Common Personal Budget Categories & Percentages
melaniedj • 13 June 2019
If you've ever wondered if what you're budgeting for certain categories is too much or too little, today I'd like to share recommended personal budget categories and budget percentages as a reference point for your monthly budget.
It’s hard to make progress towards financial goals when your budget is out of balance, meaning one or a few budget categories are eating up most of it.
While no two budgets will look the same, it can be helpful to reference general guidelines for monthly expenses to see how your budget compares.
Additionally, it’s a good idea to periodically review what percentage of your income is going to your different expense categories.
If you don’t know what you’re spending, or you have never set up a budget before, it’s a great time to start!
Think of your monthly budget as your personal finance roadmap to success. The word budgeting can bring feelings of overwhelm and dread for many people—but a budget gives freedom!
The freedom comes in prioritizing your expenses and then spending without guilt, knowing you have a plan in place. You’re not simply spending and figuring it out later. You’re proactively planning, and consequently, reaping the benefits of knowing you can spend without guilt!
Related Content:
Free Monthly Budget Template
The first step, before organizing monthly expenses into budget categories, is to choose a monthly budget template.
Once you have a monthly budget, you can use the recommended budget percentages below to gauge how you're doing with each budget category.
There are many different ways to budget, but the best way is to have a zero-based budget. This means that every single dollar of income is planned before the month / pay period begins.
No matter what your preferred budgeting method, I have a free template for you:
· Download my finance planner bundle
· Download my PDF monthly budget templates
· Get my google sheets budget spreadsheet
All you need to get started is a budget template or a blank piece of paper and a pencil or spreadsheet.
Let’s dive into the details!
Types of Expenses to put in your Personal Budget
A budget category typically has more than one expense, and each expense can be categorized as either a fixed expense or a variable expense. Moreover, each fixed or variable expense can be categorized as a discretionary and/or non-monthly expense.
Fixed Expenses
Fixed expenses do not change month to month and are typically due on the same day every month. You know exactly how much the expense will be and when it needs to be paid. Because of this, they are easy to budget for. Examples: rent/mortgage payment, utilities, monthly insurance premiums, etc.
Variable Expenses
Variable expenses do change month to month, though you may know when the expense is due. Because of the variable nature, an estimate is required for these expenses. I prefer to use a high average for these expenses. Examples: groceries, clothing, entertainment, travel, transportation, repairs & maintenance, gifts, etc.
Discretionary Expenses
Variable expenses are typically discretionary in nature and refers to” wants” rather than “needs.” Discretionary spending should be put into the budget last, to ensure all needs/essentials are prioritized.
Non-Monthly Expenses
To capture your true expenses, it’s important to budget for irregular expenses. Many people find themselves frustrated with budgeting because they fail to budget for non-monthly expenses. As a result, when an irregular expense arises during the month, it throws off the budget and they are scrambling to find a way to cash-flow it.
We’ve all had it—the car that needs new tires, the water heater that goes out, the school supplies we forgot about—these unexpected expenses are easier to swallow when we plan for them and have money set aside for them.
I recommend setting up sinking funds for these expenses, which you can read about in depth here.
Recommended Budget Percentages by Category
As we get into the details, keep in mind that this list of categories is a loose guide, not a prescription. Your personal budget may look different depending on various factors—how many kids you have, your monthly income, where you live, whether you’re a one
The Mechanics
Think of each monthly budget category as a file/folder, and each budget as the papers inside that folder.
How many different categories you have will depend on many different variables. It may be a matter of personality; some are more detailed than others.
When creating a household budget, start with the essential budget categories and continue in order of importance of each category.
Basic needs should be a high priority—food, utilities, housing, and transportation should be at the top of the budget.
The following budget categories will be organized differently from one person to the next but can and should be used as general budget categories!
Giving / Tithing (10%)
Three principles of any solid financial plan are saving, investing, and giving.
Saving and spending are easy to remember- many times we forget the give part.
As Christians, we tithe to our local church. Giving softens our hearts and frees us from dependence on money, allowing us to see God as our ultimate provider.
Related Posts:
Saving & Investing (10-15%)
Dave Ramsey has long recommended investing at least 15% of your gross income every single month after you have your emergency fund fully funded.
In addition, the savings category can include any future expenses you need to save up for—a new vehicle, a baby on the way, a down-payment for a home, and so on and so forth.
Emergency Fund
If you don't have an emergency fund, start by setting aside at least 10-15% every month until that is fully funded (6-12 months of expenses). How much money you set aside will depend on many factors. On one hand, if you have irregular income, saving 12 months of expenses is likely sufficient. On the other hand, if you have a predictable, stable income, six months of expenses may be sufficient.
Keep this fund in a separate bank account, such as a high-yield savings account.
Investing
Once your emergency fund is fully funded, make a goal to set aside 10-15% of your gross (before-tax) income into a tax-advantaged retirement account. This 10-15% does not include any employer matching option, rather, it is solely your contributions.
If your employer offers a retirement plan and a matching option, you should take advantage of this option. Depending on the variety of funds available through your workplace 401(k), you may want to open an individual retirement account (IRA) as well.
To make this a habit, consider setting up an automatic deduction from your paycheck or automatic ACH transfer into your retirement account on a regular basis.
Related Posts:
Food / Groceries (10-15%)
Aim to keep your monthly food budget at or under 10-15% of your income. No matter where you live, you’re likely experiencing and feeling the rapidly rising cost of groceries.
According to research, on average, Americans spend 11% of disposable income on groceries, the highest in over three decades.
It’s important you do not estimate this number if you are not on a budget, because typically your best guess is way off. All the trips to the store add up really fast.
I’ve used a meal planning service called $5 Meal Plan to help me stick to my grocery budget—it was especially helpful when I had just started meal planning and had lots of littles at home (meaning not much time to plan). I had a meal plan made for me and the recipes and my shopping list sent right to my inbox every week.
Time is money when you’re a young stay-at-home mom to lots of littles, and it was worth the $5 per month for our family! Plus, the money we saved by having a plan for meals was far more than $5 monthly!
See the resources listed below for more information on how I save thousands every year on groceries!
Related Content:
Utilities (5-10%)
Utilities includes expenses such as trash, electricity, water, internet and cable.
This is relatively straightforward, but if any of the expenses in this category are busting your budget (like cable TV), then find a way to make these expenses as low as possible.
Housing (15-25%)
Housing expenses include rent or mortgage payment + property taxes, insurance, repairs, and any HOA fees or other dues/fees.
With the current real estate market, housing can be a hole that sinks your family’s income. It’s important to safeguard against being house-poor.
A good rule of thumb to follow is your mortgage (or rent) and other housing costs should not be more than 25% of your total take-home pay.
If you don't stick to this rule, you are at high risk of being house poor. Initially it might work out, but as your family (and expenses) grow, inflation rises and everyday items become more expensive, property taxes go up, you’ll likely start to feel the weight of high housing costs eating away at your income.
When you're first married and have double income no kids, it might be easy to make a mortgage payment that is 30-40% of your total take-home pay.
However, most people don't stay in the double income no kids situation.
Add in a couple kids, a stressed mom who decides to go part-time, sports and school activities, medical emergencies, and suddenly that mortgage payment starts to sink your ship, leaving no room to save or invest.
Related:
Transportation (10%)
Transportation costs include gas, car repairs, parking fees, registration, public transportation, dues, tolls, etc.
On a monthly basis, this budget category should include the above expenses. A sinking fund should also be set up for car repairs and maintenance. This way, those irregular expenses (oil changes, new tires, new brakes, etc.) don’t’ sneak up on you, and you have the cash ready to go when these repairs and maintenance are necessary.
Health (5-10%)
The health budget category includes prescriptions, doctor visits, dentist visits, medical bills, and any other related health care costs.
Spending on health will obviously fluctuate month to month, so I'd once again recommend setting up a sinking fund for unforeseen medical expenses.
A really short definition of a sinking fund is just a budget category that rolls over every month (the balance rolls over).
So if you start budgeting $100 a month for medical needs and you don't have any medical expenses this month, you'd carry that amount over to the next month and keep adding to it every month.
If you have a high-deductible medical plan, the best way to save for medical expenses is by opening a health savings account (HSA) and making tax-free contributions to it! Ask your employer for more information, if applicable.
Personal Spending (5-10%)
Be sure to have a fun money or personal expenses budget category, to allot for the extras in life! It's essential that you allow yourself some splurge money (even if you're getting out of debt). This way, you aren’t tempted to binge outside the budget.
When you’re on a tight budget, like when you’re paying off debt, this might only be $20-$50 per month. As your income grows and you become debt-free, this category may have more wiggle room.
Personal spending cash is for things like coffee, personal care, fast food, or even larger extra expenses.
This budget category will revolutionize your spending habits. Now, you’re planning for impulsive purchases, rather than haphazardly spending without knowing whether you can afford it!
Insurance (10-25%)
It is recommended that total insurance costs (even the ones in other categories) should fall below 25% of your income.
For example, although homeowners’ insurance would technically go under housing, include it in the calculation of total insurance costs in the budget.
Below is a non-exhaustive list of insurance costs:
· Health insurance
· Auto insurance
· Homeowners insurance
· Renters insurance
· Life insurance
· Disability insurance
· Long-term care insurance
Proper insurance coverage is necessary for financial stability. Thus, your insurance costs will likely rise as your family grows and situations change.
As you are blessed with more children, you’ll need more life insurance coverage and better health insurance coverage.
It’s a good idea to have an insurance “check-in” every time a major life event occurs/circumstances change to ensure coverage is sufficient.
Recreation (5-10%)
Similar to your personal spending or fun money, the recreation category is for dining out, date night, or any other family activities you want to do.
Maybe you are planning on going to a concert, fair, or to the water park with your kids. Or you'd like to get in shape and purchase a gym membership.
These are the kind of expenses that should be posted against the recreation category.
Miscellaneous (5-10%)
The miscellaneous category is for things that pop up during the month that are not an emergency. Consider this the “catch-all” fund.
It's nearly impossible to have a zero based budget and plan for everything unless you have a miscellaneous category.
Use the miscellaneous fund for expenses like a birthday party you forgot about, the family that came to visit, etc.
Debt (5-10%)
It’s hard to reach financial goals when debt is eating your income every month. If you have any form of consumer debt—student loans, credit card debt, personal loans, car loans— make a debt repayment plan. The debt snowball method, made famous by Dave Ramsey, is a simple and effective way to pay off debt quickly.
While a car payment is the “norm” today, that doesn’t mean it has to be. A car payment is a huge financial burden for many families! Imagine how much extra money would be freed up in the budget if you didn’t have a car payment?
On the same note, if you find that you’re using credit cards to fill the gap between income and expenses at the end of the month, then you’re living in a budget deficit. While it seems drastic, cutting up your credit cards might be just the prescription you need. Forcing yourself to live on cash (at least temporarily) will change your money behaviors drastically!
