So you want to pay off debt, but you have NO clue where to start. You're in the right place! The overwhelm of paying off debt can be enough to stop people before they even start. It's hard to know you've got all this debt out there but not even know where to start with paying it off. I'm here to help take that overwhelm away. :) First I want to reassure you that you're making a great decision! Getting serious about paying off your debt is a huge decision that's going to take a lot of commitment. It's simply easier to spend your money on what's right in front of you that you want than deciding to pay it on your debt instead. But paying off debt has SO many benefits. You'll... Feel less STRESS about your finances Stop having so many money fights with your spouse Free up money to use for better (and more fun!) things Maybe even free up enough money in your budget to allow you to quit your job That last point is the one I get most excited about. I bet if you ... View Post
The Ultimate Guide to Emergency Funds – How to Save for Emergencies
You know you need an emergency fund. You've been told how important having emergency savings is. But how exactly do you do this? How do you save for emergencies when everything else is so important too? I've written this ultimate guide to emergency funds to help you get your emergency savings started in a few practical steps. You don't have to keep putting this off any longer, and the sooner you start saving, the sooner you'll be prepared for whatever life throws your way! Step 1: Decide on Your Amount There are a few different factors you should consider when deciding on how much you should have in your emergency fund. How big is your family? How many different incomes do you have coming in? Popular advice is to start with $1,000 and build from there. I think $1,000 is a solid number to start with, as that can usually cover an insurance deductible or a minor car repair to keep your transportation going. Ultimately, I think you should shoot for somewhere between 3 and 6 ... View Post
How to Pay Off Debt With a Low Income
When you're deep in debt, it can be hard to see your way out. You want to learn how to pay off debt with a low income, but it feels impossible. Stop right there! Paying off debt is possible, no matter where you fall on the income range. It might take you longer to get out of debt on a low income, but you can do it. You just have to have the right mindset, the right plan, and the right tools. So get excited about paying off your debt! A debt free future is full of possibilities and we can get there together. This post may contain affiliate links. Step 1: Decide You're Really Going to Do This You can't just "want" to get out of debt. You have to decide, 100 percent, that you're going to be debt free. This step is especially important for those paying off debt on a low income. It's going to take longer to pay off your debt, and that's OK. That's just how it is right now. You're going to need lots of quick wins and motivation to keep you going, which is why I love the debt ... View Post
What to do When You Budget and There’s Nothing Left
I remember the time I completed my first Dave Ramsey budget. I was going through Financial Peace University and had just watched one of the lessons. My homework was to complete my first real cash-flow budget. After racking my brain for all my different bills, trying to estimate how much we spend on gas and groceries, and trying to decide on a number for all the other miscellaneous expenses, I was finally done. I was super excited to see how much money we had left-over to throw at our debt snowball. I was shocked to discover that we had practically no money left-over to pay off our debts. I think the number came out to about $50--not enough in my eyes to make even a dent in our huge pile of debt. I hadn't ever truly felt "broke" before. Sure, some months money felt tight. We might go a month without adding anything to savings here and there, but staring at that budget sheet caused my heart to sink. We were worse off than I had ever imagined. Making that budget made ... View Post
The Number One Rule When it Comes to Money
This is the number one money rule everyone should be following. Before you can get out of debt, save an emergency fund, or live on a budget, you need to follow this money rule first. And that's because money doesn't work for you unless you have the right attitude towards it. You could earn $20,000 a year or $200,000 a year and feel exactly the same way about your financial situation. You might be thinking, "If I made $200,000 a year I sure would feel a whole lot different about my money," but it's true! If you aren't content with what you have now, you'll never be content with what you have later. It's easy to think that everything will be fine once you have more money. You'll be able to get out of debt, have an emergency fund saved, and have enough leftover to buy whatever you want. But I'm sorry to say, it doesn't work like that. If you aren't happy with what you have now, you won't be later. For example, that practical Honda you have a car loan on would turn into a car ... View Post
How to Live On a Tight Budget
Need to learn how to live on a tight budget? Read how me and my husband made it work for our family! Living on a small budget is possible, and if we can do it, you can too. When my husband and I decided to move back to our hometown, we found ourselves in a place we'd never really been so far in our marriage -- living on a very tight budget. Jobs just didn't pay as much as they did where we'd been living the past few years. This is also the time we found out we were pregnant with our first baby, and that meant life was going to get even crazier. We had to figure out if I was going to be able to stay home with the baby or if I'd have to go back to work. I was pretty shocked when I wrote all our bills down and looked at the numbers (aka, a budget.) Our entire monthly income matched our monthly expenses. There was no money left over, no wiggle room. No wonder money had been feeling so tight! We knew that if we were going to be able to afford me being a stay at home mom, we had ... View Post
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