We have been trying to keep up with the changes happening in our family recently. Unfortunately, that meant taking on a new car loan. Our family had outgrown our previous vehicle and it was also beginning to have problems. With my husband’s new job and our improved credit scores, we both took time to think about it and decided a new car was worth it. Following that decision, we did a review of our finances. Here’s what things are looking like…

Income Changes for Last Quarter

First, there have been some changes in our monthly take-home income. My husband was extended an offer to become a full-time employee at the company he was temping with. This increased his salary and decreased the amount of money we are paying for insurance month-to-month.

How much of a change are we talking here? Well, it’s quite a bit actually. He is taking home $600 to $1,000 more each month. Plus, I have been taking on small projects to earn some extra cash to stash away too. So, we are steadily increasing the amount of money coming in.

Making the Car Decision

When it came to taking out a new loan for a car, we were both hesitant. We were pretty close to paying off our old car, but it was starting to have some issues. Not to mention, the backseat was a struggle when it came to getting the car seat in and out. On top of that, there was no way we could bring the dog along with us if we wanted to.

Budget wise, we wanted to make sure that the payment stayed in the same range we were paying before. This is because we know we can afford that payment, even on the tighter months.

Conclusion

Sometimes, it is going to feel like you are taking steps backwards in your debt-free journey. However, you have to take into consideration your own quality of life. For us, having one car makes sense because we both work from home. That being said, we need to ensure that the car we do have is reliable, safe, and fits the whole family.

Saying goodbye to our old car and hello to new debt was no easy decision, but we are SO happy with the new car. It will last us a long time and we will continue to keep you updated on paying it off here on the blog.

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Dental health is important for your overall well-being, but sometimes it can be expensive to keep your and your family’s dental health in shape. Fortunately, reducing dental costs for your family doesn’t have to be difficult. These tips below can help reduce the costs of your family’s dental care, so you can focus on achieving the best dental health possible.

1. Invest in Good Oral Hygiene at Home

Taking proper care of your teeth and gums can help you avoid costly dental procedures like fillings, crowns, and root canals. Regularly brushing your teeth twice a day and flossing once a day will help keep your teeth and gums healthy. If your children are old enough, make sure they do the same. You can teach them how to brush by making it fun. Cartoon characters are another great way to encourage children to brush their teeth.

2. Use the Free Checkups on Your Insurance

It’s important for people of all ages to get regular dental checkups every six months just like how you should visit a doctor at least once a year. Most insurance plans offer some type of free checkup or preventive care. Be sure to take advantage of this and visit your dentist for regular exams and cleanings, too.

You can also get free checkups if you’re a new dental patient. Most dentists are willing to give you a free consultation to encourage you to become a patient.

3. Avoid Keeping Sugary Drinks in the House

As much as sports drinks are harmful to your teeth, researchers found that exposure to energy drinks such as Rockstar, Monster, and Red Bull resulted in twice as much enamel loss as exposure to sports drinks such as Powerade, Gatorade, and Propel (3.1% to 1.5%). Sugary drinks are terrible for your teeth and should be avoided, or at least limited. That’s because sugar feeds the bacteria in plaque, which leads to tooth decay and cavities. Reduce or limit the number of sugary drinks that your family consumes to reduce costly dental issues later on.

4. Look for Affordable Payment Options

Some dental offices offer payment plans that can help your family afford the care they need. Ask your dentist about what plans are available or if there are any discounts for paying in full upfront. You can also talk to your insurance provider about what type of coverage is available for dental care.

Payment plans are common and can be a great way to spread the cost of dental care over time. If you’re not sure what options are available, ask your dentist or insurance provider for more information.

5. Shop Around for a Dentist

The cost of dental care can vary significantly from one dentist to the next. Shopping around can help you find a dentist that offers quality care at an affordable price. Ask friends and family for recommendations, or look online for reviews. Compare prices and services offered to find the best deal. Just make sure you’re not sacrificing the quality of care in order to save a few dollars.

Finding an affordable dentist is important because the cost of dental care can add up quickly if you don’t have insurance or a payment plan. Finding the right dentist can help you get the care your family needs without breaking the bank.

