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 $130,000/year. What if we don’t make that sum of money? Many …
Fitness and Financial Discipline
Ever wondered why financial discipline is difficult? I mean, you KNOW you need to change. But….the problem is in the doing the change. Here’s why: Financial discipline: the pain of the staying the same > the pain of change I see this a lot in physically fit athletes. They’ve already passed the “perceived” pain threshold in their mind and have …
Last College Tuition Payment!
Last college tuition payment. As I clicked the “Pay Now” button, I felt lighter. Our backstory is not unlike a lot of other couples with children our age. We spent our 20’s having children, our 30’s raising them, and our 40’s….well, that decade came way too quickly. And we had not saved a dime for our FOUR (4) children’s higher …
Five Years without a Cable Bill: Four Gains
Five years ago, we cut the ties and cut our cable bill in more than half. We got rid of cable. Once and for all. Not going back and do not even want to go back. In fact, I cannot think of anything we miss. Maybe Astros baseball (which was remedied by an MLB pass and a VPN) or Hallmark …
Seven Signs It’s Time to Buy A Home
Are you tired of “throwing away” your money through renting? Do you need more room to grow? Have you been diagnosed with house fever? Then now is the time to buy a home! OR IS IT? Through years of working with clients and seeing both success and failures as they navigate the home buying process and its aftermath, we have …
Twelve (12) Way$ to Have a More Merry Christma$ by Saving Money
If you are like many, Christmas comes and goes, leaving behind it an empty bank account and charged up credit cards. To that end, we offer a few ideas for how to save money on Christmas during the last two months of the year. TWELVE WAYS TO SAVE MONEY ON CHRISTMAS Clearance Halloween Candy – If you’ve been able to snatch …
Are You a Victim of Financial Self-Sabotage?
One of the biggest blocks to success is a client’s financial self-sabotage. As coaches, we’ve seen this happen. Financial self-sabotage slows if not stops the progress toward financial goals. Self-sabotage includes keeping secrets from your financial coach, your spouse, and even yourself. CONSIDER…. I have a fitness coach whom I hired to get me in shape. I do all the …
Five Financially Savvy Things to Do in Your 20’s
There have been many financially stupid things I did in my 20’s: emptied my retirement account, bought a heating alarm system on credit, bought furniture on credit (both entailed paying WAY TOO MUCH over time for those things). If I could go back in time and talk to my 20-something self, those are some of the things I’d tell me …