Personal Finance Blog Posts- Page 5 of 6 - Big Picture Budget Big Picture Budget |

Budget Date Ideas

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When you think of a date, what immediately comes to mind? Is it fancy restaurants and a show at the theater? Maybe dinner and a movie? If you’re on a budget it may seem like a date for you and your partner is just not a good idea. That’s where you’re wrong. Have you and your partner read The Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman to see what your love language is? Well for my husband and I both, quality time is our primary love language. Even if quality time isn’t your main love language, it’s still very important to make time for your partner without distractions (whether the distractions are kids, pets, or work). Carving out some time for the two of you alone is a great way to connect and catch up. And what’s even better is that a date doesn’t have to break the budget.

Dog ownership costs

How much does it cost to own a dog? Have you thought about getting a dog, but wondered if you have enough money saved and have enough room in your budget to afford one? Read more for dog ownership costs.

Are you thinking about getting a dog, but trying to figure out how much it will really cost? Trust me, dog ownership always costs more than you expect. I have two fur babies who I love with all my heart, but they can definitely be expensive and you need to be prepared.

Part of the challenge with pets are that people tend to expect you to buy them a ton of toys, treats, and even outfits. When it comes to spending on your pets, you have to consider what is right for you, not what everyone else is doing. Just as you shouldn’t compare your overall spending habits to someone else’s, you shouldn’t compare your pet spending habits either. As a general rule, I don’t often buy treats for my dogs. I tend to reward them with praise and petting or even with ice cubes and pieces of their own food (they seem to always think this is a prize even though they eat it daily).

Budget for Christmas in July

Every year Christmas expenses sneak up on people and ruin the budget. Here's how to prepare for Christmas now so it doesn't ruin your budget later

Christmas in July is upon us. And ok, here in the US we don’t celebrate Christmas in July, but I think it’s a really important budgeting holiday to acknowledge. Christmas comes once per year and usually is very expensive. Somehow, every year, people are not financially prepared. Stores boast zero percent credit cards and putting items on layaway, but in the end you will end up spending more money by not having enough in savings to cover your Christmas expenses. So here’s July. Time to start planning for Christmas and setting money aside for gifts.

Celebrate success… no matter how small

I reached a big financial goal this month and I want to celebrate success. I now have under $50,000 left in student loan debt. Now some of you may be thinking “oh my gosh, why would she possibly be celebrating having just under $50k left in debt?”. Well here’s why. I have been working my butt off trying to kick this debt to the curb for six years now and I am going to keep working towards it until it is gone. I think it’s important to celebrate your success no matter how small. Acknowledging your progress will let you see how far you’ve truly come and it will help you stay motivated to keep working to achieve your goal. Read more about big picture budget goals.

Budget Vacation Tips

Want to budget and make progress towards your big picture budget goals, but also think that the thought of not having a vacation for a few years sounds terrible? Thankfully it doesn’t have to be all one or the other. It just has to be in moderation and planned so that you can still reach your big picture budget goal. Here are ten budget vacation tips to save money while on vacation.

Money lessons to teach your kids

How you handle money and what you say (or don’t say) about it will make a difference to your kids. Teach them these 5 money lessons to create financial success.

Think back to when you were a kid. Do you remember how your family dealt with money and how you felt about it? Did your parents constantly argue about spending money so when you grew up you thought that spending money on anything was bad? Did your family get a new car every year and then when you were on your own you realized that there was no way you could afford to do that? Do you remember wanting to go out to eat like your school friends did and your mom told you she couldn’t afford that and you started to wonder if you’d have enough for food because as a 5 year old you didn’t realize eating out is more expensive than eating in? You learned these money lessons whether your parents meant for you to or not and you can teach your kids different money lessons.

A budget partnership

Most relationships have it- one person who’s a budgeter or saver and the other who just isn’t. Here's how to have a monthly budget meeting with your partner.

Most relationships have it- one person who’s a budgeter or saver and the other who just isn’t. And while that balances a lot of couples, it can also be very frustrating for the budgeter to try to get the other partner on board. And let’s face it, if you aren’t on the same page and working towards the same money goals, then everything is twice as hard. While you’re running uphill attached to a rope, the other end is your partner driving away in the other direction and pulling you backwards. It just feels like you can’t win. Here’s how to plan a monthly budget meeting that will help you feel better about your budget and work to get your partner on board so you can both achieve your financial goals.

Celebrate July 4th on a budget

How do you celebrate your patriotism without breaking the bank? Here are 8 ways to have an awesome July 4th without spending a fortune.

Independence Day in the US is right around the corner. How do you celebrate your patriotism without breaking the bank? Here are 8 ways to have an awesome Fourth of July without spending a fortune.

Overcoming Goal Challenges

You've set your goal and then, all of a sudden, something gets you off track. Here are 6 ways to overcome the obstacle and get back on the path to your goal.

You’ve set your goal, you’re so excited about it, you picture yourself achieving it, you’re making progress towards it and then, all of a sudden, something gets you off track and suddenly you’re going sideways off the path instead of towards the goal. You hit a goal challenge. We’ve all been there and will probably all be there again at some point. Whether you went sideways because you lost motivation like when you start a super restrictive diet or if it was due to something outside your control like a popped car tire when you just started saving money. The path to achieving your goals isn’t always a straight path and it definitely isn’t always easy, but the important thing is what you do when you encounter the obstacles. Things don’t always go as planned and when life gets in the way of your goals do you give up or keep going? Think back on your goal, why it was important to you in the first place, and why you still want to achieve it. Then realize that if you don’t keep going, restart, or get back on the path, you won’t achieve it. Here’s 6 ways to regroup and keep working towards your goal when life gets in the way.

Grocery shopping on a budget

Have you noticed that groceries account for a HUGE portion of your budget? Does it seem like you can’t ever walk into a grocery store without spending more money than you planned? These 11 secrets below will help you win at grocery shopping on a budget.