Taxes: 4 Ways to Prepare

I don’t know about you but this year feels like the longest year ever. However, I realized the other day just how quickly tax season is approaching.

During tax season I meet all types of personalities and I really love that about my job. No one has the same situation and every person’s financial circumstances are unique. One thing that I notice each year is that the people who believe they might owe end up filing in April and the ones who think they will receive a refund want to book with me the first week of January. In my opinion, it would be smarter to prepare taxes regardless if you owe or not at the beginning of the year just so you have more time to save money if you do owe. Here are 4 ways to prepare for filing your taxes so you have a better chance of getting them prepared sooner rather than later. 

#1 Get Organized

It is in your best interest to get organized and stay that way all year long so you don’t have to take the time to prepare your documents each tax season in a rush. If all of your documents are scattered throughout your house you will most likely put off getting them prepared. Instead of procrastinating, start by getting organized TODAY. Get all of your receipts together, tally up your mileage, and put everything in a folder specifically for documents you may need for taxes.

#2 Decide Where You Want to File

You have so many options. Do you want to use a free option like TurboTax? Do you think you need a CPA this year? If you started a side hustle over this pandemic you might want to seek the guidance of a professional. Maybe nothing has changed and you don’t have any new streams of income, filing through TurboTax could definitely save you time and money. If you choose to file through TurboTax you will need to make sure you aren’t missing anything before you do so. Nothing is worse than receiving a letter from the IRS stating you missed something and need to file an amendment. 

#3 Set Up a Reminder

After you have gotten everything organized and you have decided where you are going to get your taxes prepared you need to set up a reminder for when you want to file. If you are doing them yourself, I would schedule a few hours depending on the complexity of your situation and knock it out. You will also need to make sure you order any online software you need in order to file.

Don’t Wait!

If you are going with a CPA or Certified Tax Preparer, put a reminder on your phone or calendar to set up your tax appointment. I have a “Tax Appointment Checklist” that I send to my clients right after they book with me so they feel more prepared for their appointment when they come in. Make sure you know exactly what you need to bring so you’re not scrambling around last minute.

#4 Plan Out Your Refund (or Repayment)

If you are receiving a refund, you should be really specific as to where this money is going to go. Most people who are receiving a tax refund blow it and make it rain when they should be putting it towards their goals. This is a great opportunity to pay towards your debt as well.

Don’t Wait!

If you end up owing, hopefully you had them prepared well before April 15th so you have time to gather the funds if you haven’t been saving for this instance. If you waited until April 14th and you owe, I would recommend filing an Installment Agreement with Federal to buy yourself some time and set up a payment arrangement until you can pay in full. There are interest and penalties if you go that route. Bottom line, file sooner rather than later and you won’t be stressing over it.

Filing for taxes can be a breeze if you prepare early enough. Follow the tips above to ensure smooth sailing this upcoming tax season.

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Financial Discipline

The Reason for Financial Problems

The primary reason for financial problems in life is lack of self discipline, self mastery, and self control. It is the inability to delay gratification in the short term. It is the tendency for people to spend everything they earn. Today, the savings rate in America is too low to achieve financial independence. After a lifetime of work, the average American family has a 200 net worth of only about $8,000. People continue to spend and borrow as if theres no tomorrow.

The lack of self discipline and the inability to delay gratification is a weakness in character. This is prevalent among the majority of adults in society today. It goes back to early childhood and the fact that when you were a child and you received money, the first thing you thought of doing was to spend that money on candy or something you wanted. Did you have anyone telling you a better idea was to save it?

Spending Makes You Happy

As you grew older, you developed what psychologists call a “conditioned response” to receiving money from any source. When you receive money, you mentally salivate at the thought of spending this money on something that makes you happy, at least temporarily. When you become an adult and you earn or receive money, this automatic reaction continues. It is very common for many people, when they are feeling unhappy or frustrated for any reason, to go shopping whether online or in a store. People unconsciously associate buying something with being happy. I used to do this very thing to generate temporary pleasure.

