Reader Case Study: Firefighter and Teacher Living on a Horse Farm

One of our horses saying hi and hoping for a treat

Marie and her husband Ryan live on a 25-acre horse farm in rural Florida with their 10-year-old son and lab puppy. Ryan, who works as a firefighter, is incredibly handy and built their house 8 years ago. Marie is an elementary school teacher who enjoys her job. The family loves their rural lifestyle and the fact that their extended families live nearby. The only problem is their struggle to live within their means and the resulting debt. We’re off to sunny Florida to help Marie and Ryan chart a sustainable, debt-free path forward!

What’s a Reader Case Study?

Case Studies address financial and life dilemmas that readers of Frugalwoods send in requesting advice. Then, we (that’d be me and YOU, dear reader) read through their situation and provide advice, encouragement, insight and feedback in the comments section.

For an example, check out the last case study. Case Studies are updated by participants (at the end of the post) several months after the Case is featured. Visit this page for links to all updated Case Studies.

Can I Be A Reader Case Study?

There are three options for folks interested in receiving a holistic Frugalwoods financial consultation:

1. Apply to be an on-the-blog Case Study subject here.
2. Hire me for a private financial consultation here.
3. Schedule an hourlong call with me here.

To learn more about one-on-one consultations with me, check this out.

Please note that space is limited for all of the above and most especially for on-the-blog Case Studies. I do my best to accommodate everyone who applies, but there are a limited number of slots available each month. Another way to get Frugalwoodsy advice is to…

Join a UFM Mastermind Group

There’s a BRAND NEW way to participate in next month’s Uber Frugal Month Challenge: join a Mastermind Group!!!! These groups are your chance to meet (on video) with me and 9 other frugal folks once a week for 5 weeks starting in January! Read more here; sign-up to join here.

The Goal Of Reader Case Studies

Reader Case Studies highlight a diverse range of financial situations, ages, ethnicities, locations, goals, careers, incomes, family compositions and more!

The Case Study series began in 2016 and, to date, there’ve been 90 Case Studies. I’ve featured folks with annual incomes ranging from $17k to $200k+ and net worths ranging from -$300k to $2.9M+.

I’ve featured single, married, partnered, divorced, child-filled and child-free households. I’ve featured gay, straight, queer, bisexual and polyamorous people. I’ve featured women, non-binary folks and men. I’ve featured transgender and cisgender people. I’ve had cat people and dog people. I’ve featured folks from the US, Australia, Canada, England, South Africa, Spain, Finland, the Netherlands, Germany and France. I’ve featured people with PhDs and people with high school diplomas. I’ve featured people in their early 20’s and people in their late 60’s. I’ve featured folks who live on farms and folks who live in New York City.

Reader Case Study Guidelines

I probably don’t need to say the following because you folks are the kindest, most polite commenters on the internet, but please note that Frugalwoods is a judgement-free zone where we endeavor to help one another, not condemn.

There’s no room for rudeness here. The goal is to create a supportive environment where we all acknowledge we’re human, we’re flawed, but we choose to be here together, workshopping our money and our lives with positive, proactive suggestions and ideas.

A disclaimer that I am not a trained financial professional and I encourage people not to make serious financial decisions based solely on what one person on the internet advises. 

I encourage everyone to do their own research to determine the best course of action for their finances. I am not a financial advisor and I am not your financial advisor.

With that I’ll let Marie, today’s Case Study subject, take it from here!

Marie’s Story

This was taken on a winter day in Florida!

Hello from sunny Florida! My name is Marie, age 44, and my husband’s name is Ryan, age 42. He’s a firefighter for our county and I’m a teacher at our local elementary school. We have a son who is 10 years old and a lab who is still a puppy! We live on a 25 acre horse farm in a house that Ryan built 8 years ago. Our horse farm does not generate any revenue, but we do benefit from the agriculture exemption on our property taxes.We absolutely love our home! It is very remote and the closest grocery store is 30 miles away! We both have to commute to work due to living in such a rural area and all trips to town are carefully thought out. We love the isolation and are fortunate to have lots of family nearby.

