You’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 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 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 MoreI get it. You’re wondering if there are exceptions to the rules of tithing, like when you’re trying to throw every penny you have into your debt snowball. It’s a justified question. But first of all, let’s remember that tithing is not about rules, it’s about giving freely, so make sure you are giving out of love and not out of guilt. Secondly…
Read MoreSo many of us are living day to day feeling overwhelmed and stressed out about the state of our finances. When an emergency comes up and you’re not sure how you’re going to pay for it…stress. When you want to be saving for your future and retirement but your bank account never has anything extra at the end of the month…stress. Let’s talk about some actions steps you can start today to reduce your stress levels.
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 MoreIf you’re feeling like you’re ready to get out of debt, you have to get gazelle intense. This is a phrase coined by Dave Ramsey and comes from Proverbs 6:4-5 which reads “Give no sleep to your eyes, Nor slumber to your eyelids. Deliver yourself like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, And like a bird from the hand of the fowler. “ In other words, you need work your way out of debt with the same intensity that a gazelle runs away from a cheetah.
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 MoreYou want to get out of debt as quickly as possible so you can move on to saving, investing, and living life to the fullest. You don’t just need any plan for getting out of debt, you need the one plan that will keep you motivated until the end. That plan is the Debt Snowball Method.
Read MoreWe’ve all made mistakes with money. We’ve all made the choices that put us in the current situation we’re in. So if you don’t like your current situation, it’s time to take the necessary steps to change.
Read MoreWhat would life look like if you didn’t have any payments? All those paychecks that come in already earmarked to go to debt payments for purchase you made in the past? What if you were actually in control and could decide what you want to do rather than living by what you have to do? You could do anything you want. That’s financial freedom.
Read MoreYou already know Why You Need a Budget, now let’s talk about the one and only Budget method you need to see change in your finances. Remember, a budget is simply a plan to tell your money where to go and the budgeting method that works best is the Zero Based Budget.
Read MoreYou need a plan with steps and goals you can actually ACHIEVE. They key is changing your behavior and staying motivated. It’s not about math, it’s about behavior, because if we were doing math we wouldn’t have gone into debt in the first place. It’s true. The majority of our financial problems are because of our behavior and personal choices.
Read MoreTo create a budget is to create a plan. This is not something to be taken lightly, but something to be given much thought and prayer. Seek God’s guidance for making good decisions. Figure out what is important to you and your family. Make dreams, set goals, seek God. Whatever the vision is, you need a plan to get there.
Read MoreAlways remember, you have permission to dream. Sometimes we overthink it. We feel like we can’t possibly dream about what financial freedom looks like because we are so stuck in our current situation. Sometimes we even feel ashamed to allow ourselves to dream of such things that have felt impossible for so long. But the entire purpose of this blog is to convince you that it is possible, and you can do this. And it starts with one simple action step. Giving yourself permission to dream.
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