Living for today - Planning for Tomorrow
There once was a couple with a small income and big dreams. Most of those dreams revolved around the dream of having a family. They got married and danced down the aisle, hand in hand. Money was tight during those early years. Soon, a baby was on the way. With debts to pay and hospital bills waiting around the corner, extreme frugality became the name of
Do we all agree that a budget is important? Nodding your head gets you one point. Do you agree that it’s difficult sometimes? Two points. Jumping on board with a printable monthly budget worksheet from the following list gets you 50 points. That’s because even if you know in your head that tracking your money is important, it’s much harder to live it out. In
You’ve decided to make a change. You’ve looked at your life and decided getting out of debt as soon as possible is your next objective. I can say from personal experience that a decision like that can change the trajectory of your life. Congratulations! While you work hard toward your goal, remember there are a few steps that are easily overlooked. I learned that the
Do you ever run out of cash at the end of the month? That has got to be the most frustrating part of budgeting, in my opinion: Staying on it. To help boost your frugal efforts, I’ve put together a simple list of ways for you use some advanced budgeting as you track your spending this month. 3 Simple Ways to Use Advanced Budgeting to
Last week, Laura told us how she and her husband became debt-free. This week, she’s sharing some of her expert tips on how to save money on groceries. Enjoy! One of the most important expenses in every household is also one of the most costly. Every family faces the same challenge: How to save money on groceries. Rather than let it stress you out or
There have recently been some unexpected circumstances in my extended family that make me once again realize the importance of an emergency fund and also make me want to at least double the amount I currently have saved. It’s really unfortunate that over half of American’s have less than $1,000 in their bank accounts and aren’t prepared for the bad things that happen in life.
I don’t know about you but I always find it interesting to compare my spending to that of average Americans. I usually feel better knowing that I’m spending far less considering the lack of basic financial principles in the U.S. One statistic you might be surprised to learn is that the average spent on an engagement ring in 2014 was $5,855 according to The Knot.
One of my favorite things to keep my kids busy during the summer is learning activities. At ages six and seven both of my kids very much enjoy anything with an educational spin and are already missing school dearly. Because of this we now have a go-to list of frugal and free educational resources for elementary aged kids. Here are our favorites. Education.com Education.com is
Organization saves me in so many ways. When I’m unorganized I can’t think clearly, things go missing and I feel like I’m living in chaos. When I choose to take a proactive approach and come up with systems, it’s unbelievable how much better I feel, how much smoother my days go and how much money I save. If you’re looking for ways to get organized
Have you ever heard of lifestyle inflation? If not, it’s the theory that as you earn more money you spend that extra money without even realizing it. You grow accustomed to having that extra cash each month and as your income goes up your lifestyle inflates accordingly. Lifestyle inflation is a real thing and it’s pretty tricky. If you’re getting ready to get a big