Marie & Ryan’s Hobbies

We’re all homebodies who love to be outdoors and go camping (or is it glamping when you’re in a camper?). I enjoy reading, hiking, fishing and horseback riding. Ryan is an old soul who loves to build things and is constantly in our massive barn working on a project. Our barn is now bigger than our house! It’s over 96 feet long and houses our camper, boat, tractor, an enclosed work shop, a saw/wood shop, our vintage car, horse stalls, etc. Ryan is extremely creative and can build or fix anything. He built our entire home and barn himself. He loves to go to the local dump and retrieve things that he turns into useful items. He really enjoys making new things out of old metal, wood, scraps, etc. Making knives is one of his many hobbies (see pic).

Marie & Ryan’s History

knife made by Ryan

Ryan and I got married right after high school. Our families did not help pay for college. We financed–and then paid off–Ryan’s training as a firefighter. I went to a local university and have two graduate degrees. As a teacher, I qualify to have my student loans forgiven under the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program (where you are employed by a public entity and loans are forgiven after 120 payments are made).

I am grandfathered in and the loans should be forgiven in June 2023. It has been emotionally taxing for me to pursue PSLF–I could write a book! The back and forth with the loan servicer was a truly awful experience. I ended up contacting my local Congressman and the Ombudsman in an effort to have the payments I’ve made count toward PSLF. Very long story short, all is now sorted out and I am mere months away from loan forgiveness! I am not sure how Biden’s recent announcement of forgiving $10k worth of student loans will affect me since I’m already enrolled in PSLF. I guess we will see!

What feels most pressing right now? What brings you to submit a Case Study?

When I initially reached out to Mrs. FW, we were struggling each month to cover our expenses. However, we’ve both been fortunate to receive raises since then! Our income increased by about 8% and we are so incredibly thankful to have steady, good paying jobs that we both enjoy. I still wanted to be a case study, though! There have been times when our spending was more than our income, which resulted in our credit card debt. We’ve committed to living within our means and no longer use credit cards. I will say that the credit card debt keeps me awake at night.

What’s the best part of your current lifestyle/routine?

Our camper

Our large extended family that all live close by! Ryan and I spend a lot of our time with our extended family. All of our vacations are in our camper with family. We go on multiple trips a year–last year we camped for 37 days total and may exceed that this year! They are all planned out in advance, and I treasure this time my son gets to have with his grandparents, great-grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins.

We also eat almost all of our evening meals during the week with extended family! We take turns and let me tell you–it is a well-oiled machine! I am so fortunate to have family nearby who are supportive and lovely to be around. Our “turn” comes once a week and we cook a big meal and feed anywhere from 7-10 people. The other evening meals are at nearby family members’ homes, and Ryan and I take leftovers for the next day’s lunch. We also go out to eat once a week and that is often with extended family, too!

What’s the worst part of your current lifestyle/routine?

Um nothing? If I had to say, it would be the tractor and camper payments we have to make each month. Ryan and I both have side hustles that bring in income each month. I pay the camper payment and he pays the tractor payment. The camper was purchased with help from the family members we vacation with.  They also pay for the insurance and registration each year. When each are paid off, we will likely keep them both and not upgrade. Most months our side hustles bring in more money than those payments require, so we each keep the surplus as our “fun” money.

Where Marie Wants to be in Ten Years:

1) Finances: 

• I’d love to be free of credit card debt and have our HELOC, tractor, and camper paid off so that we can help with our son’s college tuition.

2) Lifestyle: 

• We’d love to change nothing.
• We’d love to continue living this rural farm life and spending tons of time with our families.
• We are worried about our parents needing us to help care for them. I have no idea how to plan for that. They do not have long-term care insurance.

3) Career:

• I will still be teaching at the same school, I’m sure. I love my job.
• Ryan has to work 4 more years as a firefighter before he can retire. He will definitely continue working but isn’t sure what he wants to do.
• With his skillset, I am confident finding employment will not be an issue. So I guess he will be on career #2, although he’s not sure what that will be!