Rewire Your Way of Thinking

Shift your thinking from, spending equals happiness to happiness is saving and investing. This is changing your money mindset and creating the starting point for eliminating your financial problems and making room for financial freedom. Self discipline is a must when saving for your future and trying to reach financial independence. When you begin thinking this way, something amazing starts to happen. You start to feel happy about the idea of having money in the bank. I used to hate looking at my bank account but now I am excited to check it every day.

Money being in your bank account is emotionalized by your own thoughts and feelings. It sets up a force field of energy that begins to attract more money into it. It takes money to make money. As you begin to save and accumulate money, the universe begins to direct more and more money towards you, to save and accumulate.

Here are a few ways to stay disciplined in the new year:

  • Set some financial goals
  • Use automation for your bills
  • Give yourself a challenge
  • Change your money habits
  • Get an accountability partner or financial coach

Free Gift

Check out the FREE video series on my 3 Keys to Unlocking Your Financial Freedom! This video series touches on Budgets, Tackling Debt, and Ways to Increase Income TODAY! I created this series for those of you who have been hit hard by COVID-19. I want you to know there is nothing you can’t accomplish and creating a plan of action is always a great starting point.

Consistency and Finances

Consistency is the key to unlocking life-changing financial habits. Those of us who dream of saving more in our sleep can’t imagine not putting money aside for an emergency. For others, it’s a struggle for a number of reasons:

  • They never learned from their parents how to manage money.
  • They don’t have enough income to cover their major expenses.
  • They are taking care of other members of their family and that doesn’t leave room for them to save.
  • They care too much about what people think, so they overspend to impress.
  • They don’t see the point of denying what they want in the present to save for the future since tomorrow isn’t promised.

Financial Literacy

The ability to understand and effectively use various financial skills, including personal finance management, budgeting, and investing. It is unfortunate that these skills weren’t taught to us in school. I just so happen to have grown up around my family’s business where they all do taxes. These things come naturally to me. If you never learned how to create a budget, learn. It is never too late to learn a new skill.

Here are some books I recommend reading:

  • Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki and Sharon Lechter
  • The Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey
  • Transforming Your Relationship With Money by Joseph R. Dominguez, Monique Tilford, and Vicki Robin

Income

It is crucial to review the previous month’s budget to stay consistent with it. You need a solid monthly/weekly routine so you can be the most consistent with your financial wellness. Every month brings new expenses and a different set of priorities on where to spend your money. Checking in with your budget allows you to project any new expenses for the coming month and reallocate your income if necessary.

If your income is too low to cover your expenses then I suggest digging deep and finding a new side hustle or turning a hobby into a job where you can earn some money off of doing something you love. You can really get creative when it comes to increasing income.

Here are a few examples:

  • Sell Stuff Online
  • Drive people around
  • Become a virtual assistant
  • Negotiate Salary

Change Your Money Habits

Consistency plays such a huge role when it comes to achieving any type of success. I’m sure you can imagine that consistency is a key factor in the area of your finances too. Your money habits are formed based on how you constantly handle your money from saving to spending. As simple as that sounds, you might not have considered how consistency affects different parts of your life.

With any habits, money habits can also be good or bad, so in order for you to achieve financial freedom you obviously need to be consistent with good money habits. Good money habits have to do with both saving money but also how you spend it. If you’re not consistently saving money then you are probably consistently spending it. It’s the consistency you have with both of those things that will determine your financial success.

Be Rich, Don’t Look Rich

Trying to impress people is pointless. Most people never become wealthy because they waste too much money on buying symbols of success. They are more focused on looking rich instead of becoming rich. Living below your means and investing your extra income is how you build wealth. No matter how much money you make, you must spend less than you earn. Don’t be in a rush to look successful. Don’t fall into the trap of pretending to be rich.

The longer you practice consistency, the more automatic it becomes. You need to build good money habits and ask yourself if you are consistently frugal or consistently careless.

