Prioritized Living

How Much Should I Spend on Groceries?

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…]

10 Things You Can Teach Your Kids with a Fun Planner

Are you an avid fan of planners?

You might use yours to keep track of your calendar appointments, note daily to-do list tasks, plan goals, journal, and celebrate your progress.

More and more adults have discovered the empowerment that comes from capitalizing on a personal planner.

Now, consider how a specially designed planner might help your kids.

After all, kids these days are busy. They’ve got school, friends, extra-curricular clubs, sports, hobbies, and gigantic dreams for themselves.

Instead of trying to cram their lives into a planner made for an adult, you can use a kid’s planner to capture everything your child has going on.

And a kid’s planner can teach your child invaluable skills they can use now and as an adult.

Consider these 10 lifelong benefits they can reap from using their very own planner:

[Read more…]

How to Use a Budget Binder to Manage Your Money

Even if you have the simplest financial situation, managing your money isn’t always that simple. Add in loans, retirement plans, maybe some kids or even a small business . . . and it gets complicated fast.

After all, your financial life is multi-faceted.

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 do you keep it all straight and get it all done?

A budget binder, like My Budget Binder from Prioritized Living, is a fantastic 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.

So what is a budget binder? And what benefits does it offer you in managing your household’s money?

[Read more…]

54 Awesome Kid Gifts Under $25

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

Ohhhh man, the holidays are coming!!!

And this time of year, you’re probably wondering what on earth to get your son or daughter (or niece, nephew, or other favorite kids!).

You want something that will wow that special kid . . . without busting your budget.

And it’s 100% possible.

These 54 kid gifts are all under $25 and will bring a big smile to any kid on Christmas morning.

[Read more…]

13 Awesome Productivity Gifts to Give This Holiday Season

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

With Christmas right around the corner, you may be searching for that perfect gift for the special people in your life. (Or you may be looking to treat yourself to a surprise from Santa!)

Either way, if your gift recipient loves being super-productive — or wishes that she were! — this holiday gift guide has got you covered with awesome, budget-friendly presents.

[Read more…]

15 Awesome Organizing Gifts to Give This Holiday Season

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

With Christmas right around the corner, you may be searching for that perfect gift for the special people in your life. (Or you may be looking to treat yourself to a surprise from Santa!)

Either way, if your gift recipient loves being organized — or wishes that she were! — this holiday gift guide has got you covered with awesome, budget-friendly presents.

[Read more…]

15 Awesome Financial Gifts to Give This Holiday Season

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

With Christmas right around the corner, you may be searching for that perfect gift for the special people in your life. (Or you may be looking to treat yourself to a surprise from Santa!)

Either way, if your gift recipient loves being on top of her finances — or wishes that she were! — this holiday gift guide has got you covered with awesome, budget-friendly presents.

[Read more…]

7 Last-Minute Gift Ideas That Won’t Bust Your Holiday Budget

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

When I was growing up, one of our annual Christmas traditions was waving goodbye to Dad for a few hours on Christmas Eve. He was off to the mall for Christmas gift shopping!

Every year, we never knew what to expect from Dad under the tree. In my case, I think that was primarily the result of having a kooky dad . . .

. . . but it’s slim pickings out there on Christmas Eve!

If you struggle to come up with great last-minute gift ideas, back away from the eyeshadow collections and novelty socks.

Whether you’re a self-proclaimed procrastinator or the holidays have just snuck up on you this year, you absolutely can get your hands on gifts that people love.

And you can do it on a budget. Here’s how . . .

[Read more…]

10 New Year’s Financial Resolutions for an Awesome Year

The start of a new year is the perfect time to set your goals and make some important resolutions. But you don’t need to wait for January to focus on your finances!

No matter what month it is, the perfect time to make those new year’s financial resolutions is actually now!

So you want to make progress on your financial goals? Get a handle on your spending and debt? Save for the important things? Clean up your credit? Master your money?

This year, make these 10 all-important financial resolutions to maximize your financial health. [Read more…]

Ready for Tax Time? My TurboTax 2021 Review

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

At heart, I am a die-hard numbers nerd. So it’s a fact that I used to find actual enjoyment in creating spreadsheets to calculate the figures I entered on each year’s tax return.

Then life got more complicated.

I got married. We got a house. Had a kid. Started a business. And more. And my spreadsheet became increasingly complicated until it couldn’t keep up with my complex life and an even more complex tax code.

So, several years ago, I finally abandoned my spreadsheet and bought TurboTax to handle my taxes. And I haven’t looked back since.

Now, maybe you’re wondering if it’s right for you. Should you go old school with your tax forms, a pencil, and a trusty calculator? Should you shell out for the expertise of a CPA or other tax professional? Or should you DIY with a little help from TurboTax?

In this TurboTax review, I’m sharing the low-down on what it actually does, the pros and cons of TurboTax, and what you need to know before you decide to use it. [Read more…]