THE PIGGY BANK
  • Home
  • Budgets
  • Loans
  • Net Worth
  • Personal
  • About

brain surgery & health insurance

12/7/2020

0 Comments

 
On September 14th we found out that Spencer, my husband, was having mini strokes called Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA). It occurs when part of the brain experiences a temporary lack of blood flow. The symptoms he was experiencing were numbness in his left arm and tongue and tunnel vision. As a result of the TIAs, he was diagnosed with a disease called Moyamoya Disease. Fast forward to December 4th when Spencer underwent an 8 hour brain surgery to bypass the blocked artery. I am now, as of December 7th, at home with Spencer on day 3 of recovery, Payton on day who knows of distant learning and Elliot on day 1 million of having more energy than I know what to do with.  I, myself, I am on repeat. Each day I am working to  balance it all. To be honest, it is a moment-by-moment circus in our home. One minute I am patting myself on the back and looking for someone to high-five, and the next minute, I am about to pull my hair out and want to yell. Why? Because this is all hard. It is hard to continue to be a Mortgage Advisor with excellence, keep the fridge stocked with food, meals cooked for all, house picked up, laundry cleaned and put away, dog fed, school work and Zoom calls completed, made up football plays and soccer games executed, get the advent calendar and Elfie setup for the night, and be a 24-hour nurse and caretaker for the wounded (in addition to all the other things I do on a day to day basis). It is simply a lot. I can see why, if I did not love finances, I would push them off as the one thing I did not have to focus on right now.

However, I am here to remind you that no matter what you do day in and day out, your finances are always a factor in your daily rhythm and they can never be pushed aside and focused on at a later time. What do I mean by that statement, “Your finances are always a factor in your daily rhythm!” I mean that even though you and I might feel more comfortable pushing them aside to a later date, your spending habits are not pushing pause, so you can not either.

​I have always lived by the statement money never sleeps. I have to personally inform you that this statement got real really fast for me/us when Spencer’s medical bills started rolling in. We were in such a state of survival. The doctors admitted him on the 14th of September and just started running ALL the tests. We honestly didn’t think about what it would cost. All I cared about was why he was having TIAs and what we had to do to fix it. He was discharged 72 hours later with minimal answers and the advice to go to Mayo for a specialist to review his condition. 3 days later, we arrive at Mayo and the tests start repeating themselves. $100,000 dollars later we are left with the findings that brain surgery was the only solution. Wow, was that a whirlwind… in under 7 days we had incurred $100,000 in medical expenses. What is always so shocking is not how fast we can spend money, but how LONG it takes to save money. This was a perfect example of the speed of how fast money was spent.

​After a day or two of having minor and major meltdowns, we started to explore our options. We have a high deductible HSA insurance plan through Health Partners so we knew the first round of tests would go toward our deductible. However, after those fees were tallied it was brought to our attention that Mayo was not in-network. Oh boy I thought to myself. This is going to destroy us. All the financial growth we have achieved over the last 10 years is going to vanish in a few short weeks. I was so discouraged. Out of one side of my mouth I was so grateful we have saved so well for such a time as this, but out of the other side of my mouth I was devastated. It took me a few days to calm down, but after much research, Spencer and I were able to identify that we could petition for Mayo to be in-network. We jumped through all the necessary hoops and found out by a miracle that Spencer’s care would now be considered in-network through our health insurance with Health Partners. Additionally, this means that we will be lifelong consumers of their Health Insurance. On a positive note, it means I can ignore open enrollment every year because we will never be open enrolling again. 

I get the question often about what to do for health insurance. I hear people complain that their premiums are so expensive and that they are healthy, so why do they need a big box insurance company? I hear the complaint that they don’t want to be forced to pay for health insurance, or they would rather do a non-traditional health share program. I am neither saying you should or you should not do one or the other. I am rather here to share our story. Not only was Health Partners unbelievably gracious while we went through the appeal process, but they were also very sympathetic and willing to do their best to work with us, if we were willing to work with them. 

A few of the factors that aided in the appeal going through were, that Moyamoya Disease and the specific surgery could only be done at Mayo Clinic, we have never missed a payment since being their customers, they read through our consumer notes about the positive feedback we have given based on our customer experience and we have been with them for 5 years. These actions and decisions by us may seem like little choices on the everyday, but on this day, the day that changed our life financially forever, it made a HUGE difference.

