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A few months ago, my husband and I went through Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University and boy did I learn a thing or twenty. You see, I always thought of myself as a “saver” but that was pretty quickly denounced only a few weeks into the class (ok, ok by a few weeks…I mean the first class.)

“I knew how to manage my money and make a budget before, but if I’m being super honest, I wasn’t ever very good at sticking to that budget.”

As newlyweds trying to pay off debt while paying for grad school and dreaming of someday owning a home and a decent car, my husband and I have had to really dig deep into this whole money management thing. At times it’s made us (me) crazy, but it’s been the biggest blessing in our marriage. I’ve gone from barely treading water with student loan debt, credit card debt, car payments, wedding expenses, travel expenses and on and on, to now feeling empowered and in control of our money. Although our road to financial freedom may be long, windy and a bit bumpy at times, we look forward to the day when debt is no longer a word in our vocabulary.

So, here’s what I’ve learned so far from the man himself, Dave Ramsey.

1. You can’t afford that. No but seriously, you can’t. Yeah, so all those little things us 20-somethings think we’ve just gotta have?? (New car, new clothes, new, new, new…) I don’t know about you, but I can’t afford them anymore.
2. There is no such thing as “good debt.” Money owed is money owed. Whether it’s for a home, a car, a college education or whatever it may be, owing money to anyone makes you a slave to the lender.
3. Budgeting is king. Ever get to the end of the month and wonder what happened to all of your money? Yeah me too. Budgeting helps us tell our money what to do and where to go so it doesn’t dissappear.
4. It’s Gods money first. Even though my husband and I are trying to diligently chip away at our debt, we want to always have hearts that are giving cheerfully; to the church, to those in need or in any circumstance where we have the opportunity and heart desire to be generous.
5. Live like no one else now, so that you can live like no one else later. People will laugh, they will mock, they won’t understand what you’re doing or why you’re doing it, but this commitment to live sacrificially, pay off debt, save, invest and give sets us up for the life that we desire down the road.

So there you have it folks. The short and sweet version of money, budgets and all that adult stuff. Want to learn more about Financial Peace University? I’d love to chat with you about our experience so far! It’s been life changing. Press on friends!

I started a new job about a month ago…hence me being completely MIA from this blog. Y’all probably thought I overdosed on pumpkin chocolate chip cookies after that last post, didn’t you? Almost, but not quite.

Trying to manage 12+ social media accounts for my new job, stay awake during my side job, figure out this whole marriage thing and somehow still manage my own social media accounts has been straight up exhausting at times. A total joy, but it’s a lot guys. So one of the first things I did when all of this fell onto my plate at once was sign up for CoSchedule. I’ve had an on and off relationship with CoSchedule for the past two years and finally have accepted that I really just can’t live without it.

So here I am, a month into this new hectic life and I’m convinced that CoSchedule really is the best. It keeps me organized and  on task at my day job while helping my personal social media remain consistent and cohesive, despite the busyness of every day. And as much as I’d love to be at home blogging up a storm 24/7, the reality is that I have two other jobs so that’s just not a possibility. But with CoSchedule, I can make my content work for me while I’m working my 9-5. No more excuses for not staying on top of my social media and blogging.

So what the heck is CoSchedule?! Pull up a chair….you don’t want to miss this.

You could call it the best thing since sliced bread, but that might be a little too cliche. Instead, we’ll call it your digital secretary, your all-in-one calendar, or really — your new best friend. CoSchedule allows you to see your entire month at a glance; including what you’ve already shared and what’s coming down the pipeline. For me, this is a game changer. It allows me to see where there are gaps in my social calendar and fill them in accordingly.

Another favorite feature in CoSchedule is the ability to drag and drop. Whether it’s moving social posts around, grabbing blog posts from my drafts folder or moving meetings, to-do’s or events; this has to be one of the coolest parts of CoSchedule. Usually I’m a paper planner kind of gal, but CoSchedule has completely changed that when it comes to how I plan and promote my content. It’s clean, simple and at times, even fun to have the chance to see everything in one place.

As my blog continues to grow, I can’t wait to see how I’ll have the chance to utilize some of the other key features now available in CoSchedule. I have a feeling workflow management and other integrations will definitely come in handy!

So overall impression of CoSchedule? It’s a game changer people. Without it, my blog would be long dead and gone. But because CoSchedule makes it all so simple and user friendly, I’m able to stay organized, seamlessly plan and promote my content and do it all while I work way too many hours every day. So without further ado, meet your new best friend; CoSchedule.

Photos by Bri Lee