Despite the rising costs of seemingly everything these days, this is the time of year when those of you who are working are trying to squeeze in trips to the lake, weekend getaways and lazy days at the pool – even if you’re staying a little closer to home this year. This truly is the time of year when people think of spending time together and resting after all the hard work of fall, winter and spring.
A quarter of a century – wow! That’s right, as I’m now working on my 26th year in this business, I’m reminded of how things change, and yet, stay the same. When I first started out in 1997, my Great Aunt Sunny was 75 (she’s about to turn 100!), and I was trained that, when I called people on their home phones, I was to identify myself, tell them what firm I’m with, and ask them this shock & awe question: are you concerned about the price of gas?
As a child, I always wondered why my siblings and I and all of my friends had summer or fall birthdays ranging from July 4 through Thanksgiving. We could never figure it out! As an adult, I now completely understand – within each calendar year, there’s a social season and stay-in-and-cuddle season. For all of you with birthdays in that range, trust me, you’ll never look at birthdays the same. Our parents were Netflix-and-chilling before there was Netflix.
With inflation at all-time highs these days, many people are feeling the pinch in their budgets, and are looking for ways to cut costs, tighten the belt, and find a little extra cash. Refinancing your mortgage could still be a way to mitigate those daily effects on your budget. True, rates aren’t at the historic lows we saw last year, but you could still save some money.
As I was preparing to write this article, I mentioned in the office that I was going to be focusing on saving and debt. I got a puzzled look from a team member. “Um, Dave, it’s the month of Valentine’s Day. Are you sure you want to talk about death?”
We had a good laugh, and while it’s true that you’ll save money and yes, eventually die, there’re are quite a few places in between where you’ll likely take on some debt to help you move through life.
When it comes to how much you should save up in your emergency fund, there’s all kinds of advice available out there about this topic. We’re not going to waste either of our time – go ahead and Google it! I guarantee you that, based on that search and how conservative you are or aren’t, the answer to that question is going to be different. That’s the beauty of Google – they learn the personality of the person searching and give you the information you want to hear.
We’ve been talking this month about investing in yourself, your family and your home, and one thing we notice when talking with clients is that people have a tendency to focus on the here-and-now. They don’t think about all the ways they can invest in their future on a daily basis right now.
I hope everyone is recovered from the tryptophan hangover of Thanksgiving! For those of you who don’t know, I spent Thanksgiving on my Covid-delayed honeymoon in Cabo, and we had a blast spending some quiet time together, reading books, catching a marlin (yes, really!), whale watching, and even enjoying a private sunset cruise.
We’ve been exploring financial fitness over the last few weeks, and taking a look at the three main areas that affect your financial wellness – what you earn, what you spend, and what you save. First, we covered different approaches to income and how to align your goals with what you’re bringing in. Then, we talked about taking an honest look at how and where you’re spending your money. Today, we’re going to explore our final aspect of financial health – what you save.
Last week, we kicked off our series on financial fitness by exploring the first of three areas that comprise your financial health – what you earn. We talked about the different approaches to earning an income, and what to do when your financial goals don’t align with how much you’re bringing in.
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