Because the principles behind YNAB are different than traditional budgeting, it can be a little tricky to get started. However, once you take the first steps to figure it all out, it’s a game changer for your money. Here’s exactly what you need to do to get set up and start using YNAB. It’s been […]
How I’m Simplifying My Finances This Year
Last year, my word of the year was “enough”. I was frequently able to express gratitude for the things I already owned and realize how much abundance I had in my life. Overall, I bought fewer things and saved more money. I also said, “enough” to many things that were not helping me build a better […]
What To Do Next If You’re About to Give Up On Your 2018 Money Goals
If you’ve already abandoned some of your New Year’s money resolutions, don’t despair. A whopping 80% of us give up on our goals by mid-February. So, what’s our problem?! It’s not always just a lack of motivation or focus that keep us from achieving our goals. Sometimes, it’s simply not making the right goals in […]
The Why, What and How of Filing Your Own Taxes (From a CPA!)
This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my disclosure and privacy policy here. It’s officially here: that time of year that tax nerds like myself get all geeked up for tax season. I realize though that the rest of the population may be less than excited to file their taxes. The big question you may […]
The 5 Essential Tools I Used to Increase My Net Worth by 21% in 2017
This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my disclosure and privacy policy here. 2017 was a great year for the stock market. The increase in the market helped significantly in increasing my net worth by 21% last year. However, only about half of this increase was due to market gains. The remaining amount was […]
How a Vision Board Will Help You Conquer Your 2018 Money Goals (Plus: Free Templates!)
It can be so difficult to stay focused on long-term money goals like retirement. Realistically, it can be hard enough to consistently meet short-term goals like managing cash flow on a day-to-day basis (I’m sure it’s not just me!). A visual representation of goals is the best way to keep all your objectives front and […]
You Need a Financial Plan, Not Just an Investment Plan
Today I’m guest posting over at Mustard Seed Money. I’ve included a brief snippet below, but please click over to read the whole post! Have you ever seen an absolutely amazing looking dessert that you just couldn’t wait to try but then was super disappointed when you bit into it and it tasted simply […]
8 Things to Consider Before the 2018 Tax Reform Laws Begin in January
Whether you agree or disagree with the new tax reform bill (or believe that really the only people winning are the really wealthy and tax professionals), it will be beneficial to do some tax planning before the old tax rules go away in just a few more days. Most Americans expect to have noticeably lower […]
My Checklist For Creating a Budget for The New Year
Checklists, new year resolutions, and budgets. Three of my favorite things! And today we’re bringing them all together. As a self-proclaimed money nerd, I enjoy setting up my finances for a brand new year. There’s something about being able to start all over and improve the process each time that motivates me. Regardless of whether […]
Why Your Goal For the New Year (and Every Year) Should be Financial Independence
Occasionally, I think back to the time before I had my personal finances together and I’m amazed at how much my life has improved by taking charge of my money. And I still have lots of financial goals that I haven’t yet accomplished. While there is no single number that I would pinpoint to say […]
