Finding the perfect gift doesn’t have to mean breaking the bank. Sometimes, it’s the simple, thoughtful items that leave the biggest impact. From cozy treats to practical luxuries, there are plenty of affordable options that can show you care without overspending. Here are eight cheap gifts for women that will make her day and won’t empty your wallet.

Scented Candles for Relaxing Moments

A scented candle can turn an ordinary room into a sanctuary. Whether she’s into calming lavender or invigorating citrus, a well-chosen candle can lift her mood and help her unwind. Every time she lights it, she’ll think of the warm gesture behind it. It’s a simple, cheap gift for women that brings a lot of comfort with just a flicker of light.

Luxurious Hand Cream

A quality hand cream may seem small, but it’s a daily luxury that most women appreciate. Especially in colder months, a nourishing hand cream is a lifesaver for dry skin. With a gentle scent and rich texture, it’s a tiny spa experience she can carry in her bag. Plus, it’s practical and thoughtful, making it an ideal gift that shows you care.

The post 8 Small Gifts Every Woman Wishes Someone Would Buy Her appeared first on Budget and the Bees.

Welcome back to another monthly update from Root of Good! We are at home in Raleigh for a brief stay before we head back out for another two week cruise for most of the rest of November. 

This is the busiest stretch of travel we’ve ever had. The last time we were at home for the entire month was nine months ago in February. It’s almost like our home in Raleigh is our vacation home and we just stop in for a couple weeks here and there before heading out the door again. 

We’re enjoying the cooler weather in Raleigh during the fall. I am glad we have the chance to take all these fun trips but I do miss being at home during the nicest parts of the year. Fortunately, we will have almost two months in Raleigh between late November and early January, so there should still be some beautiful days ahead. 

On to our financial progress. October was a mixed month for our finances. Our net worth declined by $92,000 to end the month at $3,274,000. Our income of $6,239 was substantially higher than our modest spending of $1,570 for the month of October.  

Let’s jump into the details from last month.

The post October 2024 Early Retirement Update – On the Water Edition appeared first on Root of Good.

We have some amazing mentors in the Millionaire Money Mentors forums. Some of them are even accomplished authors!

Today we have a guest post from one of those authors, Monica Scudieri, author of Grab Your Slice of Financial Independence.

Monica has an awesome story of achieving financial independence despite some pretty tough obstacles, many of which she shares in this post.

I hope this will be an encouragement to those of you with money challenges that there is hope and with tenacity and time, many of these obstacles can be overcome.

With that said, here’s Monica…

—————-

My path to financial independence was less “graceful swan” and more “drunken flamingo”. I made so many mistakes (and some very expensive ones) that it’s hard to believe I was ever going to be able to quit my 9-to-5 and retire, but I did just that in 2022 at the ripe age of 52. What’s even more wild is I was able to turn my financial trainwreck-of-a-life around in just ten years and reach my definition of financial independence.

But telling you the ending of my FI journey is like flipping to the last chapter of a book so, let’s start at the beginning.

Starting Out

In the mid-60’s, my parents immigrated to Miami Beach, Florida from a small Italian town in the Abruzzo region.  My dad got called for a tailoring job. That is how they ended up in Miami Beach. He accepted the job, asked my mom’s parents for her hand, they married and shortly after, he moved to Miami Beach. My mom followed a year later.

Growing up with immigrant parents was like living on Italian sovereign ground when I was home. My parents spoke Italian, kept Italian culture, played Italian music and generally socialized with other Italian families who also immigrated to the Miami area.

My mom did not support or understand why I would want to go to college when all I needed to learn was how to cook, clean and raise kids… and she could teach me all of that. Nonetheless, I became the first in my family to graduate college and with no debt, thanks to my dad.

Looking at things through my moms’ eyes, I can understand why she didn’t see value in my going to college. Neither of my parents finished elementary school but they were some of the smartest people I knew. They moved to a new country with no money, language, or support. Over time, they learned to speak English, built a successful tailoring business, became part of a community and raised a family with no help from either of their families. They paid for both my brother and I to go to college and paid off their home mortgage.

