A few weeks ago I showed someone how to balance her checkbook, she was worried because she only had around $2.00 in her checking and had written some checks that she thought would be good. I talked to her again today, and she had some follow up questions that were pretty basic but showed that […]
11 Sep
Posted by: mark in: Saving, money, banking, debt, Motivation, Credit Cards, Goals, Budgeting
It seems to me that I mainly get people with some solid financial experience on here, and because of this I’m guessing most people who post here will answer: “I opened my account on (date) and currently it has a balance of (amount) but when all my outstanding checks clear it really has a balance of […]
05 Sep
Posted by: mark in: Financingyourfamily.com, Motivation, Goals
Over the long weekend I took time off, unplugged the computer, shut myself indoors, and I organized.
I have lots of stuff that I’d just been putting off and piling up, then shoving it into a box somewhere and starting new piles that got shoved into subsequent boxes.
I’m not the best person for organizing by any […]
Well, it’s that time again. Let’s look at last month’s goals, see where we stack up, and then discuss goals for this month.
40 posts was an ambitious goal, and it really drained my mental energy, I only achieved 32 posts, not what I would like. The quality of some posts suffered too because of the […]
Am I an expert? An interesting question that was e-mailed by a reader a few weeks ago that asked me essentially that question:
“Mark, I appreciate your site and what you’re trying to do with it, how did you become a financial expert anyways?”
While I’m glad that this reader thinks I’m a financial expert, the sad fact […]
08 Aug
Posted by: mark in: Saving, money, "saving money", Financingyourfamily.com, Work, Family, Personal, Goals, Motivation, Budgeting
Really
In the scope of a family, goals are a good thing to set, and a good thing to prioritize, but they are not important and should not dictate every decision. There are things that trump goals like medical emergencies, accidents, natural disasters, etc. that always should take precedence over your goals to say, own a […]
06 Aug
Posted by: mark in: Saving, money, Financingyourfamily.com, Mortgage, Work, Family, Goals, Motivation, debt, Budgeting
Today it’s time to think big… really big. We’re thinking about your family and what the future holds for them vs. what you would want the future to hold for them. We’re talking about Ginormously Audacious Goals, pictures of prosperity that will make other people GAG when you speak of them.
For example: One person wants […]
Well, July is finally over, and I thought that now would be a great time to post some of my family and finance related pros and cons of my own life, since July saw a lot of transition
Pros:
My family’s net worth increased by almost $1000 from the month previously. This is due mainly to our aggressive repayment […]
23 Jul
Posted by: mark in: Work, money, Family, Motivation, Personal, Budgeting
We’ll get to the banking products later on today, but first I wanted to discuss something with everyone: How much is your time worth? This is something my wife and I take into consideration now when we are debating over making something or purchasing the same thing elsewhere.
We’ve found a kind of continuum of time […]
15 Jul
Posted by: mark in: Fortify Your Marriage, Saving, money, Family, debt, Credit Cards, Goals, Motivation, Budgeting
“Can we afford this?”
One question that is a good one to ask when both people know the answer already, and it is a bad one to ask if one or both people do not. Money is a dangerous tool when handled incorrectly by a relationship, and this will not be the last time I talk […]