*I wrote this post as part of my participation in a blog tour for Latina Mom Bloggers on behalf of MassMutual and received compensation to thank me for taking the time to participate. However, all opinions expressed are my own. Ten years ago, we bought our first home and it was a huge accomplishment for us. We felt like we finally had our hands around the American dream and that we were finally on our way to obtaining some financial stability. Unfortunately, buying a house is a huge expense and every time you turn around, there is something new to be fixed or paid for. Fast forward to today and we have continued to pay down our debt and work towards becoming debt-free but, I have to be honest, my husband and I worry about how quickly we will be able to do that because of the current state of the economy. It has become harder than ever to save money and to be able make lucrative investments. Most Latinos have dreams about securing their financial futures but they … [Read more...]
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Are You Raising Materialistic Kids?
This evening I spent at least four hours cleaning out my sons' closets and weeding out any clothes that do not fit them anymore. By the time I was done, I had three large garbage bags full of clothes that they have outgrown and their closets and dresser drawers are still full of new clothes and old clothes that are the right size. It really got me to thinking that perhaps it is time to cut down on buying clothes for them because it just seems like they have too much of everything. My husband and I take full responsibility for overindulging both of my sons with material things. It's not that we are very materialistic ourselves or that we value material possessions over abstract things like character or integrity. Our children are very well mannered and we spend a lot of time talking to them about being humble and appreciating everything that they have. They don't spend time talking about all the things they have and they get excellent grades in school to … [Read more...]
Juggling, Sacrificing, and Parenting
My husband is starting a second job on Saturday. He is a licensed exterminator by trade and he received an offer to work part-time on Saturdays doing just that. I wasn't sure how I felt about this when he first brought it up because we haven't been struggling financially, thank goodness, and it caught me by surprise. His reasons for wanting to do this are that he wants us to pay down our debt faster and become debt free. Obviously, I couldn't argue with those reasons because I would love to be completely debt-free and to waste our hard earned money on more enjoyable things than paying bills. I'm still conflicted over the whole thing because I feel that it is time that will take him away from the family. After all, I work full time all week during the day and he works full time during the week at night so the weekend is really the best time for us to spend time together and catch up on family time. Against my better judgment, I am trying to be supportive because … [Read more...]