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10 Ways to Overcome Burnout at Work  It's time for lunch. But you have a client in front of you. You're on the phone, because he's not doing well, and you're trying to see if a local crisis center has room for him.  You cradle the landline between your head and shoulder as you try to document details from the encounter while you wait for someone to pick up on the other end.  You won't be able to attend the presentation during the lunch hour (for which you're not compensated). You'll be lucky to get a few bites of lunch while trying to get caught up on your notes.  You don't want to start the afternoon behind. You are a  salaried employee, not compensated for staying late or taking work home. You're wondering how you could possibly see more clients during shrinking time slots.  If this sounds familiar, you're not alone. Roughly 70% of people worldwide reported experiencing burnout at work within the past year ( Forbes ). Let's explore ways to ...

  Sinking Fund Example: How to use sinking funds to pay for your wedding Since Christmas in July is upon us, I got to thinking about sinking funds. I use a sinking fund to purchase holiday gifts and shop after Christmas with money I set aside throughout the year.  A sinking fund is a predetermined amount of money set aside over time for a specific purpose. You divide the amount of money you need by the amount of time you have to save until your target date to make the payments more affordable.  Sinking funds help you avoid debt by dividing the full payment into smaller amounts over time - you avoid needing a large sum all at once or having to use credit.  I use sinking funds in high yield savings accounts  for all sorts of things - traveling, shopping sales , splurging on luxury bedding or meaningful jewelry. But paying for my wedding definitely required the most sinking funds simultaneously, and is therefore the best sinking fund example!  Sinking funds a...

Ship from home: What You Need to Get Started. Let's talk shipping from home. One of my favorite side hustles is selling online and shipping from home. It's one of the ways I avoid overspending .  Whether you're sending packages often or only on holidays or special occasions, you should ship from home. You can go to the local United States Postal Service (USPS) post office or other shipping giant such as UPS or Fedex , but nothing beats the convenience of shipping from home. Let's take a look at what you need to get started.  Stock up on Shipping Supplies USPS  delivers  FREE shipping supplies ! Create an account on USPS.com  if you haven't already. Choose from a number of supplies to fit your shipping needs, and pay the appropriate fee when you ship. I mostly ship clothing items that are less than one pound (16 oz), so I ship them first class cheaper than priority mail using 10x13 polymailers . The poly mailers are self-sealing, but I add  Scotch heavy d...

BST Meaning. What is BST? BST stands for Buy, Sell, Trade. BST is its own corner of the internet, typically facebook groups made up of little tribes of brand loyalists, with its own customs and language. I stumbled upon the BST world when I became a mother several years ago, and have been immersed ever since! BST can be a side hustle and a way to  address overspending . I try to purchase  brands with BST facebook groups so I can resell items my daughter didn't wear or outgrew. Some of my favorite brands are  Little Bipsy ,  Nora Madison Designs ,  Pink Chicken ,  Posh Peanut ,  Slumberkins  and  Taylor Joelle Designs . Facebook Buy, Sell, Trade groups can be brand specific, but some pages allow "all free" weekends where anything goes. BST is a great way to purchase sold out and/or gently used branded items. But buyer beware - secondhand doesn't always mean less than retail.  Certain designs, particularly collaborations with popular trad...

5 Ways to Invest for Kids Let's talk ways to invest for kids. As a parent, you are not obligated to invest for kids. BUT, this is an extraordinary gift if you can swing it. Of course, you should provide all of the basic needs for your child(ren), and the majority of us go above and beyond that! You need not be a millionaire or come into a windfall of money to do this. You may be wondering how do I start investing for my child? Let's take a look at some of the best ways to invest for kids.  1. Put your oxygen mask on first You can't truly help someone else unless you've addressed your own needs. Your future is just as if not more important than your children's. If you tend to yourself properly, it follows that your child(ren) will likely also be cared for. Your child(ren) can take out student loans to fund an education, but you cannot borrow money for your retirement. Educate yourself. Follow financial content creators, use your local library, sign up for classes and...

10 Ways to Stop Overspending on Clothing I love to shop for clothing, especially for my daughter. I always joke and say, "God knew my heart needed a daughter, but my wallet didn't!"  Thankfully I'm not going into consumer debt, but I am a spender. Rather than feel guilt or shame, I started to accept and roll with it. Here's what to do if you tend to overspend on clothing or other items.  1. Start a side hustle.  I like to have multiple income streams so I can designate funds from different sources for specific purposes. One of my favorite sides hustles is - you guessed it - reselling my daughter's clothes !  This is perfect because I truly enjoy it, and she outgrows things so quickly. I try to keep items in good condition without stains . I can sell things as she outgrows them to fund the next size up for her ever changing wardrobe. Check out this  Ramsey Solutions article  for more side hustle suggestions.  2. Start a sinking fund. Similar to having m...

7 Ways to Stop Unnecessary Spending Addressing unnecessary spending is like gardening. For something to grow to its full potential, it should be pruned from time to time.  To prune is to cut out that which is unnecessary, to eliminate the areas that are using energy but aren’t producing fruit.  You can prune many areas of your life - eliminate the suckers to maximize your growth and reach your full potential - including your expenses. Before you consider expenses what to cut, you need a budget to know exactly where your money is going, and how you can better allocate it.  Choose a budget that works for you without being so restrictive that you set yourself up for failure.  Having a budget should make you feel better about spending. You can treat yourself without guilt, because you already allocated money to living expenses, savings and retirement accounts, etc. Now, back to pruning.  7 Ways to Stop Unnecessary Spending 1. Cut the Cord  I’m aware that most ...

529 Plan: 5 reasons you should have one (or more) Let's talk 529 plans. If you have or plan to have children, then you should know about 529 plans and have one for each child. 529 plans are state (or institution) sponsored tax advantaged savings accounts that encourage saving for future education costs ( source: sec.gov ).  Higher learning is EXPENSIVE! Wouldn't it have been a blessing if you had funds from a 529 plan to put towards or completely cover the cost of your education?!  Student loan debt is a huge burden that has far reaching impacts on the futures of borrowers. The effects can seem all encompassing; affecting the jobs you take, the ability to move out of your childhood home, own a home of your own, or start a family.  According to  educationdata.org , "the average federal student loan debt is $37,574 per borrower, [while] private student loan debt averages $54,921... [and] 20 years after entering school, half of the student borrowers still owe $20,000......

Looking to save money? 4 High Yield Savings Accounts you should check out!  Let’s talk high yield savings accounts (HYSAs). Gone are the days of having “mattress money.” Or at least they should be. Why? Because you should not be keeping your emergency fund under your bed! Wouldn’t it be better to put your money where it could make you MORE money while you sleep instead?   If you have an emergency fund, you are already ahead of the game. Check out this article  that states only 44% of Americans can cover a $1,000 emergency expense from their savings. An emergency or rainy day fund is just what it sounds like: money set aside for unforeseen costly circumstances. Think car or home repairs, medical emergencies, pet injuries - you get the picture. These things can happen to anyone, so we should all prepare for them. You’ll find that the more prepared you are, the less emergencies you will experience! So what should you do? First, aim to have $1,000 set aside. Ideally, you will...