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Is This A Good Time to Buy a House?

Thank you for sharing! 755 shares Share Tweet Pin LinkedIn Reddit Email Print Mix One of the best things to come out of hosting a daily LIVE Q&A for all of you on Instagram is the insights I get into your most pressing questions. And right now, lots of you want to know is this…

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What Happens During a Recession

The last recession began more than 12 years ago. So for many young families, you may have never experienced an economic downturn as an adult. And to be clear, we haven’t officially been declared in a recession… yet. But as recessions are typically well underway before being declared, and given current leading economic indicators, I…

What Does the Average Family Budget Look Like?

When it comes to an example of a family budget, there is no one size fits all answer. I frequently get asked “What are the average monthly expenses for a family of 4?” or “What does the average family spend on groceries every month?” And that is the data I went searching to find and…

10 Best Things to Buy At Costco

When it comes to saving money on groceries, I swear by two things: meal planning and Costco! For families, you can save tremendously on your grocery budget by buying right and buying in bulk… and there’s no better place to do it than Costco. Just before the holidays, I asked my Instagram followers what are…

S2-20: Market Free Fall, April Inflation & Deep Dive on Why is Childcare So Expensive

Last week, we saw the 6th consecutive week of down markets, with both the S&P 500 and NASDAQ hitting new lows, as investors continue to digest the latest Fed rate hike and last week’s April inflation numbers. Catch it all on this week’s podcast, along with a deep dive on the childcare dilemma featuring three…

S2-19: Bear Market, Q1 GDP Miss & A Deep Dive on Cryptocurrency and NFTs

Last week, we saw the 4th consecutive week of down markets, with April performance coming in as the worst month since March 2020 for the S&P 500, and the worst month for the NASDAQ since 2008. The week also included an expected decline in real GDP for Q1 2022, adding credibility to investors’ recession concerns.…

S2-18: Market Correcting, Housing Update & A Deep Dive on US Agriculture and Rising Food Prices

On this week’s episode of Finance Explained, the market had its third consecutive down week this month and is now in correction mode and headed for bear market territory. I’ve got the latest on the housing market through March, as the spring selling season starts to pick up. And this week’s deep dive features a…

Family Finance 101

Why Are Gas Prices Going Up Because of Russia

We all watched in horror last week as Russia invaded Ukraine, completely unprovoked. We have also watched oil and gas prices escalate in recent months as the likelihood of this conflict escalated. President Biden, in announcing the initial sanctions against Russia, also indicated “defending freedom will have costs for us as well and here at…

5 Key Challenges to Watch Driving the 2022 Financial Outlook

If any of us had an actual crystal ball to give us the 2022 financial outlook, we’d be billionaires… but the reality is there are a lot of unique, atypical, and historically unprecedented economic and financial data points right now. So, what can we expect economically and financially in 2022? There are 5 key challenges…

Awesome Finance Books Every Woman Should Read

The most successful people in the world all have one thing in common: they never stop reading. Having previously shared what I consider the best books about finance, many of you expressed interest in reading and discussing them together, as well as having regular recommendations on finance books to read. And so last year, the…

Busy Moms Budgeting Tips

How to Keep Money Problems Out of Your Marriage

Money problems and marriage don’t have to go hand in hand. Learn how this simple solution can keep money problems out of your marriage for good. How many of you struggle with money problems in your marriage? I have a secret for you… you are not alone. Very few marriages are free of money problems.…

10 Different Ways 2020 Hurt the Average Family Budget

One of the most popular posts here on Family Finance Mom is the example of a family budget, based on the 2018 Consumer Expenditure data released annually by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. This month, the BLS released the data for 2020, giving us a detailed look at just how 2020 – with the pandemic,…

How to Calculate How Much House I Can Actually Afford

First time homebuyers, and even experienced homebuyers who may be buying in a new area or buying into a higher price point, often ask me how much house they can really afford or how much of their income their mortgage should be. The key to answering these questions is understanding that the total cost of…

Save More Money

Once your budget is under control, the next most common question I get is 'How much should I save for retirement?' If you can answer when you want to retire, and how much you plan to spend each year, you can use the FREE downloadable Retirement Calculator to tell you how much you need to save in total, and each year until you retire to get there. #retirement #personalfinance #retirementplanning #financialplanning

How Much Money Should I Save for Retirement

Once your budget is under control, the next most common question I get is “How much should I save for retirement?” Our retirement plan is likely to look a lot different than it did for our grandparents, and even our parents… and most of us aren’t saving nearly enough!