Lastly, I would like to encourage you. Do not get discouraged with the health insurance process. Each family needs to find what works best for them, but it is the heavy lifting you have to do to find the right coverage. Spencer’s appeal and Elliot’s heart surgery were financial miracles AND I worked my butt off to make sure I had exhausted every option possible to be sure we were not strapped with millions in medical debt. We consider ourselves incredibly blessed to be a family that has had 2 MAJOR surgeries and we are walking into this recovery with zero medical debt. The reason for this, we did not put off our finances. As soon as we had a second to breath, it was the first item we focused on. Please hear me, your finances matter and so does the health insurance you pick. Invest time into your overall financial portfolio or before you know it you could be turned upside down financially with zero warning. Spencer and Elliot were rare cases. Prior to their surgeries, by all tests they were both healthy.
0 Comments

Should I pay off my Student loan debt first?

2/4/2020

0 Comments

 
As many of you know I have a day job as a Mortgage Advisor. In addition to my day job, I enjoy sharing my voice in the personal and business finance space. As of lately, I have started to reflect on the question of should someone who has college debt, first pay-off all your student loan debt and then save for a home, or should you continue to pay what you can toward your student loans, and save for a home purchase at the same time. I know what you are thinking, but you are all about Dave Ramsey and Financial Freedom and eliminating debt- Amber, how is this even an option for me to consider? Let me explain:

Debt is nasty do not get me wrong. As a general rule of thumb I would say, get rid of your debt as fast as you can. However, there are different types of debt, we as consumers, have access to in our economy. There are three types of debt; secured, unsecured and mortgage debt. An easier way to understand these debt categories is by considering the types of debt you may have in your name. Education Debt, Consumer Debt, and Equity Building Debt.

Education Debt: This debt is what the name says, it is debt that is linked to your educational journey. This could be debt that is secured or unsecured, but it is linked to provide funds for your education.

Consumer Debt: This debt is tied to a product or service that you used credit to complete the purchase This could be purchases you made on your Credit Cards, or an auto loan.

Equity Building Debt: This is debt that is taken out in your name that has the ultimate goal of building equity. There are two ways this can build equity for you, the first way is the portion of the payment that is the principle payment. These funds go to pay down the loan principle that ultimately will be available to you should the asset maintain or gain in value. The second way is if there is a growth in appreciation. If the asset the debt is tied to grows in value you can recoup this equity in the form of cash.

Now that you know the foundation of the types of debt that are accessible in our economic system. It is time for us to address the main question. Should you first pay off your debt and then save, or pay off as you can and save at the same time. According to Experian, an industry leading credit reporting agency, states "the total amount of outstanding student loan debts have reached an all-time high of 1.41 trillion. "This is a combination of 44 million borrowers, which is 69% of all students"-cnbc.com. That is a lot of people living with educational debt. In conjunction to the debt load of these students, the average annual salaries for students who graduate from a 2 year education is $41,528 and a 4 year is $47,393 in their first year of employment post graduation, according to Minnesota Office of Higher Education.

Let me break down these stats a bit further for you. If the average graduating student has $32,000 in their name with an average of 4.53% interest rate on those loans then the student has a minimum payment of $332/month to just pay the interest on this debt. With the average income being $44,000 in MN that equals ~$3,705 gross income per month.

Fast forward, to the day that the $32,000 or $64,000 total debt for a married couple is paid off by the time you are 32 years old and their income has grown 3% over the 5 years post graduation. This would convert their $44,000 each into now combined they are making ~$100,000 annually. There is now less debt and greater income for their future home purchase. However, they are now 32 years old, have zero debt, but they also do not have liquid cash for a down payment.

So what would I do with my, hypothetical student loan debt, if I was faced with these statistics? I would do the following three steps:

Step 1-Evaluate ones heart posture toward money: This is KEY! Our heart posture toward money and money management is key. If I had debt that is on a credit card, I would NOT consider the option of looking to purchase a home while still having student loan debt. However, if I only had a minimal car payment or better yet, no car payment at all and student loan debt I would then consider my options of not paying it all off yet. The reason I would look into this option, based on my heart posture, is because I know I would have the ability to maintain a healthy money-debt relationship with a new equity building debt.

Step 2-Evaluate the current market: At the time of writing this post, interest rates are almost at the lowest they have been since 2016. In addition, home values are still considered affordable compared to other states, which makes renting and owning a comparable price. With these two factors being as they are, buying now could be a great option for me considering my heart posture. In addition to the current market, the current 'First Time Home-buyer benefits' can have factors that require the qualified borrowers to have a median income that is less than or equal to the programs median income. These programs can help with getting a great interest rate.

