Let’s face it, talking about money isn’t always the easiest thing to do. To tackle these sometimes-difficult conversations, the hard part is scheduling a time to talk. When you are in a relationship and your finances are intertwined, having conversations around money can let your partner know your values or money worries. Talking to your significant other about money can help develop your shared goals and identify where your goals diverge. (Photo: Monkeybusiness) Write Down Your Goals One tactic my spouse and I used when we were dating was to write down our goals individually. We then came together and evaluated where our goals aligned. Next, we planned to budget for our shared goals and our individual goals. Our goals consisted of short-term, medium-term, and long-term goals. Our short-term goals listed things we wanted to achieve in a few short months. Our medium-term goals consisted of things we wanted to accomplish within one to two years. Finally, our long-term goals listed everyt

Have you ever woken up on Monday morning to prepare for work and stood in your closet deciding on what to wear? Did the disorganization of your closet cause disorganization of your mind? This can sometimes start the day and the week off with a negative mindset. Disorganization and clutter can also bleed into other areas of your life. Having an organized closet can lead to other aspects of your life becoming organized as well. De-clutter your closet, de-clutter your life. Closets Organizing your closet can allow you to start the day and week off with a positive mindset. Sorting your clothes by color, season, and apparel type can make it easier for you to decide what to wear for that day and week. It can also eliminate some of the clothes you don’t wear or will never wear again. This can create space in your closet that wasn’t there before and lead to insight into other things in your life that can be eliminated. My closet is organized by color, clothing type, and season (shirt, dresses,

Are you looking for some creative ways to save on groceries? There are times when we struggle to figure out what's for dinner or who's going to cook dinner. Make grocery shopping and meal planning a little easier by making it a family affair and planning family meals ahead of time. Let's dive deeper into how you can accomplish making your life a little easier.  Plan Ahead Planning your grocery list before you go shopping saves you time and money. Preparing the grocery list can be accomplished in several ways. One way is to make grocery planning a family affair by sitting around your table and asking your family what they would like for dinner that week or month. This helps ensure everyone has a say in what's happening at the dinner table and makes planning meals fun. As the meal ideas come together, you can see what you need to purchase for your weeknight dinner creations. Saving Money On Groceries Make An Organized Grocery List The weekly list is created; look in your

When saving for retirement, it's not always easy to know where to start. The myriad of retirement plans available can be confusing. If you don't have a representative who can guide you and explain what funds and fees are within the retirement plan, you may give up and walk away. But wait! When you walk away, you are giving away free money and delaying your savings for retirement.  (Photo by  Aaron Burden  on  Unsplash ) So, how do you start saving for retirement? You start saving for retirement by investing in your employer's plan as soon as you are eligible. Before becoming eligible, do research and educate yourself on the funds within the plan and the fees associated with that plan. Most employers will put your retirement savings into a Target Retirement Fund if you do not make an election. This could be the most secure option for you until you can research the available funds. However, don't stop there when determining the best return on investment for your retiremen