I am really going to be honest with you and it may sound shameful….but I don’t keep a budget (bad personal finance coach, bad personal finance coach), well, at least not in the conventional sense with spreadsheets and graphs. But, you better believe, a sister named Kara I. Stevens makes her monthly savings goal every month. Every. Single. Month. Let me tell you … [Read more...]
Money Monday: Five Ways To Create A Wealth Mindset
As African-Americans we’ve arrived a little late to the wealth game. According to a 2014 Pew Center report, the median black household in America possessed a meager $11,000 in wealth compared to the $141,900 in wealth held by the median white family. While institutional racism, unequal access to quality education, and other factors contribute to this finding, there are … [Read more...]
How Minimalism Can Solve Your Debt Problems For Good
We all have our Kriptonite when it comes to impulse shopping and buying more than we need or even want. For me, as a self-proclaimed brown girl bibliophile introvert, I can’t pull myself from Amazon without spending at least $50. A sweet circuit of joy courses through me when I come home and find those boxes in my mail box or if they are too big, leaning against my door. But … [Read more...]
Why Every Black Family in America Should Consider Removing Debt from Their Balance Sheet
By Aja McClanahan Recent events in Ferguson and Baltimore have been bitter reminders for Black America: there’s still more work to do for justice and equality for people of all races in our country. Black people are clearly angry, frustrated and demoralized by the quality of life gap that still persists between Black and White America. Without being all political and … [Read more...]
How to Save 50% of Your Family’s Income in 6 Simple Steps
My husband and I have always toyed with the idea of living off of fifty percent of our incomes— not necessarily because one of us wants to quit our job right now, but because we are serious about wealth and understand that our daily decisions impact our ultimate financial outcomes. Even though we live pretty simple lives, I never sat down to figure out what it would take for … [Read more...]
Money Monday: 5 Ways to Improve Your Finances By Trimming The Fat
Sometimes, it seems as if there is never enough money. But, if we look closer, we might realize that we have more than we think. The problem is that we fritter away a good portion of what we take home. In fact, experts predict most Americans simply squander 10% to 15% of their salary. This is ironic since experts also tell us that saving 10% to 15% of our income is enough to … [Read more...]
Money Monday: 4 Ways to Practice Mindful Spending in 2014
Several years ago, food psychologist Dr. Brian Wansink released Mindless Eating, a revolutionary book that examined how we consume food without even thinking about why or what we're eating. Our eating, in essence, becomes habitual. This mindless eating, Wansink argues, is a prime reason so many Americans are overweight. His take home lesson: we can lose and keep off the … [Read more...]
Couples: 4 Super Practical Tips to Give Your Monthly Budget a Boost
Getting into shape financially is no different than getting into shape physically. They both require hard work, discipline and a plan. The first step in that plan is to create a budget. Establishing a budget doesn't have to be a chore or drudgery. Instead, it can be a great opportunity to work together with your spouse to create a budget that is effective, creative and meets … [Read more...]