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5 Factors Driving Higher Inflation & What You Should Do to Prepare
For the last month or so, as the stock market rally has faltered, and longer-term interest rates have increased by more than 50% since the start of the year, the concerns and whispers from the market over higher inflation have grown louder and louder. So what exactly is inflation? Why are people suddenly more worried…
Read More8+ Indicators to Watch for When Will The Economy Recover
Before the recession was even officially proclaimed, top of everyone’s mind was when will the economy recover. And now that it has officially been declared to have begun in March 2020, we are even more focused on the recovery. While our state governors, President Trump and now President-Elect Biden put together committees to work on…
Read MoreAwesome 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…
Read MoreHow 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…
Read MoreYour Top 10 Income Tax Questions and Answers
This time of year, most families’ biggest financial concern is filing income taxes. In 2018, a brand new tax bill took effect and brought in sweeping changes to many family’s personal income taxes and lots of questions with it. A year later, I’m still getting lots of inquiries about it, so this week, I’ve put…
Read MoreYour Average Family Budget Breakdown FAQs
When I first published the example of a family budget based on the Consumer Expenditure Survey data, I knew there would be questions, requests to dig into various parts of the data more, and the need for clarifications. Here are the questions I’ve been asked most often about the average family budget breakdown, and the…
Read MoreSavvy Shopping with Groupon Coupons
This post has been compensated by Groupon Coupons. All opinions remain 100% my own. Financial savvy is not only about saving money. It’s also about spending money wisely. This month’s Financially Savvy Friday topic is Savvy Shopping. To kick off the topic for the month, I’m going to give you the inside scoop on Groupon Coupons to save…
Read MoreCutting the Cost of Cable
Last month, you made your budget, and (gasp) realized how much you actually spend! You might be thinking, I pay HOW MUCH for that?!? I know the first time I went through the exercise one line item that jumped off the spreadsheet for me was cable. I remembered signing up for the ‘Triple Play’ to save all this money,…
Read More6 Holiday Gift Giving Ideas for Big Holiday Savings
We can’t play Santa to everyone during the holidays. While our shopping list might seem as long as his, we don’t have unlimited funds, an army of elves, and a workshop in the North Pole cranking gifts out all year. From extended family and friends, to teachers, neighbors and co-workers, the list to buy for seems…
Read MoreWeekly Market News 3-08-2021
Last week, the market was down more than 1% through Thursday, before rallying on Friday on at least strong headline numbers from the February Employment Report to end the week up 0.8%. Bond yields continued to rise, and mortgage rates crossed 3%, their highest level since last summer. The Senate also passed the $1.9 trillion…
Read MoreMarket Weekly Recap 3-01-2021
Last week, the stock market sold off for the second week in a row, as rapidly rising interest rates create headwinds and continue to drive inflation concerns. Mortgage rates saw their largest one-week increase in nearly a year, and we got an update on the new housing market, labor market, as well as consumer spending…
Read MoreWeekly Market Report 2-22-2021
Last week, the stock market sold off from its prior week highs, as interest rates continued to rise and inflation concerns continued. Mortgage rates started to rise, and we got an update on the housing market and labor market. Congress also held hearings on GameStop, and the House put forward its language for the $1.9…
Read More20 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…
Read MoreMy 10 Favorite Money Books for Kids
After sharing my 20+ Favorite Finance Books for YOU… I got lots of requests to share a similar list of money books for kids. So I teamed up with my friend Lauren at Happily Ever Elephants to share just that! As the child of a kindergarten teacher, I grew up in a house full of…
Read More4 Simple Money Lessons All Kids Should Know
This is a sponsored post on behalf of BusyKid.com. As always, opinions remain 100% my own. Read on to learn how these basic money lessons are the perfect introduction to finance for kids at any age, and how the BusyKid app can help you successfully implement them all! Birthdays. Christmas. Back to School. Weekly errands.…
Read MoreLazy 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…
Read More10 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…
Read MoreHow 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…
Read MoreBudgeting 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,…
Read MoreHow 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…
Read MoreThe 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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