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Great conversation about best ways to tackle debt! I’d like to chime in just to mention SUM180’s approach, which is to tackle the highest-interest debt first, but also to balance this by building a savings cushion simultaneously. The two actions work together to strengthen your financial picture.

Hi Josh. I’ve seen chatter about Bitcoin but I never heard of Litecoin. I don’t know much about this topic but I’m curious about your purchase “growing.” How does that work? Is it something you “invest” in way you might invest in gold or real estate?

This is a tough one! I tend to overspend, probably, on my pets… But if I needed to cut back on costs I’d probably consider a trade with someone I trust. That’s not the easiest thing to figure out, though. Are professional people willing to trade services, does anyone know?

My sisters and I JUST had a family summit about how to handle holiday gifts this year, literally just last night! There was some back and forth, but we finally agreed to make this year a simple holiday ornament exchange. No individual gifts, with the exception of the youngest kids. It will be so much easier on the budget! And, I was surprised to…[Read more]

I think Kayla hit the nail on the head when she said “psychologically.” People are different, so the right approach for one person might not be best for someone else… Maybe the avalanche method works for someone who is motivated by the emotional boost you get from seeing momentum build? But a different type of person, more mathematical or…[Read more]

I would tell my former self to be brave about starting my own thing, and find teammates who complement my skill set and personality. Also, I would tell myself that becoming my own boss is a goal I can reach incrementally – that’s what nights and weekends are for!

This is such a great topic, Kayla! I am just now starting to think about ways to do this. Years ago, I would sometimes do side writing projects in addition to my full time job. My last project like that was creating all the copy for a friend’s website. It was a pretty big site that they were revamping, and the writing took a lot of time, but hey,…[Read more]

Love this idea! And yes, I couldn’t agree more. It’s definitely important to do that, even if it’s just for the gratification of actually reaping the rewards of what you’ve worked so hard for.

I’m such a huge Dave Ramsey fan it’s not even funny, but I can understand why you’d question this particular piece of advice. I see both sides of the issue, but I do think that psychologically there’s something to be said about paying off the smallest debt and watching as small debts get paid off and you start making progress. I don’t have much…[Read more]

You are definitely not alone! A few years back, we realized that the end-of-year birthdays, holidays, etc. were big budget busters, so we added up what we planned to spend and made that a line item for the next year. Basically, we took the total and broke it down by month and just increased our monthly savings contribution by that much. That way…[Read more]

It really adds up! I am always on the lookout for great deals and sock the gifts away in my gift closet ready for the giving. Certificates for babysitting for friends with children is always appreciated – allowing fiends a night out without the littles is priceless! Sharing a favorite book you have read along with a plate of cookies could be super…[Read more]

It really adds up! I am always on the lookout for great deals and sock the gifts away in my gift closet ready for the giving. Certificates for babysitting for friends with children is always appreciated – allowing fiends a night out without the littles is priceless! Sharing a favorite book you have read along with a plate of cookies could be super…[Read more]

I’ve never really thought of this, but I think you just gave me that encouragement I needed to pick a couple charities that I’m really passionate about and make it a point to contribute each year. Thanks for the reminder!

I have a cat, so luckily, he doesn’t really need to be walked or watched, but he does have a medical condition that costs us about $200/month and it’s really been affecting our budget. Pets are such a responsibility and yea, they can be pretty costly!

You go, girl! I think that’s super helpful! I officially started to put together my baby registry the other day and I love that now I know what I need for the baby and I can slowly start chipping away at that list.

That’s a good way to look at it! Thanks, Antoinette.