Prioritized Living

Master your money. Get organized. Take back your time.

How to Conquer Common Money Traps at Every Age

How to Conquer Common Money Traps at Every Age

First, the bad news: It doesn’t matter how old you are.

There’s always a new way for you to make big money mistakes.  To mess up the financial balance you’ve worked so hard to create in your life.

Don’t worry – there’s good news too:  With a little knowledge and a bit of planning, you can demolish the financial obstacles that stand in your way.

Your 20s:  Living Large

If you’re fresh out of college and you’ve landed a full-time job, you’ve been dropped into a foreign environment.  All of a sudden you probably have . . .

  • Way more income than you ever earned from a part-time gig.
  • Student loan debt that’s due for repayment soon.
  • New living expenses as you transition from the dorm to your own place.

It’s a lot of financial change – and responsibility – all at once.  And it can make you freak out or stumble your way into bad money decisions.  [Read more…]

What is Financial Planning? A Step-by-Step Guide for Beginners

What is Financial Planning - A Step-by-Step Guide for Beginners

What is financial planning?

Simply put, financial planning is the process of creating and following a conscious strategy for your money.

Financial planning means making sure you have the resources to meet your needs while pursuing your goals. You align your money decisions with your customized financial blueprint to make those goals a reality.

If that approach to money sounds incredible but you don’t know where to get started, you’re in the right place. Transform yourself into a pro by working through these four key steps.   [Read more…]

Am I Saving Enough for My Child’s College Education?

Am I Saving Enough for My Childs College Education

In its Annual Survey of Colleges 2015-2016, The College Board estimated that a student living out-of-state at a public four-year college can expect to pay almost $15,000 for room, board, and other expenses, on top of an average $24,000 in tuition.

After adjusting for inflation, that’s an astounding 40 percent increase over the past 10 years, which leaves many parents to wonder — will I have saved enough to give my children the best education possible by the time they’re ready to go to college?   [Read more…]

9 Valuable Tips for Negotiating Down to a Part-Time Schedule

9 Valuable Tips for Negotiating Down to a Part-Time Schedule

Before our son was born, my husband and I took a hard look at our schedules.

We thrived as a couple holding down full-time jobs, but we wanted to carve out more time together as a family of three.  We wanted to find more balance than our busy schedules allowed while still enjoying the personal and financial benefits of employment in our chosen fields.

After weighing our options, my husband and I made the decision for me to seek a part-time schedule.

According to an article on WorkOptions.com, the quickest (and arguably the most reliable) way to get that coveted part-time, professional schedule is to get that arrangement in your current place of employment.  Making that dream a reality means convincing your company of the merits of your part-time plan.

Here are some tips for navigating that corporate road: [Read more…]

Want to Save Money on Your Kid’s College Tuition? Don’t Pay It

Want to Save Money on Your Kids College Tuition? Dont Pay It

“Have you started saving for college?” a co-worker whispered apprehensively when I announced my first pregnancy at the office.  The question wasn’t unreasonable — even though my kid will be in the graduating class of 2037 . . .

Do you wonder how you’ll ever foot the bill?  Try this concept on for size:

Don’t pay for college.

Grab your smelling salts.  You can absolutely do it.

My parents were educated beyond college and wholeheartedly believe in the importance of higher education.  Still, while they offered to pay for room and board for their five kids, they gave us the responsibility of handling the rest of the bill.

At the end of the day, we all managed to enter excellent college and graduate programs, land great jobs and do it all with little or no debt.

Here’s how you can help your kids do the same . . .

Read the rest of my recently-published blog post on The Penny Hoarder, the world’s largest personal finance blog with more than 8 million readers!

Why I Spent $3,975 on Laser Eye Surgery

Why I Spent 3975 on Laser Eye Surgery

I didn’t get laser eye surgery to save money . . .  I chose to spend almost $4,000 on a surgery I didn’t really need to enhance the quality of my life, and I would do it again in a heartbeat.

Still, I kept my Penny Hoarding wits about me.  Here are six ways I saved on the procedure . . .

Read the rest of my recently-published blog post on The Penny Hoarder, the world’s largest personal finance blog with more than 8 million readers!