We got some much needed rain on Thursday and should get some more rain today. The cold, gloomy weather is a bit of a downer for sunny SoCal, but the rain is very welcome. Hopefully, wherever you are, May is bringing green grass, flowers and warmer temperatures to you. I can’t wait until the weather gets warmer and we can get back to the beach. What are you looking forward to doing this summer?
On Monday, I shared my latest video, Teaching Kids Your Family Money Values. From a child’s perspective, when we don’t explain how we decide what to buy or not to buy, it can look like we make arbitrary decisions with our money, which we are hopefully not doing. It may also seem unfair to kids if they hear a lifetime of “no’s” without explanation. Some day, they will likely get a little plastic card that will help them say “yes” to everything. If they don’t know how to create family money values and use them to guide their decisions, then it becomes very easy for them to spend mindlessly and live beyond their means.
If you haven’t had a chance to check out The 2015 Financial Literacy Awareness Carnival: We Are Financially Real, I strongly encourage you to carve out some time and get inspired by 25+ top Finance Bloggers who shared how they reclaimed their financial power. Special thanks again to all the participants for another great carnival!
Here are a few of my favorite posts this month. Enjoy!
Natalie from The Finance Girl shared 18 Money Lessons for College Students with Student Loans. Some great advice for both parents and college-bound kids. Too many wait until after they graduate to figure out how to handle their debt when it is something kids should understand before signing on the dotted line.
Laurie aka The Frugal Farmer asked Have People Lost the Ability to Think Big Picture? We do live in a world focused on the now and Laurie shares how considering the big picture versus the moment helped her make wise decisions with a long-term payoff.
Shannon from Financially Blonde featured Cups on her Music Mondays series. Asking yourself what you’ll miss when it — money, family and whatever else you care about — is gone helped Shannon identify her priorities and ensure she was properly protecting them. A good exercise for all of us.
Travis over at Enemy of Debt proudly proclaimed Tell the Joneses to Go to Hell, They’ll Respect You for It. Travis and Vonnie have given up alcohol to focus on some health goals. In the past, they might have worried about what friends would think or made excuses, but not anymore. They are making choices that reflect what they want, not others.
Catherine at Plunged in Debt reminded us that The Value on Time is Irreplaceable. This is so true and an excellent reminder for all of us who are so focused on our next to-do to take a breather and enjoy the moment before it is gone.
Stefanie from The Broke and Beautiful Life shared Making Room for New Spending Priorities. A few, new grey hairs had Stefanie reevaluating her spending and her priorities. A good lesson in taking the time to figure out what matters most and spending energy, time and money on what makes your heart happy.
And finally, congratulations to Michelle from Fit is the New Poor. She is a brand new Mommy (on Mother’s Day)! Baby FNP came a bit early and is still in NICU but doing well. Head on over to congratulate Michelle and stay up-to-date on her daughter’s progress.
That’s a wrap for this week. What big plans do you have for the weekend?
Shannon
SHANNON RYAN, CFP®
You have very beautiful blog.
And it is really nice to hear that you got rain in your place. We are waiting for rain in India . Its too hot in here.
You have interesting posts. I really enjoyed reading few of them.
Thanks for recommending great posts by some great bloggers .