focus on appreciation and smiles
Monthly Challenges
Sarah Brumley

Encouragement Challenge: Focus on Appreciation and Smiles

When I worked as an Administrative Assistant, one of the best weeks of the year was Administrative Appreciation week. Not only did it always seem to catch me off guard, but it was the time when all of the people I worked with would make an effort to show the

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caregiver for someone you love
Family + Personal
Sarah Brumley

The True Cost of Being a Caregiver for Someone You Love

I’m excited to welcome Holly Bird from Holly’s Bird Nest to share a bit of her story with us today. Holly and her husband, Tim, were blindsided early on in their marriage with a diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease and, later on, dementia. Since that time, she’s taken over as the

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How to get your whole family doing chores
Family + Personal
Sarah Brumley

How To Get Your Whole Family Doing Chores

It’s no secret that my entire family participates in household chores. Just the act of family working together has played a huge role in achieving our long-term goals, but more than that, it’s instilled a feeling that we are all in this together, through the highs and the lows. Of

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How to put together a real life budget
Budgeting
Sarah Brumley

How To Put Together a Real Life Budget the Simple and Easy Way

I’m not going to lie. Sometimes the idea of putting together a new monthly budget can seem intimidating. Often it’s because there’s not enough money coming in for all of the things we want to do. Sometimes, though, it’s because we have a little extra money and have to figure

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sacrifice for gain
Monthly Challenges
Sarah Brumley

Encouragement Challenge: Sacrifice for Gain

Sure, you’ve already created your monthly budget and you are happily moving forward. Today, I’m going to throw a bit of a wrench into that, with the hope that you will be able to save even more than you already planned to. Encouragement Challenge: Sacrifice for Gain Pick a small

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how to create your first successful zero-based budget
Budgeting
Sarah Brumley

How to Create Your First Successful Zero Based Budget

If you had told me 12 years ago that I’d be tracking each and every penny that came in and out of our home, I’d have thought you crazy. Seriously crazy. At the time I was running our budget off of whatever scrap piece of paper was at my disposal

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March Savings Challenge: Exciting Ways to Save a Little More
Monthly Challenges
Sarah Brumley

March Savings Challenge: Exciting Ways to Save a Little More

As we approach this third month of this year, it’s getting more and more fun to have these savings challenges motivate us throughout the months. I hope you are enjoying them as much as I am. March Savings Challenge: Exciting Ways to Save a Little More For the month of

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My Debt and Savings Recap: February Edition
Financial Goals
Sarah Brumley

My Debt and Savings Recap: February Edition

As expected, the month of February was a bit harder than the initial excitement that came with January. Despite the ups and downs, though, I think we can honestly say that we are still taking great steps in the right direction each and every week. Our February Debt Recap Sometimes

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Encouragement Challenge: Increase Your Smarts
Monthly Challenges
Sarah Brumley

Encouragement Challenge: Increase Your Smarts

“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.” – Dr. Seuss I don’t know about you, but I love to exercise my brain. I love to experience new things through the lives of characters in books, travel

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How to use a savings fund
Saving + Investing
Sarah Brumley

How To Use a Savings Fund and Why You Absolutely Should

When Justin and I first started out on our journey to better our finances, we really struggled with inconsistent expenses. Honestly, it took us over a year to figure out what they were, but those quarterly, biannually, and annual expenses really took a toll on the progress we’d hoped to

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books, bloggers, and podcasts
Tools + Resources
Sarah Brumley

Books, Bloggers, and Podcasts: February Edition

I don’t know about you, but I LOVE finding new resources to incorporate into my everyday life in the form of books, blogs, and podcasts. This month, is no different, and I have several fantastic options for you to choose from. Books, Bloggers, and Podcasts: February Edition You’ll quickly find

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strengthen and command
Monthly Challenges
Sarah Brumley

Encouragement Challenge: Strengthen and Command

I love having one area of my home that is specifically designed for family communication and I can tell you that without it, my family would be lost, my house would always be a mess, and kids’ papers would never make it back to school. I’m serious. Our communication center

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