Prioritized Living - Master your money. Get organized. Take back your time.

6 FIRE Movement Rules That Will Transform Your Money

August 21, 2019

Note: This post contains affiliate links. Read my policy here.

Right now, the FIRE movement is revolutionizing the way that Americans envision retirement.

FIRE — which stands for financial independence, retire early — began with the book Your Money or Your Life, authored by Vicki Robin and Joe Domingez. First published in 1992 and most recently updated in 2018, the book continues to galvanize young adults in particular in pursuing the dream of retirement in their 40s or even 30s.

But retirement for FIRE followers rarely means doing nothing. Instead, it translates to freedom to pursue the kind of work and passions you love instead of working exclusively for the paycheck.

Mr. Money Mustache, a prominent FIRE proponent, states the goal of FIRE as “complete freedom to be the best, most powerful, energetic, happiest, and most generous version of you that you can possibly be.”

Maybe FIRE is something you’d love to pursue yourself. But, even if early retirement isn’t your plan, you can mine some incredible money principles from the FIRE philosophy — principles that can put you on the path to financial health, help you grow your money, and build a secure financial future! [Read more…]

How to Manage (and Master!) Your Money with a Budget Binder

July 30, 2019

Money is . . . well, it’s messy! And complicated.

Just think about all the pieces that make up your financial life! You may have multiple sources of income, savings accounts, retirement or investment accounts, bills for your home, bills for your family, expenses that are coming up, and things you want to do with your money!

How on earth do you keep it all straight and get it all done?!

A budget binder, like My Budget Binder from Prioritized Living, is an amazing tool for mastering your finances. It takes the mess and stress of money management out of the equation and gets you moving toward your financial dreams.

CLICK HERE to grab your copy of My Budget Binder from Prioritized Living!

Here are just a few of the many things a budget binder can do for you when you incorporate it into your life: [Read more…]

Meal Planning for Beginners: How to Save Money on Your Family’s Food

July 8, 2019

For average Americans, roughly 15% of their income is spent exclusively on food. And, with the average household income sitting around $60,000, the typical family spends $9000 to keep everyone fed.

That’s no small chunk of change.

But what if you could slash your food expenses? What a massive difference that would make with your money!

After all, what could you do with the extra cash if you could whittle your food costs down to 12% every single month? To 10% month after month???

That’s precisely where meal planning comes in — a simple exercise that takes just minutes a week. And doing nothing more than sticking with a meal plan can keep your food budget small while freeing up your cash for other financial goals!

And it’s great for everyone — supermoms, busy retirees, cash-strapped students, kitchen-loving dads, and anyone looking to save money and save time.

If you’re new to the scene, you may not even know how to meal plan. No worries! This guide will take you from beginner to meal planning expert in no time. [Read more…]

5 Proven Ways to Tidy Up Your Spending

June 24, 2019

Overspending has never been easier.

In mere seconds from just about anywhere, you can mindlessly type and swipe your way to a pricey online impulse buy. And, surprisingly, overwhelming living expenses aren’t typically to blame for overdoing it with your wallet.

One NerdWallet study found that one in two Americans overspend not out of necessity but for emotional reasons like stress, excitement, and sadness. And the numbers are even greater for younger generations, with two out of three millennials admitting to emotional overspending.

Self-awareness is the first step in avoiding overspending that’s driving you into debt. And if you’ve already taken the time to tidy up your money mindset, you’re well on your way.

But there’s more you can do.

As you know, countless Americans are currently on a mission to declutter their lives and organize their homes, Marie Kondo style. But what if you could tidy up your spending?

Check out these top tips for cleaning up your spending habits: [Read more…]

33 Things You Can Organize in 10 Minutes or Less

June 17, 2019

Note: This post contains affiliate links. Read my policy here.

So often, before you start the process of getting organized, you have to overcome the immense hurdle of procrastination. After all, decluttering can seem like an immense project!

But there’s no rule that says you can’t start organizing your home until you have a full weekend to devote to purging and sorting. In fact, tackling the clutter and tidying up is something you can do every day — no matter how busy you are.

Looking for some quick organizing tips? My list below includes 33 projects you can tackle from start to finish in 10 minutes or less.
[Read more…]

23 Father’s Day Gifts Under $100

June 3, 2019

Note: This post contains affiliate links. Read my policy here. I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links.

Father’s Day is nearly here! So that eternal question is rearing its head again . . .

What on earth can I give Dad as a gift?

And if you’re looking to buy a present on a budget? You might seriously be scratching your head.

I’ve been there. So I’m sharing 23 of my favorite gift ideas — all under $100 — for that incredible dad you love and adore every day of the year.

Whether you’re buying as a daughter, wife, granddaughter, or an agent for the kids, you’re sure to find a unique and budget-friendly gift he’ll love this Father’s Day!

