There are only a few moments in our lives when we’re pressured to really spend big! We feel that pressure when we buy a home, go to college, and get married. Weddings have gotten outrageously expensive, with the average American spending almost $30,000 on their big day. WOW. If you’re planning
Does Everyone Need a Will?
Almost everyone knows what a will is. However, not many people think that they need one! A will is an essential part of a solid financial foundation. Along with the proper insurance and an emergency fund, a will is an important step in your journey to financial freedom. But, the question
How to Tell Your Kids You Can’t (Or Won’t) Buy Something
We all want to give our kids everything that they want and deserve. For some of us, this is one of the very reasons we’re in such a big financial mess. Saying “no” to our kids is definitely hard sometimes, because we never want them to interpret our denial of their request as lack of love or
What is A Sinking Fund and What Is It For?
Budgeting every month is a great way to avoid financial problems from unexpected expenses and big purchases. Sometimes, things are just more expensive than we can pull off in a month! What if you have to renew your vehicle registration, pay an emergency vet bill, buy an anniversary gift for your
Student Loans Are Restarting In October
Student loans paused all the way back in March 2020—that was years ago now! It’s been so long there are some recent graduates who have NEVER made a student loan payment since they’ve gotten their diploma. Other borrowers have paid off their balance, others have used the time to pay off other debts,
Things to Budget For in August
Having a zero-based budget that you make once and forget sounds like the easiest way to get the job done. However, budgeting just doesn’t work like that! Life isn’t the same from month to month, so you need to remake your budget monthly to plan for those changing circumstances. When you do this,
Should You Have Joint Bank Accounts?
Joint bank accounts were once a no-brainer for married couples, but in recent years sharing a bank account has become a hot topic. Only 43% of couples have joint bank accounts (another 34% have a mixture of joint and separate accounts.) This number is going down with each generation as well! But,
Is a $1,000 Emergency Fund Enough in 2023?
It’s no secret that I utilize the Ramsey principles in my financial coaching. Though I have my own method of walking people through The Baby Steps, I use the basic concepts because they are Biblical and proven by irrefutable data. Basically, I use it because IT WORKS! Why do I bring this up?