Thoughtful About Money?!

Most of the time when we think about money, we don’t really think about it. We tend to have a lot of subconscious feelings about money that we don’t recognize or analyze. These subconscious feelings drive whether or not we are a spender or a saver, or if we impulse buy when we are feeling stressed out.

Get the Digital Product Blueprint

I know that content about money isn’t the go to “fun” read for you, and I get it. There is a lot to unpack when it comes to our thoughts about money, and I think that we all know that deep down.

We all know that our upbringing impacts how we handle finances in adulthood, and that can bring up some pretty ugly thoughts for some of us.

BUT GUESS WHAT?! (no, it’s not chicken butt geez LOL) 

We CAN change our thoughts and feelings about money, even if they’ve been ingrained in you during your childhood! And changing our thoughts and feelings about money will also change our actions around money, too!

It’s not easy. It will definitely take some work, but I know you can do it!

So, what’s your money story? Your money story is where we have to start. I’ve outlined some key questions for you to think about that will help you start writing your money story. (And my next post will be all about how you can CHANGE your money story!) They come in two parts – questions about money in your childhood, and questions about how you handle money now.

Questions to Help You Discern Your Money Story

Childhood

• Think back to your childhood. Was money talked about in your house? Were your parent(s) stressed about money?
• Was there enough money to meet needs? Wants? Plenty of extra?

Present Day

• What about now? How’s your income? 
• Do you find yourself hoarding money because you are afraid to be without it? Or do you go extreme opposite and spend it all because you’ve never been able to do that before? 

Really dig into these questions, as hard as they may be to think about, and answer them honestly. Learn about yourself and what influences how you make decisions around money today. Also, forgive yourself for any past mistakes you’ve made with money or current mistakes you are making. We all start somewhere, right? We are all humans and doing the best we can with what we’ve got!

Be the first to know all you need to know about the nitty-gritty of personal finance by signing up for my email list!

The post Thoughtful About Money?! appeared first on Jessica Stansberry.

Don't Let Money Get You Down!

Maybe you’re even playing the money juggle game and always end up paying late fees because your due dates don’t match up with your paychecks. Any of this sound familiar?

I hear you, I know you, and I have been you!

Get the Digital Product Blueprint

This my friend is money depression, rearing her ugly little head and making you feel like you are the ONLY ONE that doesn’t have this money thing figured out. Guess what? You are not the only one! And that doesn’t mean that you don’t have it all together or figured out; in fact, it means you’re pretty normal. Here are my top 6 tips to help you tame the beast that is money depression when she pops up!

1) Make a list

Hands down the best thing for me when I’m feeling overwhelmed or anxious is to make a list. Every little thing that is taking up space in my brain has to come out and onto a piece of paper. Then, I can organize and prioritize it.

2) Practice Gratitude

Next to making a list, practicing gratitude and reminding myself what I’m thankful for is a HUGE help! Count those blessings big and small and remind yourself just how truly blessed and lucky you are!

3) Get outside

Take a walk, enjoy the scenery, and get some sunshine! It’s a proven fact that sunshine can help us feel better.

4) Get creative

Do something that makes your soul happy. Is that painting, writing, crafting, or even cooking? Whatever it is, you need to make time to feed your soul and get those creative juices flowing.

5) Find a money BFF

Find someone that you can truly talk to and openly discuss your money struggles with. If you can afford to hire a professional then do so. We can look at the situation from your angle, but a professional will stay more objective and help you see potential solutions.

6) Celebrate the small wins

So many times we celebrate the big wins and forget to celebrate the small wins, too! 

Just remember no matter how many times the beast that is money depression rears her head, there are plenty of ways to kick her back down!

Click here to add your name to Maegen's email list to get more money and financial freedom tips!

The post Don’t Let Money Get You Down! appeared first on Jessica Stansberry.

Financial Priorities | Spend Money Like You Mean It

There’s a quote that rings true here. I’m not sure where it started, but the quote says, “Show me your calendar and your checkbook and I’ll show you your priorities”

Hmmm, how does that hit you in your feels?!

Another quote to think about here (that I’m also not sure how to attribute) says, “We have the same 24 hours in our day as Beyoncé.”

Get the Digital Product Blueprint

Y’all! I HATE this saying. Like who said this?! I mean technically it’s true, but come on. We all know that Beyoncé has more resources than most of us.

Back to priorities… Most likely, you have a list of things you want to be priorities and things that have to be priorities, and that’s totally ok and normal. We all have to have the basics – food, shelter, and transportation. Knowing what our other priorities are can help us make changes in our lives and start to live with our priorities front and center. If you say you want something to become a priority but don’t spend time making it one, you won’t see any change!

For instance, family vacations are really important to us – so we prioritize them. We take one big vacation each year where we spare no expense. We don’t go overboard, but we have convenience in mind and just want to have fun. Since we know our annual family vacation is a priority, we make sure to save up for it throughout the year. 

One thing our family doesn’t prioritize is eating out. Between my husband getting home from work at night and the kids bedtime, it doesn’t fit into our schedule. Because we don’t prioritize it, we don’t do it often. Instead, I spend time every week making a meal plan and grocery shopping to make sure we have plenty of food in the house.

Knowing your family priorities and goals helps you build the rest of your life around those things. You'll know which things you should save for, and what other things you can skip. As long as you know what’s important, it doesn’t make “giving up things” seem like a sacrifice.

Want more financial tips from Maegen? Click here to be the first to know when her website goes live!