[Read more…]

It’s Time to Take Some Time Off (Without the Guilt)

May 27, 2019

As a business owner, die-hard numbers girl, and a productivity junkie, I obsessively track my time at work. After all, it pays to know how many hours go to marketing, client work, invoicing, training, etc. And analyzing those hours is invaluable in assessing the value of each client and in pricing my services.

But, when I looked into my numbers a few weeks back, I noticed something shocking: Even though I was well into May, the number of hours I hadn’t worked amounted to just two (work) days off this year.

Two days off in nearly five months. During that time, I’ve seen national holidays, day care holidays, contractors milling around my home, a bad cold (that got passed around the whole gang), a mini vacation for my family, and more. But I’ve compensated by sacrificing my personal time on nights and weekends.

And most of those times I was working . . . I didn’t have to. There was no looming deadline or immediate need for me to tackle whatever project I was doing toward building and sustaining my business.

I just didn’t bother to take time off!

So I recently forced myself to close up shop on a Thursday. It was amazing! With beautiful weather, my son and I threw coins in our town’s fountain, laughed over ice cream at a streetside table, and strolled the town before hitting the library together.

But what about you?

When was the last time you took a day off for real? When you left work behind for an entire day to enjoy your family or relax on your own?

If the idea sounds laughable — or if playing hooky has you racked with guilt — consider this . . . [Read more…]

How to Save Money on Prescription Medications

May 13, 2019

Sticker shock is alive and well at every pharmacy across the country.

Prescription medication is expensive.

Plenty of people shell out continuously to cover treatment for chronic medical conditions. And, other times, getting a prescription is an unpleasant, pricey surprise. Your kid gets an infection. You’re injured in an accident. Or you face an unexpected diagnosis.

In fact, a recent survey by RxSaver found that the average American adult spends $33 each month — that’s $400 a year! — on prescription medication. And kids’ prescriptions add an additional $341 a year to your budget.

Any way you slice it, it feels like your wallet is completely at the mercy of your pharmacist.

So what can you do? How can you ensure that you have the money you need to cover your essential medical costs?

If you want to know how to save money on prescriptions, try these smart strategies for saving what you need and growing what you already have. [Read more…]

How Much Should I Spend on Groceries?

May 6, 2019

Is your food spending normal?

Maybe you’re a die-hard fan of outsourcing your food prep. You eat nearly every meal out and use your oven for storage.

Or, on the flipside, you’re a frugalista — someone who shops for the best deals in-store and online, stocks up on discount groceries, meal plans like a pro, and whips up 40 inexpensive freezer meals in a day.

But everybody wants to know . . . How much should I spend on groceries? Is my family’s food budget on target, or are we way off?

Get ready to see whether your spending is in line with the average grocery bill in America. Learn how to create a custom food budget for your family. Plus, grab the FREE food budget calculator down below for calculating your family’s ideal grocery budget!

Here we go! [Read more…]

Lose the Clutter & Get Organized: My 1-800-GOT-JUNK? Experience

April 29, 2019

Note: This post contains affiliate links. Read my policy here.

It was time for a major clutter purge. That was the thinking of my husband and me in mid-2018.

We’d moved into our home a few years earlier, still toting plenty of possessions from before we were married. Up until then, we’d done a decent job of donating the smaller stuff we didn’t want to organizations that would take it. We had dropped boxes at Goodwill, given unused diapers to a local women’s shelter, and scheduled driveway pick-up for donations to the Salvation Army and Big Brothers Big Sisters.

But the big stuff we no longer needed (or wanted) as a married couple remained. The dining room set and recliner from his late, great-uncle. The second-hand love seat that had graced my first apartment out of graduate school. A skeeball table my husband had given me for Christmas the year we started dating! The list went on.

Some of it was moveable — like my husband’s old fish aquarium and a massive painting he had purchased at a discount back in the day. But no charitable organization wanted to take them off our hands.

And other stuff was stuck. Maybe the two of us could have gotten that love seat and recliner out of the basement, but it would have been a major pain.

Finally, some of our junk was simply that. But much of what we wanted to clear out was not only usable but easily would have value to other people.

So we wanted a service that would . . .

Take all of the clutter we wanted removed . . . instead of cherry-picking from our stash,
Actually carry it out of our house . . . instead of forcing us to haul it out to the curb,
Donate, resell, or recycle our stuff, as appropriate . . . instead of sending it directly to the dump,
And do it all professionally and at a fair price!

After plenty of research, we turned to 1-800-GOT-JUNK?, a nationwide, residential junk removal service. And we were thrilled with the result!

If you too are ready to clear out your clutter and get organized, a junk removal service may be something you’re considering! And you’re looking for a thorough 1-800-GOT-JUNK? review.

So here’s what you need to know about the process — how 1-800-GOT-JUNK? works, what you’ll pay, and what I love (and don’t love) about it. [Read more…]