Finances | Mommy Ramblings

Tag Archives: Finances

June 7, 2016 · 12:38 pm

How to create your financial plan with less stress

When you hear the words financial planner, do you wince a little? If you do, you are not alone. I wince too and so do most of us. The negative feelings and dread most of us feel when thinking about meeting with a financial planner usually stem from a past negative experience or uncertainty about what to expect. Are we saving enough? Do we have a plan for retirement that is sufficient? Are we investing wisely? Are we totally off track and headed down the wrong road? All these questions and more run through our minds. For most, facing them and finding out the answer can be terrifying. That fear causes many to go through life without a clear financial plan and ironically, that is what we should be more afraid of.

Maybe you have met with a financial adviser and when they started talking it started sounding like Charlie Brown’s teacher, “Wah,wah wah, wah wah” and you totally tuned out. I totally know that feeling. There are so many things most financial planners throw at you and so many decisions they want you to make that you end up feeling so frustrated and decide to take some more time to decide what to do.

Having a simple, clear plan can give you so much confidence. How do we get there? I discovered a very different financial planning service, one that understands why most dread meeting with a financial planner more than getting a root canal. SUM180 makes financial planning simple, affordable and even fun for everyone, wherever they may be on their financial journey.

The process with SUM180 was so different from anything I expected. With my full life, being able to input my information at my own pace and receiving my financial plan online in a PDF was amazing! Their site is very easy to navigate and entering my information was simple. I had my latest tax return handy and it did not take long to input my information. In a short time I received an email that my plan was ready. I did not have to become a financial expert or have degree in finance to understand it, everything was clear and easy to understand. Their 3 step approach is simple and does not make me feel overwhelmed. All I need to do is focus on the three most important steps at a time and that makes me feel empowered.

SUM180 is a subscription based, affordable financial planning service and if my circumstances change at any time during my subscription year, I can create a new plan for free! I have to tell you that having a clear, easy to understand plan in place makes me feel so much better. I feel much more in control and not like I am winging things. Before I did this, I was so uncertain, always wondering if I was making the right financial choices. With my financial plan, I have the confidence and clarity to see exactly what I need to concentrate on to reach my financial goals.

I am most surprised at how easy and painless the whole process was. If you are putting off meeting with a financial planner for the same reasons I was, try SUM180, get the tools you need without the overwhelming financial jargon you don’t. SUM180 has a special, limited time promotion where you can save 50% off the current product price when you use the code SPRING50.

I would love to know what you think if you try their services. Please just leave me a comment letting me know.

This post has been sponsored by SUM180. I was provided with product at no charge to sample in exchange for my review. The options expressed in this post are my own. I am in no way affiliated with SUM180 and do not earn a commission or percent of sales.

Are You Having Trouble Achieving & Maintaining Balance In Your Life?

I’m really excited to let you know about The Balance Project! Did you know that research has shown that 98% of Americans believe that reaching and maintaining a balance in their lives is important but only 14% say they always feel balanced. That’s a huge gap! Balance Bar Company wants to help fill that gap and so the makers of Balance Bar, a uniquely balanced energy nutrition bar, launched The Balance Project. The Balance Project is a multi-year, multi-platform program that is designed to open a dialogue that will help improve America’s level of balance.

The Balance Project is an online hub to share ideas, day-to-day victories and challenges while having fun and joining others on a journey to sustain balance. Did you know that research shows the most common ways Americans try to achieve balance is by keeping their finances in order and through activities that improve overall health like getting more/enough sleep, eating healthy, and exercising regularly.

Despite this, 2 in 5 Americans believe it’s difficult to find balance. Gabrielle Reece is the exclusive guide of The Balance Project. Gabrielle, a worldwide fitness and wellness role mode, entrepreneur, wife and mom of three, will provide tips, advice and personal insights for addressing and achieving balance in these areas. Visit project.balance.com for Gabby Reece’s tips & videos on staying balanced.

“One the biggest reasons I see people fail at achieving their health and wellness goals is because they don’t go into a program with a balanced approach,” explains Reece. “I’m thrilled to share my perspective on balancing busy lives, families and work with healthy diet and exercise habits that anyone can incorporate into their lives.”

Balancing Act
Balance is a very fluid goal, as our levels of balance are always fluctuating, even day-to-day and season-to-season. For example, Americans report being the most balanced on Saturdays, and the least balanced on Mondays. They also indicate that they are most balanced during the summer months, and least balanced during the winter months, when 61% of Americans report feeling unbalanced.

Gender Wars
According to the survey, 70% of male respondents indicate that they are more likely to feel balanced, while only 63% of women indicate the same. What are men doing differently? Staying calm. When looking for balance, ladies should take the idea of “don’t sweat the small stuff” to heart. In nearly every area tested, women are more likely than men to admit something has a significant impact on throwing them off-balance, including finances, sleep, health, and family.

Maternal Instinct
A mother’s work is never done, but at least she knows where to focus her attention to find balance. Nearly every single mom agrees that health (99%) and family and personal relationships (99%) are important to achieving balance in life. How can the busy mom get to a Zen state of balance? For starters, get outside. Enjoying nature (67%) and taking vacations (66%) are the top actions that have a significant impact on achieving balance for moms. Spending time with a significant other (63%) was revealed as the next most impactful way for moms to try to achieve balance.

Want to see and learn more? Visit The Balance Project by clicking HERE! Let me know what you think and how well you are achieving and maintaining a balance in your life.