We did the exact thing. We started last year with $5. It now has over $4,000. It is for our car insurance. We also have a CD and a regular savings too. Small increments build up. I love you,and you make my day every day.
@@M_SC I agree. Interest bearing savings accounts can be great for short term savings goals, but not long term growth. The interest rates are variable depending on the current market conditions. For long term savings growth, the returns from the market will almost always be higher on average. Low cost Index funds are easy to get started with.
I like to use savings for things like 'property taxes'. They are quite a large payment for us and it is easier to pay monthly into a savings account during the year and allow the account to accrue interest. Of course I keep at least the minimum balance to earn interest after paying taxes otherwise the account would not be free.
I fully bank at 2 different credit unions. I don't like the thought of being on vacation and having a card compromised and then having to scramble to get to funds. Once it happened, I will never let it happen again. I like separate special purpose savings too. But I separate most funds in my mind now, because I like the higher yield in a high yield savings.
Tip #1: In the beginning of COVID I started to work from home. I converted my car insurance to a pleasure vehicle status. My car just sat in my driveway and it was a waste of money when I didn’t drive that often. It cut my bill in half. Then I converted my car insurance to a Smart program where I drove a limited set of miles each month. This helped me to plan my outings and reduce time leaving the house if I was bored. I plan my doctor visits/errands around the beginning of the month when my mileage is reset to zero. Any overage miles driven costs minimal but makes me mindful if my errands are necessary. Tip #2: Utilize senior discounts. Nothing shameful about those. My local grocery store honors it every Thursday. Don’t forget many movie chains have them too. Just joined your channel and really enjoy your comments!
Thank you for the senior discounts reminder. I'll have to check to see what day our grocery store discounts. I didn't realize you could have a different rate for your vehicle if it's not used for work. I'll have to check that out with our agent.
I remember my mom always had a Christmas club account. I just have one savings account at one bank. My other money is invested. I keep my finances as simple as possible.
2025 will be my first year with a second savings account for my sinking funds. Once I added up all my irregular expenses, I was shocked to realize I would have to put away $800 per month to have it funded for my 2025 irregular expenses. But at least it will be there when I need it and getting things like a tax bill won’t leave me scrambling and having to switch money between accounts to cover those expenses. I never heard of a sinking fund before this year and I think it will be a great help in evening out my expenses.
It is shocking to see how much we need to escrow for taxes and insurance, plus all the other annual expenses. I think Dave Ramsey teaches about sinking funds. We don't follow his method, but I understand that many use his budgeting advice.
We have 2 checking accounts and 1 high interest no touchy touchy savings for emergencies/retirement. And we have a fire box in our house where we save money as well. Cash on hand is good to have.
Yes, it is good to have cash. We are in a hurricane prone area. If you lose electricity, the ATM machines don't work. We have a small privately-owned grocery store that was open after a storm with a generator. We could buy with cash only. It certainly made me reconsider how much cash we need.
Always verify, don’t trust, your chequing and savings account activity! Banks are devious. lol We were charged 5 dollars, two months in a row for transferring money from our savings to the chequing account. After talking with the bank institution, who was perplexed as well, by this situation, we were refunded the money. Take care Dawn. 😊
I would have closed the Christmas savings account completely - and put that money into the main account. More interest on the higher balance. Compounded.👍
Same kinda thing. I had 3 and took all the money out of one. All in same bank. One is emergency fund and one is sinking fund for everything, mainly glasses, dentist, furniture, and now I’ve added technology, and gifts.
I’m like you in that I have a few accounts. One high yield savings account is my emergency fund, one money market fund is for either extra emergencies and sometimes I use some for investing. The final account pays almost nothing so I just use it as a sinking fund for property taxes and to fund my Roth IRA.