Marie & Ryan’s Finances

Income

Mortgage Details

Debts

Assets

Vehicles

Expenses

Credit Card Strategy

Marie’s Questions For You:

1) Our main concern is retirement, like so many readers I’m sure. 

• We both have pension plans through the state of Florida; but, will that be enough?
• Here are our estimated pension and social security totals (if it’s still around!):
  • Ryan’s pension starting in July 2026: $4,069 per month (continues to pay throughout my lifetime, too)
  • Marie’s pension starting in June 2037: $2,721 per month (ends when I die)
  • Ryan’s social security starting at age 62 in July 2042 is $1,477 per month
  • Marie’s social security starting at age 62 in October 2040 is $1,429

2) How do we balance the lifestyle we share with our extended family and still live within our means?

3) How do we pay off our credit card debt?

• Or should we focus on the HELOC since the interest rate is higher?

Side notes:

• Ryan has strong personal beliefs about keeping our money liquid or in items that retain their value.
• That being said, it is unlikely he will agree to moving our cash emergency fund into an interest-bearing account.
• For now, it is in our very secure safe that is attached to the foundation of our home. Ryan wants to bury it, so this is the compromise!  Did I mention he is an old soul? 😉

Liz Frugalwoods’ Recommendations

A horse farm! Marie and Ryan are living my childhood dream!!! I’m so excited to have them as our Case Study today and not just because of the HORSE FOTOS.  I’m excited because I think they find themselves in a position many readers will recognize: they have relatively high fixed expenses, which makes it really challenging for them to break even each month, let alone save money. I don’t say this to blame or judge them, but rather as an observation of the crux of their financial challenges. I so appreciate their courage and transparency in sharing their story with us today–it’s not easy to assemble all of this financial information, let alone share it with the world.

I also want to thank Marie and Ryan for both working as first responders. Teachers and firefighters are the backbone of our communities and I am so grateful that this couple has chosen to dedicate their lives to helping others. Thank you, Marie and Ryan!

I will respond to all of Marie’s questions, but I want to start with an analysis of their expenses to explain what I mean by “fixed costs.”

Marie and Ryan’s Expenses

In reviewing their monthly expenses, I was struck by how very frugal they already are in most of the areas I advise folks to cut back on. To get a clearer picture of how to help them, I categorized all of their expenses as fixed, reduceable or discretionary. Side note: my free Uber Frugal Month Challenge guides you through doing this categorization on your own, so consider signing up if you too would like to do this!

Here’s what those three categories mean:

• Fixed expenses are things you cannot change. Examples: your mortgage/rent, debt repayments, health insurance.
• Reduceable expenses are necessary for human survival, but you control how much you spend on them. Examples: groceries, gas for the car, utilities.
• Discretionary expenses are things that aren’t necessary for your survival and can be eliminated entirely. Examples: restaurants, travel, gifts, clothing, haircuts.

Marie & Ryan’s Fixed Monthly Costs

And there’s the rub. Even if Marie and Ryan cut out every discretionary item and reduce everything reduceable, their fixed costs–no matter what–clock in at almost $4,000 a month.

This is the insidious nature of debt: it keeps your fixed costs high, which often means you have to take on more debt.

Again, this is not a criticism of Marie and Ryan; rather, it’s an illustration of how debt can easily become a lifestyle. It’s kind of like me and Cheetos–I can’t eat just one, so I don’t buy them unless I’m prepared to eat the whole bag. In the same way, it’s often really hard to have just one debt because it compounds and builds. The vehicle debts meant that Marie and Ryan needed to use their credit cards in order to cover their other expenses, which means they now have credit card debt, which means their debt continues to grow. But, all is not lost and this is not a day for doom or gloom!

