I love a new month! Today I want to share how I start my month, both financially and personally. First, I review the previous month. I make sure that my budget is balanced with my bank accounts. I look at what was spent in each category. I do this with my husband so we are on the same page. Then I fill out a spreadsheet that tracks our monthly expenses and savings. …
Do you Spring clean? I have an analogy I want to share with you today. Cleaning and organizing your mind is similar to cleaning out your closet – you can have a lot of junk in there that needs to be questioned, organized and put in it’s rightful place, or just thrown away. Our brain is filled with thoughts – six thousand thoughts per day. Some of these thoughts serve us, but others don’t. I …
One of the things that I teach my clients is that we get to choose our thoughts. Just stop and think about that for a minute. All thoughts are optional and can be chosen on purpose. I know it doesn’t feel that way. It feels like they just happen automatically… but all thoughts can be picked deliberately. We spend countless hours researching which car or other item to buy, but no time considering which thoughts to think. I think …
Food is usually the second largest expense in a family’s budget (next to housing). That is definitely the case with our family of 8. As my husband and I were working on paying off debt, I knew that if I could save money in this category, every little bit would add up. To make buying food, menu planning, and cooking easier I devised a plan. I started to use theme nights for our dinners. One …
Planning your money in advance is the gift that gives all month long. It is definitely THE secret to success. Why is that… you might ask? Because it’s really powerful when you plan what you are going to spend on purpose, instead of spending on autopilot and following every urge and desire that comes up. This skill is so essential because it teaches us how to plan ahead, spend mindfully, and gain the confidence that …