Orderly Athens

Pets are part of the family so they need their own space for things too! Try grouping like things together in a bin or container— one for grooming, medicine, clothing and treats. You’ll never be searching through everything for monthly heart-worm medicine or a brush again! The best part, this is sustainable too! Throw them right back in their bin when you’re done! 👍🏻

“Fewer than 4 in 10 Americans have enough money set aside to cover an unexpected $1,000 expense...”

This is shocking, but I am not surprised! We used to be there. Living paycheck to paycheck with no savings. If any unexpected expenses came our way we would’ve just used our credit card that had 22% interest 😩

Having an emergency fund is so important! If you need to start small, then do so. $500 is better than $0!

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/financial-emergency-savings-americans-cover/?fbclid=IwAR0gCE83iL0YrJIZNGhA1Y8fUUzV459g6KG5uzjG3LCZwNX9qw8TahNun3o

Most Americans couldn't cover a $1,000 financial emergency, survey finds Poll shows that fewer than 40% have that amount set aside for a medical bill, car repair or other unexpected costs.

I’ll admit, this tip requires some extra effort. However, if you struggle with impulse buying or sticking to your budget, the reward is worth the extra trip to the bank!

The cash envelope system has been around for a while. You can even buy wallets that have dividers for the different categories (but don’t because ) 😜

In general, they are a great way to track how much money you have in each budget category for the month. If you’re always going over budget in certain areas (most likely food+entertainment 🙃)- then take cash out for the amount you’ve budgeted for and stick it in an envelope. Once the money is gone, that’s it- it’s gone! This will really help curb your habit of overspending!

“Well how do I know how much cash to get out?”

Look at your last 3 bank statements. What do you typically spend at the grocery store monthly/weekly? When it was just Justin and I, we spent about $400 a month/$100 a week on groceries. Now with Ruby Ann we spend $500 a month. I’m sure we could spend less and we could for sure spend more- but this number works great in our budget.

What are your financial goals for 2021? We have some pretty big goals. Will it be easy? No, definitely not. But if we focus on being intentional with our money and increasing our income while decreasing our expenses, I think it definitely is in the realm of possibility! We are also *possibly* making a huge life change this year to help us reach our goals faster— but you’ll just have to wait to hear about that later 😬
#2021