The 1-2-3 Challenge: July 2021

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, …

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 …

Are you financially proactive?

Steven Covey, in his best seller 7 Habits of Highly Effective People writes that the in order to be effective, you must “Be Proactive.”     Don’t blame others for your behavior.  Instead, focus your time and energy on things you can control. PREPARE(proactive) VS RESPOND(reactive) In counseling, the proactive coping approach denotes behaviors in which one will prepare for an event …