Money Freedom Fridays - What Would You Do?

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What Would You Do?

What would you do if you had no debt?

Seriously.... think about it.

• Save for a 3-6 month emergency fund?
• Save more for retirement?
• Save for college education for you kids?
• Give more?
• How about saving for a new car? Or a vacation? Maybe save for an RV and hit the road?
• What about those house renovations you've been wanting to do? 

Whatever it is that you would do if you had no debt, you would have a sense of freedom knowing you are no longer paying your creditors but now you are paying yourself.

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

Contact Michelle Serna by filling out the Contact Me form.

Money Wellness Wednesday - Creditor's Don't Care

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Creditor's Don't Care

The beginning of your creditor relationship is all smiles and promises. They are like, "Don't worry about it. Buy it now and pay for it later." And we think, "Well they must think I can pay for this later if they are offering me credit. And if I can just rearrange a few things, I can pay these low monthly payments."

But life happens. Things change. The best of intentions are left by the side of the road. The bills pile up. Interest accrues. And maybe, you get behind. Maybe you just can't pay right now because of a loss of income.

At the end of the day, while you may be able to work out something with the creditor, ultimately, they don't care about your situation. They just want your money.

We can stop the process before it begins. Let's be intentional today and skip the credit. If you don't absolutely need it (see my previous blog on the "4 Walls") then don't buy it. Save up for it. Then there will be no broken promises or intentions. And if something really crazy happens, you are not obligated to any creditor because you didn't borrow.

If you find yourself in a situation from a credit decision in the past, I can help.

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

Contact Michelle Serna by filling out the Contact Me form.

Money & Marriage Mondays - Saving For a Down Payment

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Saving For a Down Payment

Are you tired of paying rent and having nothing to show for it? Are you ready to buy a house? Do you have enough saved up for a down payment? How much do you need to save? How long will it take? 

These questions and so much more are answered in this Ramsey Solutions blog: 

https://www.daveramsey.com/blog/save-down-payment-while-renting

When you write down and track your goals, it really motivates you to continue as you see the progress you're making. It may not be quick and easy, but if you are persistent and focused, you are going to win big time!

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

Contact Michelle Serna by filling out the Contact Me form.

Money Freedom Fridays - Remain Content

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Be Content

I like what Dave Ramsey says about moving toward your goals:

"Pushing toward your goals while remaining content with what you have right now is not easy, but it's SO important. It’s a spiritual and emotional decision.

Remember, the goal isn't to make progress with your money so that you can just go buy more stuff. It's about the freedom that achieving financial peace brings to your life. Once you can overcome debt and money stress, you'll free your life up to start focusing on things that REALLY matter like being generous and helping others." 

You might not be there yet, but enjoy the journey knowing you have hope to achieve your money goals. Don't let the journey stress you out. Be content in your decision and don't worry about not having the "stuff" you think you want. Once you reach your goals, the things you thought you wanted may not seem so important.

If you need help with your money goals and debt-free journey, I can help.

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

Contact Michelle Serna by filling out the Contact Me form.

Money Wellness Wednesday - 4 Walls

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4 Walls

In order to get started with a healthy budget, Chris Hogan has this advice regarding the 4 Walls:

"By maintaining the 4 Walls, you stabilize your situation so you can begin to find margin in your budget. These are your basic necessities:

Food

Utilities

Shelter

Transportation

Take care of the 4 Walls before you budget anything else."

I hear a lot of reasons why budgets don't work or why debt cannot be paid off. But often the problem is, we are trying to keep a lot of the expenses that are not really the basic necessities. We just want to keep having them, like a gardener to mow the lawn, or cable tv.

But, if you want to get financially healthy, if you are tired of running out of money before month, if you are tired of paying credit cards and not making a dent in the balance, you will start to take a hard look at where your money is going and "stabilize the situation" by starting with the 4 walls first.

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

Contact Michelle Serna by filling out the Contact Me form

Money & Marriage Mondays - Celebrate Smart

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Celebrate Smart

Birthdays, anniversaries, holidays... these can be potential budget busters. How do you prevent this?

Here are a couple ideas:

• Start planning early. Make a budget. Save for the day. Stick to the budget.
• Go out to coffee or breakfast instead of dinner. Or take advantage of early bird specials. Or, if you like to cook, make something extra special at home. Do it together for more time together. Take pictures while cooking.
• Make of list of everything you like about the one you are celebrating. If you like to make videos, video yourself telling them out loud. Gather up several videos or lists from other loved ones too to make it extra special.
• Scavenger hunts or board games can be fun. I like the ones where you act out things or describe things without saying what it is. It's sure to bring a lot of laughter and great memories. Don't forget to take pictures.
• Look for coupons for food or activities. Go to a special outdoor location and take pictures together. Explore areas nearby you have never been to.

There are so many possibilities. Once you start writing them down, you will come with even more ideas. What are some of the ideas you came up with? Send in your comments so others can see.

The goal is to express our love and appreciation for others and to celebrate special days together. They don't have break the bank or bust the budget. Document your special days in an album. The memories will far outlast anything you could have bought.

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

Contact Michelle Serna by filling out the Contact Me form.

Money Freedom Fridays - More Debt

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More Debt

If you want to get out of debt, stop taking on more debt. 

That seems pretty straight forward, but it's surprising how easy it is to take on more debt. Take a look at your most recent credit card statement. Are you accruing more interest than your minimum payment? Time to amp up your payments so you can stop taking on more debt without even realizing it. 

Are you still using your credit card? Time to start paying "cash". Don't buy it if you can't pay cash. Go to the next level and consider not buying it if you still have debt outside of a mortgage. Make the tough choice and wait if you are tired of being in debt and not being able to save or give like you want to.

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

Contact Michelle Serna by filling out the Contact Me form.