More debt payoff tips:
- Free Debt-Free Coloring Pages
- How to Attack Debt with Intensity
- The Truth About Debt (That No One Tells You)
- How to Attack Your Student Loan Debt in College
- Have Fun While Paying Off Debt: Best Tips
- 10 Mistakes to Avoid if you Want to Get Out of Debt Fast
- How We Paid Off Over $20k of Student Loan Debt in 12 Months
Sample List of Budget Categories
Your budget is a snapshot of your priorities. This is the benefit of budgeting—you determine what your priorities are and create a budget based on those priorities. It doesn’t matter how much money have—a budget works for every financial situation.
In the list of budget categories below, some expenses are listed under multiple categories. The reason being it is a matter of personal preference how expenses are categorized.
For example, I prefer to have a separate budget category titled “kid’s expenses” that includes diapers/wipes, their extracurricular activities, etc. I’m a detailed budgeter, I prefer to have more categories as opposed to broad categories that include many different expenses.
Saving & Investing
- Emergency fund
- Retirement contributions
- Vehicle replacement
- Baby fund (birth expenses, supplies, maternity leave, etc.)
- Home down-payment
- Major home renovations
Giving
- Tithing
- Donations
- Random giving
Food / Groceries
- Groceries
- Membership fees (Costco, Sam's, etc.)
- Restaurants
Utilities
- Electric / gas
- Phone
- Cable
- Trash
- Sewer
- Water
- Internet
Housing
- Mortgage / rent
- Property taxes
- HOA dues
- Repairs & maintenance
- Furniture replacement
- Home renovations
Transportation
- Fuel
- Parking
- Tolls
- Subscriptions (AAA, Sirius XM, etc.)
- License / registration / fees
- Vehicle replacement fund
- Repairs & maintenance
Health & Wellness
- Doctor / functional medicine costs
- Dental care
- Eye care
- Chiropractic care
- Physical therapy
- Acupuncture
- Prescriptions
- Vitamins / supplements
Personal
- Toiletries
- Beauty
- Personal spending
- Subscriptions
- Gifts
- Clothing
Insurance
- Health
- Homeowners / renters
- Vehicle
- Life
- Disability
- Long-term care
Recreation / Entertainment
- Entertainment
- Restaurants
- Vacations
- Travel expenses
- Sports
- Hobbies
Subscriptions
- Streaming services
- News / political commentary
- Household supplies
- Music (Apple, Spotify, etc.)
Legal & Planning
- Estate planning & will preparation
- Tax prep & planning fees
- Bookkeeping services
- Lawyer / attorney fees
Misellaneous
- Unplanned expenses
- Pets (dog food, vet are, training, etc.)
Household items (non-grocery expenses)
- Laundry supplies
- Cleaning supplies
- Toiletries
- Home security
- Pet management
- Lawn care
- Office supplies
- Pool supplies
Gifts
- Birthdays
- Weddings
- Anniversaries
- Showers
- Christmas
- Teachers
- Thank - you
- Funerals / memorials
Kids
- Diapers & wipes
- Sippy cups / bottles
- Playdates / field trips
- Babysitter / childcare
- Clothing
- Gifts
- Parties & celebrations
Homeschool / Education
- Supplies / books
- Storage / organization
- Field trips
- Co-op dues / fees
- Private school tuitions
- Registration / application fees
- Extra - curriculars / electives
Pets / small farm expenses
- Food (grain, hay, etc.)
- Medical care
- Bedding
- Equipment
- Repairs & maintenance
Debt Payments
- Car loan
- Student loan
- Credit card debt
- Personal loans
Cash Envelopes
If you have trouble sticking to your budget even after trying it for a few months, using cash envelopes for the tricky categories is the way to go!
The budget categories that can be the hardest to stick to include groceries, personal spending, and dining out.
The envelope system is a tool in your arsenal you can use to stick to your budget.
You don't have to use the envelope system for every budget category, just the categories you tend to overspend on.
To get my free cash envelope template, subscribe to my email list (+ get exclusive tips and tricks from me on budgeting, investing, and turning a profit in your household).
Related Content:
Adjusting the budget
Life changes, your needs change, your circumstances change, and thus your budget will change.
This can be especially difficult for finance nerds like me, who have a hard time adjusting as life gets more expensive.
For instance, if/when you have kids, your budget will look quite a bit different than if you're single or married with no kids, and we should rejoice—what a gift from the hand of the Lord.
Not only should we adjust our budget, but we should trust His provision for us. If we truly believe in His sovereignty, we can trust that when our circumstances are difficult, maybe even seemingly impossible, He will provide for our needs.
Share this post!
These budget notebook ideas will inspire your creativity and help you organize and reach your financial goals! Here's what you need in your budget binder to take control of your personal finances.
Organize your personal finances by utilizing a budget calendar- lay out your paychecks, bills, social events, etc., so you know exactly what you need to budget for in the month ahead!
Whether you have credit card debt, student loans, a car loan, or mortgage debt, use these debt free coloring pages as your debt payoff tracker; keeping you focused and motivated to become debt free!
The ultimate guide to creating a successful family budget. If you're sick of financial stress and feeling squeezed at the end of every month, start budget planning and taking control of your personal finances.
Get my free financial goals worksheet to set and effortlessly track all your savings goals! Financial goals examples including short-term goals and long-term goals to create a well-rounded financial plan that works for you!
Step by step guide to creating a zero based budget worksheet that will help you track your income, fixed and variable expenses, savings goals, and debt tracking on a monthly basis.
Where do high-yield savings accounts fit into the financial plan for the productive Christian household? Are these types of savings accounts a wise investment for leaving an inheritance for our children’s children and stewarding the resources allotted to us? What are the potential risks associated with these accounts, if any? How can these accounts be utilized to meet your family finance goals? Are they only for the wealthy with tons of excess cash?
One of the best money saving strategies is to complete a savings challenge. Try the penny challenge, envelope challenge, 10k savings challenge, or any of the other money challenges outlined in this post to save money quickly!
Step by step tutorial how to make a budget in excel or google sheets. Plus, get my free google sheets budget template that can be exported to excel in just a few clicks! Creating an excel budget will save you time and make budgeting a seamless process.
How much to spend on housing every month is a burning question every homebuyer asks at some point. Here's what you should consider before purchasing a home and how to determine how much you should spend on housing every month in relation to your income.
When it comes to investing, time is the most important factor, as you can see from this example. Even though one invests only $100/month, she still comes out with more than the other two who invested over double what she did, just starting later! Even if you can’t invest much, do what you can 👏 #investing #investingforbeginners #investing101 #personalfinanceforwomen
Sharing our personal #budgeting formula for success! This is what we do every single month when budgeting finances. The KEY is to put financial goals before discretionary spending. The order you budget in is super important! Most people put wants and necessities first, don’t track their spending closely, then tell themselves if they have extra they’ll try and put some money towards financial goals. The only problem is there usually isn’t much extra! #financialliteracy #financialfreedom
If you want to buy a home in today’s real estate market, you’re going to need some home buying tips! You want your first home (or second or third) to be a blessing, not a burden. Many Americans are living paycheck to paycheck, and a home will not be a blessing if you can’t afford to miss a paycheck. With home ownership comes lots of financial responsibility, so you want to have a good grip on your personal finances BEFORE making the purchase!
Some things we did before we bought a home to prepare include:
• Did NOT base how much house we could afford on what the bank said we could. We used a much more conservative max price.
• Created a mock budget with all the added costs of home ownership- home repairs, renovations, property taxes, maintenance, etc.
• Bought the cheapest home in the most expensive neighborhood we could find (it’s all about location, location, location).
• Left lots of margin in the budget for expenses we knew we’d have down the road- like vehicle replacements, children, renovations, me being a stay-at-home mom.
Those are just a few of the things we did to ensure that we had a good grip on our finances before making the purchase. We didn’t want to be overwhelmed and stressed about money all the time because we over-extended ourselves financially with too much mortgage (also called being house-poor).
Fun fact: our monthly rent right before purchasing our home was $500/month. Man do I miss that… but I don’t miss the apartment!
Sharing our 25 budget categories for our family of 5!
Some of these are sinking funds (indicated on slide 2). Our monthly budget is constantly changing and having to be tweaked as our kids get older (and as we’ve added more to our family).
Got questions? Ask below!😌
#budgeting #budgetingfinances #personalfinanceforwomen #familybudget #budgetwithme #budgetwithmel
11 budgeting tips for beginners! If you’re new to budgeting and not sure where to start or you’re having trouble sticking to your monthly budget, give these tips a try! #budgetingtips #budgetingforbeginners #personalfinanceforwomen #financialfreedom #financialliteracy
How to #budget when you’re living on a #lowincome ✅ use these tips to help you increase your income and cut your expenses to break the #paychecktopaycheck and debt cycle! #personalfinanceforwomen
Buying a home can be incredibly stressful if you don’t prepare correctly! You want your first home to be a blessing, not a curse, and you want to avoid being house poor at all costs.
This is how to save for a home and some *general* guidelines to help you determine how much house you can *actually* afford (not just what the bank tells you you can) 🫠
The bank does their lending based on 40-50% of your take-home pay, which (to me) is crazy, and would cause me a lot of financial anxiety!
#buyingahome #savingforahouse #mortgagetips #personalfinanceforwomen #financegoals
Financial goals are essential to taking control of your personal finances, and hear me out—
SMALL GOALS ARE STILL GOALS AND A STEP FORWARD.
Everyone is going to have a different starting point. Saving $1,000 a month towards retirement might not be realistic for you right now, and THATS OKAY 👏
Half of achieving your goals is just setting them.
Set a big-picture goal, then break it down into bite-size chunks. If we don’t set small action steps, we can easily be discouraged and get off track.
When we first got married, our big-picture goal was to pay off all our debt. It seemed impossible— we were living on one income, cash-flowing my husbands final year of school, and I was entering an incredibly exhausting, busy tax season.
So we broke it down into small,action steps. We’d have to have a bare bones budget, and we’d have to live on HALF of my income. HALF. We set the goal— taped it to the fridge, and started.
Wouldn’t you know— we did it in half the time we thought it would take!
Set the goals. No matter how small they seem.
“And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.” Gal 6:9
Work like it all depends on you, pray like it all depends on God (because it does) 🤍
#moneygoals #financialfreedom #financialgoals #personalfinanceforwomen #personalfinancetips
Do you ever feel frustrated when unexpected, non-monthly expenses come up and blow your monthly budget? This is how we save for those irregular “gotcha” expenses, and ones that you just forget about.
When it comes down to it, though certain expenses are unpredictable in that you don’t know EXACTLY when they’ll happen, but you do know its likely they’ll occur— like it’s likely at some point your house and vehicles will need repairs, you just don’t know exactly when.
Make a list of all the non-monthly, irregular, seasonal & unexpected expenses that come up in your finances. It might be helpful to review bank statements to help you identity them.
Then, break each expense into a monthly amount and put it in the budget!
#sinkingfunds #financialliteracy #budgeting101 #personalfinanceforwomen #expenses
When we first got married, we had a mound of student loan debt to overcome. We were living on one income. We started Dave Ramsey’s debt snowball plan and were able to pay off over $20k of student loan debt in 12 months, by sending over 50% of our paychecks towards the student loan debt. Monthly payments no longer eat our income, we are free! This is how we did it. #payoffdebt #debtfree #debtfreecommunity #personalfinanceforwomen #studentloans
Practical budgeting tips for beginners! Discouraged by budgeting? Implement these budgeting hacks to create a monthly budget you can actually stick to & that allows you to reach your financial goals! 🎯
📌Save for later!!