Here are some ways to stay consistent with your finances:

  • Automation- Auto payments for bills is a super easy way to achieve consistency in your personal finance life
  • Calendar reminders- Setting a simple reminder on your phone’s calendar can help provide consistency in tasks as well
  • Budget apps- Utilizing an app for your budget can help you stay consistent with checking your budget monthly

Free Gift

Check out the FREE video series on my 3 Keys to Unlocking Your Financial Freedom! This video series touches on Budgets, Tackling Debt, and Ways to Increase Income TODAY! I created this series for those of you who have been hit hard by COVID-19. I want you to know there is nothing you can’t accomplish and creating a plan of action is always a great starting point.

Vacation Vibes Everyday

Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.” -Confucius

Comin’ at ya from Studio City, CA this week. I’m here for work (and some fun) and I wanted to let you in on some of my Financial Wellness secrets…


I LOVE traveling for sure. I also love that my job allows me to create my own schedule. If you don’t like your life, you should change it. You are in charge of your reality. I have a lot of things I do to prepare for a trip. If it’s a work trip I have to plan my schedule and adjust things if necessary. I also love that I can work from anywhere in the world. That helps when re-working client meetings and it’s so convenient. Here are a few more things I do when going out of town for a period of time…

Packing

I’m obsessed with packing cubes and packing the most efficient way possible. Granted each trip is different and I usually pack my entire house. I like to be prepared for anything plus I am a mom. I pack an outfit for each day unless there is a laundry cleaning service available. I pack workout clothes, essential oils, shoes for every occasion , bathroom stuff, and many other things depending on the circumstances. For this trip, I have a photoshoot planned so I needed to pack a little extra because more is always better just in case.


I usually pack a day or two in advance so that it gives me enough time to think of anything and everything I might need. Before I pack I make a list. Lists are my life and I can’t function without them. Making a list helps me because I have two kids and each have their own special items I need to pack. I forgot my calculator so I won’t be able to do my work that requires it. I took that as a sign to complete those tasks at another time. I need to be more present here.

P.S. I packed an hour before I left for this trip and I will NEVER do that again.

Itinerary

What am I going to be doing on this trip you ask?

Well, I am doing a photoshoot to get some fresh pictures for my website. Paying the photographer was an expense and I can write that off on my taxes. Yay! The drive here was about four hours and I only filled up with gas once. I can write that off on my taxes. I had to pack a ton of clothes for the photoshoot and I have no idea what other fun things we may be doing. I like plans but I also like going with the flow. This trip has a very specific purpose. I HAVE BEEN CRUSHING WORK. Plus, the photoshoot.

Make Time For Fun

It’s so important to plan something fun while on a work trip to break everything up. I have been working on separating my professional hours from my personal hours so setting a block schedule or something like it within my schedule has helped a lot. I can easily get lost in work stuff. I’m pretty sure I worked for at least 10 hours yesterday which I don’t like to do. I was definitely feeling the good vibes and good energy so I just did my thang and crushed out a bunch of stuff I was behind on. We are going to dinner at a really cool restaurant after the photoshoot so that will be a nice change of pace for sure. Loving what you do means it’s not working. That is exactly how I feel about my job.


“Never continue in a job you don’t enjoy. If you’re happy in what you’re doing, you’ll like yourself, you’ll have inner peace. And if you have that, along with physical health, you will have had more success than you could possibly have imagined.” – Johnny Carson


Life is simply far too short to be bored or miserable (or both) for such a large portion of the time you spend awake. You deserve to have a job that fulfills you, that taps into your passions, that brings you joy–for the most part, anyway. If you’re waking up every morning dreading the day- it’s time to change something. Because putting up with a business or career you don’t love doesn’t serve you at all. It can negatively impact your physical, mental, and emotional health, and it’s not so great for your interpersonal relationships, either. Financial stress is actually one of the top reasons for divorce. Food for thought…

Free Gift

Check out the FREE video series on my 3 Keys to Unlocking Your Financial Freedom! This video series touches on Budgets, Tackling Debt, and Ways to Increase Income TODAY! I created this series for those of you who have been hit hard by COVID-19. I want you to know there is nothing you can’t accomplish and creating a plan of action is always a great starting point.

It’s All About Balance

Many of us have struggled to juggle our financial commitments and goals at some point. It’s all about how you adapt and balance it all. Balance is so important within your finances. You have to have a happy medium between spending and saving you money.