They were big savers and lived below their means, but investing was a different story. They invested in the stock market … but only once. The way my mom told the story, a customer came in and told them about a “great stock tip”. Said it was ripe to go up and now was the perfect time to invest. So, they took a chance and invested in this one company. The next day they checked to see what the stock was doing. My mom said, “it went so low, we no see it no more.” And that was the end of stock market investing.

Through it all, my parents did not believe in credit cards, though after they divorced (in my early 20’s), my mom opened her first credit card. Once a year she would pull it out to make one purchase, pay it off, then put it away. She liked knowing it was there, just in case.

Anyway, I graduated college, got my first corporate job and after two years I moved to California with that job. I got married, bought a house and had a couple of kids. We even adopted two cats from the SF SPCA.

The American Dream

I was living the American dream of a career, marriage, mortgage, two kids, two cats and debt. I was so busy, I didn’t have time to think about savings, investing or retirement. Retirement seemed light years away. 

In our marriage, financially, we joined everything, but, we were not on the same page. He didn’t see a problem with carrying credit card debt. Worse, he would cause checks to bounce because he would withdraw cash and not tell me and even locked us out of our bank accounts… more than once. Don’t get me wrong, I spent too, but never more than we had and certainly with the intention of paying our credit cards off at the end of the month.

By 2005, we moved to North Carolina. Three years later, we separated. The kids (and cats) stayed with me.

A year after separation, I was divorced and unemployed, carrying $257,000 of debt, half of which was the mortgage. The kids were in preschool and kindergarten, and my mom lived four states away. Below is a snapshot of my net worth.

This was all during the 2008 financial crisis, a.k.a. the Great Recession. For those of you unfamiliar, the stock market dropped about 50%, the housing market crashed and there were no jobs to be found for even the most qualified people. Layoffs were happening across all industries. And unemployment hit a high of 10% by 2009.

Just like that, I lost my temp job, couldn’t afford to sell the house (or buy a smaller one) and the little cash I did have was cut in half by the divorce and the recession.

This was my starting point on the path to financial independence.

Single Parenting

Being a single parent, it was near impossible to find employment because I was limited to:

1. A short commute
2. Needed flexible time
3. I could not cover overtime, travel or weekend work. That alone put several applicants ahead of me for the few jobs I could find. 

The Outrageous Goal

Nonetheless, I dreamed big and set an outrageous goal of a $1 million net worth. I look back on that goal and realize how abstract it was. Does that million include my primary resident? What is the net worth made up of? But what I was really asking myself was, how would that $1 million net worth translate to covering monthly bills? 

The truth is when I initially set that goal, I had no answers to any of those questions, nor did I even realize that some of those questions were on the table. Then again, maybe it didn’t matter. I didn’t even have a solid foundation on which to build that kind of net worth. What I knew for sure was I never wanted to be in a vulnerable position again. I did not want to be dependent on a paycheck. Bottomline, I wanted better for my kids and me.

Poor?

That first year, after the divorce, my son (then a first grader) came home and asked if we were poor. I was surprised by the question and asked why he would ask such a thing. He said that he was told we are poor.

After thinking about it, I sat him down and said, “we are not poor because we have clothes on our back, a roof over our head and food on the table, but more importantly, we have each other. So long as we have that, we can never be poor.”

I like telling that story because, what I have come to understand is “poor” is more a state of mind and less what is in your bank account. When he asked that question, I had no job, no prospects, $257,000 of debt, and very little money in the bank. But what I did have was my why, my direction, and a drive so strong it carried us through some of the most challenging and stressful times of my life.

Since that conversation, the lesson I learned is money provides security, not happiness. You could have millions to your name and be lonely. Conversely, you could have pennies to your name and be surrounded by friends and family that love and respect you. 

The second lesson is that money doesn’t make all your problems go away but I do go to bed knowing that I have a roof over my head, clothes on my back and food on the table. 

The FI Journey

The first five years of my FI journey started after my separation and subsequent divorce; I went on unemployment three times for a total of 22 months. That goal of a million-dollar net worth got a little further away in the first five years, as the unemployment months chipped away at my savings.  

But in 2012, there was a small turnaround, a glimmer of hope, in the housing market. Enough of one to sell my house and downsize into a new home. 