#budgeting #budgeting101 #financialliteracy #personalfinanceforwomen
My new website is LIVE✨🎉
Over the last few months, I had my website completely redone and rebranded!
I’m now Budget with Mel 💁♀️ it seems a lot more fitting!
I can’t wait for you all to see the new site and follow along 🎈
#personalfinance #personalfinanceforwomen #budgeting #budgeting101 #financeblogger
🎉📣Major Announcement!! I’ve been keeping a secret…
My blog/website and all social media channels are getting a COMPLETE rebrand and totally new custom design!!
My new site will be much more user-friendly— easy to navigate and find what you want, easy to find freebies, and just sort through blogs and all my content in a much cleaner way!
Another major announcement may be following soon… keep your eyes peeled🙃
So excited for this much needed update and I will be sharing when it goes live!
Thanks for being here 😌
Texts from my mom😂 had to get on this trend. The accuracy once you have kids😜 anyone else?? #trendingreels #textsfrommymom #momreels #financeblogger #moneyblogger
This is my unconventional but effective budgeting formula🙌
Here’s a breakdown of each expense type listed:
- Necessities: food, housing, transpiration, utilities, insurance, etc. These are actual necessities— Netflix subscriptions don’t count! These are the expenses you would keep/have to pay in the event of a financial crisis.
- Financial Goals: these are “expenses” you put in your budget based on your long-term financial goals. For example, if investing 15% of your gross income is a goal you have (one I highly recommend), and you make $6,000 gross every month, you’d put $900 for investing in the budget. The KEY is that goals are immediately after necessities— they are non-negotiable!
- Discretionary: these are all your wants (vs needs). Think restaurants, clothing, recreation, extracurricular activities, subscriptions, etc.
- Irregular/Seasonal: these are expenses that are non-monthly, but probable. Think “gotcha” expenses. What expenses come up every couple months that cause you stress? Car repairs? Home repairs? Annual insurance premiums you forget about every year?! Instead of trying to cash flow them all in one month, set aside money for them every month. This way, when these expenses hit (its not if but when), you have the cash ready to go — or at least a good start!
Budgeted income - budgeted expenses should always total ZERO for a true zero-dollar budget ☑️
#budgeting #financialfreedom #budgetplanner #financialliteracy #budgetingforbeginners #budgeting101
This is my favorite #budgetingforbeginners tip!
If you can relate to any or all of these, this strategy is foe you! 👇
- because you are paid more than once a month, you struggle to follow a monthly budget. Your timing/cash-flow always seems off.
- you like to break every plan/goal down into small action steps.
- you struggle to stick to a monthly budget!
A paycheck budget is a specific budget strategy where instead of budgeting once a month, you budget every time you are paid.
A paycheck budget doesnt mean you’re living #paychecktopaycheck (though its great for breaking that cycle too). Rather, its just a detailed way for budget nerds like myself to make it easier for myself to actually stick to the #monthlybudget and track it throughout the month.
For certain budget categories, I like to break them down into weekly or bi-weekly amounts. For example, our monthly groceries budget is $400, so I break that down into $200 out of paycheck 1 & $200 out of paycheck 2. Could I simply spend $400 on the first of the month and still be fine? Absolutely! But I’ve found that budgeting this way helps me stay on track!
Another tip- we only keep the amount of cash we have budgeted for each line item in our checking account— I transfer what we want to save IMMEDIATELY after we are paid to another account so that im less tempted to spend it on something else. Its simple, yes, but very effective.
We also have our IRA contributions auto-withdrawn. This keeps me disciplined and less likely to say “ahh we’ll just skip this month so we can buy ____ .”
Hope this helps! ✨
This is how we have built wealth in our 20’s (against the cultural norm).
There’s nothing special about us, anyone can do it if you’re willing to delay your gratification and put in some work! Its not easy, but its with it. Once you start, these things become habits and they get easier to do as you go 👍
Your personal finances are SO SO important— how you handle money today will affect the dreams you can turn to reality, the legacy you leave your children (they’re watching and more is caught than taught), the health of your marriage, your ability to quit your job when you want to (not work past retirement), and your dependence on the government.
As Christian’s, we know that we are mere stewards of the resources God has given us. Its ALL His, and we wan to manage it faithfully as instructed in the Word.
The Bible tells us a fool devours all he has, but a wise man:
1) leaves an inheritance for his childrens children
2) gathers money little by little
3) does not submit to worldly pleasures
4) uses his resources to cheerfully give to others
5) stays away from debt
Those are some powerful principles that we can apply as believers!
Here’s what we’ve been doing in our 20’s!
#personalfinance #financialliteracy #personalfinanceforwomen #moneymanagement #biblical #godlywisdom
This is what delaying #investing just 10 years will cost you! Sally started at age 25 instead of 35 like Amy, and she contributed $200 less per month than Amy and still wound up with nearly double Amy’s total!
My biggest pieces of advice for #investingforbeginners
✅ just start
✅ set up an auto withdraw
✅ utilize a Roth IRA
✅ stop putting it off — you’ll never feel like its the “perfect time”
#financialliteracy #personalfinance #investing101 #investingtips
When you’re out to dinner with your husband and he catches you calculating how much you can save if you skip an app and extra cheese 🧀 #personalfinance #personalfinanceforwomen #moneysaver #financeblogger #frugaltips #cheapskate
Do you feel defeated because any time you try to commit to budgeting, saving money, investing, etc., unexpected expenses always pop up during the month and blow your plan?? You need sinking funds!
Follow the steps in the reel to save money and beat unexpected expenses 👊
These are sinking funds we have RIGHT NOW:
☑️ car repairs
☑️ home renovation
☑️ medical (in an HSA)
☑️ new tires
☑️ vehicle replacement
☑️ vacation
☑️ Christmas/holidays
☑️ gifts
☑️ annual insurance premiums
☑️ meat (purchase a steer)
Sinking funds we’ve had in the past:
☑️ maternity leave
☑️ baby (HSA)
☑️ new furniture
☑️ baby equipment/gear (non-medical costs)
Sinking funds are a game-changer ✨
#sinkingfunds #budgetingtips #budgeting #personalfinance #personalfinanceforwomen #financialliteracy #financetips
Does the current stock market scare you? Here are 4 do’s and Don’ts when the stock market is down 📉
✨Bonus: split your investing portfolio between these 4 mutual funds 👇
- growth
- growth and income
- aggressive growth
- international
#financialliteracy #personalfinanceforwomen #investingforbeginners #stockmarketinvesting #investingtips #investing101
People will try to give you all kinds of shovels to dig yourself into a hole— a debt hole. That hole sets you back financially for years! There’s the car debt shovel, student loan debt shovel, credit card debt shovel. Many young people have even said that they’ve put off marriage, kids, and buying a home because they’re in so much debt.
Additionally, whenever the Bible talks about debt, it’s never in a positive way. It warns against being a co-signer, and compares debt to slavery.
In a nation where broke is normal (70% of people are living paycheck to paycheck), sorry, count me out ✌️
👉I don’t want to be dependent on my next paycheck to make ends meet.
👉I don’t want to use a credit card as a lifeline to fill the gap between income and expenses every month.
👉I won’t advise my kids to pay $120k for a 4-year degree, pay interest on that $120k, delay marriage and a family, and be a slave for 20+ years to the lender just to get a piece of paper that is the “gold standard” of approval for entering the workforce. Especially when their father got a 2-year trade school degree and comfortably supports a family of 5 🙊 (can you tell how I feel about higher Ed??🤣)
We don’t have any car debt, student debt (anymore), and we have no credit cards to our name.
This forces us to be intentional, self-disciplined, and to weigh every purchase we make carefully.
No, I don’t think consumer debt is ever a good idea!
What’re your thoughts??
#financialliteracy #consumerdebt #debtfreecommunity #payoffdebt #debtfree #studentloans #creditcard #carpayment
Checking your account balance is not the same thing as budgeting! A budget is a plan for every dollar, on paper, before the month begins. While for some people simply checking your balance might work for a while, it’s a plan that only works in the good times. You need a plan that works in the good AND bad times.
#financialliteracy #budgeting #financetips
“If you knew what the government did to your money, there would be no federal reserve.” #endthefed #economics #economictimes #inflation #financialliteracy #biggovsucks
“No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.” Hebrews 12:11
Did you catch the last part of that verse? Discipline, though painful, will later on produce a harvest IF you have been trained by it. That’s a big if.
Sometimes we make the mistake of after we do something big and change our life in a big way, we think we are owed or deserved something.
For example, we paid off all our consumer debt in 12 months while living on one income. Wow! Great! It was super super hard, and required a lot of self-discipline and determination to persevere and stay motivated.
But you know what the actual really hard part is?
Now that we’re debt-free (besides our mortgage), we are able to take our foot of the gas a little bit. Diligently save and invest, but also enjoy life.
The hard part is CONTINUING to consistently do the same thing over and over again — save up for large purchases, invest 15% of our gross income, always pay cash (no credit cards).
You see, we COULD spend more on groceries, we could take more vacations, we could do more shopping. Drive a fancier car.
But for us, we have long-term goals that we believe will pay off more and are worth the work of planning meals, price comparing, and saving up month after month to pay cash for everything.
Because $200/month could make you over $1 million dollars if invested consistently for 40 years and not touched.
The small things matter. No, they may not make or break your ability to build wealth in one month, but they do matter. Because your BEHAVIOR and ATTITUDE about money matters.
The small choices you make reflect your habits, and if you want to change your life you have to change your habits. #financialliteracy #personalfinance #personalfinanceforwomen #moneymanagement #selfdiscipline
What happens if you #invest the average car payment?? You’ll #retireamillionaire ✅ This is why getting out of debt is so important— it eats your monthly income so there isn’t much left to save & invest!
If you invest $500 for 25 years starting at age 25, then leave it alone and don’t contribute a dime more from age 50-65 (15 years)— you’ll have over $1 million.
*Assuming a 10% average annual rate of return
Money management is something we all do, but how well we do it will determine how much financial stress and financial anxiety we feel surrounding our personal finances. These are ways you can take control of your financial future.
✨Build an emergency fund. Aim to save 3-6 months of expenses (not income) in a separate savings account. If you have a stable, predictable income, then you probably only need 3 months of expenses saved. If you have irregular income, or you are a business owner, commission employee, etc., you might want to save closer to (or even more than) 6 months expenses. This will help you survive financial crisis - job loss, major repairs, unexpected medical bills, etc. An emergency fund is an incredible safeguard that will help you sleep better at night.
✨Pay off all your debt. Debt is stressful. There’s no way around it. The best way to reduce financial anxiety surrounding debt is to pay it off. Aim to pay off all your consumer debt as quickly as possible using the debt snowball method- where you list your debts smallest to largest & pay off in that order. See Dave Ramsey’s website for more details.