Goal Setting

Goal setting is one of my favorite things to do because I am a very goal driven person. Setting goals means discipline. You have to stick with your budget in order to meet your goals on time. Saving money tends to be easier when you have a certain purpose in mind. To develop a clear plan, these goals must have both a time frame and a dollar amount. Once you have listed and quantified your goals, you need to prioritize them. You may find, for example, that saving for a new home is more important than buying a new car. Be specific with your goals.

Pay Yourself

Save and invest 5-10% of your gross annual income. Of course, this can be much harder than it sounds. If you’re currently living from paycheck to paycheck, begin by creating a solid budget after tracking all monthly expenses. Once you figure out how you can control your discretionary spending, you can then redirect the money into a savings account. For many people, a good way to start saving regularly is to have a small amount transferred automatically from their paycheck to a savings account or mutual fund. The idea: If you don’t see it, you don’t miss it.

Have An Emergency Fund

Before you commit your savings to investments, make sure you have at least three to six months’ worth of expenses saved in an emergency fund to see yourself through difficult times. Keeping it liquid will ensure that you don’t have to sell investments when their prices are down, and guarantee that you can always get to your money quickly. If you have trouble deciding how much you need to keep on hand, begin by considering the standard expenses you have in a month, and then estimate all the expenses you might have in the future (possible insurance deductibles and other emergencies).

Generally, if you spend a larger portion of your income on irregular expenses that you could cut easily in a financial crisis, the less money you need to keep on hand in your emergency account. If you have dependents, you’d want to keep more money in your emergency fund to offset the greater risk.

Ha

Have a Debt Repayment Plan

If you’re trying to save while carrying a large credit card balance at, say, 19.8%, realize that paying off the debt is a guaranteed return of nearly 20%. Once you pay off your credit cards, use them only for convenience, and pay off the balance each month. If you tend to run up credit card charges, get rid of the plastic and go back to using cash. Don’t buy it unless you can pay with cash. You never want to increase your bad debt unless absolutely necessary. It’s easiest to create this plan after you have figured out your monthly expenses and how much you can potentially put towards your debt each month.

Utilize Tax-Deferred Investments

If your employer has a tax-deferred investment plan like a 401(k) or 403(b), use it. Often, employers will match your investment. Even if they don’t, no taxes are due on your contributions or earnings until you retire and begin withdrawing the funds. Tax-deferred savings means that your investments can grow much faster than they would otherwise.

The same is true of IRAs, although the maximum amount you can invest annually in an IRA is substantially less than what you can put in a 401(k) or 403(b). You should also consider diversifying your investments. All investments involve some trade-off between risk and return. Diversification reduces unnecessary risk by spreading your money among a variety of investments. Aside from diversification, the single most effective strategy is to invest continuously over time, with a long-term perspective.

Create a Will

The simplest way to ensure that your funds, property and personal effects will be distributed according to your wishes is to prepare a will. A will is a legal document that ensures that your assets will be given to family members or other beneficiaries you designate. Having a will is especially important if you have young children because it gives you the opportunity to designate a guardian for them in the event of your death. Although wills are simple to create, about half of all Americans die without a will. With no will to indicate your wishes, the court steps in and distributes your property according to the laws of your state. If you have no children and die without a will, it’s even possible that the state may claim your estate.

To begin, take an inventory of your assets, outline your objectives and determine to which friends and family you wish to distribute your belongings. Then, when drafting a will, be sure to include the following: name a guardian for your children, name an executor, specify an alternate beneficiary and use a residuary clause which typically reads “I give the remainder of my estate to …” Once your will is drafted, you won’t have to think about it again unless your wishes or your financial situation change substantially. I intend on re-evaluating my will every ten years.

Free Gift

Check out the FREE video series on my 3 Keys to Unlocking Your Financial Freedom! This video series touches on Budgets, Tackling Debt, and Ways to Increase Income TODAY! I created this series for those of you who have been hit hard by COVID-19. I want you to know there is nothing you can’t accomplish and creating a plan of action is always a great starting point.

