Week 10 of my Total Money Makeover process included the 7th lesson in Financial Peace University on retirement and college planning. Confession: I have a matching 401(k) available to me through my job and I have never saved a penny for retirement. Oops. However, the Total Money Makeover is designed to be done in a … Continue reading Total Money Makeover, Week 10
Author: Caitlin
Caitlin writes and coaches about trauma recovery, relationships, motivation and confidence, self-love, queer identity, and social justice. They are the author of The Gaslighting of the Millennial Generation. Find their work at caitlinlizfisher.com
Total Money Makeover, Week 9
This week at FPU (week 6) we talked about insurance. Auto insurance, home insurance, health insurance, disability insurance, you name it. I actually learned quite a few things, which I will now try to impart to you. According to Dave Ramsey, the purpose of insurance is to transfer risk. Insurance is there to protect you … Continue reading Total Money Makeover, Week 9
Total Money Makeover, Week 8
Week 5 in Financial Peace University was called "Buyer Beware" and discussed the power of marketing and advertising, which are common saboteurs of a healthy budget! Companies want you to buy their product - and they go to great lengths to get your business! Companies market via... Personal selling Financing and convenient payment methods (store … Continue reading Total Money Makeover, Week 8
Clutter attack
I have fallen off the wagon. My apartment is a continual mess. I can make excuses, like:I work three jobs and I have little time to devote to cleaningSleeping is importa-zzZZZzZZzzZZI deserve to relax sometimes, so I'll just watch one episode of SupernaturalI do the dishes every night, that's gotta count for somethingBut really, it's … Continue reading Clutter attack
Total Money Makeover, Week 7
Sorry this post is late! The week really got away from me. This week in FPU we talked about dumping debt (week 4). This lesson made me get really mad at my debt, which is a good motivator for getting rid of it. Debt is so aggressively marketed to our society that we think it's … Continue reading Total Money Makeover, Week 7
Pre-Op Plastectomy
I canceled all my credit cards. I had five open accounts: CareCredit, Kohl's, Macy's, Fifth Third, and Discover. All have had zero balances for months or even years, except Discover which I paid off for the last time in September 2013 (and CareCredit which I never even used). But Caitlin! You need credit cards to … Continue reading Pre-Op Plastectomy
Total Money Makeover, Week 6
Week 3 in FPU is the Cash Flow Planning week. It's the week where we talk about the dreaded B-word... the budget. I, being a nerd, love the budget. As soon as I committed to making one, I was happier and more secure. It was like an instant raise! There are many reasons people don't … Continue reading Total Money Makeover, Week 6
Total Money Makeover, Week 5
Week 5 of the Total Money Makeover and Week 2 of Financial Peace University. Budget recap I just finished up my first month's budget - a full four weeks adhering to the outline I set for myself. Dave says that it takes 90 days to really hammer out the budget, and he's probably right. I … Continue reading Total Money Makeover, Week 5
Ditch it: Goal pants and fat pants
In May 2011, I participated in a 5K race. I finished next to last and spent most of it walking when I was recovering from my little walk-jog (I do not purport to be in peak physical condition), but I finished it! All participants got a free tee shirt, but they were out of anything … Continue reading Ditch it: Goal pants and fat pants
Total Money Makeover, Week 4
It's week four of my Total Money Makeover, and I had my first Financial Peace University class this week. The class only has three people attending, myself and a newly engaged couple. The instructors seem very nice! The FPU class consists of watching a DVD of Dave Ramsey doing the lesson each week, followed by … Continue reading Total Money Makeover, Week 4
Born Again Minimalist 