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If you missed Part 1, you can catch it HERE! In Part 2, we are looking at taking action! Getting started is oftentimes the hardest part of taking action to discover our purpose and ultimate success. I recently posted a survey on Instagram asking my followers what was their biggest hurdle in getting started to take action. While I wasn't surprised that Fear of Failure was number one, I was curious to see where the others would land. These 4 choices are actually very intertwined. First, comparison. Social media has made comparison a much larger problem than it what was. We get to see the edited and perfect highlights of where someone is presently and we compare where our real selves are now. This becomes the root of low self esteem and thus a lack of confidence. Second, fear of failure. A lot of the problem here lies in how you are defining failure. A lack of success? Whose defining the success. When we allow external definitions of success be our benchmark we will lose alignment with our purpose and the true meaning of success. Where there be hiccups along the road? Of course! But look at them as learning opportunities. Third, lack of confidence. This one stems from comparison and fear of failure. We are still concerned with what it looks like on the outside so where we are scared to take action. We tell ourselves we don't feel ready. The truth is, you will most likely never feel ready; you just have to start! Last, lack of self discipline. It's not lack of self discipline, it's the choice of inaction. Maybe from one of the above. Choosing not to take action is a decision. Action is what produces results. Baby steps are fine. Just start! But how? What are steps that get the ball rolling on taking action? We have all heard the saying "it takes a village." Let others help you take action and grow. Expand your network! Get out and meet people! Attend seminars and conferences. Get out of the comfort zone. Growth and success do not happen in the comfort zone. Your circle matters! There is a rule of thought that says "you are the summation of the 5 people you choose to spend the most time with." Think about your 5 right now. Do they bring you down or do they left you up? We can outgrow relationships. Surround yourself with a circle that encourages you to grow and be your best self. Expose yourself to new things. Opportunities are everywhere and sometimes they are found in the most unlikely go places. Do things like volunteer for boards and committees and get involved in your community. Put yourself out there and let people know what it is you are after! That is how you find the Law of Attraction! What you put out there is what comes back. Make your voice heard! If you have a hard time holding yourself accountable to your action list then get an accountability partner. Much like the person that makes sure you come to the 5 am working class, an accountability partner in your career can do the same for you! One of my all time favorite quotes is Benjamin Franklin's, "if you fail to plan, you plan to fail." I am definitely a planner geek but planning works! Digital versus paper planner: how about both? I use the digital (Google calendar) as my what. It is easy to mark out appointments etc while on the go and it links to my Calendly for people to book appointments. I use my paper planner as my how. I sit down at least once a week, usually Saturday mornings, and I put everything from my digital onto paper. It helps me get a visual and then from there I fill in all of my regular to dos like record a podcast, write a blog, etc to ensure that everything has a place. I time block out everything with a color code system (yellow for work, pink for personal, blue for family, etc). I have a freebie HERE that you can download and work on your time blocking. Create a morning routine that sets your day up for success. I am not a morning person by nature but getting up in time to get the morning tasks complete without being rushed or stressed is key. Our brains are fresh in the morning so reserve some time for good, core work in the morning. Make goals that are specific, measurable, and deadlined. You have to be able to track your progress. Little action steps each day. Think about the tortoise and the hare! A great idea is to set your goal and then back into the plan to get there. Map it out! Meal planning. This may seem odd on this list but it is a game changer to free up time on your calendar and relieve stress. Taking it one step farther to meal prepping is even better. I have templates HERE and blog posts The Value of Meal Planning and Tips to Meal Plan and Prep. Create a vision board for yourself and what you want your life and your days to look like. Define your ideal day and the begin putting items on the agenda that are aligned with that vision. Eye on the prize! Action and discipline always win over motivation. Even if you wake up not feeling motivated, make the choice of action. Each little action will create motivation to keep taking more action. The domino effect is alive and well. In Part 3, we will look at balance and living the season of life you are currently in!