Finances: Where to Start

Not knowing where to start is OKAY. Trust me, you are not alone. So many people struggle with those scary wandering around in the dark feelings when it comes to their money.

I grew up around the financial world. Budgeting and saving is like second nature to me. I have done my budget since I was 18 years old. Once I got my first real job outside of my family’s business and I LOVED shopping at Target. I had to figure out a way I could save money but also have fun and buy myself something I wanted.

Start With Your Budget

Start with your budget. Your budget is the road map or blueprint to guide you where ever you want to go. Budgets are LIFE. Every month I customize my own budget along with my monthly clients so we can see our areas of OPPORTUNITY. These are the categories you overspend in. Monthly adjustments are something that keep you in check with your goals whether short term or long term. It’s all about Balance, Consistency, and Discipline.

Setting a Realistic Budget

Setting a realistic budget means diving into those sticky areas of your life and seeing what type of spending you have been doing. What type of categories do you have within your budget? Do you have long term goals? Do you have debt? By answering these questions you can track these and make sure every dollar has a purpose. I have a great blog post about the foundation of a budget that you should check out called Budgets: Foundation for a Solid Budget.

Balance

Balance is key in life in general but especially within your finances. You need a balance between spending money and saving it. You should be spending money on bills plus any irregular expenses that pop up throughout the month, but you should also have a “Savings” & a “Retirement” category to toss money in each month as well. These categories being in your budget will ensure you add money to it if you are also consistent and disciplined.

Here are some ways to bring balance to your financial life:

  • Set some goals
  • If you are a small business owner, pay yourself on a schedule
  • Have an emergency fund
  • Create a debt payoff plan
  • Utilize tax-deferred investment plans
  • Create a Will

Consistency

Consistency is so important when it comes to your budget. You have to keep up with your budget to see results. REMEMBER, it is just a blueprint for you to follow. It should not feel like a restriction, but more like a structured guideline that helps you figure out what your areas of OPPORTUNITY are. Consistently checking in with your spending is like going to the doctor for a check up. It keeps you healthy and aware.

Here are some ways to stay consistent with your finances:

  • Increase your knowledge
  • Increase your income
  • Change your money habits
  • Be rich, don’t look rich

Discipline

Discipline is hard. I feel you. We all have trouble telling ourselves no. I love buying gifts for my family and friends. Something I have to constantly check in with is WHY I want to spend money. I used to shop A LOT and I racked up a huge credit card bill which took me about a year to pay off. I use that as an example when talking to myself about why it’s probably not a good idea to buy that $400 purse.

Since having kids though, I have transitioned my way of thinking. I now appreciate experiences more than “things” or “stuff.” I want to provide my children with life experiences and teach them to be kind humans rather than purchasing things trying to look “cool.” It is definitely a priorities game. Whatever is a priority to you will end up on your budget. It’s all about Balance, Consistency & Discipline.

Here are a few ways to stay disciplined in the new year:

  • Set some financial goals
  • Use automation for your bills
  • Give yourself a challenge
  • Change your money habits
  • Get an accountability partner or financial coach

Free Gift

Check out the FREE video series on my 3 Keys to Unlocking Your Financial Freedom! This video series touches on Budgets, Tackling Debt, and Ways to Increase Income TODAY! I created this series for those of you who have been hit hard by COVID-19. I want you to know there is nothing you can’t accomplish and creating a plan of action is always a great starting point.

Debt Payoff Methods: 4 Strategies to Tackle Your Debt

Debt is a tricky thing and no one wants it but everyone has it because thats just what you have to do in order to have nice things. WRONG! First of all, we want to BE rich not LOOK rich so that mentality needs to check itself at the door. I’m a firm believer in saving for goals and paying in full. You need to have discipline in order to thrive. Saving is one way to reach for a goal and not acquire debt. Yes, saving may take a while to reach a major goal but in the end its worth it if you have zero debt. Your credit will be better and once you achieve that goal it will be so sweet. These two methods are just a couple examples of ways to tackle debt.

