Earn, Save, and Live Joyfully.
All the members of my family know that my husband and I own two homes. They also know that one of those homes is located in a community near the ocean. Sometimes I wish we had never told them. When money sits in the bank no one knows just how much your worth, but when … Read more
After being a stay-at-home mom and doing daycare for years, my mom eventually went to work as a secretary. She is still working, 20+ years later, because she enjoys making her own money. Because she has been on a limited income for so many years she has developed some sure fire ways to prevent impulse … Read more
As I mentioned in yesterday’s post, my relationship with money began to form at a relatively young age. Various childhood events provided me with a glimpse into my parent’s finances, and I quickly learned that my parent’s didn’t have enough money to buy everything my little heart desired. Although my parents probably wished those moments … Read more
There is no better way to tell a tale than to start at the beginning, and so to comprehend my current finances, you must first understand my relationship with money. When I think back on my life, even back to the earliest years of childhood, I have particular money memories. Even though I lived in … Read more
Lately I’ve been thinking a lot more about how much I reveal in this blog. If my family or friends read any of my posts they would immediately identify me as the author. As I continue to write I now realize that even distant friends and acquaintances might be able to piece the clues of … Read more
Yesterday’s comment by Lulu got me thinking about my family’s choice to consolidate bank accounts. When I first got married my husband and I kept separate bank accounts. I was proud of the little brokerage account I first started in college, and even prouder of the $30,000 I had accumulated from summer jobs and year … Read more
Hiding money in PayPal is easy. It’s effortless to hide money without anyone finding out about it. Paper bank statements never arrive in the mail. I don’t need to go to a bank to retrieve cash, and I can quickly move money without anyone else noticing. If you are searching for a secret bank account, … Read more
This month our net worth has finally exceeded our liabilities. Now we all now net worth is the total value of property minus debts. Net worth itself is a tricky subject, a lot of people believe a household’s primary residence should not be included in the net worth calculation. It is certainly excluded when calculating … Read more
Here are the results from the annual financial meeting my husband and I held in February: Net Worth review: Mortgage principal on primary home reduced by $11,000 Non-retirement assets increased $30,000 Retirement assets increased $61,000 Mortgage: Employer Assisted Housing Loan Paid off 10-01-2006 Pay off date: 09-01-2018 2006 Tax Return: $8,000 Money will be transferred … Read more
Here is the agenda for the annual financial meeting my nerdy husband and I undertake every February. I’ll write more about the results of this meeting tomorrow. Review Net Worth Report Review Cash Flow Report Discuss Major Expenditures Discuss Insurance (This year life insurance, last year disability insurance) Discuss Expected Tax Bill/Rebate Discuss Plan for … Read more