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Yes! I’m with you right there! The other day our A/C broke and we had to come up with $300+ to fix that…then a few weeks later, our cat’s emergency vet visit set us back another $300. Definitely stresses me out when I have to deal with these unexpected expenses during the holidays, but at least you’ve got a little emergency fund that should…[Read more]

I totally understand what you’re going through. I tend to be the one making the reservation because I want a good deal and to make sure we don’t wait until the last minute. The problem is my friends would pay me day of the event or ask if they could pay later. It’s not a problem but that means more interest I have to pay in the long run. Here’…[Read more]

Yes! I feel your pain. I’m in a crunch and in need of an increase of income. There’s no room in my budget for error or unexpected expenses. I simply have to put the things I want on hold. It doesn’t feel good to have to scale back on Christmas but I’ve already told my family that my gifts will be small this year and thankfully they underst…[Read more]

There’s some really smart advice in this thread. I admit, it’s hard for me to always do the professionally recommended thing. Carrying debt just makes me anxious, so I’d rather deal with that and feel better right now. Whereas retirement still seems years away…

This is an important topic for the holidays, with so many social occasions and so much pressure to spend more than we probably should. Not everyone in the family has the same budget, but you want to do special things together. The holidays are a huge minefield of potential money mishaps if you ask me!

I agree with you, Josh, opening a retirement account is relatively easy – finding the extra funds to contribute is the hardest part! I’m starting to think the only way to make it happen is to make the contribution happen automatically, the way regular employees have their 401k contribution taken out of their paycheck before it hits their checking account.

Personally, I think of sales as more of an entertainment. It’s the thrill of the hunt for a good bargain, not really about finding necessities at the best possible price. So I admit that to myself up front and set a fixed budget for sale shopping (retail therapy) and that helps to keep me out of serious trouble.

Hi Josh. This is a big question at this time of year, for sure. You put your finger on what makes this a headache for me, personally – I’m not necessarily the best at crunching the numbers across different discount scenarios to spot the best deal/timing.

So, my approach is to bypass the math component and ask myself: “Is this sale item something…[Read more]

Kayla, I wish I could “like” your post 50x because I would! The constant deluge of promotional emails is like browsing at foodpr0n all day when you’re TRYING to be on a diet. I have been deleting them as soon as I can in batches, but unsubscribing is better yet. Kelby – thanks for the head’s up, will check out unroll.me, too.

Wow, what I great idea. AND a big challenge I think! I would love to try this but the biggest obstacle for me would be getting everyone in the household on the same page. Even when I think I’ve prepped beforehand, at the last minute someone will always REALLY REALLY need to pick up some Italian takeout, or run out of shampoo. Maybe tougher…[Read more]

Here are some things to consider as you make your plans….

– An IRA account allows you to contribute about $5,000 per year. Most have a minimum start-up balance of about $1,000. Look for low fee funds – Vanguard is always good on that account.

– If you plan to stay self-employed for a while, maybe consider a solo 401k plan at some point.…[Read more]

Thanks, Kayla and Cara! You both bring up some really good points.

I thought I was the only one that was going insane by the sheer amount of Black Friday/Small Business Saturday/Cyber Monday emails I was receiving. Argh!!! I’ve used unroll.me in the past to unsubscribe from multiple promotional lists in one swipe. This reminds me that I might need to revisit the app.

Hi Josh! Carla Dearing has written a couple of posts on investing. I think she makes a few points that are relevant to your thread:

Investing 101: 6 simple steps to kickstart your investment portfolio

Millennials: Experiencing Bitcoin FOMO? Don’t b…[Read more]

Hi Kelby,

This is a great question! I believe the answer is, “It depends on your debt.”

– If your debt is credit card debt (usually a high interest rate, therefore very expensive over time) then you should pay off your debt first, 100% – THEN tackle saving for retirement.
– If your debt is “smart” debt (things like a car loan or a home…[Read more]

Hi Kelby,

This is a great question! I believe the answer is, “It depends on your debt.”

– If your debt is credit card debt (usually a high interest rate, therefore very expensive over time) then you should pay off your debt first, 100% – THEN tackle saving for retirement.
– If your debt is “smart” debt (things like a car loan or a home…[Read more]

An annual State of the Financial Union – what a great idea, Kayla! Check out these blog posts from Carla Dearing. I think they might be good fodder for your “financial summit” with your hubby:

6 powerful money habits to adopt before the year is over: Carla suggests setting an overall savings goal for the year, then adopting specific habits to…[Read more]

An annual State of the Financial Union – what a great idea, Kayla! Check out these blog posts from Carla Dearing. I think they might be good fodder for your “financial summit” with your hubby:

6 powerful money habits to adopt before the year is over: Carla suggests setting an overall savings goal for the year, then adopting specific habits to…[Read more]