Do people still make baby registries? Today's post isn't one that most of you will use right away, as it only directly applies to those of you who have a baby in your near future. If that doesn't describe you now, you can pin it for later or pass it onto a friend or daughter who is expecting. Is a Baby Registry Worth It? Gift registries are becoming more and more popular. The idea of making a list of the gifts you would like to receive used to sound childish and tacky, but now it's seen ... read more
Debt Smash-athon AUGUST Progress Report
What a great debt smashing month! So many of our Debt Smashers hit major milestones in August! I get so excited when each of you pays off a loan or a credit card. I'm totally cheering you on the whole way, so when you announce that you're debt-free I'm over here doing cartwheels! Okay, not actually, but only because I think that's discouraged during the third trimester. I was also excited to hear from those of you who are staying strong through adversity by keeping your eyes fixed on your ... read more
How to Get Your Spouse On Board with Paying off Debt
Are you ready to tackle your mountain of debt but can't get your spouse on board? If you're having a hard time getting your husband or wife motivated to start paying off debt, keep reading for tried and true methods from couples who have been in your shoes. Mike and I are transparent in sharing all of our finances with the world, but we are just one couple doing what works for us. There may be other solutions that will work better for your situation. We're all so different! Hooray for ... read more
Real Family Budget Update– August 2019
Every month we share a budget update where we go through our income, spending, saving, and goals. Having this accountability helps keep us on track. Hopefully it helps you to see a real example of how one regular family manages their money. Of course your budget won't look like ours and that is perfectly fine. Your budget shouldn't look like ours! A budget is personal, so it should reflect your own priorities, needs, and goals. You tell your money what you want it to do. We budget ... read more
Two Reasons Blue Apron Could be Worth the Cost
If you've seen our food budget, you know that a meal delivery service like Blue Apron wouldn't fit in our normal grocery budget. And that's just fine! Spoiler: It goes somewhere else in our budget. We love Blue Apron and it can be worth it sometimes-- even for frugal folks like us-- for two reasons. If you aren't familiar with Blue Apron, I'll give you a quick overview of the service, then explain my two big reasons it could be worth the cost. What is Blue Apron Blue Apron is a meal ... read more
5 Money-Saving Tips for Back-to-School Clothes Shopping at the Thrift Store
We do back-to-school clothes shopping a little different than most people. Instead of hitting up Target or our favorite department store, we go to the thrift store. And we don't even pay full price at the thrift store! I want to show you what we get (and don't get) at the thrift store to maximize our back-to-school budget. This year we spent $25 on each of our kids who are in school. That money stretched big time at the thrift store and I'm going to tell you how we did it! Here are my ... read more
Monthly Grocery Shopping – August 2019
After years of questions about how we feed out family on such a small grocery budget, I started sharing our family's monthly grocery hauls. I do my grocery shopping a little different than a lot of people. I don't shop from a menu. I generally don't shop from sales flyers. I don't shop frequently. I just shop for ingredients that we're lacking. That means I don't buy everything every month. Also, while this is our main monthly grocery shopping trip, I will make a few smaller trips ... read more
Debt Smash-athon JULY Progress Report
Way to stay strong in smashing your debt and reaching your financial goals, friends! I love seing each of your names and reading of your progress each month. You're doing great things! You're making a difference in your financial future and that of your family! These are accomplishments worth celebrating! That is what the Debt Smash-athon is all about! For those who are new here, in 2019 we're having a Debt Smash-athon! Everyone is invited to participate by reporting how much you ... read more
Real Family Budget Update– July 2019
Many of us never had any real teaching about budgeting or personal finance. We were just thrown into the world of adulting and expected to figure it out. Keeping money a taboo topic doesn't really help anyone (unless you're a credit card company, student loan servicer, or payday loan shark). Six years ago our family decided to break the silence and start transparently sharing our real family budget each month.. The change in our finances over the years, from our first budget reports to ... read more
How We Stopped Living Paycheck to Paycheck by Getting a Month Ahead
The single most important change we made to our finances when we set out to pay off six figures of student loan debt was to get a month ahead in our budget. We knew that living on last month's income would help us, but we had no idea that it would be completely revolutionary. Getting a month ahead allowed us to be laser focused on our goals and brought us immeasurable peace in our financial journey. Even now that we're debt-free (besides the mortgage), I can't imagine budgeting any other ... read more
- 1
- 2
- 3
- …
- 54
- Next Page »