✨Make a detailed budget, and stick to it. Budgeting finances is incredibly easy. Add your income, list all your monthly expenses, and budget it to zero. Be sure to allocate income to saving for large purchases and investing (or other financial goals).
✨Make both short & long term financial goals. If you don’t have goals, it will be hard to stay motivated to take control of your finances. Let’s face it— personal finances can be boring, especially if you’re a free spirit (not a nerd). If you make goals, it keeps you motivated AND the likelihood you’ll actually hit your goals goes up tenfold!
✨Automate your finances. Set up auto-withdraw for your bills (and savings!!), so that you aren’t tempted to brush them off and pay them later, only to forget and realize you don’t have enough money to cover the bill that month. You get behind little by little, small decision by small decision. Pay bills first, savings second, and spend what’s left over.
#financialliteracy #financialfreedom #financialstability #financialstress #personalfinanceforwomen
Why is college pushed as the ticket to a successful life? Why is institutional education considered the best education?
Call me old school, but I think your aptitude, skills, and personality are what set you apart.
My first two years of college was a literal repeat of everything I learned in high school. So I paid $60k for a “refresher.” They know this. But they got you- you have to have a certain number of “credits” to graduate, and there are certain requirements for what kinds of classes those can be at different universities. You’re in golden handcuffs.
Truth be told, I learned the majority of the tax code and tax return mechanics from PREPARING hundreds of tax returns my first year, and having a veteran accountant review and correct my work.
I realized after working just how little use my actual degree was. You learn by doing!
So ask yourself, as either a parent of a potential college student, or a college student:
1. How löng will it take me to break-even on my degree?
2. Do I really know what I want to do, or should I do some job-shadowing and work some different jobs first?
3. Can I find an employer who will train me instead of going to college for 4 years just to enter the workforce?
As I’m considering hiring a virtual assistant myself, I could care less if the person who I (potentially) hire has a college degree. I care about who they are as a person- their skills, personality, and willingness to learn. End of story. #entrepreneurspirit #degree #tradejobs #bachelorsdegree #collegedebt #collegedegree
My secret #budgeting weapon: the paycheck budget! Paycheck budget planning is not just for those living paycheck to paycheck, it’s for anyone who wants more control over their finances and a better method to stick to their monthly budget! #paychecktopaycheck #paycheck #budgetplanner #monthlybudget #financialliteracy #financialindependence #moneysavingmom #personalfinanceforwomen
Here are some ways you can save money on the rising cost of groceries! Some more info on how I’m saving money despite high (and still rising) inflation:
⭐️Some Top Ways I Save Money:
Stay out of the snack aisle. It will cost you double to buy single-serving, pre-packaged goods. While it’s convenient for kids lunches, buy the food item in bulk (or choose a healthier option), and put in reusable containers. You can even choose a day of the week to make 3/4 of your kids lunches or their entire lunch for the week and either freeze or refrigerate if necessary.
Price compare (quickly). While this sounds super simple (it is), I’ve found that sooo many people don’t realize there is a per unit price on most price stickers. Did you know that?? This makes it super easy to quickly compare what the cheaper item is per unit.
Buy staples in bulk no matter your family size. Even if you have a small family, buy in bulk. When it was just my husband and I, it didn’t seem effective to buy in bulk because we wouldn’t eat everything before it expired, and I didn’t realize how many things you could freeze (trust me, I knew NOTHING about food cooking, preservation, etc, etc).
Which brings me to point 4…
Freeze, freeze, freeze. Seriously. I freeze just about anything and everything. Cheese. Butter. Sour cream. Pancakes. Cream cheese. Fruit. Coffee (ice cubes). You name it, I freeze it. Buy the dairy mentioned above in bulk, then freeze. Take out of the freezer as needed so you don’t waste and let food go bad!
Commit to 1 grocery store trip/week or less. The more you go to the mall the more money you will spend. The more you go to the grocery store, the more money you will spend. This is more an act of self-discipline than anything else. If you commit to going only say once per week (you decide what’s doable for your family), and STICK TO IT, you will see a decrease in your spending. If it’s mid-week and you realize you’re out of something (that isn’t a necessity), find something at home to make. Get creative. This will force you to use what you already have on hand and PLAN before you go to the grocery store (both a meal plan and a shopping list).
If you’ve just started your #investing and #retirementplanning journey, it can be confusing trying to decide where the best place to invest your money is. Here’s how to invest for beginners & investing tips for everyone! #investingtips #investingforbeginners #investing101 #investingstrategy #rothira #401k #ira #retirementgoals #retireearly #personalfinance #personalfinanceforwomen
How to Invest for Beginners:
✨How much to invest?
Try to invest at least 15% of your gross household income into tax-advantaged retirement accounts. Do not include any employer match incentive for purposes of the 15% calculation.
✨IRA vs. 401(k)?
An IRA is an individual retirement account, where you invest money apart from your employer-sponsored 401(k) account. Think of an IRA as a DIY investing option, although I recommend using an investing professional from a brokerage firm to help you get started with an IRA. A 401(k) is tied to your employer, and typically has more limited investing options (the average has about 20 funds to choose from), and often times employers have an employee matching incentive.
✨Roth vs. Traditional?
Roth & Traditional investments are a TYPE of investment INSIDE your retirement account. These terms are specific to retirement savings accounts, not general investing accounts. Traditional contributions are made pre-tax, and both the principal and growth are taxed in retirement. On the other hand, Roth contributions are taxed on the way in, but both the growth and principal distributions are tax-free in retirement!!
Investing is a key part of #retirementplanning , but you can make so many mistakes, which deters many people from #investing at all. Don’t make these investing mistakes! #investing #investors #stocks #retireearly #retireyoung #investingtips #investingforbeginners #investmentstrategies #401k #ira #rothira
Don’t you dare come at me with “iTs BeCaUsE oF rUsSIA”, no it’s because of our energy policies 😬
C’mon, man.
#samsclub #keystonepipeline #drillbabydrill #gasprices #inflation #bidensucks #groceryshopping #grocerylist #grocerystore #economics #economy
Inflation is an invisible tax imposed on the people by a government, but how?
When they can’t get “their” money via ⬆️ taxes, they confiscate it by printing money and reducing your purchasing power.
If you knew the harm the Fed caused to your money, there would be no Fed. In promises of “fixing” and stabilizing the economy, they only make it worse.
Caused by:
✅ gov borrowing
✅ gov spending
✅reckless monetary policy
Governments have two ways of paying their expenditures:
▪️direct taxation
▪️ borrowing money — pushing the bill onto the taxpayers of the future, and todays taxpayer must pay the interest
The government isn’t really even borrowing and spending anymore— they are simply printing money out of thin air and spending… then forcing you to foot the bill via inflation.
At some point the brakes have to come on and there will be a reckoning, probably much worse than the 08-09 financial crisis.
This time may we learn from it. #inflation #government #taxes #tax #economics #economy #stocks #stocktrading #investment #investing #invest #monetarypolicy #federalreserve #interestrates
4 *must know* HSA benefits! 💡 Here’s why we choose an HSA over an FSA! #hsa #fsa #medicalexpenses #investment #investing #invest #healthsavingsaccount #flexspending #employeebenefits #savingmoney #healthinsurance
If you aren’t familiar with our story (why I started this account and my blog 4 years ago)… here it is! We paid off over $20k of student loan debt in 12 months while living on one income (my husband was still in school).
I started full-time work as a tax accountant when we got back from our honeymoon, and he was in school during the day and worked construction after school until he started his internship!
It was an incredibly busy first year of marriage! We worked our butts off to knock my student loan debt out in 1 year.
It wasn’t without struggles. During this time we :
- cash flowed our honeymoon
- cash-flowed a $5k car repair
- didn’t eat out, buy anything new, and lived in a janky apartment that was cheap and allowed us to send a lot of money to debt
Though difficult, this time helped us set a firm foundation to build our finances together— God’s way. We learned how to work together as a team, work HARD, sacrifice, and live well below our means.
The self-discipline and financial habits we developed have served us well.
We still don’t have any credit cards. We live well below our means. We don’t care much about what other people have. We’re content. We automate our investing. We pay extra on our mortgage because we just hate debt.
#payoffdebt #debtfreejourney #debtfreegoals #studentloans #studentloandebt #moneymindset #personalfinance #financetips #debtfreedom #debtsnowball #daveramsey #financialfreedom #financialliteracy #financialpeace
💡A Roth conversion is the process of transferring funds from a Traditional to a Roth retirement account.
The following scenarios would be a situation where a Roth conversion could take place:
1. Transfer from a Traditional 401(k) to a Roth 401(k). Example: Let’s say your employer adds a Roth option to their 401(k) plan. You decide to move the funds in your Traditional 401(k) to the Roth 401(k). The money never leaves the plan, it just changes nature of taxability.
2. Rollover from a Traditional 401(k) to a Roth IRA. Example: You leave your job where you have a Traditional 401(k). You roll over the funds from your old employer account to a Roth IRA— which is a retirement account separate from your employer sponsored plan.
3. You convert a Traditional IRA to a Roth IRA. This most commonly happens when someone exceeds the income limits of being able to contribute to a Roth IRA. Example: You make too much to contribute to a Roth, so you open a Traditional IRA. You contribute all year to the Traditional IRA, then convert it to a Roth IRA at the end of every year.
🔑The main difference between a Roth retirement plan & a Traditional retirement plan is WHEN and HOW they are taxed.
💡You contribute money to a Roth retirement account AFTER-TAX, but the GROWTH on the contributions is not taxed.
💡You contribute money to a Traditional retirement account PRE-TAX, and the GROWTH AND CONTRIBUTIONS are taxed in retirement.
Depending on your situation, this can make a big difference. Some general principles:
- If you’re young, you’ll likely want to contribute to a Roth. If you have 30-40 years of growth, you want that growth to be tax-free!
- If you expect your income to go up, you’ll likely want to contribute to a Roth (when you have the lowest tax rates you’ll have in your working years).
NOTE: Regardless of whether you have a Traditional or Roth 401(k) option at work, the ER match portion of your retirement savings is ALWAYS taxable.
#retirementplanning #retireearly #retireyoungretirerich #rothira #401k #ira #investing #investingtips #investingforbeginners #financialfreedom
“TaX tHe RiCH”🥴 as a former CPA, this one just gets to me. Did you know that businesses pay 93% of all income taxes — which then, lowers employee wages & prices as income tax burden rises? The U.S. has one of the most progressive tax systems in the world. People like to point to the Scandinavian countries as the “perfect model” because they have lots of social programs, but when it comes to taxes, they are MORE capitalist than the U.S. — everyone pays a flat tax (my personal preference). When businesses are allows to thrive, workers thrive, the economy thrives, and everyone is better off. #taxseason #taxtips #taxtherich #economics #economics101 #capitalism #socialism #socialismsucks #politics
Thanks but no thanks. Everything requires a spreadsheet. My budget, my grocery list, each child, EVERYTHING 🤗 #spreadsheets #nerd #accountinglife #accountant #cpa #accountinghumor #excel #microsoftexcel #spreadsheet #budgeting #budgetplanner #familybudget #momsonabudget #budgetingtips #personalfinance #moneymanagement
⚠️ Unpopular opinon alert…
I believe today’s generation of parents participate in a form of child welfare by not teaching their kids the value of hard work. Any discomfort or challenges their children face are immediately removed.