With this one move I was able to pay off the $257,000 of debt and put a 50% down payment on the new home, while still holding back enough cash to move and get the new home setup. I also opened a HELOC on the new home and used it to purchase five SFH’s over the next three years, for cash. 

Purchasing Five SFH’s in Three Years

You are probably wondering; how did I go from unemployment and $257,000 of debt to purchasing five SFH’s? 

In those first five years, I spent time job hunting and working contract jobs, but I also did A LOT of research. I took the time to educate myself on all things personal finance. I worked hard at building a solid foundation and learned how to track my day-to-day cashflow before I even attempted to build a budget. Towards the end of each year, I would look back on my spending and use that to create a new budget to optimize cashflow and support my lifestyle and financial goals. 

I learned that budgeting was not a tool to build scarcity but to build a rich life as I wanted and needed it to be. Mid-year I would look at my spending and make any adjustments to the budget as things would unfold and new information came up. Lastly, I learned to leverage sinking funds paying myself monthly for a specific goal basically, setting cash aside for annual expenses. 

During those first five years, I also got creative in finding quick cash, like selling the furniture out of my house (I was going to downsize anyway), dog sitting, and cooking for others. I read everything I could find on managing home finances from books and articles to podcasts and blogs. This led me to rental properties among other ideas to create income streams. Most of the ideas I came up with did not work out, but rental properties looked very promising. I even went so far as to look at properties to rent and what that would look like. I used the 1% rule (rent must be 1% or greater than the purchase price), to practice ruling out properties that did not fit my criteria. The more research I did on the real estate market the more I was convinced that this would be a great fit for me.

I did everything I could think of and within my control to be prepared for new opportunities. There was no point in looking back and regretting all the lost opportunities. What I know to be true is change is constant and there is always a next opportunity.

With my move behind me, a HELOC to leverage for cash purchases, I went to the bank to secure a preapproved loan. I did not want to leave anything to chance in building my real estate portfolio. 

No bank would approve me for a preapproved loan to purchase rental properties. I was, after all, a single mom with a temp job (which was not considered real income in the eyes of the bank). Because of this, no one could see a path of how I would pay them back. Interestingly, child support did count as income but not enough to sway anyone to take a chance on me. That is until, I talked to the branch manager at my bank. I explained to him my plan and he also told me that the bank would not give me preapproval for the same reasons as all the other banks. BUT, he continued, he would talk to the commercial loan officer and go to bat for me. Long story short, I secured a preapproved loan for one rental property.

Once I got my preapproval letter, I registered an LLC for my real estate portfolio and began shopping for my first rental property, which I purchased in 2013 with my HELOC for cash. After the purchase I would go to the bank and use my preapproved loan to pay 80% of the purchase price back to my HELOC. The remaining 20% I would work to pay off. The next two years I repeated the process of getting a new preapproval for two rentals instead of one, purchase with HELOC, get loan for 80% of PP, pay the HELOC. Wash. Rinse. Repeat.

By the time I got my fifth and ultimately last rental, I went to a different bank and secured a 15/7 term 4% fixed consolidated loan. I was able to consolidate the rental loans as well as pay off the balance on my HELOC and saved thousands of dollars in the process. 

As for the job market, it took until 2014 to secure a permanent job which allowed me to max out my 401(k) and open a Roth. Eventually I opened a Health Savings Account, something I wish I had done sooner.

By 2018 my net worth had reached $1 million, and I was in complete disbelief. For the last ten years, all I could focus on was getting on stable financial ground and never be reliant on a paycheck. Here I was with a million-dollar net worth. 

I took a year just to let the dust settle and take it all in. Not to mention, I was head down, laser focused on building wealth, I had no time to think about what came next. There was literally no plan for next chapter because I thought it would take longer than it did.

That year led me to a work opportunity that I took and stayed a couple more years. After a while, the work was not fulfilling, things were changing and I no longer wished to stay. But what was next I wants was not sure, until I went to my first FIRE event, FinCon2018. 

I felt like a flower that had been living life partially wilted. I came alive surrounded by my people. The conversations were amazing. There were so many like-minded people concentrated in one place, it was like drinking from a firehose. Each person I met asked what I was doing there. I would tell them my story and the reply was always the same. “you should write a book!” Honestly, I thought they were saying it to be nice, but more and more the same thing was repeated, write a book.

