July in Texas. “Mid” summer. The kids are home. Cookouts. Swimming. Vacation. Staycation. Still a few months before the holidays. And it’s hot, y’all. As we’re sweating away the pounds, now can also be a good time to trim excess spending from the budget. So we’re starting a challenge. Here are the rules: Challenge 1: During one week in July, …
Seven (7) Side Hustles I’ve Had
I just called them jobs. But at a time when I wanted to stay home with my children instead of working full time, side hustles became essential for survival. Maybe these will give you some ideas for some of your own! 1. Waiting Tables Who didn’t wait tables in college, right? Here I learned how to do multiple things at …
Five Financial Planning Practices (You Should Begin Today)
There are certainly a lot of bad habits surrounding money in our culture, as evidenced by the fact that over half of American families live paycheck to paycheck. Perhaps lower salaries or loss of income is to blame, but how much less would the impact be if the American public would adhere to a few financial planning “best practices” surrounding …
Beater Car #2
If you read our previous post about our Beater Car #1, you might be wondering what is a beater? A beater is a paid-for car (no loans currently on it) that is likely older and in running condition, but not showroom floor condition. Case in point…. Before I discuss HOW we got this beauty, I want to relay two separate …
The Beloved Beater: The Paid Off Car
When we first came in for financial coaching in 2013, we had one last remaining debt – our 2007 Honda Odyssey (named Homer) that we had purchased used but with low mileage in 2010. We’d done some things right when we bought it – researched and came up with a model that had a great track record, traded in our …
Establishing An Annual Expense Fund
Debt is a shackle that prevents its prisoners from moving forward in many areas of life. We’ve seen debt be a barrier to accepting a dream job, to making a future move, to buying a home, and even to getting married. Part of what we do here in our practice is to help people separate themselves from debt. And part …
The American Nightmare: Putting the American Dream on a Credit Card
In a previous blog, we wrote that the price tag for the American dream is around $130,000/year. If a household does not have that kind of income, how does its members keep up with the Joneses? Some do through the use of credit cards. “Buy now, and pay later” often means “pay later and pay more too! In 2017, …
The American Nightmare: Student Loans
The American Dream has been defined as “the belief that with hard work and the freedom to pursue your destiny, you can achieve success and provide better opportunities for yourself and your children.” A 2014 USA Today article states that the price tag for the American dream is around $130,000/year. What if we don’t make that sum of money? Many …
Last College Tuition Payment!
Last college tuition payment. As I clicked the “Pay Now” button, I felt lighter. Our backstory is not unlike a lot of other couples with children our age. We spent our 20’s having children, our 30’s raising them, and our 40’s….well, that decade came way too quickly. And we had not saved a dime for our FOUR (4) children’s higher …