I use to have two savings accounts one for emergency and one for sinking funds for annual bills but I recently switched to one. Whenever I need to see how much I have in my sinking fund I just subtract my emergency fund from the total balance of the account. I have heard of some banks having “buckets” for savings accounts. Basically 2 or more funds under 1 account number. My bank does not do this however. And I like how you said using more than one bank is diversifying. If one closes you can start using the other instantly, I’ve never known someone who’s bank has closed but I would imagine even with FDIC it could take a couple weeks to get your money back.
Dawn, by having several savings accounts you are losing out on compounded interest because the more you have in one account the more interest you earn. Wouldn’t it be better to have one account and create a spread sheet separating that one account according to the things you are saving for?
"..one savings account, one checking account would probably make things more easy to manage" spot on sister! Putting ALL savings in one HIGH YIELD account really increases FREE MONEY thru compound interest. However, I respect your decision to do what works for you. "Humans left to their own devices tend to complicate things" *source unknown
I have checking account and my savings is my 401k through my employer. I keep at least 1K in checking to serve as emergency fund. I pay for everyday expenses like groceries with a cash back credit card then pay the balance in full every month. This system of money management has really simplified and benefited my financial life.
I only have one bank, but three separate accounts: Checking, Savings, and Sinking. However, I have a detailed budget in which the Sinking Fund has allocations for all the areas where I might and/or will need it. I think the way I keep track of my budget (started about15 years ago during my early Dave Ramsey days), helps me ensure I've covered all the bases, probably like a lot of people use for separate bank accounts. On another note, Dawn, I always enjoy your videos. 💖 You give me food for thought and you are so welcoming in your approach. I wish you and yours a beautiful holiday! 🎄🎄🎄
I have a checking account, a savings account and a money market account in one credit union. I move money out of the saving account but the money market is where my inheritance is. I am saving that for my old age.
one of the many things i love about the state of texas is that 100% disabled veterans are fully exempt from property taxes. that saves us a lot of money each year. we are members of 4 different credit unions. all the different account information is kept in my household notebook. all the accounts are linked so that it is very easy to move money online. we wanted options in case of identity theft when accounts would need to be frozen.
I didn't realize there was an exemption for disabled veterans. Every state should offer it! It's great that you keep great records concerning your accounts.
I keep 1 savings and 1 checking. My small pension check goes to savings to pay taxes and car insurance. I keep coffee cans that my change is dumped into....I have many of these cans filled (you never know) I have addional savings of monthly cash overage, saved in at home in safe. When we lost power after Milton banks also lost power, so did stores. CASH was king. Bad times are coming...think about it.😢
I agree. Many times after hurricanes, businesses lose power and without cash, you are not getting gas. I always try to fill up before the storm, but it is nice to know that I have at least $50 in cash for gas in case an emergency arises with a loved one. Also, people don't know this, but parking garages sometimes are unable to take your credit card after a storm---I can't think of a single hospital in HOuston that does not have a parking garage.
@rusticgardenretreat4892 That's true about parking garages in Houston and Dallas. I was so surprised that parking wasn't free for patients. In our town, not only is parking free, but we also have free valet parking with no tipping allowed. I love where we live.
Thanks Dawn, I too have four savings accounts to help cover different things. HY accounts are easily accessible now and great to have especially when you are depositing larger amounts of fund. Happy New Year!
Merry Christmas! If it works for you, do it. It's all good. I personally have 3 accounts at my local bank. Checking, high interest savings (which really isn't very high, lol), and a CD which I continually roll. My bank would love to be my finance broker, but I have other people doing that. You don't want to put all your eggs in one basket.
Hey Money Mom, Happy to see you anytime of the year. I'm sitting in my car trying to figure out where to put my gifted Christmas money so I won't touch it! I am thankful to have this gift of an unexpected gift. Many blessings lie all around.
Our taxes are $600 a year for our home on 5 acres. It will go up when our house is done I’m sure. But probably no more than $1500 a year. I can handle that. It’s the $9,000 a year we were paying near Chicago that was killing us ! We had to move out of that area.
I know taxes are high in Texas. Florida taxes aren't that much but the homeowners insurances are astronomical. I say insurances because you need a separate policy for wind storm and flood insurance. It went up a lot. We must pay to live in paradise, lol.
