Last week, I was on the train sitting next to a couple that was going to marry the next day. They were both wearing “bride” and “groom” sunglasses. They were smacking on gum and they had their feet up on the train seats next to them. The bride-to-be was scrolling through some pictures on her phone and the groom-to-be was looking on—commenting, and cheesing. They were in … [Read more...]
FREE Couples Webinar: Living Paycheck to Paycheck: How to Avoid the Money Mistakes that Break Couples Up on Tuesday, April 21st
For some reason when we get married, we think we shouldn't struggle because two incomes are better than one. It's a hard reality when both spouses work and we still struggle. Sometimes, it has nothing to do with how much money we make, but how we manage our money. With finances being a huge reason that so many couples separate, this month we are focusing on Living Paycheck to … [Read more...]
Votes for HBCU SC South University to Shut Down for 1 Year
Is this a conspiracy? Is this the start of a possible trend of closing HBCU's? Ok, that may be a far fetched accusation but you have to admit, closing a school down for a year to get their finances straight is pretty much unheard of, until now. South Carolina State University is very close to being shut down as early as today for the 2015-2016 school year for mis-managing … [Read more...]
4 Things to Do With Your Money If You’re a Financial Overachiever
Financial overachievers have done all of their financial due diligence—paid off their debt, maxed out their retirement contributions, and maintained at least six months of emergency funds. Once they have achieved these goals, they can grow unsure about what money moves to make next. For the financial overachiever, this state of uncertainty may create a bit of anxiety. Below … [Read more...]
Money Monday: How to Organize Your Finances for Your Best Money Year Ever
A disorganized financial life can spell disaster. But with a little effort, you can gain control of your money and start building a rewarding financial future. Start with these simple tasks. Create a bill paying system To avoid late fees and to understand exactly where your money is going, create a bill paying system. You must know exactly how much needs to be paid and when … [Read more...]
19 Tips on How I Lived on $11.30 Discretionary Income Last Week and Loved It
Last week, I challenged my Frugal Feminista community and myself to a $20 Cash Crash Diet 5-Day Challenge after noticing that my spending had become a bit reckless for recent months. I created a Facebook closed community for support and accountability and this structure worked wonderfully. I was able to be more mindful about my purchases and truly forced myself to choice … [Read more...]
Create a Living Trust and Draft a Will Before It’s Too Late
Yesterday, I got off the phone with my mom with some family updates— the ongoings of the family in the States, Antigua, and Tobago. Most of the news was positive; one piece wasn’t so positive, though. I learned that one family member was at the beginning stages of a debilitating mental and physical illness. When I hear about illness, I can’t help but think about death. And … [Read more...]
5 Ways to Be Happily Married When She Makes More
Last night, I stayed up late and Martin, one of my favorite shows from the 90s, was on. In this particular episode, Martin discovered that Gina made substantially more money than he did. And he was far from happy to say the least. In fact, when he found out that Gina made more money than he did, he sulked in his chair, and asked her to leave his apartment so he could be … [Read more...]
Don’t Hide Money! Read the Other 3 Ways to Avoid Having Money Ruin Your Marriage
Money is one of the all-time reasons couples get divorced. Either someone is not making enough, spending too much or not paying bills. There are probably several reasons couples fight and/or divorce over money. I thought I would share some tips that will hopefully help someone come to an understanding about money. Decide on how many bank accounts you are going to have. You … [Read more...]
Why “Paying Yourself First” Isn’t Always About Saving Money
I had a sobering realization a few months ago. I realized that I care more about money than I do my body. YIKES! While I never walked around tapping strangers on the shoulders to say, “Excuse me, Miss, but I really don’t care as much about my physical fitness as I do my financial fitness,” all of my actions confirmed it. The data did not lie. I am in better … [Read more...]
Men, Do You Properly Protect and Serve Your Wife?
There are many relationships where the woman doesn't feel secure. I think there is an instinct in many women to want to feel secure, not only in the context of the relationship, but to feel secure in their livelihood with their spouse. I have heard financial guru Dave Ramsey say that women have a “security gene” that men just don’t have—and I think there is some truth to that. … [Read more...]
The Ideal Number of Bank Accounts a Married Couple Should Have
I attended a beautiful wedding ceremony a few weeks ago. He was Italian. She was Jamaican. This was his second marriage. This was her first. He had two children that he brought to the marriage. She, on the other hand, was looking forward to starting a family with him. The pastor candidly spoke about the complexities of having an interracial, intercultural, blended marriage. … [Read more...]
5 Money Mantras To Inspire You To Build a Wealth Mindset
The mind serves as the bed of all thought, which subsequently lays the foundation of our feelings and eventually our actions. Individuals committed to using mantra in their lives reap the benefits of physical well being, mental clarity, and spiritual grounding. Money Mantras As it relates to money and our goals of financial liberation and freedom, creating "money mantras" … [Read more...]
4 Ways to Increase the Level of Financial Intimacy in Your Marriage
I define financial intimacy as a couple’s ability to communicate how they will jointly use money to run their daily lives, as well as, meet their short term and long term goals. Even though we crave emotional intimacy and insist on spiritual and sexual intimacy in our marriage, we sometimes fail to see how a lack of financial intimacy impacts all other intimacies. Think … [Read more...]
Tyler Perry Narrates Documentary About Our Financial System
So many of us have easy access to our checking and savings accounts that we sometimes take for granted the millions of American who rely on pawn shops, money orders, check cashing locations and payday loans, just to take care of their day-to-day affairs. The new documentary, Spent: Looking for Change, reveals some of the harsh realities of our broken financial system and how … [Read more...]