I wouldn’t be who I am today if it wasn’t for my parents and the lessons, both direct and indirect, they taught me about money.
We had to work, and work hard. My parents were not interested in being our personal ATM. They provided the necessities, we worked for everything else, starting in middle school!
You can teach your kids about money at every age, here are some ideas to get your started!
➡️ For all kids:
✔️ More is caught than taught. Model smart money behaviors yourself first and foremost.
✔️Pay commissions, not allowances. Never once in my life did I have an allowance. I survived. My parents paid commission to show us that you have to work for what you want AND need.
✔️Establish chores that aren’t paid, but are just required for being part of the family.
✔️ Cut them off when they graduate.
➡️ For smaller kiddo’s:
✔️Keep a jar of coins to show that you don’t waste things and small contributions add up over time.
✔️Explain to them WHY they can’t have something. For instance, reasons could include- you already have one at home, life isn’t always fair, or it’s not in the budget right now.
✔️Have them re-use items year to year. This is a great idea for school supplies! If they already have a perfectly useable backpack, binder, pencil box, etc, have them re-use these items.
✔️For really young kids, keep jobs/chores short and simple.
✔️Pay your child immediately after the job is done to teach them the relationship between work & money.
These are just a few ideas! Follow along for more tips 💥
‼️let me know in the comments how you teach your kids to work‼️
#teachingkids #personalfinance #personalfinanceforwomen #personalfinancetips #familybudget #familyfinances #momonabudget #financialeducation #financialliteracy #daveramseybudget #workethic #hardworkpaysoffs #hardworkpays #familybusiness #raisingtoddlers #raisingteens #raisingtinyhumans #raisingthefuture
Are you relying on social security as a retirement vehicle? The SSA is projected to be insolvent by 2033. Benefits are expected to be cut, so you won’t even get out of the system what you put into it.
Sound like a good deal? 🙅♀️
The U.S. government thinks you are not capable of making your own financial decisions, so they forcibly take money from your paycheck and do it for you via payroll taxes.
Some nuggets of info about social security:
1️⃣Social security benefits are comparatively lower than market rates of return. You can even have a negative rate of return after adjusting for inflation. The unrestricted free market ALWAYS outperforms government run social programs. The stock market has averaged a 12% rate of return since it’s inception.
2️⃣If you die before reaching government-regulated retirement age (another discussion for another day), you lose all your Social Security benefits. If you invest privately, you can ensure that if you die the money you have diligently saved can be passed onto someone close to you. Hows that for a deal? They will take money you could’ve been investing, invest it for you, and then if you die, they keep it.
3️⃣Social security benefits are subject to double taxation. You are taxed on your gross (W-2) income, which includes the money that was remitted to the gov for social security taxes. Then, in retirement, you are taxed on your benefits if you earn over a certain amount in retirement, and the income levels are not very high (it’s almost like you’re being disincentivized from earning money in order to enjoy retirement).
How’s that for a good deal?
In the name of “compassion” the government tries to act as a white horse saving the day. However, when you read between the lines, you realize that what you are giving in exchange for what you are getting is not a good deal 👎
Alright, queue all the commies sending me hate mail 😂
#socialsecurity #retirement #retirementplanning #retirementgoals #governmentspending #inflation #investing #investingtips #investing101 #investingforbeginners #economics #economy #freemarket #stockmarket #taxes #notaxationwithoutrepresentation
Getting ready to see what you made before the government robbed you blind 🙄😅 #taxes #taxseason #government #incometax #socialsecurity #medicare #fica #paycheck #paychecks #january #federaltax
You’re shocked?? 😂 the average car payment in the US is right over $500/month… OF COURSE it feels like you have no money! #carpayment #debtfreejourney #debt #daveramsey #debtisdumb #cashisking #getoutofdebt #payoffdebt #usedcars #newcar #daveramseybudget #daveramseybabysteps #daveramseyplan #consumerism #consumerbehavior #consumerdebt
When the hubby says Chik-Fil-a doesn’t qualify as a “nice date.” 🤪
I’ll forever be the spender and he will forever be the saver🥰 that’s what makes it work!
If I didn’t have him, I’d never go out. If he didn’t have me, he’d never eat in😉
Are you the spender or saver?? Give me a funny story below about it 👇
#personalfinance #spender #saver #moneysaver #moneysavingtips #daveramsey #daveramseybabysteps #daveramseybudget #moneyandmarriage #money #savers #moneysaver #frugalliving #frugal #cheapdate #frugalmom #thriftymom
The best way to get rich quick is to get rich slow.
Here’s what you DON’T need to become a millionaire:
❌ Six-figure income
❌ College degree
❌ Luck
❌ Single stocks
❌ Cryptocurrency
❌ Real estate (although this can be a great source of passive income/investment once you are completely debt-free)
This is what you DO need to become a millionaire:
✅ Consistency - investing every month over a long period of time. There is no shortcut to wealth. The best way to get rich quick is to get rich slow.
✝️ Proverbs warns:
“A faithful man will abound with blessings,
but whoever hastens to be rich will not go unpunished.”
✅ Discipline - you have to discipline yourself to pay yourself first and be willing to make sacrifices NOW so you can reap the rewards LATER.
✅ Live on less than you make - you can never out-earn bad money management.
If you invest just $200/month consistently for 40 years, with an average rate of return of 10%, you will have $1,264,815 in retirement!
You might think, 10%?? Yeah, right. No one makes that good of a return on their money unless they get lucky and invested in a business early on that went big (think Walmart, Microsoft, Apple). This couldn’t be further from the truth. That accounts for MAYBE 1% of investors. Most people become millionaires by cultivating the habits I outlined above.
Since inception in 1926, the S&P 500 has averaged right at a 10% rate of return.
Will you get 10% every year? Nope! Some years you might only get 3%, or you might simply break even when you account for inflation (hello 2021/2022!!). It’s all about staying the course - weathering the highs and lows of the market 📈
👉🏼Side note: The S&P 500 is just fancy terms for an index of 500 leading publicly traded companies in the U.S. So different companies are always being pulled in & out of the S&P 500 based on their performance. You should actually average higher than the S&P 500 if you have a good investment professional!
#investing #personalfinance #personalfinanceforwomen #investingtips #investing101 #investingforbeginners #investingstrategy #stockmarket #retirementplanning #retirementgoals #millionaireminds #daveramsey #daveramseybabysteps
💡Looking for a way to save money this year?
I talk a lot about this, because it’s so powerful — using cash literally changes how your brain responds to a purchase. The feeling associated with the purchase is more powerful.
Think about it— is it harder for you to hand over a Ben Franklin to the cashier or swipe your card?
Additionally, If you commit to using cash for certain budget categories, you can leave your cards in the car and this way you force yourself to only spend what’s in the envelope— it’s your only option that way! 📩
I won’t go into all the research for this specific post that shows willingness to pay doubles when a card is used, because I think most of us can admit we don’t think as much when swiping plastic vs handing over physical cash.
I sell these cash envelopes in my Etsy shop if you’re interested!
✅ 4 different floral designs
✅ customizable blank envelopes
✅ elegant design
✅ instant download
✅ over 25 pre made envelope categories
Here is the link if you’re interested:
💫Vertical envelopes:
https://etsy.me/34amnxp
💫 Horizontal envelopes:
https://etsy.me/3zKRlrX
#personalfinance #cashenvelopes #cashenvelopesystem #cashisking #debtisdumb #daveramseybudget #cashenvelope #cashenvelopestuffing #frugalliving #budgetmum #financetips #financegoals #moneysaver #moneysavingmom #moneysavingtips #savemoneytoday #savemoneylivebetter #moneymanagement #frugalmom
These DM’s always irk me. The “must be nice to _____.”
And they’re always from people who don’t know anything about me besides that we paid off all our consumer debt in 1 year & I quit my job as a tax accountant to stay home with my kids.
Based on this set of facts, the assumption is that I
- came from a wealthy family which set me up for success
- make insane amounts of money
- have never had any hardships
None of these are true. But that doesn’t matter to people who assume that success comes from luck (marrying into money, growing up wealthy, receiving an inheritance, etc.)
Did you know that over 90% of Americas millionaires are self-made & never inherited a DIME?
Bet CNN won’t tell ya that fun fact🙃
The TRUTH is:
✅ I paid my way through college, working 3 jobs (before classes, in-between classes & after class)
✅ I did NOT grow up wealthy
✅ My husband & I paid off all my student loans while living on one (modest) income
✅ I drove a beater for 6 years until getting our minivan in 2018
✅ Today we still make many sacrifices to save, invest, and build wealth
So no, I haven’t had it “easy” , but that’s relative. I’ve had it easier than some, and worse than some.
#personalfinance #personalfinanceforwomen #financialfreedom #financialliteracy #payoffdebt #debtfreecommunity #debtfree #debtfreeliving #daveramsey #daveramseybabysteps #studentloans #millennialmoney #moneymanagement #financeblogger #debtisdumb #cashisking #debtsnowball #debtfreegoals #financialgoals #moneygoals #2022goals
Debt is one of the most normal things in the world to most people. The government subsidizes it(via tax breaks and being in the student loan business), many parents encourage it (student loans), and Americans buy it.
🧑🎓The average student loan debt is just over $37,000.
💳The average balance on a credit card is $5,525.
🚗 Americans borrow an average $34,635 for new vehicles and $21,438 for used vehicles.
I think part of the issue is we lack contentment, and part of the issue is we lack knowledge.
✨People don’t take the time to calculate how much they’ll end up paying in total (after interest) for their degree, new car, furniture, etc.
✨Most don’t realize that credit card companies spend billions on consumer behavior research every year, so when they offer you cash back & airline miles, they know they’ll more than recoup their costs by the increase in your spending using credit instead of cash or debit (it literally affects your mind differently).
✨Another one that will get me in trouble… a college degree is not a prerequisite for success! Trade jobs are sitting open, paying $45/hour starting wage, while students line up at the university to pay $100k for a degree that will put them at a lower starting wage than the trade job.
Getting out of debt was an incredible weight lifted off of our shoulders. It took a lot of sacrifice — we didn’t go on vacation or eat out, we rented a janky apartment for cheap, worked, worked, and worked some more, drove old, rusted, duct-taped vehicles, and ate a lot of beans and rice until we clawed our way out.
There is a better way, but you have to be willing to do the work! 💪
#personalfinance #personalfinanceforwomen #payoffdebt #debtfreecommunity #debtfreejourney #daveramsey #personalfinancetips #getoutofdebt #debt #debtfree #finance #financialfreedom #financialliteracy #cashisking #debtfreeliving #debtisdumb #millennialmoney #frugalliving #budgetmom #momonabudget #studentloans #credittips
**MY PERSONAL OPINION**
But it’s backed by research 🙃🙃
Do you honestly think you’re outsmarting credit card companies who spend BILLIONS of dollars on consumer behavior research??