Hi Dawn, I have a checking account, high-yield savings account, and health saving’s account and a flexible spending account. Having several accounts allows the money to work towards its purpose. Have a great Boxing Day all!
We have our savings account for all emergency needs and unexpecteds. We also have stocks via my husband's former workplace, that we don't touch, let it earn interest.
I moved $ into a new savings account recently because a renovation project needs to happen. I don’t want to discuss/check balances so I moved some over to another account and the person in charge of the project has ability to just get on with things. Did this based on your ideas. It’s less stressful for me. Taxes, I pay immediately because there is a 10% break if I do. That’s enough to buy food!
Shop for best interest rates. If you have to break open a CD when an emergency occurs, you can often write the penalty off on your taxes. Don't exceed FDIC insured amount at any one institution.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!! I keep one account with Alliant and have two retirement accounts, one of which provides me with $900 a month 😟. I wish you well and pray you continue this account!
GIC's at high interest and TFSA but only 1 facility and in a year when they mature,then I treat myself.🙂🇨🇦🙋♀️Your very knowledgeable Money Mom.I learn things from you.Its nice to be in control tho isn't it,with saving.
Happy Holidays, everyone! 🎄☃️🎄 Simplicity is the name of my budgeting method. We escrow an amount each month for your homeowners insurances and property taxes. We only have a checking account with a bank. We probably should put the escrow amount in a higher yield account. We keep our dividends with a brokerage until we need the money. I'm working on a larger amount of cash to keep at home. You just never know when an emergency occurs. Great video! Love to all, Linda 💕
I just have one savings account but a notebook with dividers to keep track of my intentions. I have sections for emergency account, taxes, travel, medical and down payment on a truck.
Dawn, this Christmas was simple, for me too! No more stressing and worrying for one day! It was a blessed day! You have the right idea to have your funds in 3 different banks! I do; as well! (One account since I was in my late teens! Mason Jar coins go there.) Make sure that the banks we use have their home offices are in the U.S. and they are FDIC insured; which I'm sure they are. If by chance they are giving you a high interest rate and are not located in the U.S.; there is no protection against lost money! Be careful and be on the watch! I love reading the Wall Street Journal. It really helps me to watch the Dow. I know you had a very giving holiday! 🤶🎅❄️🎄 ✨️⭐️✨️⭐️✨️⭐️✨️⭐️🤗✨️🙏🏼
I have 2 checking accounts with different banks in the off chance one of the accounts is frozen which can happen. It's rare, but I've heard of it happening when the bank has to investigate fraudulent activity. They just freeze your account with no warning. I have my secondary back up account with a bank that only requires a $100 minimum balance for fee free checking.
Merry Christmas 🎄 I gifted way less & it felt great. We have one savings account & I just break it out on Excel super easy to keep up with. Great video😊❤😊
I HAVE to start putting tax money away every January because I literally couldn't just scrounge from Sep-Dec to pay it. I have enough problems without becoming homeless over bad budgeting! And this county WILL take a house.
Christmas comes out of our entertainment budget. I put a set amount of money into the fund each month. It covers our games, streaming services, vacations, Christmas, and foods like meat and chocolate. Within reason. If we go out to do something Im not going through the bother to figure out the gas it took us to get to the park, or withdrawing the cost of an egg and a cup of sugar from the account every time I make cookies. It does mean i make chocolate chip cookies less often than sugar ones, and that the red and green M&M minis made the seasons chocolate chip cookies seem extra festive. Some years we blow the remainder at Christmas. Other years we are saving for something like an extra nice vacation. Its fun money. Since the "fun" purchases stop if the account hits empty, we are pretty selective of what we buy, choosing to spend time vs. money to achieve the results in many cases. I also take an extra $20 out of it in December for the tree and snow village lighting cost.
You are so smart to budget an entertainment expense. It would make me more willing to do fun things all year rather than a big blast at Christmas. Merry, Merry!
