by Kati Kiefer | Apr 3, 2020 | Budgeting
How do you go about planning for your financial future? Think back to five years ago. Are you where you wanted to be now? Do you even remember where you wanted to be five years ago? This is perhaps one of life’s hardest questions since a lot can change in just five...
by Kati | Apr 2, 2020 | Budgeting
We all know we are supposed to set goals for ourselves, but it always feels like the goals we set never seem to pan out well by the end of the year. Were these realistic goals? I have had my fair share of goal flops over the years, and I learned a secret to why I...
by Kati | Mar 19, 2020 | Budgeting
If you're looking at your list of household expenses and trying to decide what to cut, let me stop you there! You can't cut everything out of your budget, although we all wish we could at some point in our lives. This past year has been a doozy, from the water heater...
by Kati | Mar 9, 2020 | Budgeting, Meal Planning
Budget meal planning for families can be a challenge. Convenience foods loaded with empty calories and extra fats are so tempting to feed our families in the chaos of a hectic schedule. Yes, prepackaged foods are convenient, but we know deep down they are not good for...
by Kati | Mar 3, 2020 | Budgeting
You may not be thinking about buying a house for a few years, but a down payment on a house could end up being thousands of dollars. If you’ve already started thinking about saving up for a down payment, you might feel just a little overwhelmed. Unlike retirement, the...
by Kati Kiefer | Feb 25, 2020 | Budgeting
Whether you’re trying to pay off debt, or just getting your financial life in order, we all need an emergency savings fund. Emergency funds are so essential for financial stability. When the unthinkable and unexpected happens, instead of swiping your credit card and...
by Kati Kiefer | Feb 21, 2020 | Budgeting
Budgeting can seem hopeless when you're not making enough money, but that is even more reason to create one! It doesn’t matter if you’ve lost your job, you have too much debt, or you just don’t make enough money, either way, the bills still need to be paid. When there...
by Kati Kiefer | Feb 20, 2020 | Budgeting
When it comes to budgeting, it can be tough to find ways to learn how to cut expenses. Whether you’ve overspent early in the month, or you’re spending more than you’re making, it may be time to find some expenses to put on the chopping block. While some of your...
by Kati Kiefer | Feb 19, 2020 | Budgeting
Setting money goals for the year might seem simple enough, but achieving those goals isn’t as easy as it sounds. Knowing how you can stay motivated to reach your saving money goals is an essential step in actually achieving them. I struggle with remaining motivated,...
by Kati | Feb 17, 2020 | Budgeting
Financial money mistakes can easily happen to us all, even when we think we are being a smarty. While we think we are being smart with our money, sometimes all it takes is one accident and our savings are drained. Or a layoff throws everything for a loop and our...
by Kati Kiefer | Feb 16, 2020 | Budgeting
Couple goals, we've all got them includinghow to manage money as a couple. You've probably already heard the statistics about money and marriage; “more than half of marriages end in divorce because of money.” And it's nothing to scoff at because money...
by Kati Kiefer | Feb 15, 2020 | Budgeting
If you’re anything like me, then you might religiously check your budget and track your personal expenses every month so you can stay on top of things. However, staying on top of things doesn't necessarily mean you are void of having no emergency savings, a mountain...
by Kati | Feb 14, 2020 | Budgeting
It's time to set a smarter goal for your budget and your finances! Can you believe it’s already the new year?! Doesn't it seem like just yesterday we were celebrating the start of last year?! It’s time to start goal setting and making New Year’s resolutions, and that...
by Kati Kiefer | Feb 12, 2020 | Budgeting
If you are tight on money, then you are learning how to live on a tight budget. But, it's so important to put money away for savings regularly. Having money in a savings account will provide you with a cushion for emergencies and unexpected expenses that may pop up in...
by Kati Kiefer | Feb 11, 2020 | Budgeting
Did you know there are different types of budgeting? There is. And since there is no right or wrong answer when it comes to how you budget your money, neither is one type of budgeting. Some methods may work better for you than others, but as long as you are sticking...