Do you really think they’re giving you free money (“cash back”) without getting something in return?
They KNOW that their billions spent on research shows that you SPEND MORE MONEY with a credit card than a debit card or cash 👍
The buy now pay later mentality affects your purchasing decisions. Specifically, it affects your willingness to pay.
Let me give an example.
In one study, randomly selected participants were offered the opportunity to purchase tickets to an actual professional basketball game. They were either to pay by cash or credit card. They were asked how much they were willing to pay for those tickets, and those who were told they would have to pay by credit card were willing to pay over TWICE as much as those who were told they would have to pay with cash.
What’s going on here?
Payment method affects consumer spending behaviors.
The same study found:
👉 people pay less attention to prices when using a credit card
👉 it hurts the brain more psychologically to use debit or cash vs credit
👉 people who use credit cards are less likely to have a household budget
The facts don’t lie ✅
👉Source: Journal of Consumer Behavior
#financialfreedom #finance #financialliteracy #payoffdebt #debtfreecommunity #debtfreejourney #daveramsey #personalfinanceforwomen #millionairemindset #daveramseybabysteps #debtsucks #cashisking #personalfinance #creditrepair #creditcarddebt #creditcard #cash
🚗 What happens if you invest the average U.S. car payment??
👉 $550/month ( Yikes‼️)
👉 40 years (age 25 to 65)
👉 10% average annual rate of return
$3,478,243 in retirement ✔️
Don’t buy (literally and figuratively) the myth that you HAVE TO have a car payment, or that it’s smart!
If you’d take that car payment and invest it instead, you could be a millionaire.
Drive what you can afford, which is what you can pay cash for!
#carpayment #debtfreecommunity #debtfree #debtisdumb #invest #investing #stockmarket #compoundinterest #financialfreedom #financialliteracy #personalfinance #personalfinanceforwomen #personalfinancetips #moneymanagement #millennialmoney #daveramsey #daveramseybabysteps #debtsnowball #debtfreegoals #debtfreeliving
Do you ever wonder what percent of your income you should be allocating to certain budget categories? These are Dave Ramsey’s recommended budget percentages for your personal finances!
1. Giving 10%
2. Saving 15%
3. Housing 10-25%
4. Food 5-15%
5. Transportation 10-15%
6. Clothing 2-7%
7. Health 5-10%
8. Insurance 10-25%
9. Recreation 5-10%
10. Personal 5-10%
11. Debt 5-10% (+ any extra, pay off all consumer debt before investing)
#daveramsey #daveramseybabysteps #daveramseybudget #daveramseyplan #personalfinance #personalfinanceforwomen #financialfreedom #finance #financialliteracy #budgeting #budgetplanner #budgetmom
Just because there is high inflation doesn’t mean you can’t build wealth! These are 5 things we’ve done to deter inflation and build wealth this past year. Tips for combating inflation in your personal finances!
1. Made extra mortgage payments.
2. Invested in the stock market (mutual funds) so our money at minimum keeps up with inflation (hopefully outpaces it).
3. Kept our emergency fund on the low end. Put as much savings as we could in the stock market instead (for example our new vehicle savings is in a brokerage account instead of a savings account).
4. We haven’t made any major changes to our monthly budget (increases).
5. We don’t panic. Slow, steady, calculated, unemotional investing is how you win with money. The best way to get rich quick is to get rich slow ⭐️
#investing #inflation #personalfinance #personalfinanceforwomen #investingforbeginners #investing101 #investingtips #moneymanagement #moneymanagementtips #financetips #stockmarket #payoffdebt #payoffmortgage
When people try to justify the $70k 2022 suburban they can’t afford because it’s “for the kids safety”🤔
‼️I have nothing against suburbans or nice cars ‼️My only beef is when they’re used to justify a car payment that you can’t afford 🙅♀️
Once we had 2 kids in tow, we ditched my 2004 Ford Escape for a 2020 Chrysler Pacifica minivan that we bought used with cash!
The average car payment in America is over $500 🤯 that can be a major budget killer depending on your income! Save up, pay cash 💰
#personalfinance #debtfree #daversmsey #payoffdebt #debtisdumb #cashisking #carpayment #autoloan #debtsnowball #debtfreeliving #debtfreegoals #millennialmoney #getoutofdebt #payoffdebt
Had to do it 😂 I had way too much fun making these 🙃
But for real… SAVE THE GIFT BAGS BEFORE I LOSE MY SANITY THEY COST MORE THAN THE GIFT ITSELF 😆
I’m the psycho whose saving all the gift bags, wrapping paper, and tissue paper #frugalmom
I can’t help it. It’s my identity.
Merry Christmas Eve, God bless you & your family 💕
#personalfinance #personalfinanceforwomen #money #frugalliving #frugalchristmas #christmassavings #millennials #memes #christmasmemes #mommemes #funnymemes #daveramsey #daveramseycommunity
When you’re Christmas shopping and the cashier tries to convince you to open that store credit 🚫🙈
✌️not in a million years
We have never had a credit card in our 6 years of marriage, sorry not sorry 😉
We pay cash for EVERYTHING, because I know the research that shows your willingness to pay increases 150% using credit va debit or cash 👍 so save 20% today and spend 150% more on all future purchases! No thanks.
Felt like rufflin some feathers this eve of Christmas Eve 🎅
#creditcard #creditcarddebt #daveramsey #daveramseybabysteps #daveramseybudget #frugalliving #debtfree #personalfinance #personalfinanceforwomen #moneymanagement #holidayspending #cashisking #payoffdebt #millennialfinance
✨DIY WINTER DRY SKIN BODY BUTTER✨
1 part coconut oil
1 part epsom salt
15-30 drops essential oil of choice
✅ non-toxic
✅ frugal
✅ minimal ingredients
This was one of my favorite things to use in the shower when I was pregnant! Extremely moisturizing! #diyremedies #diyrecipe #dryskin #bodybutter #diybodyscrub #nontoxic #diychristmasgifts #frugalliving #naturalcures #naturalremedies #dryskincare
🌱 How to choose the best stock mutuale funds! We follow Dave Ramsey’s advice exactly and put our money into four buckets of stock mutual funds:
1. Growth
2. Aggressive Growth
3. Growth & Income
4. International
The key is to diversify your investing portfolio to mitigate investment risk. Mutual funds is just a fancy term for a group of stocks. We personally don’t invest in any single stocks because the return over time is not favorable and it’s risky! We don’t want our hard earned money being gambled by investing in single stocks! #stocks #mutualfunds #investing #investing101 #investingforbeginners #personalfinanceforwomen #investingtips #daveramsey #retirementplanning #financetips #finance #personalfinance
5 SELF-EMPLOYED SMALL BUSINESS RETIREMENT PLAN OPTIONS💡Did you know you have options as a small business owner to invest, despite maybe not having the funds to start a traditional 401k plan for you or your employees? You can even take advantage of a Roth IRA! #smallbusinessowner #investing #401k #rothira #simpleira #solo401k #investingforbeginners #retirementplanning #retirementplans #retirementsavings
💡401(k) vs IRA: What’s the difference? Great question, let me answer! I’d recommend:
✅invest in your 401(k) up to your ER match, then open an IRA. Open a Roth 401(k) if available through your ER retirement plan.
✅ if eligible, max out your Roth IRA ($6,000 for 2022). If this still doesn’t meet 15% of your gross income, continue funding the 401(k), which is maxed out at $20,500 for 2022.
✅ if you are not eligible to open a Roth IRA because of income limits, open a traditional IRA & convert it to a Roth at the end of every year, paying the taxes on your contributions upon conversion. This is called a back-door Roth.
#investing #rothira #401k #401kplan #investingforbeginners #investing101 #investingtips #retirementplanning #retirementincome #retirementsavings #personalfinanceforwomen #personalfinances #ira
💡This is exactly why you need to start #investing in your 20s! Harness the power of #compoundinterest to #buildyourportfolio! TIME IS MONEY! #investing101 #investingforbeginners #investingstrategy #investingeducation #financialliteracy #financialplanning
These are 7 sinking funds you need in your monthly budget & how to budget for a sinking fund! #sinkingfunds #sinkingfundstracker #budgeting #personalfinance #moneymanagement #savingsgoals #savingsaccount
✅ A few reasons you need a ROTH IRA ASAP! Be sure if your employer offers a Roth 401(k) you are taking advantage of that option. Then, invest above and beyond your match in a Roth IRA (this is an individual retirement account, not employer sponsored). Between the two, if you’re eligible, you can contribute up to $19,500 per year. However, for the IRA, the max contribution is $6,000 per person for 2021 ($12,000 per married couple) ‼️#rothira #investing #401k #investingforbeginners #retirementplanning #retirementgoals #millennialmoney
Easy way to figure out what paychecks you will use to budget and pay for which bills! A paycheck budget does not mean you’re living paycheck to paycheck, rather, it is just a detailed schedule showing when funds will leave your account and how each paycheck is allocated! A simple budgeting method. Link to this template in my bio! #paychecktopaycheck #paycheck #paycheckbudgeting #budgeting #budgetplanner #budgetbypaycheck #plannerinserts #plannerinspiration
If you’re planning a wedding, it doesn’t have to be expensive and stressful. Here’s how to create a wedding budget from scratch and save money on your wedding! #weddingbudget #budgetwedding #weddingplanning
Do you know your net worth? When it comes to personal finance, net worth is a much better indicator of wealth than income. You can make a million a year and still be broke 🥴 if your spending is equal to your household income, you’re by definition, living paycheck to pqycheck. Give it a try, calculate your net worth in a few minutes! Share in the comments how it went (don’t have to share numbers of course)- but were you surprised? Motivated? Happy?! #networth #finance #personalfinance #investing #wealth #personalfinanceforwomen #personalfinancetips #moneymanagement
If you're an employee, you've likely heard the terms 401(k), IRA, Pension, etc thrown around, but maybe have no idea what they actually mean.
The WORST thing you can do as an employee is set up your employer-sponsored (don't worry- this is defined in the slides😉) retirement account, and then never look at it again, assuming as long as you make contributions, you'll be set for retirement.
Or, you might have a few things briefly explained to you, such as the difference between a pension & mutual fund, but you don't really know what's the better choice 🤷♀️
I'm here to help with all the confusing retirement jargon!
Here are some key things to remember:
✅ 𝐀 𝐑𝐨𝐭𝐡 𝐈𝐑𝐀 𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐥𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐥𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐚 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐈𝐑𝐀. Though you contribute to it with after-tax dollars (unlike a traditional IRA where you contribute with pre-tax dollars & get a tax deduction in the year of contribution), the withdrawals you make in retirement are 𝐭𝐚𝐱-𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐞.
✅ 𝐔𝐬𝐞 𝐚 "B𝐚𝐜𝐤-𝐝𝐨𝐨𝐫 𝐑𝐨𝐭𝐡" if you are above the income limits for contributing to a Roth IRA. Just note you will have to pay taxes on your contributions upon conversion.