@3TXSisters - In general, I think a solid budget takes the worry out of a lot of things. It also helps us determine what we value the most. When we moved luxury food items into entertainment vs food budget, we found we enjoyed meat more when it was an occasional treat vs a regular menu item. Same with chocolate or snack foods. Its been a pretty awesome experience.
@@cindynok Yes, CDs can be locked in for a designated time frame. Savings account interest fluctuates. If the fed cuts interest rates, the rates will come down. Great for interest on debt, but not for us savers!
I like to keep everything simple, as possible.
Simplicity is best for me, too.
We did the exact thing. We started last year with $5. It now has over $4,000. It is for our car insurance. We also have a CD and a regular savings too. Small increments build up. I love you,and you make my day every day.
I don’t mean to be rude but being bossy, but check out index funds, it’s the next logical step I think.
Fantastic. I love you too
@@M_SC I agree. Interest bearing savings accounts can be great for short term savings goals, but not long term growth. The interest rates are variable depending on the current market conditions. For long term savings growth, the returns from the market will almost always be higher on average. Low cost Index funds are easy to get started with.
Years ago someone suggested having a separate savings account for real estate taxes + that has worked well.
I like to use savings for things like 'property taxes'. They are quite a large payment for us and it is easier to pay monthly into a savings account during the year and allow the account to accrue interest. Of course I keep at least the minimum balance to earn interest after paying taxes otherwise the account would not be free.
I fully bank at 2 different credit unions. I don't like the thought of being on vacation and having a card compromised and then having to scramble to get to funds. Once it happened, I will never let it happen again.
I like separate special purpose savings too. But I separate most funds in my mind now, because I like the higher yield in a high yield savings.
I try not to have too many savings accounts opened , because it can get confusing, and I don't want added work , to have to keep up with it.
Simplicity is best 👍🏻😀
Yes and cost more for the bank to deal with.
Less is more!@@cjhoward409
Tip #1: In the beginning of COVID I started to work from home. I converted my car insurance to a pleasure vehicle status. My car just sat in my driveway and it was a waste of money when I didn’t drive that often. It cut my bill in half.
Then I converted my car insurance to a Smart program where I drove a limited set of miles each month. This helped me to plan my outings and reduce time leaving the house if I was bored.
I plan my doctor visits/errands around the beginning of the month when my mileage is reset to zero. Any overage miles driven costs minimal but makes me mindful if my errands are necessary.
Tip #2: Utilize senior discounts. Nothing shameful about those. My local grocery store honors it every Thursday. Don’t forget many movie chains have them too.
Just joined your channel and really enjoy your comments!
Brilliant. Thank you for sharing
Thank you for the senior discounts reminder. I'll have to check to see what day our grocery store discounts. I didn't realize you could have a different rate for your vehicle if it's not used for work. I'll have to check that out with our agent.
Dawn, you are so right! We kept Christmas very simple!
Happy holidays!
Good for you! 👍☺️👍
I remember my mom always had a Christmas club account. I just have one savings account at one bank. My other money is invested. I keep my finances as simple as possible.
2025 will be my first year with a second savings account for my sinking funds. Once I added up all my irregular expenses, I was shocked to realize I would have to put away $800 per month to have it funded for my 2025 irregular expenses. But at least it will be there when I need it and getting things like a tax bill won’t leave me scrambling and having to switch money between accounts to cover those expenses. I never heard of a sinking fund before this year and I think it will be a great help in evening out my expenses.
It is shocking to see how much we need to escrow for taxes and insurance, plus all the other annual expenses. I think Dave Ramsey teaches about sinking funds. We don't follow his method, but I understand that many use his budgeting advice.
Best wishes
We have 2 checking accounts and 1 high interest no touchy touchy savings for emergencies/retirement. And we have a fire box in our house where we save money as well. Cash on hand is good to have.
Yes, it is good to have cash. We are in a hurricane prone area. If you lose electricity, the ATM machines don't work. We have a small privately-owned grocery store that was open after a storm with a generator. We could buy with cash only. It certainly made me reconsider how much cash we need.
