywoodlife.com. I know some people are irked by this show and the Brown family’s polygamy lifestyle....

Posted in: Editors Picks, Entertainment and Leisure Tagged with: buying a house, cost of home ownership, featured, house, housing costs, Kody, real estate, Sister Wives

Wait! Don’t Join the Gym Just Yet

Melissa Batai / December 31st, 2013 / 3 Comments

Resolving to get in shape in the new year is a resolution millions make every year. Unfortunately, the majority of those millions, in their excitement and resolve to become lean and fit, drop a lot of money to achieve this goal, including the often expensive act of joining a gym. Joining the gym can be a smart move for some people, but for the majority of us, doing so is just like giving our money...

Posted in: Fitness and Exercise Tagged with: exercise routine, gym, gym membership, home exercise, staying in shape