6. Talk to Your Dentist About Preventative Care

According to Colgate, there are four types of dental bridges: traditional fixed bridge, cantilever bridge, resin-bonded bridge, and implant-supported bridge. Depending on the type of bridge your dentist recommends, you can save money by opting for generic bridges instead of their branded counterparts. Ask your dentist about any generic alternatives that may be available.

Your dentist can also recommend preventative care treatments that can help reduce costly procedures later on. For example, tooth sealants can help protect your teeth from cavities and decay. These treatments are relatively inexpensive, but they can save you money in the long run.

It’s up to you to prepare your family for a better future and there are various ways you can invest in achieving your goals. You will probably be looking over your life, wondering how time flew fast, and regret if you don’t have a plan. Also, emergencies occur in life, so it’s best to stay prepared for your family’s future to be in safe hands. However, you can put yourself in a great position if you implement the following things most families forget to invest in and prepare for.

Family Ties

Besides building financial stability, investing in a family is an important goal everyone should implement. Having a happy family that relates peacefully with each other is a significant factor that many families lack. When a family is united, they are always there for each other, and their children acquire brilliant qualities from responsible families where they grow to be great men and women.

A united, loving family sticks together and cares for their elder ones, making them age gracefully. About 51% of care receivers reside in their own home, 29% live with family caregivers, and 4% live in assisted living facilities and convalescent homes. When a family is well invested, they find ways to take care of their own, according to research results shown above. Therefore, investing in your family should be a priority in every home.

Family Friends

While having a family may seem enough, spending quality time with family and friends is vital in several ways. Hanging out with family and friends affects your happiness and mental health. For instance, your family may be coping with stressful moments. When friends are around, you can be open and talk to them about the challenges you face. You can devise solutions for dealing with the issues and engage in fun activities to help you forget sad moments.

The grieved were inquired about how different death rituals helped with anguish. Up to 83% said family and friends assisted greatly, 60% said receiving consolation cards, and 54% said receiving flowers. As you invest in family friends, ensure you create healthy relationships that are long-lasting to avoid finding yourself in toxic friendships that can impact your family lifestyle.

Water Conservation

Water is among the resources you need to survive in life. Therefore, conserving water is essential to ensure that everyone gets adequate access. Investing in water-saving techniques can also save money that could be used in the treatment process, pumping, and heating. You can stop all the leaks by finding a professional to identify all the leaking parts in your home, like toilets, outdoor sprinkler systems, and treatment units. According to the Environmental protection Agency, an average family can waste about 180 gallons weekly or 9,400 gallons yearly from homestead leaks. That equals the water required to do more than 300 loads of laundry. Ensure you conserve water in the kitchen and bathrooms and keep the taps closed when not in use.

Financial Stability

Financial stability refers to a measure of all your valuable assets minus any debts and liabilities you possess. There are various reasons a family needs to build wealth and generate more. Some reasons include improved mental health and resilience when unexpected situations occur. After building financial stability, you can invest in various businesses to ensure positive cash flow that exceeds your regular value of expenses and savings that can be utilized in the future.

Health Insurance

Poor health can lead to premature deaths, and if you are passionate about your families, you need to invest in their health. Ensure your family eats healthy foods, enough exercise, and positive mental stimulation. Great health investment can enable you and your loved ones to work longer and minimize the expenses of personal insurance. If your family is not applied to the life insurance policies, ensure you find the right company offering better insurance deals to keep your family in a safer position.

You should start to plan your finances early so that as time passes, you will have a wide range of possible solutions to how to invest. Working with professionals can help you identify all the things you need to be prepared for and to invest in. Remember that consistency, hard work, and responsibility are ideas that can guide all your decisions.

I chatted a few weeks ago about needing to refocus on our financial goals. Sometimes the road to debt freedom isn’t straight. We have gotten off track and faced some setbacks with unexpected expenses, but we still make a little bit of progress every month.

However, we are both a bit tired of how slowly it has been progressing. Because of this, we’ve been looking for additional ways to make money to snowball our debt.