Marie & Ryan’s Priority #1: Eliminate Debts

Ryan made this from wild flowers growing near our property

In light of their fixed costs conundrum, my top recommendation for Marie and Ryan is to work on eliminating these debts as best they can. The beautiful thing about paying off debt is that:

• It reduces your monthly expenses, which means you’re less likely to go into debt again.
• It eliminates the interest you’re paying on the debt.
• It enables you to start funding your future as opposed to paying for your past.

Let’s take a look at each of their debts:

1) Marie’s Student Loans: $107,290, 0% interest

• This debt has the easiest answer because they’re currently in deferral and Marie has followed the arduous, harrowing process of qualifying for total loan forgiveness through PSLF. Well done, Marie!
• My advice here is to cross your fingers that federal student loan deferral continues and that the loans are forgiven in full this summer.

2) Home Equity Line of Credit (HELOC): $42,861, 6% interest

3) Marie’s truck: $26,619, 2.99% interest

4) 2021 John Deere tractor, $19,414, 0% interest

• Since this debt has a 0% interest rate, I suggest they continue paying it off according to the schedule.
• Crucially, they should plan to keep this tractor for the long haul so that they don’t need to go into debt again for a new tractor.

Getting the side eye from my fav horse

5) Credit cards: $12,019, 0% interest 

• Discover credit card: $8,211, 0% interest
• Citi credit card: $3,808, 0% interest

While Marie asked about paying off their $12,019 in credit card debt, that’s actually not the most mathematically smart move. Why? Because of the interest rates.

Their credit cards currently both have a 0% interest rate, which is great! The enormous caveat and caution is that it’s highly likely this is an introductory offer that will go away.

Marie should comb through the fine print for both of their cards to see when/if this 0% interest ends. Credit cards typically charge the absolute highest interest rate of almost all debt–usually in the 15%-20% range–and so Marie needs to know for certain what the terms are around this 0% interest rate.

6) 5th Wheel Camper, $11,493, 5.25% interest

This is the debt I suggest Marie and Ryan focus on paying off first.

Here’s my rationale:

• It has the second-highest interest rate of all their debt.
• While the HELOC’s rate is a tad higher at 6%, I encourage them to focus on this debt because they’ll be able to pay it off a lot faster since it’s less than the HELOC.
• In this way, I’m recommending a combination of the Debt Snowball and Debt Avalanche re-payment methodologies.

→The Debt Snowball approach advises people to pay off their debts from smallest dollar amount to largest.

→The Debt Avalanche approach advises people to pay off their debts from highest to lowest interest rate.

Debt Avalanche is technically more correct because you stand to lose more money to high interest. However, Debt Snowball has a very high psychological appeal as it enables folks to wipe out smaller debts and feel victorious. The idea is that these smaller victories will encourage people to continue paying down their debts. As it happens, Marie and Ryan’s debts give them the perfect opportunity to essentially do both!

How To Pay Off Debt Early

You’ve got two options to choose from:

1. Earn more
2. Spend less

Since Marie and Ryan have quite a bit of debt, I strongly suggest they tackle it using both of these tactics. I’m impressed that they both already have side hustles and my question is: can you ramp those up and earn even more?

On the spending side, let’s take a look at their reduceable and discretionary expenses:

Marie & Ryan’s Discretionary Monthly Costs

I am not normally an advocate for cutting out every last discretionary line item because it’s usually the fun stuff!!! But in this case, I suggest Marie and Ryan seriously consider eliminating all of their discretionary spending as they employ the Debt Snowball/Avalanche method. I think the important thing to remember is that they don’t need to eliminate these expenses forever–just while they’re paying off their debt.

Marie & Ryan’s Reduceable Monthly Costs

If Marie and Ryan are able to commit to eliminating all of their discretionary expenses and reducing their reduceables as I outline above, they’ll be on track to save an additional $911 ($486 in discretionary + $425 in reduceables) per month. They’re currently saving $861 per month (their monthly income is $7,180 – their current spending of $6,319 = $861). Added together, they could save a whopping $1,771 per month. 

