Marry Your Money

05/05/2021

Check it out! Jennifer O’Brien from HomeToMakeMoney.com interviewed me on her YouTube channel about my first home buying experience. Make sure to watch and hit “like”!

https://youtu.be/ySBLmwlN9hI

Real Estate Investing for Beginners Solo Women interview with Amy from Marry Your Money as part of my new series of expert interviews I'll also feature on my...

04/07/2021

I'm so excited to announce my first guest moderator spot in 's room on Clubhouse! I'm teaming up with Smith Banfield from  this Friday at 12:15p.

Smith is a space Transformation Artist, Author, Speaker, lover of flora and fauna. She's also a pretty badass surfer. We’ll unpack how understanding value, and being mindful enough to consider something’s value, can assist in creating a clutter-free home.

Join us this week to learn, share, and keep the conversation going!

                                 

11/13/2020

Who DOESN'T want a FREE $20 and FREE Stock?!⁠⠀
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As we come into the holiday season I know everyone could use a little extra cash so I have TWO ways you can make a little more money TODAY in 10 minutes. ⁠⠀
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If you aren't a user yet, YOU SHOULD BE. This investment platform makes investing easy for the regular person (like me!) You can build your own portfolio of stocks that matter to you and you can buy fractions of stocks (want to own some Amazon but can't afford the multi-hundred dollar price tag for the stock? No worries! With Stash, you can buy any portion of any stock you want). ⁠⠀
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Follow the link in my bio to sign up and once you link your bank account (you don't have to invest any money), you'll get $20. Super cool huh?!⁠⠀
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Want something even cooler? What about a free stock? If you use the link in my bio to sign up for you'll get a free stock once you link your bank account (again you don't have to invest in order to get the stock) and there's a chance you could get a stock valued up to $250! ⁠⠀
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Robinhood makes trading stocks (and buying fractional stocks) SUPER EASY. Set up alerts for stocks you want to watch on your home page, trade stocks any time and buy any amount, and cash out in one click when you want. ⁠⠀
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This post is not sponsored nor is it a scam. I legit use each of these apps and want to pass along the love to all of you guys. ⁠⠀
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So click my link in bio, click on the links for Stash and Robinhood, sign up, and get free stuff. Easy peasy right?! ⁠⠀
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Have an AWESOME Friday!!

10/30/2020

It's almost November can you believe it?! Let's talk November Goals.⁠⠀
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August, September, and October have done a number on my budget. A lot of unexpected things happened that I didn't budget correctly for. People came into town, my health went south on me, and my stress hit my pocketbook hard. But it wasn't all bad. I still managed to save $5000, knock a big chunk off my student loan, and I didn't relapse into debt just because I blew my budget. ⁠⠀
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Sometimes even the best-laid plans fail. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't keep planning and keep establishing goals. So here we are, with 2 months left in 2020, making November goals, and I feel pumped about it. ⁠⠀
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This month mine are: ⁠⠀
1️⃣Get my 2nd side hustle off the ground. I've been working on an idea for a couple of months and now is the time to start. Remember if you don't start, you can't succeed so if you've been having dreams of starting a side hustle but you're just waiting for a sign to kick it off - here is your sign. ⁠⠀
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2️⃣Increase my contribution to my FSA. This is something we often don't talk about when we talk about budgets but you need to budget for things that might come out of your paycheck pre-tax (aka 401K, IRA, HSA, or FSA contributions). Unfortunately this year I underestimated my FSA contributions. However, because of all the virus stuff happening, I can increase my contributions this month (which you usually can only do annually) so I am going to increase how much I put away pre-tax through the end of the year. ⁠⠀
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3️⃣Sell my car and get a "new" (aka used) SUV for a net $0 transaction. I love my car but it turned 10 years old this month and it is no longer serving my needs. We do a lot of road tripping with our dogs so we need a vehicle with a little more space & 4 wheel drive to continue to do the things we love. So I'm looking to pass my car along to someone else who would love it and get a car that better fits our lifestyle. ⁠⠀
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What are your November goals? Comment below!⁠⠀
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Like what I'm bringing to the world? ⁠⠀
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🙋 Follow .your.money⁠⠀
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💸 Share this post.⁠⠀
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09/07/2020

Happy Labor Day! ⠀
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The latest post is up on the blog 🙌 “Outsmart your spending: Ask these 4 Questions to Take Control of Your Pocketbook.” And I put together this handy graphic that you can check out at a glance. ⠀
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Sometimes we overspend in a category or across our entire budget. The most important thing to remember is to not panic. Overspending happens. But what you do about it is the most important thing! ⠀
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Asking yourself these 4 questions will help enlighten how it happened, and how not to have it happen again. Do you have tips and tricks for how to outsmart your spending that helps keep you on track and on budget? ⠀
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Like what I'm bringing to the world? ⠀
👊 Then double-tap ❤️ to like⁠⠀
🙋 Follow .your.money⁠⠀
👭 Tag a friend⁠⠀
💸 Share this post.⁠⠀
📌 Save this post!