Snowball Method:

The snowball method is one way to pay off debt. You basically choose the loan or card with the smallest amount in debt and make the maximum payments you can. You will pay more in interest in the long run but if you thrive on accomplishing small goals then this is the method for you. This is my personal option because I am one of those people who really like crossing things off my list and when I can get the small debts out of the way first it makes me so excited. Financial stuff doesn’t have to be scary you just have to look for the positives in everything you do including your finances.

Avalanche Method:

The avalanche method is the second way to tackle debt. This is where you choose the loan or card with the highest interest rate and take that one down first. You will pay less in interest over time and its best for people who thrive on numbers over emotions. I see the benefits in using this method but like I said before, I enjoy small wins. This one definitely will make sense to a lot of people and its probably the smarter way to go if you want to pay less in the end.

Here are my 4 strategies to help you tackling debt:

  1. Make a budget and stick to it.

Creating a budget will change the game in regards to your financial wellness. A budget is an estimate of income and expenses for a set period of time. A budget allows you to gain feedback on areas of opportunity. It helps you check yourself and set up goals for short and long term. This is something that must be a priority. A budget is basically your financial plan for a defined period, often a month or one year. It may also include planned trips, major purchases, sales volumes and revenues, costs and expenses, assets, liabilities, and cash flows. This is a vital tool for any person who owns a small business.

2. Set realistic financial goals. If you can’t pay cash for it then don’t buy it.

Goals are everything. When dealing with money it’s smart to set short term and long term goals. Something to work towards is always a great motivator. When setting goals it’s a crucial thing to save money. Meaning, if you don’t have the money don’t spend the money. You’ll never reach your goals if you spend all the money you bring in each month. Budgets and financial goals go hand in hand. It lays the foundation to set you up for success. You will be able to crush your financial goals with a budget.

3. If you use a credit card, pay on time and more than the minimum payment.

Global credit card debt continues to rise. Make the minimum payment on every card, every month, but throw whatever extra money you have at the one with the lowest balance. When that one is paid off, take the money you were applying to it, add it to the minimum you were paying on the second card and pay it off. Keep going until all cards are paid. According to incharge.org, the average adult who doesn’t pay off the balance on credit cards each month, owes $7,527 on their credit cards. If there are two adults at home, that’s a little more than $15,000. If there are children in that house, there is usually an urgency to do something about it.

4. Always monitor your debt

Watch for a change in rates and fees and if possible contact the lender and see if you can lower your interest rates or if they would be willing to work with you. It never hurts to ask. The worst thing is they could say no. Checking in on your financial well-being should be a priority. Finances are very uncomfortable and a lot of people don’t like looking at that student loan payment or that debt that’s in collections. For me, its the dentist. I get that sick to my stomach feeling then I start shaking because I always think the worst is going to happen. When there is something that needs to get fixed I just don’t want to talk about it or know about it. Once I fix the issue though, I always feel better.

Free Gift

Check out the FREE video series on my 3 Keys to Unlocking Your Financial Freedom! This video series touches on Budgets, Tackling Debt, and Ways to Increase Income TODAY! I created this series for those of you who have been hit hard by COVID-19. I want you to know there is nothing you can’t accomplish and creating a plan of action is always a great starting point.

7 Principles for Financial Wellness

Strive to Thrive

These are my 7 principles to live by in order to make your finances work for you. I follow these on a daily basis and it has brought so much awareness to my finances. I talk about these principles in all of my programs and educate my clients on how to implement these steps into their lives. The results of utilizing these principles is like nothing else and if you put your finances as a priority and manage your monthly system its guaranteed to work for you. This is about discipline and creating a positive money mindset to achieve your ideal lifestyle.

Make a plan, create a budget

This is all about how to make S.M.A.R.T. goals. Specific. Measurable. Assignable. Relevant. Time-based. Create a list of your income so you can see what your actual income is per month on average. Create a list of expenses and put them into categories so you can get an idea of where your money is going. Create a realistic budget based on 3 months worth of your bank statements. You will be able to see your areas of opportunity within your budget and how to refine your needs to meet your projected budget. Every household or individual budget will be unique.