If they chuck that full $1,771 per month at their $11,493 5th Wheel Camper debt, it will be paid off in just over SIX MONTHS, which is amazingly fast!!!!!!

Now we get to see the debt snowball in action:

If they continue saving that $1,771 per month and add in the $230 they were previously paying on the Camper debt, they now have $2,001 per month to throw at their next debt.

Assuming the tractor and credit cards stay at 0% interest (and don’t ever increase), next on the chopping block are:

• Home Equity Line of Credit (HELOC): $42,861, 6% interest
• Marie’s truck: $26,619, 2.99% interest

Now, Marie and Ryan have a decision to make:

Option #1: They could go with the Debt Snowball, which would tell them to pay off the truck first since it’s a smaller dollar amount. If they go that route and throw the $2,001 per month at the truck, it’ll be paid off in 13 months, which again, is FANTASTIC and super duper quick!!!!!!!

Option #2: If they instead want to pursue Debt Avalanche and pay off the highest interest rate debt first–the HELOC–that’ll be paid off in 21 months! Which is less than two years! Not bad at all.

The other variables here are the monthly payments on the HELOC and truck. If they go with Option #1, they’ll eliminate the truck payment in 13 months. Then, if they add the former $589 truck payment to the $2,001 they’re saving, they’ll have $2,590 per month to plow into the HELOC.

This is the nature of debt repayment–as you continue to pay off each debt, you turn around and put that former debt payment towards paying off the next debt.

The Ultimate Goal: No More Debt

Once Marie and Ryan have paid off all of their debts, their monthly spending will be $2,029 less. If they commit to saving this money and building up an emergency fund and savings reserve, they won’t need to finance future large purchases.

The ultimate goal is for them to get out of this debt cycle and create a situation where they can live within their means and pay cash for everything.

Stop Using Credit Cards

We spend a lot of time on our porches

I also recommend that Marie and Ryan stop using their credit cards. The cards have enabled them to go into debt and so I think not having cards to fall back on will help them terminate this debt cycle. If you can’t charge things, you have to spend within your means. Anything that Marie and Ryan can do to curb their spending will help them pay off their current debt and avoid future debt.

Getting out of debt–and thereby reducing their monthly expenses–also relates to Marie’s first question:

Marie’s Question #1: Our main concern is retirement, like so many readers I’m sure.

One truism of retirement (and life before retirement) is that the less you spend, the less you need to earn and save.

Marie further shared:

We both have pension plans through the state of Florida; but, will that be enough? Here are our estimated pension and social security totals (if it’s still around!):

• • Ryan’s pension starting in July 2026: $4,069 per month (continues to pay throughout my lifetime, too)
  • Marie’s pension starting in June 2037: $2,721 per month (ends when I die)
  • Ryan’s social security starting at age 62 in July 2042 is $1,477 per month
  • Marie’s social security starting at age 62 in October 2040 is $1,429

A major question I have for Marie is if their pensions are inflation-adjusted. Social Security is inflation-adjusted, which is good. Many pensions are too, but Marie and Ryan should dig into the paperwork on their state pensions to ensure they understand the guidelines.

Our horse farm (taken before we added on to the barn)

As it stands now, they should be able to expect a grand total of $9,696 per month in July 2042 (when Ryan is 62). Assuming their pensions are inflation-adjusted and assuming their spending keeps up with inflation, but doesn’t dramatically increase, they should be fine. Again, the lower their spending in retirement, the more security they’ll have. And not just security, but freedom!

If Marie and Ryan can enter their retirement debt-free and with manageable monthly spending, they’ll have enough money to spend on fun stuff too! When they pay their mortgage off in 20 years, their monthly spending will be that much lower and they’ll have that much more financial independence and freedom.

All that being said, pensions are not a sure thing. Since they work for the government, I’d say the likelihood of their pensions defaulting is much lower, but, it’s still a possibility. However, we can only work with the knowledge we have at hand and, it certainly seems like they will be fine, provided they both work until the necessary ages to qualify for their full pension benefits.

