Maybe you’re planning a wedding or maybe you and your partner are still in the newlywed stage. In addition to combining your lives, you have the fun task of combining your finances and get to create a newlywed budget. How can you discuss money before marriage to make for an easy financial transition? What do you do when one of you is entering the marriage with debt? What do you do if neither of you knows how to manage money?
Financial Literacy Month
April is Financial Literacy Month in the United States. The month initially started with a focus towards financial education for children and has now shifted to provide resources for people regardless of age. Let’s learn more about financial literacy, why it’s celebrated, and how to get your children involved.
Money Goal Setting
Goal setting is all the buzz, so much so that you might wonder if goal setting is even worth all the hype. Goal setting is really important especially if you take time to consider why your specific goal is important to you and why you want to achieve that goal, and you are prepared to overcome challenges that undoubtedly will come your way as you make progress towards achieving your goal. When you set your goals, it isn’t good enough to just know where you want to end up to achieve the goal. You also have to have some idea about how you will get there because if you don’t, not only will your goal just feel too big, but it will also be easy for you to just not know where to start. Goal setting for your money helps you know what your budget is helping you achieve.
Do I need a budget?
Have you ever gotten paid and wondered where your money went? Do you keep thinking that next time you get a raise you’ll have enough money to live and then somehow when the raise comes you’re still broke? Maybe it’s because you need a budget. Now hold on, don’t tune me out because you’re afraid of the B word. Let’s talk about a budget and how it can really be a game changer for your money and your life.
Top 5 books and podcasts of 2019
How can you find the top 5 books and podcasts of 2019? Hint: start with this list.
Every year there are so many great books released that it’s hard to pick which ones to read first. I spend a lot of time in the car listening to podcasts and that’s a great way to hear what books are new. I listen to podcasts on all different topics, but they mostly are personal finance and motivational. It actually wasn’t until putting this list together that I realized some of my favorite podcast hosts have released books this year. The top 5 books and podcasts go together. Whether you prefer to read or listen, or do both, here are my top 5 book and podcast recommendations for 2019.
Student loan debt progress
I earned good grades in high school, which led to ambitious dreams for college. When I got accepted into my dream school, I was sure it was my destiny and I felt like I would have been stupid to have turned down the opportunity. Little did I know that 7 years later I’d still be cursing that decision because of student loan debt. That being said, I loved my college, made great friends and got a great education, but the price was not worth it. Going into college I believed that I would come out of school and have a high paying job lined up. It’s really important for college students to know that in most cases, employers do not care what college you graduated from, just that you graduated.
Emergency fund importance
Does an emergency fund seem like just one more thing you need in your budget? Is it actually important enough that I need to have one? Absolutely. Think about a time when you had an expense that you weren’t planning on. Has the cat needed a trip to the vet? Have you blown a tire on your car and suddenly needed to buy a new one? Have you discovered that your sink is leaking because suddenly your water bill is twice what it usually costs? Bankrate’s 2018 survey on Financial Security found that only 39% of Americans had enough in savings for a $1,000 emergency. With a little focus and budgeting, you can make sure that you are prepared and able to cover an emergency.
Goal Setting Worksheet
Think about goals. Do you think of a one and done event or is it an ongoing process? Do you wonder why your goals haven’t worked out before? A goal setting worksheet could be the answer to truly track your goals and watch your progress toward the target. My Dad loves goal setting. As a kid, I always thought goal setting was the biggest joke. Every year I saw my Dad working diligently on his goals and after that day, I never heard anything about it again. So I tried it one year. I worked to create these goals that I wanted to achieve, created some really good ones and then waited for them to magically come true. I didn’t realize that after you set the goals you needed to actually do something to achieve them. I didn’t see that part of the process. I didn’t see the part where you had to continually remind yourself of the goal and evaluate what progress you had made. I didn’t understand that after Dad made his goals, he worked to achieve them. Now that I’m older, I fully understand that goals don’t magically come true (that’s dreams), but there’s some work to set yourself up to succeed and achieve your goals.
Step up your budget
Let’s be honest. Money is hard. Motivational books talk about not coming from a place of scarcity, but coming from an abundant mindset to attract the life you want. Now whether or not you believe in the ‘law of attraction,’ it’s true that money often feels scarce. At one time or another in your life, I bet you’ve felt it too. No matter how much money you have, there never feels like enough. It feels spent before you earn it, like there is always more you want than what you have. And while that might be true (or at least feel true), you need to remember that this phase in your money life is temporary. Just a season. And as tough as it might be right now, you can keep going and change the course of your next money season. You just need a plan. You need to step up your budget to get your money on track and achieve your goals.
Friendsgiving Potluck
A Friendsgiving potluck has become more and more common over recent years. What is Friendsgiving you ask? It’s a chance for friends to get together and celebrate Thanksgiving with the friends that make up their chosen family. It allows for quality time together, sharing good food, and lots of laughs. With a Friendsgiving potluck you can have all the fun and enjoyment that’s an essential part of Friendsgiving while staying on budget.