“Who would want to hear about a single mom struggling financially?” was the question I would come back with, but the response was also the same every time… “everyone! Lots of people struggle with finances.”.

A quick Google search pointed me to statista.com showing that in 2018, there were 16+ million single moms and 3+ million single dads in the US alone.  Maybe they were right. Maybe there is an audience interested in my story.

The Book

I have never written a book before nor have I ever thought I had anything interesting to say and certainly not enough to fill a book. Not to mention the number of personal finance books already published. Why add another one? How would I add value in an already crowded genre? I started writing just to see where it would take me and to my surprise, I had a lot to say. 

Two hundred pages later, in September 2022, I published, Grab Your Slice of Financial Independence. It outlines my ten-year FI journey from divorce to FI, plus I group the years into phases and provide directions on how others can do the same. But what really sets my book apart is I share my net worth at the end of each year. Highlighting the fact that achieving financial independence is not something that happens instantly. This isn’t the lottery!

When people ask me why I wrote it, it really came down to this: I didn’t go through all of that for nothing. I wrote it for single parents, so they would have hope and not feel alone. I have received many thank you’s from more than just single parents. I am told my story gives hope and a different perspective on how to look at home finances. Sharing my story has changed lives. How crazy is that?!? 

This snapshot of my ten-year FI journey doesn’t cover everything, but I do hope it continues to inspire others to see their finances differently, take a chance on building income streams and not dwell on opportunities missed. 

It’s been six years since I reached financial independence and two years since I quit my corporate job. Today my net worth has grown to $2.3 million, and my primary home is valued at $500,000. When I look back there are many lessons I learned. How many do you relate to?

1. Know your why.

My why of not wanting to be dependent on a paycheck was crystal clear. I had it taped up where I could read it every day. Every year when I created my goals, it was with this one vision in mind. 

When I had setbacks, I reminded myself of my why, learn from the situation and figured out how to move forward. Having my why kept me motivated.

2. Always re-evaluate your goals

Every year is an opportunity to learn and grow. Every year is filled with wins and losses, challenges and victories. Life progresses whether we are paying attention or not. 

Your goals, while valid when you first wrote them, may need to be updated based on new information. Maybe an opportunity comes along that you did not consider a few months ago and things would need to be shuffled. Stay flexible.

3. Shame and Guilt

When it comes to financial mistakes, feelings of shame and guilt are strong. In fact, so strong it can be paralyzing, keeping us from looking at our financial situation.  The anticipation can eat us alive. 

It was the hardest thing to take that first step after the divorce to look at my financial situation, calculating net worth, making a list of debt.

And while it was a tough pill to swallow it was also freeing because for the first time, I had a defined starting point. I could make plans and goals. The first step is the hardest and the most critical.

4. Change is the only constant.

Knowing history provides clarity. When I look at when some of the most used retirement tools came to be, it gives greater empathy for my mom’s generation. Many of the tools we use today, she either didn’t have access to or didn’t have access until later. Where do you fall on the below timeline? Your parents? Grandparents?

• 1974: the Individual Retirement Account, IRA, was established under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act, ERISA.
• 1974: women were granted the right to open a bank account without their husband co-signing.
• 1978: the 401(k) was introduced as part of the Revenue Act but didn’t become popular until the 1980’s.
• 1988: women were legally allowed to start a business without a male relative co-signing.

As of this writing, it’s 2024. Fifty years ago, women were allowed to open their own bank account… 50 years ago. Thirty-six years ago, women were allowed to start their own business without a male relative co-signing… 36 years ago!!! 

When I think about these laws and my 20’ish year-old daughter… she will never know the struggle of the women before her to fight for these and so many other basic rights. 

5. Not All Friendships are Created Equal

The people who start on this journey may not be the same people at the end. Envy and jealousy are terrible things to feel towards a friend and erodes the very fabric of that friendship. 

As the season of some friendships ends, it makes room for new friendships. New adventures. New chapters.

