Tag: budget

Family, Finances, For the Love of Family

Showing Love and Appreciation for Valentine’s Day

February. The month we celebrate Valentine’s Day and the month we get to celcbrate love and show appreciation for the people in our lives. Admittedly, this is my favorite holiday. For me, it isn’t an overly assumptive romantic holiday, but a holiday to celebrate others by showing love and appreciation. Here are my top ideas for budget-friendly Valentine’s celebration: For your spouse or special friend: Cook their favorite dinner at home. Light some candles. Play favorite memory tunes. Write a love letter. Spray perfume on the envelope. Write a message on the mirror (use lipstick or dry-erase markers) Using kid-friendly […]

Finances

How Sinking Funds Help Control Your Money

A sinking fund is a strategic way to save money for a specific purchase by setting aside a little bit each month. I love sinking funds. Sinking funds give me a sense of security over and beyond my emergency fund. A sinking fund is a barrier to protect your emergency fund from known, yet sometimes unexpected (due to timing) expenses. For example, we know appliances and tires need to be replaced, yet need to be replaced at the most inconvenient time. Why inconvenient? Because we had not prepared and had other priorities. After you have created a steady habit of monthly […]

Finances, Food, For the Love of Family

No Check-Out Required

Today, in Seattle, the Amazon Go store will open its doors. This newest endeavor in shopping experiences is highly technical, easy and convenient. You enter the store, pick up what you need, and exit, without interacting with the cash register or entering the checkout line. It sounds intriguing. It sounds different. It sounds impossible. Yet, like many other things in our lives today, technology makes almost anything possible and is changing how we live, and especially how we shop. There are many opinions, discussions, debates about Amazon Go. Yet, regardless whether we agree or disagree with the concept of Amazon […]

Finances, For the Love of Family

What is an Emergency? Four ways to define the REAL thing.

A big side benefit of my husband working in home remodel and construction business, is being the benefactors of items others throw away – sinks, dishwashers, etc. Mind you, these things are not thrown away because they don’t work, or are old, but because they don’t fit the new décor. We (Gary and I) are okay with old décor; family members – not so much. One of our sons asked, “can’t we ever buy something new?” The answer? “Apparently not”, but I digress… This is our current dishwasher – new to us about ten years ago, and it is time […]

Finances, For the Love of Family

Money in the Bank – without a raise!

Gas prices have dropped significantly. If there isn’t a plan in place for your extra dollars, the money is spent unconsciously. Typically, our living expenses meet and/or exceed our income – UNLESS you have a plan. According to some reports, enough to save the average driver $50/month. According to CNN Money, the average gas price in October was $2.31, down from $3.27 earlier in 2015, saving Americans an average $1 per day or $365 per year. As of this weekend, the average price in Denver was about $1.77. Predictions are steady that gas prices will continue to stay down through […]