What's a spending freeze? Have you heard of a spending freeze? It's a period of time, usually a couple of weeks or even a month, where you only focus on funding your "needs." In other words, you still pay your bills, buy groceries to feed the family and take care of any medical needs. But...
Your Holiday Gift Guide
Black Friday is upon us, and because Thanksgiving came so late this year, there are only four weeks until Christmas. If you're wondering what to get those hard to buy for people on your list, I've assembled some suggestions that are sure to make them happy. Great gift ideas for anyone on your list- Note:...
Budgeting- Tracking Irregular Expenses
No matter how you track your budget, whether it's on paper, a spreadsheet or in an app, you need to make sure you keep track of irregular expenses - the ones that don't come due every month. Here are a few ways you can make sure those periodic bills get managed - and PAID -...
10 Cheap or Free Date Night Ideas
When was the last time you had a date with your spouse? Like a real date, just the two of you, without the kids under foot or at the same table? Was it within the past month? Within the past three months? Six? Date nights are hugely important in any relationship, especially when you've got...
Avoid Overspending this Holiday- 18 Ways
Now's the perfect time to start thinking about your Christmas, Hanukkah or other holiday spending plan. While it's not Halloween yet, and many of us roll our eyes at the early holiday decorations that are already on store shelves, this is a great time to plan ahead. Have you heard that saying, "when you fail...
Five quick ways to get your budget back on track
Has your budget gone off the rails a bit lately? Don't beat yourself up too badly, because it happens to the best of us. But first, identify your spending pitfalls When you realize your monthly budget has gone sideways, the first thing you should do is sit down and figure out where your money went...
Keep going over budget? 4 Common reasons why.
Getting started on a budget can be challenging! It definitely took us a few months to get it down, where we were estimating the right amounts for each category... not to mention getting the right categories on the page! But what if you're still going into the red after a few months? If your budget...
Buy or DIY – Is it worth it to make your own?
I love to DIY stuff, and I’ll freely admit I like to save money. (Not cheap, just like to save!) But let’s face it. Sometimes I’m exhausted and I just want to sit down with a glass of wine and let someone else do the work. So how do you decide if it’s better to...
7 Things to Remember in your August Budget
We’re already a few days into August, and if you haven’t written out your monthly budget, there’s still time before the month really gets away from you. Sit down and take about 20 minutes and put it on paper (or in a spreadsheet), and then rest easy while you finish out the month with confidence...
11 School Supply Shopping Tips to Save Money
School supply lists can add up to big bucks, fast! Did you know that families with kids in elementary through high school are expected to spend an average of $696.70 in 2019*? Yikes! Granted, my family won’t be spending so much this year, because we thankfully don’t have some of those technology requirements yet. But...