Kate Underwood

How to Help Elderly Parents With Finances (and Tough Conversations)

Money is never an easy subject to discuss with others, especially not your own parents. If you want to help your elderly parents with finances, you’d better be prepared going in. Your parents have raised you and guided you throughout your life. Now, the dynamics may be shifting. They may not be able to handle their finances as they always have, and it becomes your job as their grown child to help them. I’m so thankful that my parents, who are in their seventies, are still healthy. But my broth

Why Slow FI is Better For Me Than FIRE

In the past few years, the FIRE movement has gained momentum and recognition. If you’re not familiar with it, it stands for Financial Independence, Retire Early. But within this community is the “Slow FI” movement, which takes a slightly different approach: focusing on enjoying the journey rather than simply the end goal of retirement. Why Slow FI is Better For Me Than FIRE This ridiculously awesome post was written by our staff writer, Kate Underwood. This post may contain affiliate links. A

Why Is It Important to Pay Off Debt?

If you’re a longtime visitor of this blog, you know we’re not fans of debt. It keeps you enslaved to someone else and holds you back from a strong financial future! With that said, here’s a rundown of some of the top reasons why it’s important to pay off debt. Why Is It Important to Pay Off Debt? This post was written by our guest writer, Kate Underwood. If you want some extra help getting out of debt, be sure to check out our free debt snowball tool! 1) It Is Your Responsibility First of al

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Fun Things to Do in Milwaukee With Your Family

Milwaukee is a fabulous city to explore with a family. I’ve only lived in the area for a year, but it’s been a blast taking advantage of all the city has to offer. If you’re heading that way, be sure to check out some of these great spots! If you have kids who like to learn, they are guaranteed to enjoy themselves at Discovery World. There’s so much to do, with science-related activities and simulations of every kind. Just a few of the exhibits to explore include: Automation Everywhere: This

6 Ways to Slay Your Student Debt This Year

From Susie Q: I’m not as familiar with student debt as I am with the other topics on which I write, so was pleased to accept this guest post from Kate Underwood. Kate is a freelance writer and staff writer for Club Thrifty, a website dedicated to helping people dream big, spend less, and travel more. With Kate’s permission and approval, I’ve interspersed some comments and numerical examples in italics to expand on a few of her points. Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’re probably awar

9 Affordable Family Travel Ideas to Enjoy This Summer

Ahh, summer vacation. As a kid, nothing could be sweeter than the sound of those two words. As an adult, not much has changed! We all work hard, and we deserve to play hard, too. But how do you make family travel affordable? With a big family, the price tag can creep up easily. But fun family travel doesn’t have to be out of reach. Kids and parents can enjoy recreation and bonding without spending the kids’ college fund. Summer’s just around the corner! Look no further; we’ve got 9 cheap

4 Ways To Build Real Wealth Without The Gimmicks

The Following Post Is a Guest Post from ClubThrifty Google “make more money” and you’ll come up with about 4.5 billion results! Seems like quite a few of us are trying to improve our financial situation, huh? When it comes to increasing income, we’ve all heard catchphrases like “in less than 30 days” and “in your spare time”. While many work-from-home options are totally legit, the majority won’t net you any significant increase in income. If your goal is just an extra $20 here and there for

Smart Ways to Use Your Tax Refund This Year

Hey, hey, hey! It’s tax season! Hooray! (Said no one ever.) If you’re set to receive money back, there are plenty of smart ways to use your tax refund to get ahead financially. First of all, we all know we’re not *supposed* to want a tax refund come April 15. Ya know, because of the whole “don’t give Uncle Sam an interest-free loan for a year” concept? So the first smart move is probably to be sure you’re withholding the proper amount at the start of the calendar year.

How to Follow Through on Your Goals in the New Year

How to Follow Through on Your Goals in the New Year Hey, everyone! How’s your New Year’s resolution coming along? We’re approaching that time in the new year when the vast majority of folks are already abandoning their lofty aspirations and resorting to their old ways. Wouldn’t you like to actually follow through on your goals this year? Read on! It’s no wonder so many of us like to make resolutions around January 1. After overindulging in sweets and alcohol over the holidays, people often mak

Guest Post: “Harnessing the Power of Comparison” from Changing Our Default

I’m featuring a guest post from Mrs. COD who blogs at Changing Our Default. She is a former teacher turned stay at home mom, freelance writer, blogger, and more. She and her husband blog about their path to Financial Freedom and the changes it requires in attitude, mindset, and the habits you build up over your life. Today, Mrs. COD is talking about the double edge sword of comparison and the journey to FIRE. Take it away Mrs. COD! Everyone knows we’re not supposed to compare ourselves with oth

10 Budget-Friendly Moving Tips

Today’s post is from writer and commenter here on BFS, Kate (Mrs. COD). Thanks to slaying her debt demons, she’s now able to stay at home raising her two rambunctious little boys. Kate blogs about lifelong habit changes and “finangelism” at Changing Our Default, which she started early in 2016. Hi, BFS readers! Since my family and I recently moved from Illinois to Kentucky for my husband to pursue his university teaching career, I’ve got several great tips for moving on a budget. Here’s what we

6 Free or Cheap Summer Fun Ideas

Today’s post is from writer and commenter here on BFS, Kate (Mrs. COD). She is passionate about helping people make smarter decisions with money in order to be able to spend money on what really matters to them. Thanks to slaying her debt demons, she’s now able to stay at home raising her two rambunctious little boys. Kate blogs about lifelong habit changes and “finangelism” at Changing Our Default, which she started early in 2016. As soon as the weather starts to turn warmer and the allergies

Guest Post: How To Throw a Fun and Frugal Kids' Birthday Party

Psst, I make money on some of the links in this post at no cost to you. It keeps the lights on around here. Hey Picky people! Today we have a guest post from my buddy, Mrs. COD. Mrs. COD is a former high school teacher who, thanks to paying off student loan debts, is now able to stay at home with her two rambunctious little boys. She blogs about frugality and smarter money decisions at www.changingourdefault.com. Enjoy! Hi there, Picky readers! I’m Mrs. COD, or Changing Our Default, and I’m a

The Frugality-Contentment Connection

In these days post-Thanksgiving, I’m pondering contentment. Am I truly content with who I am, what I’m doing, and what I have? All too often, I fear the answer is no. The rapid approach of Christmas keeps that train of thought rolling. Even in the midst of holiday shopping and the pursuit of a festive season, I want to cultivate contentment in my own heart as well as my kids’ hearts. Frugality and contentment go hand-in-hand. When we make frugal choices, we begin to adjust our expectations and