6. Do Nothing

When I reached financial independence, the best advice I got was to do nothing for at least six months. The mind and body need time to adjust from work life to financial independence life. I didn’t understand it or believe that was necessary but it was… necessary.

My last day was on a Friday. Monday morning, I went to my home office and the only thing different was one less laptop. It was a struggle to do nothing, I felt so unproductive. Once the book was out, I took some time off and did part-time nothing. Hey, what can I say, I have been working since I was 15 years old, I can’t just turn that off. Haha.

Since that time, I have learned to slow down and take time for myself. I have learned that it is not selfish to put my own needs first. Sounds weird to say that but it’s true. And I am happier for it, it just took me a little longer to get there. What can I say, I am still a work in progress.

7. Set an Outrageous Goal

Arguably, I started my journey at one of the worst times in US history. I don’t think anyone would have blamed me for giving up. But none of that reality kept me from making an outrageous goal of reaching $1 MIL net worth.

I set that goal and reminded myself every day. And every day I would do one thing that would bring me one step closer. It didn’t always feel that way but eventually when opportunity presented itself, I was indeed ready.

The one constant in life is change. For that reason, there is always opportunity. You just have to put yourself in a position to seize it.

8. How many income streams is too much?

Think about this, 68% of those with a net worth of > $30 MIL are self-made according to Wealth-X. Fidelity also did a study and found that 88% of all millionaires are self-made, meaning no inheritance. How did they do it?

Turns out the average millionaire has an average of seven income streams. Seven. According to the IRS, the most popular ones are 1. paycheck (earned income), 2. stock dividends, 3. real estate, 4. royalty income, 5. interest from savings, 6. bonds, and even 7. profits from a business.

Building these income streams can take years, and that is where the slow and steady approach comes in. Have fun with it. How many income streams do you have?

9. Always Take the Free Money

This may seem obvious; I mean who doesn’t want free money? Truth is a lot of free money is left on the table.

According to a CNBC article, 2023 marked an 11.5% increase in 401(k) millionaires, calling them the “poster child for staying the course”. 

10. It’s never too late to start.

I started my FI journey at 40 years young with $257,000 of debt, unemployment, two kids to raise, no family support and little cash in the bank. Ten years later, through real estate and other investments, I reached my FI number. And if you are thinking I “got lucky” then here is a short list of examples of other late starters:

1. Martha Stewart published her first book at 41 and launched Martha Stewart Living seven years later.
2. Ray Kroc was 50 before he started his first McDonald’s restaurant. 
3. Kathryn Joosten got her big acting break at the age of 60 starring on the West Wing.
4. Colonel Harland Sanders opened his first KFC at the age of 62.
5. Julia Child made her first TV debut on The French Chef at 51.
6. Stan Lee started his climb to fame and fortune in comics with The Fantastic Four in his 40s. 

And so many other examples… today more than ever there are literally hundreds of ways to make income streams, but it requires grit, commitment and hard work. Start where you are.

11. There is always another opportunity around the corner.

I am sure we all have opportunities we passed on or money mistakes we regret, but there is always another opportunity around the corner.

I made plenty of financial mistakes, but I learned from them, let go of the past and focused on here and now. The only constant is change. It’s a matter of paying attention and seizing the opportunity.

12. Always do your homework.

I learned the hard way to not rely on anyone one person.

I do a lot of my own research and ask a lot of questions from several people I trust. I take my time before making any decisions. None of us has a crystal ball all we can do is make the best decision in that moment and have a plan for each risk.

13. The Curse of “One More Year”

In ten years, I went from $257,000 of debt to a net worth of $1MIL. In three years, I built a real estate portfolio, purchasing five SFH’s.  It was whirlwind.

I reached my goal, so, why did I not quit? I could give all kinds of reasons, but it boils down to, I wasn’t ready. It’s a slippery slope to stay too long and put your dreams on hold. It’s easy to succumb to fear.

For me, four years went by, just like that. But, in that time, I 1) paid off my primary home (emotional decision – not a financial one), 2) refinanced my rental property consolidated loan and learned that the values had gone up so much three homes were now owned free and clear, leaving my consolidated loan to cover two home and at a 15/7 4% fixed rate and 3) I increased the HELOC loan amount. I also padded my HYS account to last just a little bit longer.

