financial planning Archives

Three times planning ahead helped me give great gifts

June 9, 2020

I love Christmas gift planning.

OK, OK. I love planning in general. What can I say? Creating lists, putting things in order, checking boxes…it all appeals to my organized, Type-A heart.

When it comes to Christmas gift planning, I am that person who starts the process in the summer. Most years, I start brainstorming as early as July, with a goal of having as much done before December as I can.

Some people think it’s extreme. I get it. But I really do believe planning ahead has helped me bring some pretty cool gift ideas into fruition.

Today, I thought it might be cool to talk about a few examples.

Six reasons we take our indoor cats to the vet regularly

April 21, 2020

Cat owners: do you take your cats to the vet, even if they’re indoor cats?

This is going to sound ridiculous, but I only recently realized not everyone does this. OK, that’s the wrong way to put it — more like I only recently understood this is not a common thing.

This understanding came from a conversation with a couple of friends. They have an indoor cat (who goes outside occasionally) and mentioned taking him to be neutered. During the appointment, the vet asked about his shots. My friends mentioned they didn’t plan to do this annually.

It surprised me. Which is weird because the more I think about it, the more I realize that among people I know, we are the weird ones when it comes to our cats getting their shots.

For as long as I have had cats, taking them to the vet has been an annual-ish occurrence. The appointments have not always been exactly on time, but once a year, they find their way to an exam room.

Here are some of the reasons why we do this (even though it’s not cheap).

How women in their 30s can plan for a better financial future

March 17, 2020

Seven steps women in their 30s can take toward financial independence

Why is financial independence important for women? And what can a woman in her 30s do to get there?

It’s fair to say this is something I’ve been thinking about a lot, having just joined the big 3-0 club in September. So when Catherine K. Burke from Online Payday Loan Consolidation reached out and asked if she could share some of her thoughts on the topic, I was all for it.

Are you a woman in your 30s, wondering what you can do to plan for a better financial future? This post is for you.

(Interested in guest posting at Our Bill Pickle? Click here for more details)

Why estate planning matters (no matter how old you are)

January 23, 2020

Why estate planning matters (not matter how old you are)

There are two things we’re all about here at Our Bill Pickle: keeping it real and sharing this space with those who can provide perspective on financial matters outside our areas of expertise.

Today, Catherine K. Burke from Online Payday Loan Consolidation is here with a guest post sharing how her friend, Alice, benefitted from a family member’s decision to be smart about estate planning.

If estate planning is something you’ve been thinking about — or, if you’re like me, putting off — this is the post for you.

(Interested in guest posting at Our Bill Pickle? Click here for more details!)

6 common budget problems (and how to fix them)

January 9, 2020

Six common budget problems (and how to fix them)

Whether you’ve been at it for years or it’s your first time, common budget problems can — and do — pop up from time to time.

It can happen to anyone but thankfully, there is good news: it does not need to be a major setback!

Are you struggling with your budget? The start of a new year is a great time to really dig into ways to make your system better.

To help with that, today I wanted to talk about some common budget problems you could be facing — and what you can do to fix them!