Always verify, don’t trust, your chequing and savings account activity! Banks are devious. lol
We were charged 5 dollars, two months in a row for transferring money from our savings to the chequing account. After talking with the bank institution, who was perplexed as well, by this situation, we were refunded the money.
Take care Dawn. 😊
Yes, it's good to check your statement carefully.
Being more intentional in all of life is a great idea.
I would have closed the Christmas savings account completely - and put that money into the main account. More interest on the higher balance. Compounded.👍
That's true.
I use one bank and have a cheque ing account,a high interest savings account, a tax free savings account and an Rrsp. Plus a lot of gics!😊
Good saving tips. Thank you for sharing.
You are so welcome!
Same kinda thing. I had 3 and took all the money out of one. All in same bank. One is emergency fund and one is sinking fund for everything, mainly glasses, dentist, furniture, and now I’ve added technology, and gifts.
Reallocated the money, rather
For me, fewer accounts mean less I have to monitor.
I’m like you in that I have a few accounts. One high yield savings account is my emergency fund, one money market fund is for either extra emergencies and sometimes I use some for investing. The final account pays almost nothing so I just use it as a sinking fund for property taxes and to fund my Roth IRA.
I use to have two savings accounts one for emergency and one for sinking funds for annual bills but I recently switched to one. Whenever I need to see how much I have in my sinking fund I just subtract my emergency fund from the total balance of the account.
I have heard of some banks having “buckets” for savings accounts. Basically 2 or more funds under 1 account number. My bank does not do this however.
And I like how you said using more than one bank is diversifying. If one closes you can start using the other instantly, I’ve never known someone who’s bank has closed but I would imagine even with FDIC it could take a couple weeks to get your money back.
Dawn, by having several savings accounts you are losing out on compounded interest because the more you have in one account the more interest you earn. Wouldn’t it be better to have one account and create a spread sheet separating that one account according to the things you are saving for?
"..one savings account, one checking account would probably make things more easy to manage" spot on sister! Putting ALL savings in one HIGH YIELD account really increases FREE MONEY thru compound interest. However, I respect your decision to do what works for you. "Humans left to their own devices tend to complicate things" *source unknown
I need simplicity in my life.
I have checking account and my savings is my 401k through my employer. I keep at least 1K in checking to serve as emergency fund. I pay for everyday expenses like groceries with a cash back credit card then pay the balance in full every month. This system of money management has really simplified and benefited my financial life.
I find that the less complicated is best for me, too!
I only have one bank, but three separate accounts: Checking, Savings, and Sinking. However, I have a detailed budget in which the Sinking Fund has allocations for all the areas where I might and/or will need it. I think the way I keep track of my budget (started about15 years ago during my early Dave Ramsey days), helps me ensure I've covered all the bases, probably like a lot of people use for separate bank accounts. On another note, Dawn, I always enjoy your videos. 💖 You give me food for thought and you are so welcoming in your approach. I wish you and yours a beautiful holiday! 🎄🎄🎄
Never ever ever keep all accounts with one institution!!!
I have a checking account, a savings account and a money market account in one credit union. I move money out of the saving account but the money market is where my inheritance is. I am saving that for my old age.
You're so fortunate to have an inheritance to help fund your retirement.
one of the many things i love about the state of texas is that 100% disabled veterans are fully exempt from property taxes. that saves us a lot of money each year. we are members of 4 different credit unions. all the different account information is kept in my household notebook. all the accounts are linked so that it is very easy to move money online. we wanted options in case of identity theft when accounts would need to be frozen.
I didn't realize there was an exemption for disabled veterans. Every state should offer it! It's great that you keep great records concerning your accounts.