Tackle Debt

Get into a solid money mindset so you can acknowledge what you owe and get it organized so you can start tackling your debt. Examine your bills and see what we can get rid of. Explore all of your options in regards to decreasing your interest rates on debt that you may have. Create a clear plan to eliminate your debt and set a time-based goal to do so. This is where discipline comes in. You have to be strategic with your spending and saving when it comes to paying off debt. Open another savings account to put money to pay off debt specifically so it is out of sight out of mind. Debt is scary and no one wants it but some things are out of your control. If you want to take control back follow these principles.

Increase Income

Increasing income is easy. Your basic hobby can be turned into a thriving business nowadays. It just depends on how much time you have to put into it and how much passion and drive you have to do so. I have many universal strategies to generate more income and I can customize those strategies based on your unique lifestyle. This is an opportunity for you to get creative and come up with different ways to increase your income. You know you and you know what you are capable of. Reach for something out of your comfort zone and don’t take “no” for an answer. Everything is negotiable, even your current salary.

Live Below Your Means

Living below your means doesn’t sound very sexy, I know. Being resourceful is a talent that you should acquire. It will benefit you to try and cut back on certain luxuries if you are in a tight spot money wise. For example, stretching your grocery/eating out budget so that you account for every penny. Cooking at home is definitely cheaper than eating out. I know this because I was eating out close to 5 days a week about a year ago. I didn’t have the energy or want to cook at home. I was LAZY. By the end of the day I was not trying to cook dinner AND clean up the mess so Doordash sounded great every night. Until my money was dwindling and my belly was inflating. Frugal living isn’t about being stingy; it’s about being resourceful.

Question Whether You Need It Or Just Want It

I always say, question whether you need it or just want it. This is huge. This is something I have burned into my brain so that whenever I go to purchase something I check in with myself to make sure I am making a good money decision. Print out a bank statement, highlight every expense that was a “want” and calculate the total so you can then set a goal to put that exact amount into your savings accounts the following month. This will show you exactly how much you spend on things you don’t really need so you can then check in with your budget and make adjustments. You are the CEO of your finances and YOU need to make this a priority.

Invest & Save For Retirement

Investing and saving for your future is so important. THIS is something your future self will love you for. You should at least try and save for that future relaxing time. It pains me that society has burned it into our brains that a typical 9-5 job is how life is SUPPOSED to be when you are in charge of your life. If you don’t have the skills to do a job with flexible hours or be self employed, educate yourself. It’s never too late to learn. I personally try and read AT LEAST one book per month just to continue my education. Considering American schools, we didn’t learn too much about personal finance so I am constantly trying to grow my knowledge so I can be the best at what I do and serve with excellence. Look into stocks, craft a solid plan to start saving towards an emergency fund, and think about 401(k) options and retirement plans. If you need more guidance on this topic reach out.

Journal About Your Spending

This topic is one of my favorites for sure for the simple fact that it gets people out of their comfort zone. Journaling about your spending and how it makes you feel will open your eyes to emotions you never knew you had. This will help you check in with your spending habits and see what your spending triggers are. Some people can’t control their spending because it makes them feel better to do an impulse buy so they can suppress their feelings in another area of their life. This is where I want you to put everything out on the table and get down and dirty with your inner self. I want you to open up about anything and everything you have been avoiding in regards to your finances. Look into how overspending affects mental & physical health, learn how overspending impacts your relationships, find out how journaling alleviates stress & boosts mood, and strategize on priority financial problems. This week provides an opportunity for positive self-talk.

Free Gift

Check out the FREE video series on my 3 Keys to Unlocking Your Financial Freedom! This video series touches on Budgets, Tackling Debt, and Ways to Increase Income TODAY! I created this series for those of you who have been hit hard by COVID-19. I want you to know there is nothing you can’t accomplish and creating a plan of action is always a great starting point.

Budgets: Foundation for a Solid Budget

Accurate Spending Categories

You need to have accurate spending categories to see where your money is going each month and where your areas of opportunity are. Some people over spend in their grocery category or their misc purchase category. These categories will be very unique to you and what your life entails. My categories range from pet medications to my daughters school fees to utilities for my home. It just depends on what you have going on.