The post Financial Priorities | Spend Money Like You Mean It appeared first on Jessica Stansberry.

How to Stay Sane with Systems

Systems keep me sane, y’all! I have systems for all parts of my household, but especially for my money.

Get the Digital Product Blueprint

But how do I get started?

I hear you, sister. Getting started with systems has got to be the hardest part of the process! I’ve got all of the steps you need to follow to stay sane with systems.

Step One: Think about how you process things.

This step will help you figure out where your system needs to live. Your system needs to work for you or you’ll a) never use it or b) get stressed trying to make it work. Do you need to write things down, put them in the notes app, or put to-do reminders on your Google Calendar? Once you feel good about the place to have your system, you can get started creating it.

Step Two: Make a note of all of your bill due dates.

If you’re using your calendar, I highly recommend making the calendar appointments repeat. That way, you’ll have one less step to think about after you do it once! Set additional reminders as you are marking the due dates so you absolutely will not forget. Now, schedule your money dates and a day to review and/or create your budget for the next month.

Step Three: Involve your significant other.

Communication is key! If there are important bills or dates that both you and your partner need to be reminded about, add them to your Google Calendar and invite them to the event. This ensures that reminders are sent to both of you, and you can get the stress of remembering out of your mind.

An option for those of you who are super digital is to set everything you can on autopay. This will literally take the bills off your plate. All you need to do is check one a month and make sure there were no hiccups (it is technology after all and isn’t perfect, ha). Some companies will even give you a small discount on your bill for turning on autopay. It’s worth checking out!

Whew! I don’t know about you, but knowing that I have a checklist, calendar reminders, and other foolproof systems in place for my finances puts my mind at ease. That way, I have the extra mental space for much more important things!

Want more finance tips to keep you sane? Sign up for updates from Maegen!

The post How to Stay Sane with Systems appeared first on Jessica Stansberry.

How to Create a Budget that Works

If we really pay attention and think through our purchases instead of being impulsive (ahem, raising my own hand here), it gives us a chance to stash away money here and there. It sets us up to save more!

Most of the time, we make budgeting out to be much harder than it really is. Really, the hardest part is getting past that mental block we have surrounding budgeting. Don’t think of a budget as a restriction, think of it in the opposite way; it’s YOU telling YOUR money where to go! This mindset gives you permission to spend and not feel guilt or shame about it after the fact.

Get the Digital Product Blueprint

Step One:

Print out one to three months of your most recent bank statements, grab some highlighters, and go to town. Use different colored highlighters to highlight your expenses in each category (i.e. blue for food, red for gas, etc.).

Once you have gone through the entire statement, total each of the categories so you know exactly how much money you’re spending on what. Add all of the categories together to get your total monthly expenses.

Now, look at how much income you receive each month and subtract your spending from your income. Do you have money left over? If not, you’ll need to make some changes! If you do, you’ll still want to look at how your spending is allocated and see if there are changes you would like to make.

Step Two:

Now, we’re going to set up our budget. You don’t need a fancy spreadsheet – just use pen and paper and keep it simple! That’s the KEY to all of this! Put your budget somewhere that you will actually keep up with it and use it!

Make a list of all of the spending categories you found when you were highlighting. The first thing you will do is set up spending goals for each category. Make them realistic! Next to the goal amount, you’ll make another column with the actual amount you spent.

For instance, it may look like the example below:

Now, you’ll want to have an expense tracker. For the first several months, you want to track very carefully! In the beginning of budgeting, you will want to have weekly money dates with yourself or with your partner. If you want more information about how to have a money date, you can check it out here!

THAT’S IT! YOU DID IT!! YOU CREATED A BUDGET!

Want to learn more about budgeting from Maegen? Sign up for her newsletter!

The post How to Create a Budget that Works appeared first on Jessica Stansberry.

Money Date | A Quick How To

The hands-down best way to keep up with your budget and make sure you are staying on track is to have regular check-ins, also known as money dates.

First things first… What in the world is a money date and how do I have one?!

It’s really quite simple and as long as you make it relaxing, it’s not as overwhelming as it sounds. Also, please note that simple does NOT mean easy mmmkkk. There can often be mental blocks and our own fears and beliefs that we have to get over.

Now Onto the Fun Stuff, Haha

STEP ONE: You need to set a relaxing mood. Crack open a bottle of wine, or grab your favorite drink; light a candle or spray some essential oils; then get down to business.

STEP TWO: Get out your budget and log in to all your bank and/or credit card accounts.

STEP THREE: Add up all the expenses in each category of your budget and then subtract from your budgeted amount to see how much you have left to spend for the month.

Get the Digital Product Blueprint

NOW REPEAT EACH MONTH. If you overspend in one category, that money has to come out of a different category so that you are not spending more money than you are bringing in. At first, these dates may be very difficult and tense. Try your best to keep it light and factual – no blame game playing here!!

If you are in a relationship and share finances, you both need to know what the numbers are and where you are in the budget each week. Even if one partner is the one doing all the calculating and actually tracking and budgeting, it’s best to get both people involved in the money date. But let’s be real – this can be hard to do. Just make sure you are both on the same page at the very least.

If you and your partner cannot do these check-ins without arguing, blaming, or being hurtful toward the other person, then it may be time to find an outside person to help you. This is where a financial planner comes in handy. If you are looking for one, check me out on social media or my website to see if I would be a good fit!

Looking for a financial planner? Check out Maegen's website to learn more!

The post Money Date | A Quick How To appeared first on Jessica Stansberry.