All these decisions only put me in a stronger position.

You know its funny, when I tell people that I am retired, the response is that I am “lucky”. But as Oprah once said, “Luck is preparation meeting opportunity.” When I think about it like that, maybe I am lucky because it was a lot of preparation that met great opportunities. 

Yes, I did a lot of preparation, and it was a lot of hard work but none of it would have gotten any traction if it wasn’t for my local branch manager convincing the bank to take a chance on me to buy that first rental property. Without that, none of this could have been possible, at least not in the way it unfolded. Over the years, we lost touch, and I have no idea if he knows the impact he had on my life. 

Today I fill my time with my kids, friends, hiking, hosting dinner parties, traveling, volunteering, and coaching people on how they can grab their own slice of financial independence. I appreciate the freedom I have built and hope that I am teaching my own kids, through example, the kind of life I would want for them. Never stop learning, it’s a big world out there.

The post Journey to FIRE as a Late Starting Single Parent appeared first on ESI Money.

If you’ve ever found yourself tempted to swipe your credit card for that big Thanksgiving dinner—or maybe even considered skipping it altogether to avoid the cost—you’re not alone! Today, I’m sharing some of my favorite tips to having Thanksgiving on a budget without sacrificing any of the things that make this holiday special. Sound like something you want? Well then, let’s get started!

Links for This Episode

• Check out these DIY Resources and Templates
• Download your FREE Holiday Budget Worksheet
• Join the Financial Fix Up Membership

Podcast Episode Recommendations

• #32: How to Have Stress-Free Money Conversations with Family
• #31: So You Can’t Afford Christmas This Year, Now What?
• #30: How to Create and Stick to a Holiday Budget
• #17: 9 Things to Consider When It’s Your Chance to Host

Grab Your Financial Fix Up Planner Today

Here’s the deal: in order to achieve your long-term financial goals, you have to have a budget that works for you and your family. That means, getting super clear on your income, expenses, and total debt payoff amounts, so you can make any necessary changes and begin to see progress. That’s exactly what the Financial Fix Up Planner is designed to help you do. With step-by-step instructions to set up your budget, monthly challenges to keep you on your toes, menu planning resources, and space to reflect on your goals, you’ll have everything you need to pursue your dream of financial freedom. Sound like something you need? You can grab your copy today at lemonblessings.com/planner and take back control of your family finances. Once again that’s lemonblessings.com/planner for your copy of the Financial Fix Up Planner.

5 Ways to a Have Successful Thanksgiving on a Budget

Well hey there and welcome back to the Financial Fix Up Podcast! I’m Sarah Brumley, and today we’re talking about one of my absolute favorite holidays – Thanksgiving. The leaves are falling, the air is crisp, and if you live in the United States, you’re probably starting to think about that first of many holiday gatherings. And let’s be honest, those holiday gatherings can start to add up!

Today, I’m sharing some of my favorite tips to keep your Thanksgiving budget-friendly without sacrificing any of the things that make the holiday special. And, no matter where you are in your financial journey, I’m pretty sure you’ll find at least one tip to help you press forward.

Let’s jump right in with the first tip, and one of the easiest ways to get started.

Tip #1: Start Shopping Early

It’s no secret that Thanksgiving shopping can lead to some serious sticker shock, especially if you’re buying everything at once. If you’re hosting or bringing a dish to share, don’t wait until the last minute to grab your ingredients. There are three key reasons for this:

Reason #1: Inventory Shortages

Stores actually run out of popular holiday items, and the last thing you want is to hunt down that one last can of pumpkin puree the day before Thanksgiving. Get ahead of the game by buying items early when they’re in stock and at regular prices.

Reason #2: Specials

Many stores, like Kroger or Fred Meyer in my area, offer holiday deals. Often, spending a certain amount on groceries could even land you a free turkey. If you plan ahead, you can maximize these deals, so you’re not only feeding everyone, but also getting more for your dollar.

Reason #3: Budget-Friendly Shopping

If you haven’t planned for a big, one-time Thanksgiving food budget, spread out your purchases over a few weeks. This strategy can make the cost feel lighter. For example, grab canned goods one week, cranberry sauce the next, and maybe some spices or boxed items the following week. Little by little, you’ll have everything you need without feeling the financial pinch.

