@Lisa
active 6 years, 1 month agoForum Replies Created
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I’m not much into classes, but my sister is a BIG fan – spin, Pilates, Zumba, etc etc – she has a gym setup in her home but she swears the structure and group environment of a class, and especially the variety, motivate her more than she ever could motivate herself on her own. If it works for you, it’s the kind of investment that will MORE than pay for itself in the long run! Go, you!
Wow that is really confusing. I know pet insurance companies often exclude preexisting conditions, but I’ve never heard of pet insurance excluding coverage for pets who go to work with you. That just doesn’t seem relevant… And how would they even define that, since pets often travel with you in the car, or visit offices and other homes, AND many people these days work from home, at least part time?
Maybe we’re talking about two different things – health insurance for your pet vs liability coverage related to your pet?
Hi Josh. I am learning about this process too…here’s what I know so far.
1. To qualify for a mortgage, we need at least two years’ worth of tax returns. Most of the lenders ask for three. This is to show *consistent* level of income.
2. As I’m sure you know, the “max loan we can qualify for” doesn’t necessarily equal “how much house we can afford.” I brought up the latter question in another thread in this forum, and Carla Dearing told me 2x (where x is income) is a good conservative number. She actually said “Depending on your other assets, conventional wisdom has been that it could be higher than that, like 2.5X but not more than 4X your income.” Given that I’m self-employed, though, I would rather err on the side of being conservative… So I’m planning to stick closer to 2x when the time comes.
I hope that helps some. Would love to hear what you’re learning about this process, too!
For me I think it takes a shift from thinking “saving => spending” to “saving = freedom”. I used to have the right mindset but over time I’ve fallen into the trap of focusing on what I can spend instead of on the freedom to do what really matters most to me.
Mine is similar: MINDFULNESS. I’ve been on autopilot for a long time and it’s time to be more – like you said – intentional about my choices! 🙂
I love to save money wherever possible, but when it comes to coupons, I don’t think the time and trouble is worth it. I used to clip them but when the time came, I always ended up leaving them behind or not finding the coupons I needed in my big stack of coupons! I’d rather shop somewhere that has low prices.
I’d love to know if anyone has found an app that “clips” grocery coupons for us – to use on demand!
I never heard of Raise.com before! You guys are full of good ideas. Thanks for the tip, Kelby, and thanks for asking the question, Antoinette!
Wow, Kayla, I was just talking with my sisters about doing this! They weren’t on board with the concept – it’s hard to break the shopping habit – but I think it’s a great way to save money and also be more mindful in general, and appreciate what we have.
That is great advice, Kelby. It’s so hard to say no to loved ones, even when your brain knows it is the right thing to do. I never know what to say!
I had pet insurance for a while but eventually let it lapse. The premiums were fairly low and I thought at first I was getting a deal, but turns out, the coverage wasn’t all that great. In the end it didn’t seem worth the paperwork hassle. Sorry I don’t have better news.
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.
