8 things to do with your tax refund. 

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8 things to do with your tax refund. 

Tax refunds are rolling in. With Americans getting on average more than $3,000 back this year. (Source.)

I personally am not a fan of big returns. I want to keep my money from my paycheck each month. Not give the government an interest-free loan. (Because they would charge YOU 4-7 % interest on a federal student loan!)

But if you are getting money back, why not be smart about where it goes. 

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Financially preparing for a baby

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Financially preparing for a baby

When I first found out I was pregnant with my oldest son I heard a lot of comments like "sleep while you can" or "it's going to go by so fast" or "be prepared to have no money." 

And while it is true that babyhood goes by in the blink of an eye and that sleep is a commodity more precious than coffee or chocolate, the last one I have to disagree with. 

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How we decided to prioritize our debt pay off

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How we decided to prioritize our debt pay off

As you may already know my husband and I became debt free in February of 2014. And I get a LOT of questions on how we did it. A LOT of questions. 

It's no secret that we are huge fans of Dave Ramsey. But I cannot totally say that we stuck to the baby steps 100 percent of the time. However, I just want to add the disclaimer, that I think he's right. I think his advice is spot on and he has helped millions of people. Listen to what he has to see and then apply it in a way that works in your real life. 

In fact, we were in the middle of Financial Peace University when we paid off our debt. So I know his system works. 

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5 tips to make saving money a habit

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5 tips to make saving money a habit

We are nearing the end of our No Spend Month. While we have had a few hiccups, I am pleased to say that our family not only met our savings goal for the month, we exceeded it by $200!

This has really helped motivate us as we work toward some future savings goals.

It's also been a reminder that saving money can be a habit and not a chore. It has become almost second nature to us and while we're not always perfect at it I am proud of the progress we have made.

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16 money mistakes to STOP making in 2016

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16 money mistakes to STOP making in 2016

Hang around, this year I am going to be motivating you on your own debt free journey. But first I wanted to share 16 money mistakes we ALL should stop making in 2016.

And some of these apply to me. Just because we are a frugal family who insists on paying cash for everything doesn't mean we don't make money mistakes. We do. LOTS of them. But here are 16 things I think we could all benefit from if we just stop doing them.

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How to make your first budget

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How to make your first budget

Let's be 100 percent truthful here. The word budget doesn't exactly conjure up warm and sunny thoughts. It sounds boring. There, I said it. It just sounds boring. 

I think the idea of living on a restrictive budget that is going to limit fun just makes people NOT do it. But actually a budget is freeing. 

First you have to get started. It doesn't have to be a complicated process. 

Grab a piece of paper a calculator and a pencil. 

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Where is your money going?

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Where is your money going?

Yesterday we kicked off "30 Days to Get Started." This week we are focusing on getting out of debt.  Yesterday we discussed facing your debt number head on. 

If you followed yesterday's lesson and you sat down and wrote out every piece of debt you had, that number might be a little overwhelming.

Today we are going to talk about tracking where your everyday dollars are going.

Having a list of where your money is going, of where your spending your hard earned cash, is like a black and white picture of your priorities.

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What's the very first step in getting out of debt?

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What's the very first step in getting out of debt?

I remember the day (or night actually) I got fed up and decided it was time to get out of debt once and for all. I was heavily pregnant lying in bed reading a book and I felt Ryals kick. 

Maybe it was exhaustion, maybe it was emotion, maybe it was hormones but I started weeping. I realized that if we continued in our current financial state we would always be in debt.

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