Jan 4, 2018 | Family, Goal Setting/Planning
It is 2018 and it is snowing in Savannah (a rarity)! It is during this season, however, where we set our goals for the year as a means to help in decision making and to aid in ensuring we are getting things accomplished as a family and individually. Why is it important to set individual as well as family goals? According to a specialist from Consumer and Family Economics of University of Missouri Extension setting family goals aids in building stronger families. “Goals strengthen the family’s ability to function and live their dreams” as well as provides guidance, aids in better communication and helps individual family members take greater control of their circumstances (http://extension.missouri.edu/bsf/goals/).
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We want to be very intentional in our faith, family and finances and the best way to be intentional is to PLAN IT. Success does not just happen; it has be planned. So with God, good intentions and a plan in place, here are the 5 Steps We Implement to Set & Execute Goals Each Year!
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Oct 20, 2017 | Family
We are nearing the holiday season and I have so many memories of setting the table for Thanksgiving, searching the house with my sibling to determine where our parents hid the Christmas gifts, and watching “It’s A Wonderful Life” to jump-start the holiday season. Setting traditions are a vital because it “creates family bonds, provides a source of identity, teaches values, connects multiple generations, passes on cultural or religious heritage and creates memories for your children” (Passing on Family Traditions). With the the “busyness of life”, however, it can sometimes be a little difficult to become intentional about creating memories. What’s interesting is whether we are intentional or not, we are leaving something to our children. The question is “What Are We Leaving?” Are we being intentional in creating healthy family traditions? Are we being intentional in showing our faith walk? And are we being intentional in breaking bad money habits and showing our kids how to build wealth.
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At times, all of this can be overwhelming, but I am learning not only to pass on our faith, family and financial legacies, but to build upon it and ensure our children are in a better position in each area of their lives. So, here are 14 ways to leave a legacy to our children.
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Aug 3, 2017 | Family
Today is one of the best days of the year…THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL! Although I have thoroughly enjoyed spending time with my boys this summer, I am ever so grateful for the wonderful teachers and staff who will educate my children seven hours a day for the next 9.5 months. Yeah, Teachers!
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But with all the shopping for school supplies, getting fit for new shoes and haircuts, I will say I am a little anxious of what the new school year will hold.
Will the boys have good teachers?
What friends will they have?
Will they be leaders and not followers?
Will they make high honor roll?
After a bit of worry and anxiousness, I remembered a quote by Mark Batterson, “Work like it all depends on you and pray like it all depends on God.” And that is all I can do as a parent—train them to be the best little people they can be and pray they grow up being God-fearing, responsible, purpose-driven men. Until then, it is me and my husband’s responsibility to ensure we do everything in our power for them grow up to be and do just that!
So, in our quest to have another successful school year, here’s four things we are doing (and you can do too) to make it a great one!
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Jul 9, 2017 | Family
Yesterday my husband and I celebrated 12 years of marriage which is a feat considering the times we live in. But I began reminiscing over “married life” and how various money “matters” affected our marriage.
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From having enough just for the two of us, to working hard to pay off everything to purchase a home. From having to buy “new” furniture to fill the home, to creating a new credit card bill after just paying all of them off to buy the home. From coming home to work as a part-time contractor after giving birth to our 2lb 15 oz, 29 week preemie, to finding out when he was 7 months old that we are expecting another little one while living off one and a half of a salary. To having medical bills, more baby bills, daycare, credit cards, new car note, and having a third child, there were many of days where we (or at least I) did not know how we would make it. But 12 years in, I can say “We Made It”. We made it with the fall outs, temper tantrums, and “Why Me?” (and mind you, I am talking about myself and not the kids, lol). Was it hard? Yes! Is it hard? Yes. But throughout these 12 years, no matter what “matters” have come into play concerning our money, looking back, it only made our marriage stronger.
Here’s some of a few lessons we learned about money in our marriage:
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May 6, 2017 | Family
THIS PAGE MAY CONTAIN AFFILIATE LINKS. PLEASE READ MY DISCLOSURE FOR MORE INFO.
It does not matter if you are a “working mom”, a “stay-at-home mom” or even a “homeschool mom”, if the word “mom” is used to describe one of your many roles within your family, “busy” should always preface the word “mom” in any sentence.
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From dropping off kids at school, to picking up kids from swim practice; from searching Pinterest for new recipes to ending up making the same quick pot of spaghetti you made last week; we are always “ripping and running” from here to there hoping and praying that our next vacation day would hurry up and get here.
After reading many articles about “busy families” and the stress of it all, I have begun my quest to slow down so I can enjoy life. I want to be able to look back and have beautiful memories of spending “quality” time with my family and not have to reminisce on how stressed out I was to get my boys to football practice, swimming lessons or tutorials. In my search for apps and tools to make my life easier and simpler, I have found five that can help save time, money or both.
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May 2, 2017 | Family
THIS PAGE MAY CONTAIN AFFILIATE LINKS. PLEASE READ MY DISCLOSURE FOR MORE INFO.
The day is drawing near when we honor the women who nurtured us, fed us, worked us, encouraged us, spanked us, yelled at us, believed in us, prayed for us and most importantly, loved us. Although I am a firm believer that we should not just honor the special people in our lives on one particular day… birthdays, Christmas, Mother and Father’s Day, but EVERY DAY! However, most women can attest that their significant other should not walk into the house without having a birthday gift, Christmas gift or Mother’s Day…EVER! Yes, we should honor each other every day, but please do not forget birthdays, anniversaries, Christmas or Mother’s Day.
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Since our family is on a quest to Getting Out Of Debt, finding creative or inexpensive ways to show our love has been a goal. Although this can be a little challenging, knowing your spouse has gone out of his/her way to show their love for you in the form of a gift or even cash (I will take both…lol) helps to confirm their appreciation for you.
So, here are some inexpensive Mother’s Day gifts to buy for your mom (ladies) or your wife (men)…and they are all under $50. Note, all of these gifts can be purchased on Amazon, my favorite online site. And men, if you have waited to the last minute to purchase a Mother’s Day gift, ensure you have Amazon Prime which allows you to make purchases and receive them in two-days for FREE (my favorite word). Amazon Prime costs $100/year and it is so worth it. Not only do you get free 2-day shipping, but free movies, free music, free books, free shows, and a ton of free stuff…I love Amazon Prime!
So here are my suggested Mother’s Day Gifts you can purchase on Amazon today!
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