09/03/2020

Are a goal setter? 🙋🙋‍♂️⁠⠀
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I never used to be. I always thought I'd just keep some "nice to haves" in my head and that would be good enough to qualify as "goal-setting." But let me tell you, if you don't write them down, make them actionable, and set a deadline, then you aren't really setting any "goals" that are going to help you achieve anything. ⁠⠀
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At the beginning of every month, I try to set at least 4 money goals that I hope to achieve. This month I have a couple of lofty ones (scroll to check them all out) but I am confident that if I establish little things I can do daily and weekly to chip away at them, by the end of September I will achieve them. ⁠⠀
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When taking control of your financial life, you need to know what you are taking control OF. Are you trying to get out of debt? Are you trying to reduce your stress and fear surrounding money? Are you trying to figure out where your paycheck goes every month? Whatever you are trying to take control of this month make it your monthly goal. ⁠⠀
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For example: If you are trying to reduce the stress that comes with not knowing where your money is going make your September goal - "Identify where all my money goes this month." ⁠⠀
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Goals are best when we make them actionable, so write down 5 things you can do to help you achieve it: ⁠⠀
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1. look at my bank account daily, ⁠⠀
2. write down all the transactions I make, ⁠⠀
3. cross-reference my transactions with any automatic transactions that might happen this month, ⁠⠀
4. evaluate how much I spent in the middle of the month and the end of the month, ⁠⠀
5. review any expenses that felt "too expensive" and identify if I want to keep that in my budget going forward.⁠⠀
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By breaking down a goal into steps we quickly see exactly what we need to do to achieve it and can work those steps as a way to get there. ⁠⠀
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What are your September goals?? ⁠⠀
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👊 Like what I'm bringing to the world? Then double-tap ❤️ to like⁠⠀
🙋 Follow .your.money⁠⠀
👭 Tag a friend⁠⠀
💸 Share this post.⁠⠀
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09/02/2020

Alrighty, debt-slayers! I love this nugget of wisdom from Mr. Warren Buffet today. Cuz ain't this the truth?!⁠⠀
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The first step in taking control of your finances is to identify the things you don't need anymore. This could be from the physical things you are bringing into your house to the subscriptions and delivery fees you keep paying for food and entertainment. Whatever it is, it's Fall cleanout day, my friends! ⁠⠀
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I can't even begin to tell you the number of things I have bought and sold over the years. I funded my entire move cross-country just by selling stuff out of my house. But as I write this, I KNOW there are 2 pieces of clothing hanging in my closet I bought 18 months ago that I still haven't worn. 🤦‍♀️⁠⠀
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Sometimes despite our best efforts, we still buy things we don't need, and they end up taking up space in our life and on our budget. Commit today to clean out one area in your house and sell, donate, or throw away whatever you don't need. This could be a neglected linen closet or simply the junk drawer in your kitchen. ⁠⠀
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Taking control of our finances starts with a clean slate. No guilt or shame about what you bought in the past. No beating yourself up or making yourself feel bad for the decisions already gone by. You can't apologize for the old you. ⁠⠀
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But the new you, the one who is committing to take control of your finances, finally figure out where all your money goes each month, and getting out of debt? Well, THAT you has a new pathway forward now. It's onwards and upwards. ⁠⠀
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Getting finances in order makes me giddy like a kid in a candy store, so if you need some motivation or tips and tricks on how to get started, drop me a comment down below or shoot me a DM! I'm always here for a chat or some advice. Happy Wednesday!! ⁠⠀
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⁠Scroll --> for a SMALL sampling of things I have sold over the years. ⁠⠀
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👊 Like what I'm bringing to the world? Then double-tap ❤️ to like⁠⠀
🙋 Follow .your.money⁠⠀
👭 Tag a friend⁠⠀
💸 Share this post.⁠⠀
📌 Save this post!

08/30/2020

DATE AND TIME CHANGE!! We're going live! Mark your calendars for 2:30pm EST on September 3rd to join me and to talk about money and purpose 🎉⁠

And we’re doing a GIVEAWAY during the live so make sure to attend 🤗
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Defining what your "why" is, both on your budgeting journey and in your life, is key to growth and success. If you haven't already, head over to my link in bio to download (and fill out) my "I started my debt payoff journey because...." poster. If you write down why you decided to start paying off debt, you're much more likely to stick with it. ⁠
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Beyond defining your "why" we're also going to be talking about all things money: ⁠
1️⃣Are you under-earning? (Yes this is a thing and it's most likely happening to you)⁠
2️⃣What you can do about it? (it's a lot easier to fix this than it sounds!)⁠
3️⃣How you can achieve the financial life you want?⁠
4️⃣How you can increase your income?⁠
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We'd love to see you there! Come armed with your questions because we'll be answering them LIVE throughout. ⁠
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Comment below if there is a question you'd like us to cover and we'll try to make sure to get it in there!