I keep 1 savings and 1 checking. My small pension check goes to savings to pay taxes and car insurance. I keep coffee cans that my change is dumped into....I have many of these cans filled (you never know) I have addional savings of monthly cash overage, saved in at home in safe. When we lost power after Milton banks also lost power, so did stores. CASH was king. Bad times are coming...think about it.😢
I agree. Many times after hurricanes, businesses lose power and without cash, you are not getting gas. I always try to fill up before the storm, but it is nice to know that I have at least $50 in cash for gas in case an emergency arises with a loved one. Also, people don't know this, but parking garages sometimes are unable to take your credit card after a storm---I can't think of a single hospital in HOuston that does not have a parking garage.
@rusticgardenretreat4892 That's true about parking garages in Houston and Dallas. I was so surprised that parking wasn't free for patients. In our town, not only is parking free, but we also have free valet parking with no tipping allowed. I love where we live.
Thanks Dawn, I too have four savings accounts to help cover different things. HY accounts are easily accessible now and great to have especially when you are depositing larger amounts of fund. Happy New Year!
Happy New Year
Good to know!
Merry Christmas! If it works for you, do it. It's all good. I personally have 3 accounts at my local bank. Checking, high interest savings (which really isn't very high, lol), and a CD which I continually roll. My bank would love to be my finance broker, but I have other people doing that. You don't want to put all your eggs in one basket.
Happy holidays!
I agree! We have a different broker for our investments.
Hey Money Mom, Happy to see you anytime of the year. I'm sitting in my car trying to figure out where to put my gifted Christmas money so I won't touch it! I am thankful to have this gift of an unexpected gift. Many blessings lie all around.
You are so sweet
How wonderful!
Our taxes are $600 a year for our home on 5 acres. It will go up when our house is done I’m sure. But probably no more than $1500 a year. I can handle that. It’s the $9,000 a year we were paying near Chicago that was killing us ! We had to move out of that area.
We are paying around $7,500 for property taxes. Ugh. That is actually slightly lower than they were a couple of years ago.
That is amazing
I know taxes are high in Texas. Florida taxes aren't that much but the homeowners insurances are astronomical. I say insurances because you need a separate policy for wind storm and flood insurance. It went up a lot. We must pay to live in paradise, lol.
Hi Dawn, I have a checking account, high-yield savings account, and health saving’s account and a flexible spending account. Having several accounts allows the money to work towards its purpose. Have a great Boxing Day all!
Fantastic
We have our savings account for all emergency needs and unexpecteds. We also have stocks via my husband's former workplace, that we don't touch, let it earn interest.
I moved $ into a new savings account recently because a renovation project needs to happen. I don’t want to discuss/check balances so I moved some over to another account and the person in charge of the project has ability to just get on with things. Did this based on your ideas. It’s less stressful for me. Taxes, I pay immediately because there is a 10% break if I do. That’s enough to buy food!
So smart to take advantage of every discount.
Ally has a Savings account where you can set up buckets to deposit, withdraw and track separately all under one umbrella account.
Fantastic
Shop for best interest rates. If you have to break open a CD when an emergency occurs, you can often write the penalty off on your taxes. Don't exceed FDIC insured amount at any one institution.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!! I keep one account with Alliant and have two retirement accounts, one of which provides me with $900 a month 😟. I wish you well and pray you continue this account!
Why the frown face for an account that pays $900 a month?! That seems like a good thing to me.
You're so smart to have a good retirement fund!
GIC's at high interest and TFSA but only 1 facility and in a year when they mature,then I treat myself.🙂🇨🇦🙋♀️Your very knowledgeable Money Mom.I learn things from you.Its nice to be in control tho isn't it,with saving.
Sounds as though you could teach a class in how to get the highest yield on your money. Good for you!
@3TXSisters Just did my research first,so no but I appreciate the compliment.🙂🇨🇦🙋♀️
I prefer to be streamlined in things. Less to mess with and way less hassle.
Me, too!
Taxes only $4k? Ours is $13,500 just for schools and $5k for the township. I set aside $2k per month just for our house taxes.
Wow! That's a lot, to me. Good that you can escrow that much each month and earn a little interest before the bill is due.
