Grace Pomroy
Stuck in a Season of Waiting

Lately I feel like I’ve been stuck in a season of waiting. My husband and I have been dreaming of putting down roots in the Pacific Northwest since the first time we visited Oregon seven years ago. While we are just months away from making that goal a reality – we hope to buy a house sometime this summer – we are still in transition. In addition to waiting as we search for the right house, I spent the fall waiting to get an appointment with a doctor about a health concern I was dealing with, spent the winter waiting for medical tests, and am now spending the spring waiting to fully recover from surgery.

Stuck in a Season of Waiting
Grace Pomroy
How to Handle a Big Income Gap in Your ...

It’s not uncommon for couples to have an income gap between partners – in fact, it's the norm. According to data from Morning Consult and Insider, nearly three-quarters of Americans reported they had some income imbalance with their partner before they started dating. And while that imbalance can flip-flop as partners change jobs or receive a raise or bonus, at times it can be significant. This might happen when one partner retires, decides to go back to school, or opts to stay at home with the kids. This might also happen when one partner gets a big promotion or receives a large inheritance. How can you manage your finances so this imbalance in income doesn’t throw your relationship off balance? Consider these steps:

How to Handle a Big Income Gap in Your Relationship
Grace Pomroy
My 6 Favorite Money Psychology Hacks

I’m a big fan of the Financial Feminist podcast. A few weeks ago the host, Tori Dunlap, shared a money hack that she had heard about from another financial educator on Science Finance: Before making an impulse purchase, ask yourself: “How many ‘taco dollars’ does it cost?” That particular financial educator really loved tacos, so he judged each purchase by asking, “How many tacos could I buy for the cost of that item?” Concert tickets: 20 tacos. Cupcake: 1 taco. Fancy hotel stay: 83 tacos. Then, he would ask himself: “Is it really worth that many tacos?”

My 6 Favorite Money Psychology Hacks
Grace Pomroy
The Power of the Icebreaker (Part 2)

My last post on things that can jumpstart your financial life in 5 minutes or less got me thinking  about one of the most effective steps I ever took during our marriage: asking my husband an icebreaker question about our life together. That word icebreaker is key: these are questions designed to get conversation going, not shut it down. And that means the question has to be open-ended and asked with a spirit of genuine curiosity of learning what your partner thinks.

The Power of the Icebreaker (Part 2)
Grace Pomroy
Welcome "The Earner" Money Personality

Long-time readers of this blog are familiar with the four money personalities I discuss: the giver, the saver, the spender, and the acquirer. Over time, though, I’ve learned that while people tend to understand the first three, they often stumble over the last one. On first blush, people generally thought the “acquirer” referred to someone who liked to accumulate or collect things. However, that couldn’t be further from the truth. The acquirer was someone focused on how money came into their life, not what was done with the money after it was received. 

Welcome "The Earner" Money Personality

ask the classy frugalist

Ask the Classy Frugalist: Should Student Loan Debt Repayment Be My First Priority?

Ask the Classy Frugalist: Should Student Loan Debt Repayment Be My First Priority?

A few weekends ago, I attend the BossedUp Trainer Certification Program with a bunch of other amazing entrepreneurs, side hustlers, and all around boss ladies. During lunch, I sat next to another trainer who asked: “What do you recommend for people with student loan debt? This is a critical issue and it doesn’t seem like many financial advisors are paying attention to it.” I have to agree. While most financial professionals understand that student loan debt is a critical issue not many people in the financial industry have a lot of recommendations for how to handle this debt well.

Ask the Classy Frugalist: Should I Buy A House?

Ask the Classy Frugalist: Should I Buy A House?

The other day I was out for drinks with a friend and he mentioned that he was considering buying a house and he was wondering how much he should spend on it. In other words, what percentage of his budget should go toward a house. For those of you who are curious, conventional wisdom says that you should spend no more than 28% of your budget on a mortgage. But, I found myself wanting to take the conversation a few steps back - as I often do - to ask the question why do you want to buy a house in the first place? Are you sure that buying a house is the next right step for you?  That’s the question that I want to get at in today’s “Ask The Classy Frugalist” post.

Ask the Classy Frugalist: What To Do If You're Carrying a Credit Card Balance? (Part 3)

Ask the Classy Frugalist: What To Do If You're Carrying a Credit Card Balance? (Part 3)

Welcome back to our brief series on credit cards! Two weeks ago I took a look at how to evaluate whether or not you really need a credit card, and last week I explored some things to consider as you choose your card. This week, we’re exploring what to do if you end up carrying a balance on your card (or cards) and need some assistance getting out of debt.

Step 1: Know what you owe

I know it may seem obvious but it’s important that you have a solid understanding of what you owe before you can make a plan to pay it off. When you’re in trouble it can be easy to get so overwhelmed by fear that you avoid taking the first step. Avoiding the problem won’t make it go away. Facing it head on, with all of the facts on the table, is the first key to success. You’ll want to know the interest rate, total balance, minimum payment amount, and the balance due date.  

Ask The Classy Frugalist: Which Credit Card Should I Get? (Part 2)

Ask The Classy Frugalist: Which Credit Card Should I Get? (Part 2)

Welcome to the second part of a three-part series on credit cards. If you missed last week’s post, I took a look at the reasons why you might get a credit card. This week, we’ll take a look at what factors you should consider when you’re looking for a credit card.

The most important factors vary depending on what you plan to use the card for:

·      Planning to pay off your bill in full every month? In this case, the interest rate doesn’t really matter as much. Look for a card with the best perks for your lifestyle that has a longer grace period to pay your bill and a minimal annual fee.