As the title of my blog suggests, my husband is a finance guy, or as I lovingly refer to him, a "nerd". He has both a Bachelors and a Masters Degree in Personal Financial Planning. He is a Certified Financial Planner (CFP) and an Accredited Financial Counselor (AFC). He has studied financial coaching techniques. He knows about budgets, investments, loans, amortization, credit cards, etc. If you have a question regarding anything relating to your money, he likely has an answer and if he doesn't he will find one. He's a student of his craft. He loves what he does and he is good at it. Our family is in a better financial situation because of him and his financial knowledge base than we would ever have been otherwise.
However he's not the only one that knows a few things about money. Over the years, I've picked up a thing or two as we've gone along. It was bound to happen with the endless discussions we have, not all of which are started by him. I find myself now consistently seeking for ways to save our money, whether it be looking for the best deal on a commuter car for my husband or debating whether we should put extra money that month towards our mortgage, student loans, or retirement.
My husband has encouraged me to start this blog to share some of my experiences and thoughts relating to money. He thinks my money experiences as a wife and mother could be beneficial to others. Perhaps he's right. So here goes nothing.
The very first thing I want people to recognize is that money is emotional. Money touches all aspects of our lives from our morning commutes to our dinner tables. From the sports games we watch to the religious services we attend. From the jobs we have to the hobbies we enjoy. The ways in which we help others and the ways in which we receive help. The clothes we buy our kids and the ones we buy ourselves. It is impossible for something so interwoven into every aspect of our lives to not be personal and emotional.
So with that in mind, know that this blog will be personal and emotional. My family's experiences with money have led to tears, frustration, anger, and confusion as well as joy, peace, and contentment. Name an emotion and I could almost certainly come up with a time that money influenced that emotion in my life. Oftentimes a situation doesn't just leave me feeling one emotion but cycles me through an entire range of them before I've even had time to recognize what was happening. I can't talk about my money experiences without including how they made me feel.
So if you've ever found yourself in tears over money, you're normal. If you've ever been so frustrated by your finances you couldn't even find the words to describe it, you're normal. If you've found yourself yelling and angry about your budget, still normal. And if you've ever been super excited because you just found a $20 bill in your pocket you forgot you had, you're completely normal.
However he's not the only one that knows a few things about money. Over the years, I've picked up a thing or two as we've gone along. It was bound to happen with the endless discussions we have, not all of which are started by him. I find myself now consistently seeking for ways to save our money, whether it be looking for the best deal on a commuter car for my husband or debating whether we should put extra money that month towards our mortgage, student loans, or retirement.
My husband has encouraged me to start this blog to share some of my experiences and thoughts relating to money. He thinks my money experiences as a wife and mother could be beneficial to others. Perhaps he's right. So here goes nothing.
The very first thing I want people to recognize is that money is emotional. Money touches all aspects of our lives from our morning commutes to our dinner tables. From the sports games we watch to the religious services we attend. From the jobs we have to the hobbies we enjoy. The ways in which we help others and the ways in which we receive help. The clothes we buy our kids and the ones we buy ourselves. It is impossible for something so interwoven into every aspect of our lives to not be personal and emotional.
So with that in mind, know that this blog will be personal and emotional. My family's experiences with money have led to tears, frustration, anger, and confusion as well as joy, peace, and contentment. Name an emotion and I could almost certainly come up with a time that money influenced that emotion in my life. Oftentimes a situation doesn't just leave me feeling one emotion but cycles me through an entire range of them before I've even had time to recognize what was happening. I can't talk about my money experiences without including how they made me feel.
So if you've ever found yourself in tears over money, you're normal. If you've ever been so frustrated by your finances you couldn't even find the words to describe it, you're normal. If you've found yourself yelling and angry about your budget, still normal. And if you've ever been super excited because you just found a $20 bill in your pocket you forgot you had, you're completely normal.
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