Marie’s Question #2: How do we balance the lifestyle we share with our extended family and still live within our means?

I think the answer is: with honesty. It sounds like Marie and Ryan have wonderfully close-knit, loving extended families and I imagine they will understand. If it were me, I would be as forthright as you’re comfortable being and share something along the lines of:

“We need to cut back on our spending right now because we really want to pay off our debts. We have a goal of being debt free and we’re excited to start the new year off by saving more money! This means we need to bow out of restaurant meals for now since it’s one of the places where we can cut back. But, we’ll of course see you for dinner at our house.”

It appears that the primary family-related line items are:

This will be a change to how Marie and Ryan are accustomed to living and spending time with their families, but they need to find a way to dig themselves out of the pile of debt they’re in. A few ideas:

Our 25 acre horse farm

For gifts: could they give gifts of time or service? For example, a few hours of handyman services or babysitting or a home cooked meal?

For travel: is there any opportunity to spend less? Would it be possible to reduce this but still travel? Or perhaps travel needs to be on hiatus for a few months while they accumulate savings.

For restaurants: can you propose a cheaper, at-home solution? Or perhaps this needs to be on pause for the time being.

Something I’ve found is that, often, when we tell friends or family we want to save more money, their response is along the lines of either:

1. “that’s a good idea; I need to do that too!”
2. “good for you! It’s so important to prioritize your financial health.”

Our guest bathroom shower – built by Ryan

This is why I encourage being honest about why you’re making changes in your life. And to be clear, I’m not saying you need to tell all of your co-workers and acquaintances, but, the people with whom you most often spend money–in other words, those closest to you–should respect you enough to respect your financial decisions.

The analogy I like to use is around food/drink. Some folks do not drink alcohol. When you offer someone a drink and they say, “No thank you, I don’t drink,” you don’t pressure them to drink, you simply say, “Gotcha! Thanks for letting me know” and you move on with the conversation.

Same deal when I offered a new friend a hot dog at a party and she said, “Oh no thank you, I’m vegetarian.” I didn’t pressure her to eat the hot dog, I helped her find something meat-free to eat.

Goal: set boundaries around your money and brainstorm responses that are as firm, concise, confident–yet casual–as these examples around alcohol and hot dogs.

I know that money feels more awkward than food and drink conversations because money feels like a barometer of our self-worth, our value in the world and our ability to provide for ourselves. But in the end? It’s not that big of a deal. It’s just one more thing in our complex, creative, funny lives. De-mystifying money and talking about it as we would any other aspect of life is liberating. If Marie and Ryan get to a place of feeling comfortable explaining this to their families, I hope it’s a freeing experience.

→Unless Marie and Ryan’s families want to pay off their debts for them, it’s none of their business.

Assets

Let’s take a peek at Marie and Ryan’s assets:

Cash: $12,250

Between their savings, checking accounts and safe, Marie and Ryan have $12,250 in cash. This is a great start to their emergency fund–very well done!! Note: I didn’t include their son’s savings account here as I gather that’s his money.

An emergency fund should cover 3 to 6 months’ worth of your spending.

• At Marie and Ryan’s current monthly spend rate of $6,319, their emergency fund would cover just under two months, which makes it on the slim side.
• Ideally, they should build their cash savings up to a full three months’ worth ($18,957), if not more.

The rationale behind an emergency fund is that it’s your “oh no” money.

Your emergency fund is there for you if:

• You unexpectedly lose your job
• Something horrible goes wrong with your house that needs to be fixed ASAP
• Your car breaks down and must be repaired
• Your dog gets quilled by a porcupine and has to go to the emergency vet

Our son mowing our one acre yard

As you can see, an emergency fund is not for EXPECTED expenses, such as:

• Routine maintenance on a car, such as oil changes and brake pads
• Anticipated home repairs, such as boiler servicing/chimney sweeping
• Planned medical expenses
• An emergency fund’s reason for existence is to prevent you from sliding into debt should the unforeseen happen. It’s your own personal safety net.