✅ 𝐏𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐫𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐞 𝐝𝐚𝐲𝐬, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐢𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐨𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐈'𝐝 𝐚𝐯𝐨𝐢𝐝 𝐢𝐟 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞. They have limited investing options and don't perform well. PLUS, you have no control over the investing decisions.
✅ 𝐀𝐥𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐧 𝐚𝐧 𝐈𝐑𝐀. This is a great option to invest above and beyond your employer-sponsored 401(k). You will likely have more investment options.
✅ 𝐁𝐫𝐨𝐤𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐬 (𝐧𝐨𝐧-𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐢𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐬) 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐞𝐱𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐟𝐥𝐞𝐱𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐩𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐲 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐚𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐧𝐨 𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐲. However, they offer no tax-savings, so they are good for saving up for large purchases, but not a great retirement savings option.
⭐️ And of course, always contribute at least 𝟏𝟓% 𝐨𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐬 (𝘣𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦-𝘵𝘢𝘹) 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 towards retirement ⭐️
Literally all the time 😂 sorry, had to. Part of laying out a budget means forcing yourself to see the 𝐨𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐬𝐭 involved with your purchases.
Money is about behavior more than it’s about head knowledge.
If you can change your behavior, you can change your life. This is nothing new. Just like if I’m frustrated because it FEELS like I have no time, one look at my weekly screen time report and I realize time isn’t the problem— it’s my behavior.
𝘖𝘶𝘳 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘥𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘯 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺.
You might feel like you have no money to save, but in reality if you cut back to eating out 2x per month instead of 4x, you’d have $100-$150 to save. Or, if you sold your brand new car and got a used, reliable car paid for in cash, you’d have $300-$500 extra per month because you don’t have a car payment.
Ask yourself, 𝘈𝘮 𝘐 𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺?
Do you really have no money living in the wealthiest country in the world? Or, are you a slave to your money because your behaviors around money are irresponsible?
Don’t worry, I’m always here for your reality check 😉
➡️ This should blow your mind.
If you invest just $100/month from age 20 to 75, at an 𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘨𝘦 annual return of 12% (you could have a 1% year and a 30% year), you will have $7,103,877 at retirement 🤯
$100 dollars per month.
𝘓𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘢 𝘤𝘢𝘳 𝘱𝘢𝘺𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵. 𝘗𝘳𝘰𝘣𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘺 𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘰𝘵𝘢𝘭 𝘰𝘧 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘩𝘭𝘺 𝘴𝘶𝘣𝘴𝘤𝘳𝘪𝘱𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴.
The problem is most people don’t think it’s possible— so they don’t have a long-term plan for their money.
Couple that with the fact that we have a problem with wanting what our parents and grandparents have, but not wanting to do what it took them to get there— saying no, consistent investing & saving, living below their means, staying away from consumer debt, etc.— leads to most people having a victim mentality when it comes to their personal finances.
93% of America’s millionaires are self-made. Additionally, most of the 93% came from lower or middle class families.
It can be done, and it should be.
If you’ve never added it up, I dare you😉 we spent upwards of $500 per month eating out before attacking debt & budgeting (and kids)! A few nights of takeout a week, dinner out on the weekends, meet up with friends for drinks... what I THOUGHT we were spending vs what we were *actually* spending were two completely different numbers 😑 but that’s what happens when you don’t budget, you really have no idea 🤷♀️ and quick tip— your best guess is usually not accurate! #daveramsey #budgeting #budgethumor #budgetingtips #personalfinance #daveramseycommunity #debtfreecommunity #debtfree #moneyhumor #personalfinanceforwomen #personalfinanceformillennials
When you are budgeting, it’s nice to have something to gauge if what you’re budgeting is reasonable.
These are Dave Ramsey’s recommended budget category percentages.
Now, remember, these are 𝘨𝘶𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴. I understand that some people have extremely unique situations, and for example, someone with a family of 10 is going to probably be pushing the grocery budget percentage limits!
This is why they are general guidelines, not absolutes. These guidelines are designed to keep you on track so you can make your money do what you want it to, rather than being a slave to it.
If you’re housing is taking up 50% of your take home pay, you’re likely feeling pinched — and for good reason! You’re house poor, meaning you’ve bought more house than you can afford, and thus you have a hard time finding money left over every month to save or give.
Likewise, if your grocery budget is taking up 25% of your take home pay, you might need to scale back the Costco trips and start meal planning to free up some of your income for other things.
➡️Swipe right to see some important notes on housing & saving in particular!
ITS A BIG DEAL 🤣 love my husband for these important reminders before I lose my mind reconciling our bank account!
I reconcile daily and I’m still off $10 sometimes. I try and figure it out for a few minutes and if I can’t, no biggie 🤷♀️ #bankreconciliation #accountant #personalfinance #personalfinanceforwomen #budgeting #monthlybudget #budgetmom
There is one baby step in Dave Ramsey’s FPU plan that we will not complete— funding kids college!
My husband and I carefully considered what we thought would be best, and ultimately came to the conclusion that we want our kids to take 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 for their education.
The cost of higher education has risen dramatically over the last 10 years, and frankly, we are of the opinion that the value of the education has not increased proportionally. In fact, it’s decreased (we believe).
America is 𝘰𝘣𝘴𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘥 with credentials, but credentials don’t determine success, and everyone has to decide what success means for them.
41% of recent college graduates are working in jobs that don’t require a college degree.
High paying trade jobs sit empty while high schoolers are pressured into going to school or being labeled a failure.
But at what cost? 4-8 years of schooling is a long time, and the opportunity cost must be considered.
We will absolutely support our kids if they decide to go the college route, and advise them (if they’ll let us 😜) to find a school they can afford. This might mean working and paying their way to a community college, or if they’d like to attend a four year school, working REALLY hard to compete for scholarships!
Everything you need to know about the Advance Child Tax Credit from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) ✅ #americanrescueplan #taxrefund #taxseason #childtaxcredit #advancechildtaxcredit #taxcredits #cpa #taxaccountant #taxreturn #presidentbiden #personalfinance #personalfinanceforwomen #financetips
•𝐒𝐈𝐍𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐅𝐔𝐍𝐃𝐒•
So many people feel defeated by unexpected expenses that seem to come up 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 month and bust their budget.
They feel like it’s impossible and useless to keep a monthly budget for this reason.
A budget actually helps you prepare for these expenses using a handy tool called sinking funds!
➡️ Swipe to see how they work!!
Anybody else a budget and spreadsheet nerd ??! 🙋♀️ I could spend hours looking over the monthly budget 😜 #monthlybudget #budgeting #budgetplanner #budgetnerd #marriedfinances #personalfinanceforwomen #budgetspreadsheet
Many people falsely equate being frugal with being broke.
Our culture loves to make you think that the appearance of wealth = wealth.
A while back, I read a book called The Millionaire Next Door, and from this book I learned that the average millionaire:
• Drives a car that is 3-5 years old
• Has never paid more than $50 for a pair of jeans
• Lives in a home less than 3,000 sq ft
• Owns a primary residence worth $300k
What does this tell us? Your neighbor driving a Benz that just put in a pool and remodeled their entire house probably didn’t make the cut 🤷♀️
Either way, you don’t know if they are responsible with money or not, and the data shows us that those who don’t look wealthy are often the ones who are.
Our culture has it 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘥𝘴- consume, consume, consume. You 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘦, you 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥, you 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 have ______.
Wisdom tells us that the only things we NEED are the essentials, what we DESERVE is not as important as what we can GIVE, and we are not 𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘵𝘭𝘦𝘥 to anything we can’t pay cash for.
Read between the lies.
There are wise poor and wise rich—and foolish poor and foolish rich. Choose carefully who you learn your habits from ⭐️
💡BEGINNERS GUIDE TO INVESTING!
Bookmark & save for later!
✅ PRODUCT SWAP - DRY SHAMPOO RECIPES FOR BLONDE & BRUNETTE BELOW (save for later!!)
I’m always trying to find cheaper, easier ways to do things. However, admittedly, it can be difficult to find a cheaper, easier, non-toxic product replacement.
I’ve always avoided natural products because I *𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵* you’re always going to pay triple. While for some things there is no way around paying more, I’m on a journey to see what practical, affordable ways you can swap out toxic products for non- toxic products.
I’m what you’d call a 𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘶𝘤𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘤𝘳𝘶𝘯𝘤𝘩𝘺. I’m becoming more and more crunchy, but I’m a natural skeptic.
But as I learn more about chemicals and toxic ingredients in everyday products in general, I’m realizing that I was wrong about some things, and some products are worth paying more for.
But of course, I’m going to try and do it cheaper, and help you do the same! 🤗
This DIY dry shampoo recipe is not only inexpensive, it uses all natural ingredients AND works just as good as dry shampoo.
Before using this new recipe (below), I was using the Dove dry shampoo. I LOVE the dry shampoo, but when it is one of the worst offenders when it comes to toxic chemicals 😩
Here’s the recipe ⬇️
𝐃𝐈𝐘 𝐃𝐑𝐘 𝐒𝐇𝐀𝐌𝐏𝐎𝐎
8 TBSP Arrowroot Powder
4 TSP White kaolin clay
24 drops essential oil (I used Tea Tree)
*** Brunettes 👩🏽 do 5 TBSP Arrowroot powder & 3 TBSP cocoa powder
Add dry ingredients to bowl & mix well. Add essential oils. Stir. Use a funnel to pour mixture into a glass shaker jar!
I shake it over my hair or put some in my hands and run it through my roots on day 3 hair!
⭐️ Toxin-free dry shampoo that’s just as inexpensive!
Recipe credit: Bumblebee Apocrathy
🚘 Car payments are never a good idea, here’s why! With the average car payment in the U.S. being over $500, imagine what you could do with an extra $500 per month! Save, invest, pay extra on your mortgage! Cars are a depreciating asset, the second you drive a car off the lot it starts to depreciate in value. Coupled with paying interest on an asset that’s going down in value rapidly, you pay above sticker price for a product you won’t be able to make any money on! #carpayment #autoloan #cardebt #debt #debtfreecommunity #debtfreejourney #debtpayoff #investment #financetips #getoutofdebt
🏠 We bought our first home (we currently live in it) in February 2018 for $184,000.
We were told (by the bank) we could afford a $400,000 home. The monthly mortgage payment (including taxes & insurance) would have taken up HALF of our take-home pay at the time. We would've been house-poor, running the hamster wheel, feeling like we never had enough money left over.
At the time of purchase, we were pregnant with our first. While I did end up working full-time for a brief period after he was born, we knew that we wanted the freedom to be able to have me home (which is what I ended up doing).
When you live below your means- that's exactly what it affords you- freedom.
We have been able to save up and pay cash for all the repairs & remodeling we've done and pay extra on our mortgage every month.
Looking back, I'm so thankful we didn't over-extend ourselves when we were living double-income-no-kids.
It's tempting to bite off more than you can chew when it comes to how much house you can afford. Everyone around you does it.
Every so often, I have someone message me asking me to look over their finances and help them out. They can't figure out why they can't get ahead, and they say while living without credit cards and second mortgages might work for my family, it can't work for them. There's no possible way. When I look over their expenses, some quick math determines the main culprit - the mortgage. When I reply that their mortgage is literally eating their income alive, they can't believe it. That's what the bank said they could afford, so it must be okay.
