Living for today - Planning for Tomorrow
Laura Harris is a professional writer, wife, and mother of two with a background in banking. After taking Financial Peace University with her husband in 2011, they had a life-changing experience made up of everyday changes like learning to communicate about money, getting on a budget, and becoming debt-free right before having their first child. She now stays home with her children, coordinates Financial Peace
Please welcome Laura to the blog as she shares her journey toward debt freedom. My name is Laura Harris and I am a recovering sloppy spender. “Hi, Laura,” you all say. Thank you. So kind. Five years ago, I was engaged to the love of my life, wallowing in debt, embarrassed by my dwindling savings account, and anxious about our future. Twenty-two radical months later,
There have recently been some unexpected circumstances in my extended family that make me once again realize the importance of an emergency fund and also make me want to at least double the amount I currently have saved. It’s really unfortunate that over half of American’s have less than $1,000 in their bank accounts and aren’t prepared for the bad things that happen in life.
I don’t know about you but I always find it interesting to compare my spending to that of average Americans. I usually feel better knowing that I’m spending far less considering the lack of basic financial principles in the U.S. One statistic you might be surprised to learn is that the average spent on an engagement ring in 2014 was $5,855 according to The Knot.
One of my favorite things to keep my kids busy during the summer is learning activities. At ages six and seven both of my kids very much enjoy anything with an educational spin and are already missing school dearly. Because of this we now have a go-to list of frugal and free educational resources for elementary aged kids. Here are our favorites. Education.com Education.com is
I have come to terms with the fact that when it comes to the stock market I’m not an all-in kind of person. I know many people who have built their fortunes in the stock market and who have created financial independence at a young age because of their investments. So while this post isn’t meant to discourage anyone from investing their money in stocks
Organization saves me in so many ways. When I’m unorganized I can’t think clearly, things go missing and I feel like I’m living in chaos. When I choose to take a proactive approach and come up with systems, it’s unbelievable how much better I feel, how much smoother my days go and how much money I save. If you’re looking for ways to get organized
Have you ever heard of lifestyle inflation? If not, it’s the theory that as you earn more money you spend that extra money without even realizing it. You grow accustomed to having that extra cash each month and as your income goes up your lifestyle inflates accordingly. Lifestyle inflation is a real thing and it’s pretty tricky. If you’re getting ready to get a big
Overhauling your personal finances can feel pretty overwhelming, especially if you’re starting at ground zero. Luckily, you don’t have to overhaul your finances to get big, lasting changes. Here are seven small financial changes you can make that have a big impact. Tracking Your Spending Tracking your spending is the number one thing you can do to bring a better awareness to your personal finances.
Here lately my energy to work on my house has suddenly reappeared. Over the long weekend I painted two rooms and then headed upstairs to a bathroom that hasn’t been used or touched since we bought the house, right around one year ago. The changes I’ve been making lately have been super inexpensive but have made all the difference in how my house looks and
