Prairie Eco-Thrifter

MAY 25, 2014

These are lessons that I try to impress upon my son because I don’t want him to make the same mistakes I made 15 years ago. I’m trying to be a little more hands-on with my son, and talk more openly about money (which is something that didn’t happen much in my parents’ home.

Money 209

Money Giving Las Vegas Credit Card Rewards 209

Prairie Eco-Thrifter

NOVEMBER 8, 2012

My retirement account contribution, emergency fund contribution, car payments, utility bills, and mortgage are all set up so that they are paid automatically each month. Of course, this spending plan method only works in my family because our wants are fairly modest so we don’t exceed our income each month.

Emergency Fund 202

Emergency Fund Budget Budgeting Psychology 202

Prairie Eco-Thrifter

JANUARY 16, 2014

Traditional investment advice says that you shouldn’t invest in the market until you are financially stable, have an emergency fund and have taken care of other basics, such as insurance of all kinds, debt removal and etc. My father-in-law lined up his grown sons and daughters to chip into a fund, from which he bought stock.

Emergency Fund 184

Emergency Fund Debt Money Father 184

Prairie Eco-Thrifter

FEBRUARY 4, 2014

Our son was growing, and we knew we wanted to provide him with extracurricular activities that made sense for him — music and sports and scouting. Of course, we like to have fun, too. We knew we wanted to save for retirement, and that we wanted to keep giving to charity. We also had bills and other obligations.

San Francisco 248

San Francisco Emergency Fund Money Utah 248

Prairie Eco-Thrifter

MAY 20, 2014

It’s one thing to have a couple thousand dollars in an emergency fund. Of course, not all investments have to be financial. I also find that putting my money to work for extracurricular activities for my son, and for cultural experiences like plays and concerts, are investments in my lifestyle. Invest that Money.

Money 200

Money Emergency Fund Work Advantage 200

Family Balance Sheet

SEPTEMBER 9, 2014

We paid for braces, college tuition for my son, and did fun stuff like traveling while we were paying off debt. I needed to count on myself and support my son, and that meant getting my financial life in order, starting with building an emergency fund for the first time. Building an emergency fund also helps enormously.

Debt 236

Debt Debt Free Pay Off Debt Financial Goals 236