Step 3-Evaluate my budget and how I am saving: Reviewing my hypothetical budget given the above statistics - Income of $3,000 monthly net minus $1500 for rent, $333 interest toward student loans, $250 groceries, $200 misc/lifestyle, $100 auto loan, $150 utilities, $200 for 3-6 months saving, $200 bonus toward student loans. $150 auto insurance & misc. This would allow me to still save, pay down my loans and live comfortably. Of course double these if you are married and have joint income.

If I was to wait until my debt was paid off and the average income I am making pushed me outside the 'first time home-buyer' programs available. If this were to happen, I might end up with a higher interest rate on my 30 year home mortgage than the average amount I was paying on my loans, which would be a net negative benefit for my net worth. Rates are good right now allowing one to possibly have a net gain as they prioritize their spending. However, they might not always be this good. If you are contemplating buying now or continuing to pay off your loans. I would recommend you going through the Evaluation Steps above to determine if purchasing while moderately paying off your loans is an option that fits your financial story best. However, if you can not honestly trust yourself with Step #1, this will not be a wise decision for you.
0 Comments

Contentment

9/11/2019

0 Comments

 
Lately, Payton has been extra expressive about her wants. She notices what others have and does not shy away from saying, "Ugh, I want what they have...why don't we have that?" These comments cause me to cringe quite a bit because I know we have more than we deserve and our kids are extremely blessed. I feel like I have margin to learn how to better communicate what it means to appreciate what others have, while not forgetting the extravagance of all we already have. It could just be me, but I feel as a society we have margin to learn this concept. I do not feel like it is just a 7 year old topic of discussion, rather a societal conversation. What I am learning is that society grooms our minds to believe we need to have a consumer mindset. One that encourages discontentment and discourages thankfulness and patience. The first step, I believe to not engaging with this mindset, is to notice when we are discontent or laking thankfulness. Step two is naming the discontentment or comparison and then, lastly checking our hearts and the source of the discontentment. 

Discontentment is an active voice in our everyday lives because of the constant data exposure we have fueling our minds both consciously and subconsciously. I have decided to make it an objective of my everyday to counteract these voices with a voice of thankfulness. This has been challenging because it means I have to notice when to speak it, believe what I am speaking and then speak it out in humility. This is no easy task, however I am motivated to do it, because I am really unmotivated by the repetition of Payton's inquires. 

In addition to noticing and naming the spaces of discontentment we have in our lives. It has also been healthy for our family to discuss our financial goals and how we are going to accomplish them. Another comment Payton defaults to when she is trying to gain our attention and we have stepped away for a quick phone call is, "You are ALWAYS working!" Although, she feels in that moment that we are ALWAYS working this is an exaggeration. Spencer and I have the privilege to flex our schedules and often work from home. Although he puts in more than 40 hrs a week, the hours are very flexible and unconventional. We are both home, present and actively engaging together, with the kids. With that being said, we have had to be clear on when it is work time, and when it is play time. This has been an adjustment, but having the kids around us while we work and setting healthy boundaries has helped our kids understand hard work=money which=security, adventure and opportunities. It also allows us to teach them to be thankful for the flexibility we have.

One of our 2019 goals for our family was to find a family activity that we all could enjoy together that was outside the home and one that could grow with us. I was blessed with a family growing up that taught me a lot through experiences and I desire the same for our family. After several months of brainstorming ideas, we landed on purchasing a family JetSki. We live within 3-10 miles of 4 great fishing, tubing and cruising lakes and the size of a JetSki seemed very practical for our wants. After intensive research we found the ideal JetSki to fit our families goals. Although, we started discussing this purchase in March we were patient until we found the best option for us. Before we purchased we; saved up the cash for the purchase, found an incredible deal on the purchase, had reviewed the pros and cons of the purchase, and had an exit strategy incase the purchase was not the best for our family.

This purchase was a teaching opportunity for our children and for us. We all needed to be patient and content. We all  had several conversations about the JetSki. They knew we were actively pursuing it, they came with us to look at it in person, they sat on it, pretended they were riding it. They reviewed For Sale classifieds for options. They knew that hard work and constant savings was going to result in accomplishing our goal. Teaching that it is best to be content with what we have and that our approach is the best approach for our family is a VERY hard discipline to teach, but I am thankful this is the approach we use because the gratitude of Payton and Elliot after their first ride was priceless.



