In this article, I want to make no assumptions about your level of knowledge on the subject; therefore, I’ll start with the basics of credit reports and credit scores (because they are two different information sets) and then move to how you can manage and improve them. We’ll start with the most detailed of the … Continue reading Tips for Improving a Credit Score
As with most things in life, in the realm of personal finance, we humans tend to focus on what we don’t have rather than what we do have. And this is relevant beyond material belongings—it is equally applicable to knowledge, skills, and abilities. Oftentimes, we allow the desire to acquire to trap us in an … Continue reading Start Where You Are
In keeping with the spirit of the title, this article will be short and sweet. Truly it’s meant to be an uplifting message that hopefully resonates with you. As you begin or continue to forge a path toward financial freedom, I encourage you to keep it simple. Do not feel compelled to complicate the journey … Continue reading Strength through Simplicity
Candidly, one of the most challenging aspects of personal finance for me is thinking about the distant future. Not so much what my life will look like in 10 years but rather what it might look like in 50 years. It’s easy to visualize how to control my finances next week, next month, or even … Continue reading Future-Proof Your Finances
Around year-end or the beginning of a new year, it’s customary to set goals for the coming year—professionally, personally, financially, spiritually, emotionally, and so on. In our household, we set personal financial goals every year. There’s a method to the madness, but this article will focus on the goals and why we set them rather … Continue reading 2021 Financial Goals
As we embark on the final few days of 2020, I want to write an encouraging and uplifting article to round out what’s been a challenging year for most of us. When I considered the topic of the article, motivation immediately jumped to mind. Maybe it was my conscience nudging me to write about something … Continue reading The Role of Motivation in Personal Finance
Children are one of life’s best blessings; truthfully, they are also one of the biggest financial undertakings. Numerous studies estimate the cost of raising a child from birth until the age of 18 at $250,000 or more—and that doesn’t even include college expenses if higher education is in your plan! When my wife and I … Continue reading Financial Planning for Children
Well, we’re in the stretch of time between Thanksgiving and Christmas, and most folks are buying gifts for family, friends, coworkers, colleagues, and pets. Others are filling their homes with new furniture or electronics to entertain those relatives from far-flung corners of the globe. These days, it’s hard to find a store that doesn’t offer … Continue reading Consumer Financing – The Slippery Slope
Sometimes, it’s all too easy to monitor and manage the details—to sweat the small stuff, if you will. What I mean by that is there’s no shortage of books, articles, and other literature (including some of my previous articles) about how details matter. And details do matter! But when you translate that into personal finance, … Continue reading Sweating the Details and Getting Nowhere? Try this Instead…
As I mentioned in another article (“The Three Budget Overages I Never Question” – https://sowadime.com/2020/08/10/three-budget-overages-i-never-question/), charitable giving is one of the most important budget items for the Sow a Dime & Reap a Dollar household. It’s something my wife and I were taught to do as young children and something we prioritize every month. Hopefully … Continue reading Supercharge Your Giving