Where Should You Keep An Emergency Fund?

The first major step on the Family Finance Road Map to free yourself from credit cards and adding to your debt is to build an Emergency Fund. But where to keep that emergency fund is this week’s follower Ask Me Anything topic. Every day, I get lots of great questions from followers across social media,…

How to Shop at Aldi

Learn the ins and outs of how to shop at ALDI, the international discount grocery chain, to save money on your family’s grocery bill. When it comes to budgeting, many families single biggest struggle is grocery spending. You try to save money by meal planning, you make lists, you try to eat in instead of…

Investing for the Future

Market Update 3-28-2022

Last week, the market rallied for the second week in a row, finishing the week up +1.8%, up +3.9% for March thus far, but still down -4.7% for the year. The big story of the week, however, was a major move in interest rates. Learn just how much interest rates are increasing, what’s driving it,…

Market Update 2-7-2022

It was a calmer week for the markets as a whole (though Facebook shareholders may not agree) AND for economic data, but Q4 earnings season is still in full swing… and drove more than its fair share of excitement in the stock market. Get more details on earnings season, the labor market releases last week,…

Market Update 1-31-2022

It was a BUSY week full of economic data updates, Q4 earnings releases, and even an FOMC statement and press conference. And while the market finally finished a week in 2022 in the black, it was a volatile 5 days. Get more details below for this week’s market update or listen to this week’s episode…

Teaching Kids About Money

How American Student Loans Morphed from a Hand-Up to Hopelessness

The Federal Student Loan program first began in 1965. It was intended to make student loans accessible to all, to make the American Dream – going to college and earning more money – possible for everyone. A Federal American Student Loans program was supposed to be the great economic and opportunity equalizer… but somewhere along…

How To Get Personal Finance Classes in Every High School

There are two things I hear consistently from Family Finance Moms on a daily basis: I wish I had learned this when I was in school. How do I make sure my kids learn what I didn’t about finance? The way to address both of these is simple. Personal finance classes in every high school…

20 High School Seniors Ask: How to Prepare for College Financially

I remember my college search process, the campus visits, and final choice like it was yesterday… my thought process went something likes this: I deserve to go anywhere that accepts me. Cost barely registered in my decision-making – and certainly not because my parents could afford it. My mom just kept telling me “we would…

Save Money with Meal Planning

Lazy Mom’s Quick and Easy Shepherd’s Pie

One of my favorite, go-to meal plan ideas for Fall and Winter is Shepherd’s Pie… but seriously, who has time to cook the filling, make mashed potatoes, put it all together, and then, bake it all over again??? Here’s how I make all the same flavors happen in 30 minutes or less for a quick…

10 Best Things to Buy At Costco

How to Save Money At the Grocery Store

When it comes to budgeting, many families struggle with sticking to their food budget every month. There are lots of ways to lower your monthly grocery spend: you can save money on groceries by meal planning, eating in instead of eating out, but you can also learn how to save money at the grocery store…

Chaos is Costly: Family Organization

Budgeting Your Time to Maximize Your Mom Schedule

If you’re a busy mom who feels like your days are passing in a blur, while your to-do list grows faster than you can ever seem to keep up with, this one’s for you. While it may seem as a stay at home mom in particular, you should have all the time in the world,…

How to Protect Your Children: 10 Things to Know About Will vs Estate Planning

No one likes to think about their own mortality. However, once you have children who depend on you, it becomes essential. If something happens to you, what will happen to them? How do you make sure they are protected and financially provided for? I was recently asked about wills during a weekly Ask Me Anything…

The Ultimate Guide to Finance for Baby’s First Year

Congratulations, your precious baby is finally here. Now the real fun begins! While you may have purchased everything on your baby registry list, there are many family legal and financial tasks you cannot actually begin until your baby arrives, and some come with significant time sensitivity. So even if you’ve been preparing for a baby financially…

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