Do the math yourself, and make a mock-budget with your potential mortgage payment before buying a home! Don't guess.
Luke 14:28 says, "For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? "
It's wise to count the cost before laying the foundation. There is a cost to anything worthwhile- following Jesus & home ownership! The fool is reckless & careless (Proverbs 14:16).
These 3 principles will help you enjoy home ownership, and your home will feel like a blessing rather than a curse!
HOW TO CALCULATE YOUR NET WORTH IN MINUTES ⭐️
Many people make a large income, but have nothing to show for it. This is why net worth is a bigger gauge of wealth than income. A millionaire is defined as someone whose total assets less their total liabilities nets to more than one million dollars. Here’s how you can quickly calculate your personal net worth in minutes! #networth #investing #finance #financialliteracy #personalfinance #millionairemindset #millionairegoals #assetsoverliabilities #assets
If you’re getting married, you need a wedding planning organizer that will help you stick to your wedding budget. Planning a wedding can be stressful and expensive, but with this organizer, it’s fun & on budget! This is an editable pdf template, instantly download today by clicking the link in my profile to my Etsy shop! ❤️ #weddingbudget #budgetwedding #weddingplanner #weddingprintables #weddingonabudget #instantdownload #printables
The budget by paycheck method allows you to break your monthly budget down into smaller, more manageable chunks. If you’re paid weekly or bi-weekly, this budget method is a must! If you’re living paycheck to paycheck, this budgeting method allows you to work in real time with real dollars and break the cycle. Find this budget template in my Etsy shop: Frugalmillennialmom. Link in profile description! #budgeting #paychecktopaycheck #paycheckbudgeting #budgetplanning #budgeting101 #budgettemplate #biweeklybudget #weeklybudget #personalfinanceforwomen
🔑 Key reasons to invest in a ROTH IRA instead of a TRADITIONAL IRA.
There are other things to consider, these are just the main perks.
The biggest benefit is 𝐭𝐚𝐱-𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐭𝐡. Most people when they start investing in their 401(k) just choose traditional deferrals because it SOUNDS better, as you get to put money into the investment pre-tax! However, as the money grows in the account, it is ALL (both contributions you made & earnings/growth) taxable upon withdrawal in retirement 👎
For example, let’s say you invest $10k every year for 30 years and at retirement you end up with around $3 million.
1️⃣ If you contribute to a TRADITIONAL 401(k) or IRA:
Each year, you have the benefit of earning, then contributing, $10k to your investment without paying any tax on it. At retirement, you will pay tax on the ENTIRE $3 million, AND, even if you don’t need it, you will be required to take minimum distributions every year.
2️⃣ If you contribute to a ROTH IRA:
On the other hand, if you contribute to a Roth 401(k) or IRA, you will contribute the $10k after tax. However, at retirement, you will pay 𝐍𝐎 𝐓𝐀𝐗 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 $𝟑 𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐨𝐧.
What’s the difference here? You pay tax on $300k ($10k a year for 30 years) with the Roth, and you pay tax on $3,000,000 with the traditional, the only benefit being the 𝘥𝘦𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘳𝘢𝘭 of the tax until retirement.
✅ It’s ALMOST always better to do a Roth!
How important is time when it comes to investing and retirement planning? It’s amazing what a difference just 15 years makes! #retirementplanning #investing #investingtips #moneymanagement #retirementgoals
How many times I said we were done having kids after baby #2.... 🤷♀️💁♀️🍼👶
I’m a bad liar ;) #pregnancyannouncement #pregnancy #babybudget
Dave Ramsey’s 4 recommended types of mutual funds! We don’t invest in any single stocks, just mutual funds. Of those mutual funds, we spread our investments 25% each over 4 categories. #mutualfunds #investing #investingforbeginners
⭐️ 5 SINKING FUNDS I ALWAYS BUDGET FOR ⭐️
Sinking funds are used to save money for a specific period of time for a specific purpose. For example, if you have a vacation coming up in 8 months, and you want to have $800 saved up to spend during your trip, you would set aside $100 per month into either your normal savings account or a separate savings account at your bank. Then, when it’s time to take the trip, you can transfer it to your checking. This way, you don’t have to barely squeak by during the month you vacation!
I love using a sinking fund for Christmas gifts! This way, I have the money saved up and ready to spend. The best part? I can spend guilt-free knowing I’ve carefully planned.
What do you use sinking funds for??
#sinkingfunds #savingmoney #moneysavingtips #personalfinanceforwomen #moneysavingmom
HOW TO WORK AS A TEAM WITH YOUR SPOUSE WHEN IT COMES TO MONEY!
Let’s be honest, it doesn’t come easy. Here are 3 things you can do to work as team instead of fighting about money. #marriedfinances #moneyandmarriage #couplesbudgeting
⭐️WHERE SHOULD YOU START WITH INVESTING??
Whether you’re a beginner or more advanced, here are 3 things you should always do when investing for retirement, no matter your age! #investingtips #investing101 #investingforbeginners
Swipe right for simple budgeting tips ➡️💡 #budgetingtips #paychecktopaycheck #moneymanagement
Me & my baby girl♥️ My heart could just burst into a million pieces when I look at her 😩
What’s your biggest challenge with groceries & meal planning?
Mine used to be so much WASTE & lack of meal planning.
We would spend upwards of $500/month on groceries for two!
And guess what.... I’d end up throwing away half our fridge every couple weeks😐
𝐍𝐨𝐰 𝐈 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐝 $𝟑𝟎𝟎/𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐡, 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝟓 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐤, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐩 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐭𝐰𝐨 𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐤𝐬!
Many families spend $600+ on groceries every month‼️
A good rule of thumb is $100/person per month. We have 2 adults and 1 toddler that eats whatever I make every night, so our budget is $300/month.
Now, you might be thinking 𝘰𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵’𝘴 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘣𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘺 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘦 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘥.
Let me tell you from experience, If you aren’t keeping track, you’re probably WAY off.
Go look at your prior months bank statement.
𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘢 𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘬 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘦? 𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘮𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘥𝘪𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘥?? 𝘋𝘪𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘨𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝐝𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐮 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘥𝘪𝘥𝘯’𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘢 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘯?
These are all things that be mitigated and opportunities for you to SAVE more!
#groceries #groceryshopping #mealplanning #familymealprep #budgetmeals
💡 A few of the 𝐦𝐚𝐣𝐨𝐫 differences between a Roth and Traditional IRA (Individual Retirement Account).
We contribute to my husbands 401(k) through his work up to the employer match, then we both have our own IRA’s.
The reason we only contribute up to the match is—
1) 401 (k) plans generally don’t have as many options as you do in an IRA
2) It’s always good to diversify your investments to mitigate risk
Side note, if you are over the income limits to be able to contribute to the Roth IRA, there is a work-around, commonly referred to as the backdoor Roth, where you contribute to a traditional IRA, then 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘵 it to a Roth.
➡️ More about that on my blog!
❓do you contribute to an IRA❓❓ Drop a 🤚 below if you do!! #rothira #traditonalira #investingforbeginners #investing101
THE DEBT SNOWBALL 👊
These five steps are the exact steps we followed when we paid off over $20k of student loan debt in 12 months.
You don’t have to be a high income earner, a math geek, or even good with numbers at all. It’s a simple plan. You just have to be willing to do hard things.
All you have to do is commit to a plan, and stick with it at all costs.
Easier said then done, I know! However, I can say without a doubt that this was one of the most difficult, humbling, and rewarding experiences we have ever gone through as a couple!
When I wanted to quit, my husband encouraged me. When he wanted to quit, I encouraged him.
Many people during this pandemic have realized that they’ve been “winging it” with their finances.
That’s a fine plan when things are good, but it’s a terrible plan when things are bad. Is the pandemic your fault? Of course not! No one saw it coming. However, there are many things you’ll go through in life that aren’t your fault (and some that are), and that’s not an excuse to not be prepared!
Debt will hinder your ability to save money. It will make you a slave to the lender.
Imagine going into this pandemic having no debt. How would you feel? While you still might have some fear, it would feel pretty dang good knowing that your debts are paid and you’re not a slave to the bank!
Make this your “never again” moment!
We are having a nice, relaxing day at home after traveling ALL DAY yesterday with our two kiddos!
They did AMAZING! Kids are so resilient. The babe was easy, she slept almost the entire time both plane rides (3.5 hr flights). Our toddler was a challenge at times, but he surprised us with how well he tolerated the plane ride!
Even so, it was exhausting and we are happy to be home!😊
I hope you guys enjoyed the kickoff to my debt payoff stories blog post series, I can’t wait to share more!
Next one will be this week 🙌
If you’ve paid off debt, comment below the BIGGEST sacrifice you had to make ⬇️⬇️
Ours was putting off buying a home and we didn’t see the inside of a restaurant for a LONGGG TIME.
#personalfinanceforwomen #millennialmoney #debtpayoff
Couldn’t resist posting a picture from our hike today! 🌲 ☀️
We are having so much fun on vacation! I can’t believe it’s going by so fast😥 if you’re looking for a beautiful place to visit, I highly recommend the Oregon coast!
My parents moved from Washington state last summer to Oregon, and I’ll admit I was apprehensive at first that I would like it as much as where I grew up, but it is B E A U T I F U L⭐️
Staying on budget & having tons of fun, doesn’t get better!
#personalfinanceforwomen #millennialmoney #travelonabudget #oregoncoast
☀️ WE ARE HEADED TO THE OREGON COAST TOMORROW!!
I can’t wait to see my family ❤️ It will be Tripp’s second time to visit them in their new home state and Parker’s first time!
One of my favorite things about being debt free and budgeting is setting aside money to travel! I’m thankful we are able to get out to the west coast at least once a year.
We save for travel by setting up a sinking fund and treating it like a monthly expense— it’s a line item in our monthly budget.
This way, our vacation never follows us home. It’s paid for before we even go!
I use the EveryDollar app to track our spending while on vacation. I will typically at the end of every day (or if we are just sitting around for a while) enter all the days expenses.
It honestly takes no time, under 5 minutes for sure!
I’m excited for family, SEAFOOD, and to let the purse strings loose a little😉
‼️Disclaimer— my husband still has to remind me even on vacation.... IT👏IS👏OKAY👏TO SPEND MONEY YOU HAVE SAVED 🤪
It honestly pains me to spend money because that’s my nature, so I’m glad I have my hubby to balance me out 😅 anyone else??
Yes, we are flying with 2 under 2. Yes, I covet the prayers 😬😜
Any tips for travel are welcome below ⬇️
This is exactly how I break down our budget by paycheck every single month. By doing this, I'm able to break our budget into smaller, more manageable chunks. This really has been a game-changer in making sure that I actually stick to our budget... because let's be honest that's always the biggest struggle! ;) What questions do you have?? #budgetbypaycheck #paycheckbudget #millennialmoney #personalfinanceforwomen
A little bit about our debt payoff story and what motivated us to get out of debt! We used the dave ramsey debt snowball method to pay off all my student loan debt. Plus, three dangers to avoid regarding debt! #payoffdebt #debtsnowball #studentloandebt #daveramsey
View more
FOLLOW
ON IG