0 Comments

100% Commission family

5/3/2019

0 Comments

 
Wait, both of you are in 100% commission jobs? Is that hard? How do you do it? These questions I have received from acquaintances who find out for the first time I am a Loan Officer and Spencer is a Real Estate Agent. Honestly, it is not a concept I think much about, or consider it a challenge because it is all I know. I grew up in an entrepreneurial family. My parents owned a Landscaping Company, which meant we were also 100% commission. Growing up there were a lot of discussions around finances. My parents made it very clear, if we do not have the cash, we would not be getting x y or z. My parents were and still are very wise with their money. With confidence I can say, my knowledge of money started at a very young age observing their financial behaviors. In my life, it is true that what I witnessed was what I became.

Today Spencer and I are living a life that is dependent not on punching a clock, but on our own aspirations. We wake up each day, wondering where our next lead will come from. There is no guarantee and there is no magic ball we can rub that will tell us when our next bonus will be granted. This is what being an entrepreneur is. It is a lot of not knowing! However, there may not be a lot of knowing, but there also is a lot of flexibility and personal voice.

This morning, while Spencer was prepping Payton's school lunch and I was struggling to open my eyes and drink my morning coffee. I muffled, "Babe, whats your schedule today?" With a quick reply he said, "I am going to take the morning and be home with you and Elliot. I have been gone so much this week, I think it will be a good idea!" I was ecstatic, although I kept my cool and simply responded, "oh that is great, but are you sure we are okay?" Being 100% commission takes teamwork and self-discipline. I am constantly checking in with Spencer with the key question, "Are you sure?" His responses are always so comforting. There has not been one day in our 7 years of Real Estate that his answer has been anything but, "Yes, Babe, I am sure!"


Is it hard? ABSOLUTELY-I would be joking if I told you that being an entrepreneur was easy. 7 years ago when Spencer left his 9-5 job as an athletic recruiter we had no idea what we were getting ourselves into. Not only was he stepping into Real Estate, which is a difficult market to break into, but he was doing it with a pregnant wife by his side. We had a crazy amount of support, but much of me thought, these people have got to be crazy. Are they aware that I am going to have a baby in a few months, and he has NEVER DONE THIS BEFORE! It was not like he was going to sell golf clubs, these are houses. But, we did it and here we are 7 years later and we made it. Actually, we did not just make it. We have flourished. Being an entrepreneur has been one of the most challenging opportunities, but also one of the greatest blessing for our family.

How have we done it? Here are few quick tips on how we manage to survive on a 100% commission income:

CLOSE THEN CASH
We do not spend our money until it is deposited in our bank account. This is a huge one. In Real Estate and Lending our deals are never final until our checks are processed after closing. This is a tough one to get use to with the ease of credit cards. However, I believe it is a key mindset to build from. No money is spent on a today purchase with money from tomorrow.

BOUNDARIES
We talk a lot about where we are at with our personal and business boundaries. We review our pipeline and cross reference our capacity on a weekly basis. I am fairly tolerant of the exceptional adjustment to our boundaries, but rarely do we go outside of them. A few of our boundaries are built around our cash reserves, our family time, cell phone use and childcare needs.

CLIENTS OVER PRODUCT
We prioritize our relationships over our commissions. We know that our industries are popular industries. It is accurate that everyone knows someone who is either a Realtor or a Lender. However, we have found that being friends and supporting our community as if we worked a 9-5 job is a winning approach. We prefer to have authentic relationships instead of sales relationships. Approaching our industries with the mindset of people over product has helped us stay focused on why we do what we do. It is about our clients, not about the commissions we earn from their transactions, It is a mindset that has allowed us to succeed as a 100% commission family.
0 Comments

Your return is an interest fRee loan to the Government: What to do to avoid it for 2019

2/28/2019

0 Comments

 

I know, I know you all want your tax return because you deserve it. What if I was here to tell you I thought that was not a statement of the wise? Did you know that your tax return that you receive back from the Government is money that you could have kept in your pocket?

Here is the deal, I am going to let you in on a little secret, the Government does not want you to know. Your dollars you earn through out the year and then get back in your tax return is you actually giving a small interest free loan to the Government. Once your paycheck has the deductions taken out of it, they shuffle the funds around for their use and then they decide, based on a tax code what portion to refund to you after you file your taxes.

