Money & Marriage Monday - Why Talk About Money?

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Why Talk About Money?

I love this article from Dave Ramsey. And my favorite part is: "... [it] doesn't mean you'll never have hard conversations..." 

Money can be difficult to talk about and work through, but it is critical to a healthy marriage. Money problems don't go away and are the second leading cause of divorce.

"Getting on the same page now doesn’t mean you’ll never have hard conversations in the future—but it will help you avoid fighting about money because you’ll be going in the same direction. Talking about money helps you lay the groundwork for a healthy marriage that stands the test of time.

Remember, when you get married, you become a we. It's a big shift. And talking about money forces the two of you to discuss really important issues-like goals, dreams, how you want to retire, and what legacy you hope to leave. 

These conversations build a shared vision in your marriage-which makes you more financial secure and stronger in your relationship." 

Get the conversation started today.

You can master your money... and I can help!  

Contact Michelle Serna by filling out the Contact Me form.

 

Money Freedom Friday - It's Time To Make a Change

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It's Time To Make a Change

Do you work hard? Are you tired of working and working and working and still feeling broke? You work too hard to be broke. It's time to make a change. As Dave Ramsey says:

"Don't borrow another dollar. Your future is too valuable to continue to give it away to monthly payments. Make a decision to turn things around. It's not going to be easy, but it's worth it. You CAN do it."

What do you need to change? Do you have a monthly budget? Do you know where ALL your money is going? Start tracking it. You might be surprised to see where it is going. Once you identified where all your money is going each week, you can see where you could cut back and begin paying down debt faster.

Most importantly, the best way to pay off debt is to stop entering into debt. It's very tempting. A new car with seemingly "easy payments". A home renovation project. After all, you "deserve it." The easiest debt to get into is credit card debt.  It's sneaky. "Oh, it's just a few dollars on the credit card." But it adds up. Stop using the credit card. 

It's TIME to make a change. 

You can master your money... and I can help!  

Contact Michelle Serna by filling out the Contact Me form.

Money Wellness Wednesday - Post-Pandemic Spending

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Post-Pandemic Spending

This is real. We have been under so many restrictions and have had to sacrifice so many things that it feels like we need a reward, we deserve to do something for ourselves. But think carefully about what you decide to reward yourself and your family with. You don't want to blow your budget or your financial goals. Make a plan and see how spending on the things you want will impact your financial goals. Will there be a significant delay in reaching your goals? Is it worth it?  This way, whatever you decide, you will go in with eyes open and not out of emotion or impulse.

Per Dave Ramsey's website, here are some common areas we want to "splurge" on:

• Expensive meals
• Salon treatments
• Home repairs or remodels
• Traveling
• Cars
• Clothing
• Furniture

If you already gave in to these temptations, it's ok. Just re-map your goals and start fresh.  We fall but we just get back up again. 

You can master your money... and I can help!  

Contact Michelle Serna by filling out the Contact Me form.

Money Wellness Wednesday - Save Money... Cook at Home

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Save Money... Cook at Home 

We can spend a lot of money going out. But, although it may be convenient, it can be way more expensive that cooking at home. For example, we once went to a restaurant and someone ordered a side salad to go with the pizza everyone was sharing. The salad came in a tiny bowl with some lettuce, a little bit of cucumber and a couple grape tomatoes. They charged $6.00. I make salad a lot and I know how much lettuce cucumber and tomato cost. I estimate it would be about 20 cents, if that, to make this particular salad at home. 

Here are some tips to make cooking at home a little easier and to reduce the temptation of going out to eat.

1) Stock your shelves with the staples of many meals such as flour, rice, beans, chicken stock, tomato paste, oil, spices, etc. Then you will have them on hand when you are preparing your meals at home.

2)  Make a  menu for meals you plan to make in the next week or so and list out the ingredients that you need that may not be on your staples list or might be perishables, like veggies. Stick to the list so you won't have to throw out unused items.

3) If something you use a lot is on a really big sale and is not perishable or you can freeze it, like hamburger meat, consider stocking up on it for future meals.

4) Make extra on your day off. Then you can have leftovers for dinner or lunch throughout the week.

These are just a few tips to help you reduce your money outgo so you can reach your money goals faster. What are some of your tips?

You can master your money... and I can help!  

Contact Michelle Serna by filling out the Contact Me form.

Money Wellness Wednesday - Summer Savings

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Summer Savings

Now that there are fewer restrictions due to the pandemic, we are just itching to go where we haven't been able to go for quite some time. It's also almost summer and the weather is warm and inviting.

But, be careful. The normal summer spots have many opportunities to blow your budget. But you can still have fun without over-spending and staying on track with your budget.

Here are a couple savings tips:

• Skip the amusement parks and go to a National or State Park instead! Don't lose that extra family time you enjoyed while under restriction. As a bonus, you will get some fresh air and exercise. 
• Have a garage sale. You probably noticed several things in your home or garage that you don't use anymore. Sell that stuff and earn some extra cash to pay off debt.
• Going back to work in the office? Save hundreds monthly and pack your lunch.
• Put a pause on gym memberships and exercise in your home or outside. The nice thing about the prior restrictions, people got really creative and made free classes available on you tube. And it's always been free to run around the block or at the park. 

There are many other ideas on how to save money. What are some of your ideas?

You can master your money... and I can help!  

Contact Michelle Serna by filling out the Contact Me form.