Since an emergency fund is calibrated on what you spend every month, the less you spend, the less you need to save up. Thus, as Marie and Ryan pay off their debts and reduce their monthly expenses, the size of their emergency fund will commensurately reduce.

Open a High-Interest Savings Account

We made this fire pit from limerock and stones we gathered over time

Marie noted that Ryan doesn’t want to have all of their cash in a bank, which is totally his prerogative. If it were me, however, I personally would put my money to work in a high-interest savings account. Here’s why:

If they put their full $12,250 into an American Express Personal Savings account, it would earn 3% in interest every year (affiliate link). In one year, their money would increase to $12,618. That means they’d earn $368 just by having their money in a high-interest account.

When you keep money in cash, it loses value because it’s not keeping up with inflation. The buying power of $50 today will not be the buying power of $50 in ten years. This is why people utilize accounts with interest rates and why people invest money in the stock market.

Summary

1. Make a plan to reduce expenses ASAP and begin paying off debts, starting with the $11,493 Camper debt.
2. Once that’s paid off, continue saving and funnel the money into paying off the $42,861 HELOC
3. After paying off the HELOC, continue saving and plow the money into paying off the truck, then the tractor and credit cards.
4. Check on the 0% interest rates on the credit cards and tractor to ensure that rate continues. If it doesn’t and it suddenly balloons, re-prioritize the debt pay off schedule and pay off the highest interest debt first.
5. Stop using credit cards to force yourselves to live within your means each month.
6. Have a frank conversation with your extended families about your need to focus on saving more money in order to pay off your debts.
7. Check the fine print on your pension plans to determine whether or not they’re inflation-adjusted.
8. Plan to work your jobs until you qualify for your full pension amounts.
9. Consider moving all of your cash into a high-interest savings account.
10. Continuously check-in on the size of your emergency fund. Aim to keep it at three to six months worth of your expenses as your buffer against future debt.
11. Commit to living debt-free and focus on saving any and all extra cash.

Ok Frugalwoods nation, what advice do you have for Marie? We’ll both reply to comments, so please feel free to ask questions!

Would you like your own Case Study to appear here on Frugalwoods? Apply to be an on-the-blog Case Study subject here. Hire me for a private financial consultation here. Schedule an hourlong call with me here, refer a friend to me here, or email me with questions (liz@frugalwoods.com).

Oh, and before I forget… Join a UFM Mastermind Group!

Money is something we’re not supposed to talk about and so many of us don’t. We harbor secret concerns, joys, frustrations, questions and don’t have an outlet for them. This is that outlet! These groups are the place to discuss every single weird money question you have. These groups are the place to share every single money success you experience. These groups are where you’ll find camaraderie and support.

There’s no question too big or too small for the groups to address because, for most of us, our financial educations began after we became adults, after we made some serious financial missteps (anyone remember my story about overdrawing my checking account in my 20s?). We feel like we SHOULD know this stuff and SHOULD be able to manage our money and so we don’t ask for help. Let yourself off the hook and come join us.

These Groups Exist to Address:

❤️ The lack of community and support you feel on your financial journey.
😱 Emotional turmoil around money–or financial trauma–that has sabotaged your past efforts to improve your financial health.
🤑 Complicated family dynamics and history that make it intimidating to figure out how to change your approach to money.
👀 An inability to stick with the habits promoted by the Uber Frugal Month for the long-term.
📚 A fear that you’re the only person who doesn’t understand financial terminology & jargon.
🧠 Lack of clarity on your long-term goals and how your money might impact your future.
🤷‍♀️ A disconnect between you and your partner/spouse about how money should be managed.
👎 Undesirable financial routines/expectations you’ve set up with your kids and want to change.
😬 Shame and guilt over not taking charge of your financial life sooner.
🤦‍♀️ Embarrassment over your lack of personal finance knowledge.
👏 How to create a sustainable money plan that you actually can–and will–follow.

Read more here; sign-up to join here.