It is not a sobering thought to consider, I know. However, you have options:


HIRE A PROFESSIONAL 
  • ​Having a team on your side who can help you navigate your withholdings if you are a W2 employee. Or your estimated tax payments if you are a business owner is your number one weapon.
  • These professionals know the tax code and can leverage your financial data to adjust the amount you pay into the Government throughout the year based on your earnings and previous deposits
  • ​Trust me, there is wisdom and wealth found in hiring professionals. Yes they cost money. Like all things in life, it costs money to utilize someones professional knowledge. With easy access to online resources like TurboTax and H&R Bock it is tempting to file your returns on your own. It is easy and convenient, but it likely is not as affordable as you think. Unless your return has zero anomalies that make your financial situation unique than utilizing an online software or personal who does tax preparation will do. If you have a small factor that makes you unique I believe utilizing a professional who knows tax law is your best option. A good CPA will pay for themselves in the money they are able to save you on your return.

REVIEW YOUR PAYCHECK
  • Do you remember the documents you filled out when you were first hired at your place of employment? The document that you cringed to fill out because you had no idea what number to put in the box? Yes the one that you elected your withholdings, your W4. Schedule a time, as soon as you finish this post to meet with your Human Resources Director. Review the number you placed on your form and bring that number to your CPA and CFP. They will guide you and educate you on what number you should adjust it to.
  • With the new tax code you could be over withholding or under withholding for 2019. You will understand the impact of your withholdings when you file your taxes this year. 
  • Additionally, while you are reviewing your withholdings. Discuss with your HR Director what employee benefits your company offers and if you are choosing to leverage them all. You would be surprised how many employee benefits are left unused based on the employees lack of education. If you are not taking advantage of the Retirement Match, make it a priority for 2019.
www.irs.gov/individuals/employees/tax-withholding

Be an advocate for your financial story. You are the author. If you are frustrated with the outcome of this years tax return, or the outcome is a shock to you. It likely means you are uneducated about your financials in some capacity. Get in the know by hiring professionals who can help educate you and prepare. You need to be your own advocate and pursue your own destiny. Wealth with not happen to you. You need to strategically pursue it.
0 Comments

Payment Adjustments

12/19/2018

1 Comment

 
REVIEWING BILLS
I received our new Health Insurance Premium statement today and for the first time in 3 years our premium went down by $82 dollars! On the year that is just under $1000. If I were to invest that $1000 into a low yield investment account at 5.2% return for 35 years. My $1000 would be just under $6000 dollars. Yes, $82 a month does not seem like a lot, but when recognized over a large duration of time, $6000 to me is worth celebrating. If I choose not to invest the $82, this increased cash flow for our monthly budget now allows for Payton and Elliot to do a few more outings to the local Community Center, or enroll in a soccer camp. I like to celebrate anytime I am able to see a savings in our budget and receive the for the same quality of service.

SUBSCRIPTION AUDIT
Not only do I review our Health Insurance Premiums, but once a year I will go through our reoccurring subscriptions and determine if they are still necessary for our family. This year here are a few that I reviewed and how I determined if they were worth keeping or canceling.
  • YouTube Music:
    • ​Do we listen multiple times a week? Could we utilize a free music streaming service for the music we enjoy?
  • Amazon Prime:
    • ​Do we order enough to make the $99 dollar fee worth the free shipping? Does having Amazon Prime cause us to order more than we need?
  • Google Drive Storage:
    • ​Did we just upgrade because we have not had time to clear off our unwanted videos and photos? Could we use an external hard drive to save on GB storage?
​Although, we determined to maintain theses subscriptions for 2019, we did decide to eliminate a few others. We canceled a $50 donation we had been giving to an organization we are no longer connected to. Additionally, we canceled our cable due to having Amazon Prime Video, Netflix and Apple TV. This saved us an additional $65 per month. 

At the conclusion of my bill pay and subscription audit I was able to save us just under $200 dollars in cash flow per month. I have not determined yet where I will allocate this extra cash, but I am excited to see the new opportunities we will have going into 2019.
1 Comment

Year End Planning

12/18/2018

1 Comment

 
Can you believe we are under two weeks until the new year? I can remember sitting down with Spencer creating a check list of all the goals we had for 2018. Now I am looking at the check list and am astonished at how fast the year has gone. I can confirm the older I get the faster the years go by, anyone know how to slow down time? As I look back on the year I am reminded of how much I enjoy setting annual goals. It helps me to organize my WHY. A few of our 2018 goals were:
  • Payton to learn to read and ride a bike without training wheels
  • Elliot to be potty trained
  • Amber to become a Licensed Loan Originator
  • Increase savings by 10% of net worth
  • 5 personal development books 
These goals were ones we as a family put together. We believe that our kids should be involved in our goal setting. We want to be sure they catch our WHY. Although, all of these goals were HUGE for our family, the potty training was our top highlight. I am so grateful we are out of the diaper stage...saving money am I right! No more last minute, oh no-we are out of diapers!

