How much did you spend on groceries this month? How much did you spend on eating out? Can  you answer the question definitively?  Or are you just guessing? We talk about sticking to our budgets and about whether or not an expense is in our budget, but according to a 2013 Gallup Poll, only 32 percent of Americans actually have a written budget. Without that written budget, how do you really know if an expense is in your budget?  Just because you can see money in your bank account isn't … [Read more...]

So you're having a baby.  Congratulations!  Welcome to an exciting time in your life!  It can also be an expensive time as you shop for a crib, a carseat, a stroller, and all of those adorable little outfits for your baby. In the midst of all that prepping for baby, it can be easy to forget that you need to prepare financially for maternity leave.  The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) allows eligible employees up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave and still keep their jobs following the birth of … [Read more...]

I can remember a time when I would see something I liked and I would just buy it.  If I didn't have the money, I would put it on my credit card and figure out how to pay for it later. Those were the broke years.  Once I started using money rules to save, managing my finances got a whole lot easier. … [Read more...]

Around my house, every week is a week to save.   But for many people, saving money seems like a daunting task. According to a 2014 survey conducted by America Saves and American Savings Education Council, only 4 out of 10 people have a spending plan that allows for sufficient saving.   And only about 1/3 of those surveyed feel prepared for their long-term future. It's time to work on changing that.  It's America Saves Week. … [Read more...]

Memory doesn't always serve me well when it comes to getting things done.  Even when I have the best intentions to do something that will help me save money, sometimes the details slip by me. Has that ever happened to you?  You got hit with a late payment fee because you forgot to pay a bill?  You meant to save money, but then you got to the end of the month and you hadn't saved a dime? You're not alone.  And there's one way to make sure you remember: Automate your finances. … [Read more...]

Filling up your gas tank has gotten a lot less painful in the last couple of weeks.  In fact, gas prices have fallen to their lowest point in years. For those of you who put on the miles in your vehicles, this means a significant savings.  In our household, we're spending about 1/2 of what we spent on gas for our vehicles just one year ago.   We're definitely feeling the impact. And it feels pretty good. But we've been around long enough to know that these low gas prices won't last … [Read more...]