It’s the weekend baby (or close enough) and for some of you that also means PAY DAY! A joyous day that, in theory, represents the culmination of your hard work. Regardless of your income, this is the day when you get … Continue reading
On Our Radar! I happily present you three products that I am obsessed with this week that help you get your financial house in order, keep your beauty blunders at a minimum, and keep your words articulately chic! FINANCIAL CENTS EasyMoney … Continue reading
Will You Be My Bridesmaid?
It starts with a question that leads to a ring, which ends up as a picture on Instagram, and is shared on Facebook. Yep, he asked and she said yes! Weeks later, you find a charming note in your mailbox asking you to stand beside her on the most important day of her life. You, my dear, are a chosen one… also known as a bridesmaid.
Since 2010, I have been in seven weddings and I witnessed fifteen of my girlfriends walk down the aisle toward wedded bliss. I have taken off work and flown clear across the country in support of LOVE, but the support LOVE can come at a hefty price tag.
She Said Yes, But Should You?
It is truly an honor to be asked to be in someone’s wedding, but before you say “yes”, you need to understand what you are getting yourself into before you make that commitment. Just like in a romantic relationship, money can throw a major wretch into your friendship if you are not honest with yourself and the bride about your financial situation. As a bridesmaid, I have paid for gowns, shoes, hair, mani/pedi, makeup packages, jewelry, liquor, plane tickets, hotels, car service, engagement party, bridal shower, bachelorette party, and décor elements for the actual wedding. I didn’t even mention the wedding gift…eek! Once you accept the invitation to become a member of the bridal party, you are in for richer or poorer.
Back in 2011, the Wedding Channel estimated the cost of being a bridesmaid averages around $1695. This was based off a survey of more than 20,000 brides in 2010. Imagine was the average is now. It always makes me wonder how Katherine Heigl could afford to be in 27 weddings, plus her own, on a personal assistant’s salary. For me, I used the envelope system before I even knew exactly what that meant. I set aside a certain amount of money each check for each bride. Sure, for some of the weddings I did have to use supplemental funds, but it is better than having to pay an unplanned lump sum at the last-minute.
Brides, be nice to your bridesmaids…your chosen ones. These are the ones who are holding you down during one of the most beautiful and stressful times of your life. Bridesmaids, remember that your bride is a bride only once (fingers crossed) and she has a vision for her day. If you are both honest from the beginning, then you lessen the chance of unrealistic expectations from both sides.
How Many Weddings Have You Been In?
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I have recently been introduced to the curling wand and while I love the results, I’m not sure my hair is loving the amount of heat that it requires to keep up the look. I don’t see a problem using it now and then, but when I first got the wand, I was using it up to three times a week….and we all know that overexposure to heat based styling tools can lead to brittle hair and split ends. I’m trying to maintain healthy hair, especially in between salon visits, with hair styles that will save my strands, money, and time. I have found myself lacking hairspiration and it shows. Lately, I have rocked straight hair, a bun, or wash and go, which reveals my natural curls, but I’m looking forward to switching it up a bit.
Check out these braided upgrades on my favorite hairstyles:
Which Hair Style Do You Like Best?
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As a brand, She Makes Cents is all about inspiring and informing you of ways to use your “cents” to live a fabulous life. So it’s time to start thinking about…well, some fabulosity. Now that the weather is warm and … Continue reading
Journals are great for the soul, and even better to read on down the line. They are crucial in understanding the person that you are, and the person that you are becoming. The same applies for finances. If you like buying expensive perfume when you are fighting with your boyfriend, then you must write about it vehemently, and display it in a way that will show you just how much it affects you. This way, you can align your emotional extremities up with your financial extremities, and come up with a combative plan to avoid unnecessary losses. Today I bought my first money journal, and I can’t wait to write in it daily recording…everything!
I want to show you how you can use a money journal to introduce YOU to what I like to call your “spending self.” If used properly, your journal will educate you on what motivates you to spend. It affords you the opportunity to identify your spending triggers and in turn show you ways to cut back on spending and save more money. Doesn’t that sound wonderful?
Purchase your Money Journal: This step is completely up to you. I went to Target and purchased a small MEAD spiral for a buck 50. You may be an “app” girl, or you may choose to get one of the mini composition notebooks. Either way, this is entirely your choice. However, I wouldn’t recommend spending a boatload on something that will be conserving you money!