Wow
Good topic! ❤
Glad you think so!
Happy Holidays, everyone! 🎄☃️🎄 Simplicity is the name of my budgeting method. We escrow an amount each month for your homeowners insurances and property taxes. We only have a checking account with a bank. We probably should put the escrow amount in a higher yield account. We keep our dividends with a brokerage until we need the money. I'm working on a larger amount of cash to keep at home. You just never know when an emergency occurs. Great video! Love to all, Linda 💕
Happy holidays!
I just have one savings account but a notebook with dividers to keep track of my intentions. I have sections for emergency account, taxes, travel, medical and down payment on a truck.
Dawn, this Christmas was simple, for me too! No more stressing and worrying for one day! It was a blessed day!
You have the right idea to have your funds in 3 different banks! I do; as well! (One account since I was in my late teens! Mason Jar coins go there.) Make sure that the banks we use have their home offices are in the U.S. and they are FDIC insured; which I'm sure they are. If by chance they are giving you a high interest rate and are not located in the U.S.; there is no protection against lost money! Be careful and be on the watch!
I love reading the Wall Street Journal. It really helps me to watch the Dow. I know you had a very giving holiday! 🤶🎅❄️🎄 ✨️⭐️✨️⭐️✨️⭐️✨️⭐️🤗✨️🙏🏼
I have 2 checking accounts with different banks in the off chance one of the accounts is frozen which can happen. It's rare, but I've heard of it happening when the bank has to investigate fraudulent activity. They just freeze your account with no warning.
I have my secondary back up account with a bank that only requires a $100 minimum balance for fee free checking.
Merry Christmas 🎄 I gifted way less & it felt great. We have one savings account & I just break it out on Excel super easy to keep up with. Great video😊❤😊
Wonderful
I HAVE to start putting tax money away every January because I literally couldn't just scrounge from Sep-Dec to pay it. I have enough problems without becoming homeless over bad budgeting! And this county WILL take a house.
Good for you for keeping up with your budget!
Christmas comes out of our entertainment budget. I put a set amount of money into the fund each month. It covers our games, streaming services, vacations, Christmas, and foods like meat and chocolate. Within reason. If we go out to do something Im not going through the bother to figure out the gas it took us to get to the park, or withdrawing the cost of an egg and a cup of sugar from the account every time I make cookies. It does mean i make chocolate chip cookies less often than sugar ones, and that the red and green M&M minis made the seasons chocolate chip cookies seem extra festive.
Some years we blow the remainder at Christmas. Other years we are saving for something like an extra nice vacation. Its fun money.
Since the "fun" purchases stop if the account hits empty, we are pretty selective of what we buy, choosing to spend time vs. money to achieve the results in many cases. I also take an extra $20 out of it in December for the tree and snow village lighting cost.
You are so smart to budget an entertainment expense. It would make me more willing to do fun things all year rather than a big blast at Christmas. Merry, Merry!
@3TXSisters - In general, I think a solid budget takes the worry out of a lot of things. It also helps us determine what we value the most. When we moved luxury food items into entertainment vs food budget, we found we enjoyed meat more when it was an occasional treat vs a regular menu item. Same with chocolate or snack foods. Its been a pretty awesome experience.
What do you mean by high interest. What percentage do you consider high. I personally use CD’s
5 percent
@ yes when you can lock that in take it!
@@cindynok I don't think you can lock in a rate on a savings account. It is variable and fluctuates with the market.
@ I know I was just thinking about the rate. I was able to lock in some CD’s at very close to 5 percent and I was thrilled.
@@cindynok Yes, CDs can be locked in for a designated time frame. Savings account interest fluctuates. If the fed cuts interest rates, the rates will come down. Great for interest on debt, but not for us savers!
YAY YOU!!!❤ 😀🌲
Hi Dawn....I'd like to have more savings account but what I'm doing now is enough....wishing u a wonderful day ahead....😊😊😊😅😅😅
Thank you love
Blessings 💞🙏🏾💞💞