Prefer to listen rather than read? Pair this post with Episode 25 of the Beyond Finances podcast, where we talk about the process of saving 40 percent of income and the steps to take to make that happen. Do you know how much money you save right now? And perhaps more importantly… do you know…
What You Need to Save Before Having a Baby Might Be the Wrong Question
Most of my clients are in their 30s and 40s, and many of them are either starting families or adding to them. Many of these soon-to-be parents ask me, “how much do we need to save before having a baby? What should we have in the bank before we start thinking about having kids?” It’s…
How to Better Manage Money with Just Two Simple Rules of Thumb
Personal finance doesn’t need to be overly complicated. Yes, the complexity in your financial life will increase as you build assets and grow wealth—but don’t confuse complex for overly elaborate and impossible to understand. At the end of the day, most of what it takes to reach (and maintain) financial success comes down to some…
Looking for Your 2021 Financial Goal? Try This One
This essay was written by BYH’s creative director, Kali Roberge. It was published on Business Insider, and we’ve republished a version of it here. If you’re looking for insight into the kinds of goals we set each year, or need inspiration for your own 2021 focus, read on to learn about our number-one annual priority…
Managing Money as a Couple: Tips and Tricks to Get It Right
If you ask 10 different couples how they manage their money, you’ll probably get 10 different answers… including something along the lines of “We don’t. Budget? What budget?” Let me go ahead and say that might be the only wrong answer here. Some couples keep separate finances, both before and after marriage. Others combine everything…
The Unusual Financial Planning Process to Buy a Vacation Home
My wife and I rarely do anything in what could be described as “the usual way.” We think outside the box and generally choose to forge our own path instead of following the well-known and mainstream; from the fact that we’re both extremely independent and prefer to work for ourselves to choosing to rent in…
Spend Better: 5 Ways to Be Smarter About How You Use Your Money
The majority of personal finance advice can be boiled down to some simple rules. The biggest two? Spend less. Save more. This is good advice, and certainly part of the fundamentals to master if you want to be financially successful. But putting all of the focus on spending less and saving more means we’re telling…
This Dangerous Habit Is Causing You to Overspend
We all know comparison is the thief of joy. But is your habit of comparing yourself or your life to someone else’s costing you in a more tangible way? As in, costing you actual dollars and cents? If you’re like most people, the answer is probably yes — because comparison is one of the leading…
Improve Your Finances: 5 Exercises to Use to Build Better Money Habits
Wouldn’t it be nice to finally be someone that other people look at and say, “wow, you really are great with money. I’m impressed!”? Do you constantly find yourself wishing you had better money habits, but you just can’t seem to change your day-to-day actions? Here’s the good news: you can absolutely transform your current…
The Importance of SMART Goals (and What to Do Before Setting Them)
Setting goals might sound like the most tedious thing on your to-do list. It might not seem very exciting or fun. (What’s much more fun is achieving the goal and getting to use your money for what you wanted!) This can be especially true if you’re doing your goal planning the right way, and setting…