Grocery shopping is not my most favorite pass time, and it’s probably not yours either. There’s a lot of work that goes into with planning, budgeting, shopping, loading and unloading, and all of that before you even get to cook, enjoy, and clean up. But it is an essential part of life and a very important part of the budget, so it’s good topic to focus on and look for ways to improve. The way groceries affect the budget directly affects your ability to pay off debt, save for retirement, or spend money on what’s most important to you.
Read MoreFriend, let me tell you, if someone has created a service that can do something for you that you don’t love doing (meal planning, etc) and it doesn’t cost an arm and a leg, give them your money! The time and stress that $5 Meal Plan has saved me is worth the monthly subscription fee (which is actually inexpensive, by the way)!
Read MoreYou’ve probably heard the phrase “the future is now,” but have you ever really stopped to think about what that means? The choices we make today determine what our future will hold. The way we are living life today affects how our future will unfold. From a financial standpoint, that means if you’re making money mistakes today, your financial future could be at risk. You cannot wait to save for retirement until the last minute. Compound interest is based on time, so you want to start saving money as early as you possibly can. No matter if you’re starting just in time or you’re a little late, there’s no better time to start than today.
Read MoreNo matter what your financial situation looks like right now, we have all been in places where we feel like we made money mistakes. But nothing is stopping you from breaking those habits that are keeping you broke and making new and better choices right now. Being aware of which bad habits are keeping you broke will help you address them and fix them. Let’s look at 8 (common) habits you might need to kick to the curb.
Read MoreIf you want Christmas to still be the most wonderful time of the year without going into debt, you can be more intentional and impactful with your spending and your savings. Not only do you need to plan ahead for Christmas by setting aside the cash early, but you need to cut expenses and save money where you can. Here’s 16 tips to help you make the most of your Christmas budget.
Read MoreChristmas is a wonderful season of giving and wonder, but the truth is, the season can leave many people in financial trouble because they don’t know how to prepare for it and end up charging everything to credit cards that haunt them well into the next year. But with planning, budgeting, and committing to pay cash for everything, you can choose to have a stress-free Christmas this year (or at least, stress-free financially!).
Read MoreFor us, the benefits of being a Prime Member have far outweighed the cost and we’ve definitely made our money back in savings (and probably double that). But since I am a personal finance blogger and I fully believe in living a debt free life, I encourage you to make sure you’re purchasing an Amazon Prime membership when you can afford it.
Read MoreNo matter how big your mountain of debt is, and regardless what you level of income is, you can get out of debt. Paying off debt is more about behavior than it is about math. The debt free journey is going to look different for every person or household, but I want you to have confidence in knowing anyone can pay off debt. You can do this.
Read MoreIt is still definitely possible to pay off all your debt while raising a family. Many people have done it before. We have done it. You can do it too. It doesn’t matter if you already have debt and you’re thinking about having kids, or if you already have kids and you’ve realized you should dump all the debt…it’s doable. But you have to get your head in the game. Here are 7 pieces of advice for raising a family while still getting out of debt.
Read MoreBudgeting is actually a simple and easy process. The hardest part will be changing your spending habits as you learn to live with the budget you’ve created. Just remember to give yourself some grace and know that you won’t always be perfect. The thing is, we all have dreams and goals of where we want to go or where we want to be in the future and a budget is one of the best tools to help you get there.
Read MorePersonal finance is more about behavior than anything else, including math! You need to be creating habits with intention if you want to reach financial freedom. There are so many things you can do to turn your finances around and get control of your money (I recommend following Dave Ramsey’s 7 Baby Steps) and while I think all of those big goals are important, it’s also important to put in place the small, everyday habits that are going to help you change your behavior. You can stop living paycheck to paycheck and stop living with money stress, but you’re going to have to change the way you behave when it comes to your personal finances.
Read MoreLearning to live below your means will set you free. Living below your means allows you to have extra money for paying off debt, saving for retirement, or whatever your current financial goals may be. It’s crucial for good money management and reaching your financial goals.
Read MoreImpulse purchases are a serious issue. We’ve all fallen subject to that tempting cold drink right before the checkout line, the email that says “free shipping,” or the dessert deal to go with our pizza. Impulse buying is a habit that causes us to spend money we don’t have by either busting the budget or going into debt. We have to stop giving into these temptations if we’re ever going to reach our financial goals. That means we must understand what an impulse purchase is, why we do it, and most of all the steps necessary to end it.
Read MoreUnfortunately, the credit card way of life is leaving so many people stressed out about their finances, living from paycheck to paycheck, and struggling to put any money into savings. Proverbs 22:7 says “The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is slave to the lender.”
Read More