Note: Use loyalty points, reward programs, or cash-back apps if possible to maximize savings on Thanksgiving purchases.

Tip #2: Consider a Potluck Thanksgiving

If you’re having friends and family over, why not share the costs by turning Thanksgiving into a potluck? Not only does this take the burden off of one person, but it also brings a variety of foods to the table. I’ve loved doing this over the years – we usually take care of the turkey or main meat, and we ask guests to bring a dish they enjoy.

Think about it – one guest might bring a delicious Green Bean Casserole, while another brings a family-favorite dessert. Not only will you get to try new recipes and have a variety of options but you won’t have to pay for every single dish yourself.

Some ideas for shared dishes are:

• Mashed Potatoes
• Sweet Potatoes
• Cranberry Sauce
• Veggie Tray
• Chips and Dip
• A classic Pumpkin Pie or dessert of choice

Now, in order to make this work, I do recommend clear communication ahead of time. Find out what each person plans to bring as a side dish because the last thing you want to have is five pumpkin pies and no mashed potatoes. Either way, you can get creative, and make it a fun meal where everyone gets to pitch in.

Tip #3: Get Creative with the Main Dish

For those who aren’t tied to tradition, or if you’re finding the cost of a turkey a bit too steep this year, I suggest considering alternative main dishes. The first year that Justin and I hosted our own Thanksgiving, we did so with another family. We had no money and neither did they, but we were all really excited to celebrate together. Needless to say, standing in the turkey aisle at the grocery store that month, we knew we couldn’t afford one. At least not in addition to the potatoes, pie and cranberry sauce that we wanted to include as well. So, instead, we opted for a spiral-cut ham that was a fraction of the cost.

Whatever you do, it’s important to recognize that Thanksgiving is really all about togetherness. If you can’t afford to pay for the traditional meal, make a new tradition with whatever fits your budget.

Turns out, everyone loved the ham that year, so much that we made it a yearly thing for the rest of the time that we lived in that town. It was a hit, and we were able to keep our budget intact so that we could continue on with our holiday season.

Tip #4: Keep Decorations Simple

My next tip is to keep decorations simple and I have to admit that Thankgiving decor is not really my thing, so this isn’t something that I’ve struggled with over the years. In fact, twelve years ago my girls asked me if we could get some decorations for Thanksgiving so together we decided on a really goofy looking fabric turkey that hangs on the wall only during the month of November. And, just last year I added to that by purchasing a fake fall flower arrangement. So, super simple and not costly.

If money is tight, but you must have decorations, then you can always consider using pine cones, pumpkins or leaves to create fun DIY arrangements and crafts.

Either way, if you’re anything like me, the Christmas decor is going up the day after Thanksgiving anyways, so keep it simple!

Tip #5: Plan for Leftovers

The final tip I want to offer isn’t really related to Thanksgiving preparations, but instead, what to do with all of the leftovers afterwards. And I do recommend having a plan in place ahead of time so that none of the food goes to waste. You could consider:

• Turkey Soup
• Turkey Casserole
• Sandwiches
• Quesadillas
• Pumpkin Bread if you have leftover pumpkin puree
• Breakfast Potato Hash

…the sky is the limit, but plan to eat the leftover food. Not only does it prevent waste, but it’ll save you some money when it comes to your grocery budget, too.

Note: One thing I do is note “leftovers” on my meal plan calendar for the three days after Thanksgiving. The truth is that I know that if we don’t have enough leftovers for those three days, it’s likely we can forage for food out of our freezer and not have to purchase all new ingredients for a full meal. Plus, who really wants to cook another big meal right after Thanksgiving?

Embracing Thanksgiving on a Budget

So there you have it, my tips to help you have an amazing Thanksgiving without ruining your budget.

And I do want to encourage you this Thanksgiving season to think about what really matters. Is it the perfect spread, or is it the time spent with loved ones? Because the truth is that with a little planning, you can enjoy the holiday without stressing about the bill.

