Budgets get a bad rap.  Many people feel held down and restricted by a budget, but the reality is that a budget doesn’t hold you down – it gives you freedom!  I’ll explain using a short object lesson.

“You’re fired!”  Words nobody wants to hear, but everyone needs to be prepared for.

The best time to get prepared for unemployment is while you’re gainfully employed. If you’re not financially prepared to lose your job today, then it’s time to make your budget great again!

Be (financially) Prepared

The Boy Scouts teach it. Religions preach it. Today I’m going to add my voice to the chorus: Get your crap together!

Do you have a financial emergency plan?  Many people have an emergency fund – but do you have a plan for how you’d handle your money in a financial emergency, like a sudden job loss, were to hit you?

The US is in desperate need of a little Lifestyle Deflation.  A recent financial study found that 74% of Americans felt ‘at least okay’ about their finances. That’s not too bad!  But this is the exact same study that also found nearly half of all American’s couldn’t afford to cover a $400 emergency.

How can the majority of people in the US feel good about their finances, but nearly half couldn’t cover an unexpected $400 expense?