08/27/2020

We're going live! Mark your calendars for 3pm EST on September 2nd to join me and to talk about money and purpose 🎉⁠
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Defining what your "why" is, both on your budgeting journey and in your life, is key to growth and success. If you haven't already, head over to my link in bio to download (and fill out) my "I started my debt payoff journey because...." poster. If you write down why you decided to start paying off debt, you're much more likely to stick with it. ⁠
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Beyond defining your "why" we're also going to be talking about all things money: ⁠
1️⃣Are you under-earning? (Yes this is a thing and it's most likely happening to you)⁠
2️⃣What you can do about it? (it's a lot easier to fix this than it sounds!)⁠
3️⃣How you can achieve the financial life you want?⁠
4️⃣How you can increase your income?⁠
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We'd love to see you there! Come armed with your questions because we'll be answering them LIVE throughout. ⁠
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Comment below if there is a question you'd like us to cover and we'll try to make sure to get it in there!

08/25/2020

🤗 So excited guys! New up on my blog and boy is it a good one packed full of great information!⁠
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I know the struggle to start a budget and man do I know the struggle to stay motivated. It can be hard when you feel like you have a mountain of debt, a ton of expenses, and what feels like barely any income to feel inspired to first build a blog and second to stick with it. ⁠
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But that's why I wrote this blog post. I think it is IMPERATIVE that if you don't have a budget you begin one today and if you do have one, there are never too many motviational tips to know. ⁠
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Every journey begins with the first step so I challenge you to this. If you don't have a budget yet mark today in your calendar. And every time you get overwhelmed with your financial situation I want you to count how many days you let go by without doing something about it. ⁠
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It sounds harsh but it's the best way to illustrate my next question, "how many days will you let go by before you start taking control of your life and building a path forward?" Comment below.

08/12/2020

You've done it. You've made the budget, slashed the expenses, and held tight to paying down your debt with every penny you have left over. But some days it just doesn't feel like enough. Am I getting warm?⁠⠀
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If you're like most people I know, then just cutting expenses, clipping coupons, and staying shacked up in your house eating ramen and peanut butter sandwiches is your least favorite way of trying to get out of debt. Am I right?⁠⠀
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And you're probably like most people I know who think "If I just made more money this wouldn't be a problem." Am I getting warmer? ⁠⠀
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When it comes to the simple math problem of making money and paying off debt, it is totally true that making more money will help you pay off debt faster - that is if you use the money you are making to pay off the debt. ⁠⠀
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A that prioritizes getting out of debt so you can build wealth is the only way that making more money will help you in this scenario. What I typically see is people set out to make more money and then they just use the extra money to buy things they have been refraining from buying because they are in debt. A debt payoff plan and budget don't work if you funnel extra income into it but don't use it to further your financial goals. ⁠⠀
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But if you have accepted the don't have debt mentality and you're itching for some more money to help you get to the finish line of your debt journey faster then check out my up on my blog today: "40 easy ways to make money so you can start paying off debt today."⁠⠀
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I've done nearly everything on the list - #3 and #6 have made me tens of thousands of dollars over the years! @ Charleston, South Carolina

08/07/2020

Buenos Aries, Argentina circa 2013. ⁠⠀
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In the midst of racking up all my student loan debt I also decided to travel to 16 countries around the world (cuz when a girl doesn't have money and is living on a prayer why the hell not right?! hahaha). As a part of my degree I had to go work for a month in for an international company so I flew down to Peru to complete the task. ⁠⠀
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I spent over a month in South America that summer. I hiked through the mountains and up Machu Pichu, I surfed the coast line in Lima, Peru, I won a ceviche making contest at a local restaurant who put my recipe on the menu as the special of the month, I drank the best coffee I've ever had, ate at my favorite restaurant in the world (yes you read that right), stayed up til 6 am in the clubs in Argentina, wandered around the most beautiful cemetery I've ever seen, and eventually came back home. ⁠⠀
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I took this picture after being in South America for nearly a month as a reminder. We travel this world alone but we choose what to put in it, where to do it, and who to do it with. Having a strong independent mindset will save you on those hard days, but the people and places you choose to fill your life with will make it worth living. ⁠⠀
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This trip to South America was one of those choices that made life worth living. I traveled with 2 dear friends who made the trip all the more amazing, I saw things that took my breath away, and filled my brain (and camera) with incredible memories that make my life feel rich (even though I was terribly poor at the time 🤦‍♀️).⁠⠀
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On your make sure to stop and smell the roses. If the thing that will absolutely make your day is a glass of wine with a friend on your favorite patio, go do that even if it "isn't in the budget." It's important to still live our lives as we are building the life we want to live without debt. Be kind to yourself, stay the course, work the plan, make the budget, and in the end, you'll find your way out of debt and on your pathway to wealth. ⁠⠀
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Any of you have any stories to share? I'd love to hear them! @ Buenos Aires, Argentina