The Debt Snowball

If you’ve been following the blog for a while, you know all about the snowball method. Essentially, this method of paying off debt has you set aside an emergency fund. Once that is done, every extra penny you have goes to paying off your debts.

This involves having a set budget. Once you look at your budget and see how much excess money you have, you can see how much you can put towards your debts. It is important for people who are snowballing their debts to also budget for some entertainment. Not doing so typically leads to overspending or abandoning your budget altogether.

The debt snowball method oftentimes includes searching for additional work to throw at paying off accounts as well. For instance, if you can make a few extra bucks selling things in your attic or walking the neighborhood dogs, you’d use that cash to pay off debt. We’ve been looking for more ways to increase our income so that we can do this.

How We Are Hustling to Pay Off Debt

First, we have both been looking for ways to trim the costs of day-to-day life. This includes my husband coming home for lunch every day. This saves us between $25 and $50 per week, all of which goes toward paying off debts.

My husband has also been picking up small jobs to earn a little extra money on the side. For instance, someone in our building needed a battery put into their car. He went down on a Sunday. It took all of 10 minutes and he earned an extra $50 to go toward paying off his tool accounts.

I’ve also been picking up a little extra work here and there. Every once and a while a freelance article pops up and I take it. This usually only makes me between $25 and $100 per article, but every bit counts. I’ve also picked up a modeling side gig that pays $175 per photo. This is less consistent and doesn’t happen as often as freelance work, but it is still a great way to earn a little extra to put towards my student loans and other debts.

As the weather gets colder, we will also be cleaning out our closets. We will be trying to sell these items on Facebook Marketplace for extra cash to snowball our debts. All in all, each of these things seems very small but they are helping us tick down our overall debt tremendously.

Readers, have you picked up a side job or hustle to snowball your debt? What have you done? 

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Have you been feeling overwhelmed and down-right stressed out about your finances recently? We’ve all been there (at least I know I have). Thankfully, there are plenty of tools and ideas out there to help you cope with financial stress.

After dealing with some significant financial problems myself, including being homeless, I found that there are a few sure-fire ways to make yourself feel better about your finances while working to better them as well.

Set a budget.

If you’re going to handle your financial stress you won’t do it by simply being overwhelmed by it. You’ll need to take action and start putting a plan in place. First, you’ll want to track all of your day-to-day spending. After you’ve had a good look at all of your finances, you’ll have a good idea of where you can cut and what remains a necessity.

Then you’ll be ready to create a budget.  No one’s budget is the same, so be sure that your budget is tailored to your specific goals. Also be sure that you are creating a realistic budget. Many people are eager to start saving and get their finances on track that they don’t think everything through before making ambitious goals.

Emergency fund.

When you are setting up your budget, be sure you set aside money for savings. A majority of Americans don’t have the money set aside to cover a $1,000 emergency. Because that’s the case, many people wind up racking up credit card debt when emergencies come up. This will not help your financial stress. The additional monthly payments will only add to your stress. So, make saving money for emergencies a priority.

Get help.

Don’t be afraid to admit when you need help. What keeps many people stressed out about finances is not talking to others about their problems. In many cases, keeping the struggle you’re having to yourself will increase your anxiety about the issue. There are plenty of affordable financial advisors (and even free financial advisors) that can help you sort through your finances.

Make changes.

Nothing will happen to alleviate your financial stress unless you make a change. You can plan, budget, and track all day long but if you do not change your behavior, your financial situation will remain the same. If your finances have declined because you spend too much money going out to eat, but you don’t change that behavior, you will still be struggling at the end of the day.

Give yourself positive affirmation.

Last, but not least, give yourself positive affirmation. This is important when you are trying to reach financial goals and other goals in life. No one is perfect. You’ll have good and bad days with your finances. Be sure to remind yourself that nothing is permanent. You can always make more changes to better your situation.

If you keep these five things in mind, you’ll be able to keep your financial stress under control and you’ll be on the road to financial wellness in no time.

Have you been under financial stress? How did you handle it?