Accurate Income Projections

This requires you to print out bank statements from at least 3 months and go through your income to get an average income to put on your budget. Some months may vary with different circumstances. If you are doing a new budget system currently but you have been laid off due to COVID-19 that would be a circumstance where you have zero control. You do however have the opportunity to pick yourself up and generate income by any means necessary.

Categories for Irregular Spending

This means a category for random things that come up each month or new subscriptions you’re paying for. Typically your budget will come in close to what you project but there will be times where you overspend at Target on clothes when your budget only called for groceries. This means you have budgeted for these things in that irregular spending category to cover times like this where you purchase many different types of things with one type of budget. Like going to Target for groceries and buying clothing at the same time.

Tracking Cash Purchases

Tracking cash purchases might not seem like a big deal but it is crucial to keeping tabs on all your purchases. If you are really trying to keep a close eye on your transactions then I would recommend getting the Microsoft Office Lens app for your phone and taking a picture of all cash receipts and then putting them in a folder on your phone or the Google Drive for safe keeping. This is great especially for self employed individuals to keep track of cash purchases and business expenses for tax purposes.

Plan for Major Purchases

You must always keep a list of ongoing goals whether they are short term or long term so you can incorporate them into your budget each month. You should have accounts called “sinking funds” for these goals.

7 Sinking Funds to Include in Your Budget:

  1. Christmas
  2. Important Birthdays/Events
  3. Car Maintenance
  4. Home Repairs
  5. Pet Expenses
  6. Travel
  7. Medical Costs

4 Rules For a Successful Budget:

  1. Give every dollar a job
    • You’re the boss. When you earn money, you prioritize how you’ll use it.
  2. Embrace your true expenses
    • Turn large, less-frequent expenses into manageable, monthly bills.
  3. Roll with the punches
    • Be flexible and address overspending as it happens. No guilt necessary.
  4. Age your money
    • Consistently spend less than your earn, and be more than prepared for the future.

Those negative feelings associated with money will subside- the stress, anxiety, confusion, and shame gets replaced with confidence, calm, and even joy and excitement as you really start to feel in control of your money and tap into the potential of what it can do in your life.

7 Budgeting Basics For Small Business Owners

  1. Keep your small business finances out of your personal finances
    • This one is huge! Co-mingling business and personal money may seem easier, but it can lead to complications down the road. Keep a record of your business expenses to take advantage of available tax benefits. It also can be risky to use personal money to fund your business as it increases your personal liability. Person and business finances are equally important for success and keeping them separate will help.
  2. List your expenses
    • Next, you’ll need to know exactly how much your business is going to cost to run daily and monthly. List out all your expenses, rent, employees, supplies, services, etc. Make short-term and long-term projections with your income.
  3. Budget for your wants
    • If you’re planning ways to improve your business, be sure to budget for them, and save until you can afford them. If they are not necessary for your business to run well, there’s no need for you to go into debt.
  4. Know what to expect from your business income
    • Relying on your business to provide for your family takes some planning and knowing exactly how much money to expect each month. If you have no idea how to much money will come in, then there’s no way to budget and allocate your money to certain things.
  5. Set a savings goal for expansion or security
    • Start a savings plan for your business. In order to expand, hire more people, and provide security for your family, its important for small business owners to set aside small amounts of money to have long-term financial health. Small business owners often face difficulty saving money, since many have very tight budgets when they start. Saving from the beginning will help ensure you have some cushion in tough months.
  6. Look for areas where you can cut costs
    • Efficiency and frugality will help your small business succeed. I recommend taking inventory of your expenses every month and considering areas where you can cut costs, not with cutting quality. I’m not advising cutting corners, but there are ways to save money and run your business efficiently without affecting quality of your product or service.
  7. Be realistic
    • Make sure you have realistic expectations for your income and your expenses. Do your research, and don’t expand too quickly. Budgeting is essential for your small business success. Its important to keep your personal finances separate from your business finances so that you know exactly where your money is going and are able to easily provide documentation for your business taxes.

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