by Kati | Feb 10, 2020 | Budgeting
It’s a new financial year and a fresh start! That can mean a new start including your finances! If your New Year’s resolution this year is to make better money management decisions or even give your finances a financial makeover, you’re in the right place! I’m going...
by Kati | Feb 9, 2020 | Budgeting
Many people are looking to improve their financial situation this year, but have no idea how on earth to achieve this goal! If you are struggling to get ahead financially, just the idea of getting control of your current financial situation can seem intense. I’m not...
by Kati Kiefer | Feb 8, 2020 | Budgeting
The cash envelope system is a spenders godsend when it comes to budgeting. This easy way of budgeting will keep you from going over budget, and help you stay accountable and on track with your budget. While using a paper envelope to keep your money in each month might...
by Kati | Feb 7, 2020 | Budgeting
Creating a budget and figuring out how to stick to a budget is by far the hardest part of gaining control of your finances. For us, we spent so much money outside of our budget that we ended up carrying balances on our credit cards. And then paying them off using next...
by Kati Kiefer | Feb 6, 2020 | Budgeting
We’ve all been there before. Your credit card statement is staring you in the face and your checking account is just cents from zero. It happens. Time to revisit the household budget. And then you get mad at yourself for allowing your finances to get in this awful...
by Kati Kiefer | Feb 6, 2020 | Budgeting
There are two types of people who want to live on $2,000 a month. There are the people who only have $2,000 a month, or there are those who want to live on less by living on $2,000 a month and saving the rest. I’ve been on both ends of the spectrum, so I know what...
by Kati Kiefer | Feb 5, 2020 | Budgeting
When creating personal budget categories for your family, most people will start by either revisiting a previous budget they put together or by making a list of all their bills to figure out where money needs to be distributed. Budgets that are created based solely on...
by Kati Kiefer | Feb 4, 2020 | Budgeting
The idea of creating and sticking to a budget probably sounds pretty straightforward when you start the budgeting process. All you have to do is make a plan for where you want your money to go and then stick to it. Sounds pretty simple, right? But you can easily make...
by Kati | Feb 3, 2020 | Budgeting, Spend Less
Everyone encounters a time when you have to use budget savers to make the money you have last until it replenishes and the budget resets. It's usually when you’ve decided not to spend any money for a short period (by doing a spending freeze), or there just isn’t...
by Kati Kiefer | Feb 2, 2020 | Budgeting
When it comes to creating a good budget, sometimes we make it harder than it has to be. Here's the thing, a good budget will not only tell your money where to go but help you stay on track, so you don’t overspend. While it is good practice to track your spending...
by Kati Kiefer | Feb 1, 2020 | Budgeting
I know what you're thinking…how to achieve big goals for your finances already seems daunting. Until this point, I had never shared my goals with you. Can you believe it? I started my frugal living journey long ago because I wanted to live a more meaningful life...
by Kati | Jan 9, 2020 | Budgeting
Do you have the keys to financial success this year? I love January because It feels like we've begun a fresh new start to the new year. As I pack up the Christmas decorations it just feels like I'm preparing to begin a new chapter and I get excited for what will...
by Kati Kiefer | Dec 11, 2019 | Budgeting
We’ve all used the excuse of “I don’t have enough money” when creating a personal finance strategy. I've been there myself, so I know where you’re coming from. It feels like no matter how much we plan there is never enough time or money to do all the things we want to...
by Kati | Jan 1, 2018 | Budgeting
Feeding an entire family isn’t always easy, and it can get so pricey that food ends up being where a good portion your monthly grocery budget goes. It definitely doesn’t have to be this way. You may not be eating like kings and queens if you reduce your meals to $500...
by Kati Kiefer | Dec 1, 2017 | Budgeting
The thrill of the new year might be starting to wear off, and now you might begin to question those SMART financial goals that you set back in January. Those extra hundreds you were putting into savings might not last much longer, and you might start to feel like the...