The second goal that had the greatest impact on our family was my job transition. When I set my goal to become a Licensed Loan Originator it was because I knew I could leverage my knowledge to benefit everyday consumers with one of the largest decisions in their lives. Our kids caught my WHY. They were the sweetest, they would ask while I was studying, "Mommy, when will you give money to people for their houses?" They understood all the hard work and adjustments we were going through had a purpose. Although, I know they do not fully understand what I do, I know they know my love for what I do. My WHY has always been to bridge the gap between financial fear and financial knowledge. Yes, there is a lot to know about finances, but that does not mean that fear has to be part of the learning.

For 2019, I have a goal to help 24 everyday consumers understand their financial situation from a holistic approach and to see one of their goals become a reality. I believe that finances are part of our everyday life and our everyday decisions are shaped by how we view and handle our finances. If you are setting a goal in 2019 to purchase a home, refinance an existing property or increase your investment portfolio. I would love the chance to journey with you through the process. 
1 Comment

before you swipe, slide or click

11/15/2018

0 Comments

 
Who is with me, financially waiting is hard? It is unlike any other waiting. We wait for our pizza to cook, or our airplane to depart, but waiting to spend money is different.
 

Why? Because society has allowed us to access Debt. If we don’t want to, we don’t have to wait.

I am not here to tell you to run from Debt, but rather for you to pause and ask yourself these 4 questions before you swipe, slide or click for your next purchase: 

AM I BEING PATIENT:
  • The average credit card swipe ends up costing you $22,000 by the time you pay it off. Now I get this is a confusing concept, but think about it. Each time you swipe you are stacking more on top of that one purchase. You are extending the time it will take you to pay off that one specific purchase. If you do not pay off your purchases when they happen they will continue to get stuffed deeper and deeper down in the list of purchases paid for. Think of it like your dirty laundry. The more clothes you wear the further your favorite shirt is from the top of the hamper. It takes multiple loads of laundry before you ever reach that favorite shirt again. However, if you would have washed the shirt at the end of the week when it was worn you would guarantee having a clean shirt for the following week. Your charges to your credit card are the same way. Addressing the expense immediately has a better likelihood of it being paid for then it being delayed and hidden by more and more transactions.

IS THIS AN EMOTIONAL DECISION:
  • Buying stuff makes me feel good. I am not sure about you, but I just caught myself thinking...buying a new shirt would really make me FEEL good for our night out. What why does that happen? Money has a powerful influence on the chemistry in our brain. When we swipe, sign and click our brains release endorphins. Our bodies crave endorphins, it is our feel good hormones. When it comes to purchases and utilizing debt it makes this feel good hormone release possible. I know for me the convenience of online shopping has made this super easy. However, it is not healthy. I have set the boundary that I am not allowed to online shop unless I have pre-planned exactly what I am shopping for. I also do my best to not shop when I am tired, distracted or unhappy. These emotions seem to be an instant vacuum for me to make emotional purchases

AM I JUSTIFYING:
  • ​Sometimes I find myself talking with my Husband about a purchase I want to make, but instead of informing him, I end up defending my case. Not because he is against the purchase, but because I am feeling guilty that I am even considering the purchase. I have started to Notice and Name this habit. If I find myself doing this, I know instantly my heart and mind behind the purchase is not healthy. 

WILL I BE PROUD TOMORROW:
  • This is a big one for me. I have learned to delay purchases. I know that there will always be another deal. I try really hard not to make purchases under impulse. I really love the phrase, "lets sleep on it." If I still want it in the morning, then I know it is likely the right purchase. If I have any reservation then I know it is not right for us. In Target, I will walk around the whole store only to keep an item in my cart while I wrestle with the purchase in my mind. Yesterday, I had a pair of shoes for my daughter in my cart for a lap around Target only to return the shoes back to its shelf because it did not make sense to buy it. Considering your purchase takes energy, but it is a critical piece of awareness that is needed when seeking financial health.
In our home @shuttoncwreg and I use these four questions when we sort through if and when we will swipe, slide or click on a purchase.
0 Comments

    Author

    "Creating a budget has been the greatest tool in our marriage!"-Amber

As seen in
Picture
Picture
Proudly powered by Weebly
  • Home
  • Budgets
  • Loans
  • Net Worth
  • Personal
  • About