And before you go, don’t forget to my FREE Holiday Budget Worksheet. It’s designed to help you stay on track this season, not only for Thanksgiving but as we head into the rest of the holidays. You can find it at lemonblessings.com/holiday or by clicking the link in the show notes.

Whatever you decide, just know that I’m cheering you on! You’ve got this! Have an amazing day and I’ll chat with you again next time!

The post How to Have a Successful Thanksgiving on a Budget appeared first on Lemon Blessings.

The post 218: Identify & Change Your Overspending Habit appeared first on Wealthy Mom MD®.

Reading Time: 2 Minutes

He’s Back!

Who?

The Donald of course!

The President-elect of the United States.

I still can’t quite believe THAT GUY I watched on The Apprentice two decades ago will now be the leader of the free world for the SECOND time.

Amazing what the circle of life brings.

But frankly speaking, I wouldn’t have voted for either Harris or Trump even if I was eligible.

If those two candidates were the “best” which the US had to offer in terms of the presidency, then it’s a pretty sad state of affairs.

Sigh.

Seems to me that politics these days is all about pandering to whatever extreme left or right of the aisle you’re sitting in – just shouting anything, to anybody, at anytime to grab votes.

So love him or loathe him, the 47th President of the United States is going to make the next 4 years very interesting that’s for sure.

I asked around my social circles last night about what people’s thoughts would be for us (as in we, the collective, living here in Australia), and honestly it didn’t seem like his winning would affect the average Australian Joe that much.

Sure, there was mention of trade tariffs with China (and the flow-on effect to Australia), renegotiation of the AUKUS Agreement (yes, I have no idea WTF that is either), some populist influence (Dutton our next PM?) and general volatility cos he’s just a volatile dude.

Nothing that makes me leap outta my chair and put my fist through the screen, or hop on my desk and howl in delight like a crazed werewolf.

Although, I suppose one area which tickles my underpants is his attitude towards cryptocurrency.

You see, I’ve been gambling invested in crypto on a serious basis for almost 2 years now.

*By serious, I mean actually bothering to “research” on what I’m putting my money in.  

And in those 2 or so years, I’m still undecided on whether crypto is one giant ponzi scheme, or whether it actually is cutting edge frontline tech (except for bitcoin, which thanks to institutional adoption – really is here to stay).

Regardless of which, I do think we are at a stage way way early for either.

So it makes sense to have a little asset allocation to capture any future “growth”.

Nothing crazy mind you, certainly not the seven and eight digit portfolios which some people I know hold.

Nah, yours truly just doesn’t have that sort of firepower.

I’m holding enough to “wet my beak” so to speak.

Cos honestly, I don’t see any sector which really offers the same risk/reward profile currently.

Property? Yields/growth potential probably isn’t there atm – sluggish to say the least.

Shares? Valuations are too damn high in my eyes – overpriced methinks.

Business? Already working on it, that’s a slow burn.

So yeah – crypto right now provides probably the longest runway – for me anyway.

Donald Trump evidently thinks so as well.

All throughout his campaign, Trump has lavished praise on Bitcoin and cryptocurrency, and his win has prompted speculation of lesser regulation for the industry, potential new legislative changes to grow the industry, potential new ETFs for mainstream investment and the start of the epic “bull run” which so many pundits have predicted.

Indeed, bitcoin’s price hit a new all time high of USD76k only a few hours ago, rising the tide on all other crypto ships in the harbour.

Fuckin pumpin.

Only worry I s’pose is the future like anything is far from guaranteed.

Crypto prices are highly susceptible to global events, macroeconomic trends and the aforementioned government oversight.

It’s unclear how dedicated Trump actually is to crypto as well (see above comment about shouting anything) and whether he will follow through on his pledges to the industry.

But for the immediate timeframe, the future looks as bright as it’s ever been.

I’m thinking that tickle in my underpants doesn’t need to be scratched just yet.

*Editor’s note: please note that investing in cryptocurrency poses extreme risk. Please only enter with eyes fully open, don’t just blindly follow this idiot who wrote this article.  

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P.S. Every post is the personal opinion of yours truly, please seek your own personal financial advice regarding your own personal circumstances.

The post Return Of The Donald (And How It Affects Me) appeared first on The Frugal Samurai.

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