goals

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Welcome to 2018 – the year everyone’s hoping won’t be so much of a dumpster fire like last year. Politics aside, now that I’ve paid off the big credit card, I get to have a little more fun with my goals this year. To recap, my 2017 financial goals were: Pay off the credit card! DONE DONE DONE Build an emergency fund again NOT EVEN KIND OF Go 12-for-12 on sticking to my budget I GOT 50% ON THIS ONE So funny story, it’s hard to rebuild an emergency fund when you keep having emergencies. Losing my job. rather unexpectedly, moving, and my driver’s side window suddenly notRead More →

payoff series

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In: Debt Repayment

Welcome to Part Six of a 6-part series (aka, the last post) I’m doing on personal loans, credit card debt, and refinancing – the Payoff Series. If you’re new here, go back and check out Part One, Part Two, Part Three, Part Four, and Part Five! Well, I did it. I paid down $12,607.16 between May 16, 2016 and November 30, 2017. And you know what? It feels great. I didn’t quite get it paid off by my birthday (which is in July), but I still got it done 6 months earlier than planned. And while most financial advisors wouldn’t recommend personal loans for credit card debt, using Payoff’sRead More →

holiday cheer

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In: Saving Money

It’s the most wonderful time of the year…to spread holiday cheer, drink peppermint mochas, look at beautiful lights, & pretend you’re living in a Hallmark holiday movie. Or is it? If you’re like me, the holidays can be bittersweet. On the one hand, you want to spend all of your money to buy all the things for all the loved ones in your life. On the other hand, you’re poor, and not only that, but also you’re spending 1/3 of your budget on debt repayment each month. So how do wannabe-Cindy-Lou-Whos spread holiday cheer without breaking the bank? Read on to find out. The SinkingRead More →

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In: Budget Beauty & Living

Because I’m a hostess at heart, and the boy and I now live together, I thought it only appropriate that we host a Friendsgiving this year. For the newbies out there, there’s no difference between Friendsgiving and Thanksgiving – except that Friendsgiving is for the family you pick (aww). The added bonus is that it lets you get your hosting desires out of the way if, like me, you’re from a family where the matriarchs refuse to pass the torch. Regardless of those hosting desires, you can’t let your need to be sociable get in the way of your financial goals. But, with a littleRead More →

staying on track

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In: Budget Beauty & Living

***This is a Guest Post. <3 from the Dames*** Now that school is back in session, it’s time to put together a plan to make those college years the most successful they can be. Today’s guest post is just for our new and returning undergraduates as they work their way through a minefield of debt, expectations, studying, and maybe partying. Starting and staying on track is the key to success. Enjoy! There are several major changes in our lives and becoming a college student is definitely one of the biggest. We leave our parents’ houses, start managing our own time and money, all while adjusting to aRead More →

financial check-up

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In: Personal Finance 101

***This is a Guest Post. <3 from the Dames*** People often start the new year begins with a ton of financial resolutions…but old habits are tough to break, especially when it comes to finances. So, it’s a wise idea to review your finances periodically and check-up on whether you are on track to meet those goals or not. While the middle of the year might be over (so long summer weather!), this is actually the ideal time to check if you’re on the right financial track. Think of it as the adult version of going back to school. If you’re in trouble, there’s still timeRead More →

treat yo self

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In: Budget Beauty & Living

Hi friends, Ever feel like you’re just slowly walking towards your goals? It can be tough watching all of your money pay down debt day after day – especially if you have all your payments automated like us…and it’s going to take you 1.5 years to reach your goal. In order to keep ourselves motivated we’ve been investing in frugal rewards to keep us excited as we reach each milestone. It’s the same idea nutritionists often suggest for maintaining a healthy diet: everything in moderation. Anyways, here are some cheap(er) ideas to keep the gazelle-like intensity: Get that Starbucks grande iced coconut milk mocha macchiatoRead More →

live together

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In: Personal Finance 101

Continuing on with my theme of dramatic, life-changing events happening to me in 2017 (see here): I also moved in with my boyfriend. We moved back in March, so we’ve been living together for ~3 months or so. It wasn’t exactly a tough choice. We’ve been together since August of 2013, and we’ve been doing pseudo-long-distance (an hour apart) for the past two years, which basically means we’ve been living together every weekend for two years. In March, my boyfriend was moving back to my city, and with both of our leases ending at around the same time, we decided it only made sense toRead More →

moving

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In: Budget Beauty & Living

In the midst of everything else happening this year, my boyfriend and I recently moved in together. That’s right, we combined two households, including furniture, and guess what? We did the whole move in 2 days – day 1 for physically moving everything into our apartment & day 2 for unpacking/organizing everything. If moving brings up horrible memories of changing dorms or college apartments every year, well don’t fret, it doesn’t get any easier once you own actual furniture and/or live in a city where there’s no where to park a moving van. Moving is basically a frazzling, stressful and chaotic experience, and with so manyRead More →

financial emergency

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In: Personal Finance 101

***This is a Guest Post written by Rebecca Williams. <3 from the Dames*** We’ve written about financial emergencies before (you know, in the lose-your-job way), so it’s always good to get a refresher on how to prepare so you aren’t stuck using your credit card (guilty) or having to borrow from friends. Everyday transactions require careful financial planning. Nowadays, people generally have prepared budgets for everyday expenses, credit payments, insurances and even personal investments. In a world where money and cash equivalents move society, budgeting has become a standard. For the general public, financial stability means securing one’s retirement, owning a house, and being able toRead More →