Document your daily spending: This is the one of the most imperative parts of possessing a money journal. You absolutely must write down every single dime that you spend, and more importantly, why you spend it. This is because many women are prone to impulsive and emotional spending. This kind of spending can get very ugly, very fast. Document your spending with the intent to really understand your precise reasons for spending.
After a month, assess your records: Why do you spend? The path to financial freedom begins once you identify the crux of your spending and how you can cut these costs. Your goal is to gain control of yourself, your impulses, and ultimately your finances. You can do this by adequately documenting and assessing the money you spend and why you spend it. After assessing your pattern, decide on your plan of action, and how you will ensure that casual expenditures do not continue to occur.
Establish and make changes accordingly: You have documented your spending for at least a month, and you realize that when you feel down, you often buy expensive jewelry. However, you have noticed that in a month you have a ton of jewelry that you do not even wear! You also notice that you are in a financial crunch and you savings are dwindling! This is an apparent problem that you must combat as the owner of a money journal.
Wash, Rinse, and Repeat: Every month, you should gain new information in your inventory that is going to show you weak areas in your spending habits. You must take action, and actively participate in implementing the tactics that will enforce financial competency. Take control of your finances; you can do it! The moment you see how much you can save, you will be so proud.
Have You Met Your Spending Self?
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Just as slaves born into slavery can’t visualize freedom, we Americans don’t know what it would be like to wake up to NO debt.
-Dave Ramsey, Total Money Makeover
Your alarm clock sounds, alerting you that a new day has come. You awake to find yourself owning a car without a car payment, a home without a mortgage, an education without student loans, and credit card(s) with a zero balance. How did you get to this financial freedom? Did you a) win the lottery, b) rob a bank Sugar & Spice style, or c) align your behaviors with your long-term financial goals? Well, the answer to the question depends on whom you ask.
I told a friend of mine that I was working to become debt free and she looked me right in my face and laughed. I mean laughed to the point of tears while telling me how unrealistic I was being. “Everyone has debt”, she alleged. If this were her outlook on financial freedom, I would guess that she could image a debt free life comes only as a result of a windfall. She will either rob the bank or win the lottery. I, however, understand how even the most minute sacrifices will help me get closer to my financial goals. I have to think beyond the day-to-day and month-to-month if I want to build generational wealth. Financial expert, Dave Ramsey adds, “We have been sold debt with such repetition […] that it’s hard for people to imagine what it would be like to have no payments”. Debt shouldn’t be the normal status quo and I am not comfortable adopting that mind-set. When the day comes when I wake up with no mortgage, no student loans, and no credit card balance, I know it will be a result of my financial plan and my commitment to it.
Is Debt Normal? Share Your Thoughts…
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During the infancy of She Makes Cents, I started reading Shoo…Jimmy Choo by Catey Hill. This, I admit, was another book I picked up because I like the title. In it, Hill goes beyond the standard advice to create a spending chart and record everything you spend your money on in it. She adds the recommendation to also include additional information such as who was with you and the motivation behind your purchase. I did this for about two months and learned that I often spent extra money when I was with one particular close friend. I usually spent money on expensive lunches and after reviewing the spending chart, my motivation behind my spending was purely emotional. I didn’t realize that was I was spending a great deal of money simply because I missed hanging out with her like I did when I was in college. Fast forward almost two years later where I started repeating the pattern of emotional and socially inspired spending. With my current job, I got back into the habit of frequently going out to lunch with the girls. I didn’t want to miss the great conversations but most importantly, I didn’t want to appear anti-social.
At the start of the year, something clicked for the Mr and me. Our view on how we spend money as a couple and individually has narrowed. We have become super serious about saving and making better decisions on how we spend our money. Does that mean no lunches with the girls? Absolutely not! It does mean that I won’t be going with them EVERY DAY for lunch or drinks after work, though. Instead I am cooking more at home and packing more lunches. As much as I hate to decline a social invitation, I would hate it more if the collective whole of my socially motivated financial decisions were the reason I wasn’t truly living a fabulous debt free life. I am proud of myself. I find that I’m eating better and cleaner. I also becoming a better cook, which is always a plus, but more importantly, I have learned to say no to social and yes to finances!
What Have You Had to Say No To?
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