I recently hosted our book club and created a charcuterie board for us to snack on while we chatted and sipped champagne. I had so much fun making it! There will definitely be more to come! Here is the link to the recipe for the Candied Pecans! I used a 24x15 inch board. Ingredients: 1 cup Candied Pecans 6 ou proscuitto ham, cut into pieces 9 ou salami, sliced 5 ou rosemary crackers 4 ou wheat crackers 3/4 cup strawberries, halved and pitted 2 small honey crisp apples, sliced 2 small bunches of grapes 5 ou gouda cheese, sliced 6 ou havarti cheese, sliced 6 ou sharp cheddar cheese, sliced 4 ou goat cheese, plain 4 ou goat cheese, cranberry and orange 4 ou goat cheese, herbed 1 jar fig preserves fresh rosemary sprigs for garnish I chose to put the strawberries and candied pecans in small boys to help anchor the corners of the board while using grapes in the two other corners. I piled the prosciutto against the grapes, then did a curving line of salami and cheese. I anchored the center with the jar of fig preserves and nestled the goat cheese beside the jar so the knife could be used for both. I assorted the apples around the strawberries then filled in the blank space with the crackers. Then wedged the rosemary sprigs around the board for color!

School is back in session which means the slow cooker is busy again! This Veggie, Bean, and Hamburger Soup recipe is super simple and packs lots of veggies and fiber! Pair it with a grilled cheese or a salad! Add cheese or hot sauce to make it your flavor! Veggie, Bean & Hamburger Soup Recipe Prep time: 15 Cook time: 8 hours Veggie, Bean & Hamburger Soup Ingredients 1 pound hamburger, cooked 12-ounce bag of frozen green beans 12-ounce bag of frozen peas 12-ounce bag of frozen mixed veggies 16-ounce can of northern beans, drained 16-ounce can of kidney beans, drained 32-ounce broth 1/2 tbsp salt 1/2 tbsp Italian seasoning Veggie, Bean & Hamburger Soup Instructions Combine all ingredients in a slow cooker and stir well. Cook on low setting for 8 hours. Stir occasionally. Serve. Check out more of my slow cooker recipes for easy healthy meals for you and your family!

This week on the podcast, I am talking about my Top 10 Budgeting Tips! Whether you are creating a budget for the first time or your budget just needs a revamp (maybe inflation has it all out of whack?); these tips are sure to help get you on track! My Top 10 Budgeting Tips Tip #1 Assess your spending in the last few months. Know where your money has been going! Are you spending more than your income and creating debt? Are you paying for a subscription you never use and need to cancel? Do you think you spend $600 on food but it's really $1,000? Knowing where your money has been going is essential to creating an accurate budget. Tip #2 To create your budget, you need to assign a purpose for every dollar of your income. Your income minus your expenses should equal ZERO. If it's negative you are going into debt and if there is money unassigned then it doesn't have a purpose. If you have a monthly salary, it is straightforward what your after-tax income is to begin your budget. If you have an irregular income such as a commission-based pay plan, you want to "plan for the worst" to cover your essentials and then have a plan for all additional income earned. If you are paid weekly, you want to create your monthly budget off 4 weeks of income. You will have a few months with an additional week of income and make a plan to put that towards debt paydown, savings, or another purpose. Tip #3 Prioritize the necessities. Your 4 Walls are the categories of Home, Transportation, Food, and Utilities. These are essential to survival. Note that food is both an essential like groceries and a non-essential like eating out. Once you prioritize the 4 Walls then you want to prioritize debt pay down, savings, etc. Tip #4 Know if your categories are on track with guidelines. Generally, your total Home expenses should be about 25% of the budget, including insurance, property taxes, HOA, etc. If it is over 30% then that category is heavy in comparison to income. Transportation should be 10-15% but if you have a car payment that percentage could be higher which means another category needs to be low. Food is 10-15% (that includes if you are budgeting to eat out a few times) and Utilities are around 5%. Your debt paydown and savings should be about 15% and giving of 10% (if that is a priority to you). Other minor categories include personal expenses, misc expenses, other insurance (maybe term life insurance), healthcare (co-pays, etc) One thing to think about is if you have other large expenses like paying for your health insurance, daycare, etc. These items could take up a large percentage of your budget and other categories will need to give. Tip #5 Be on the same page with your spouse. Do the budget together, review it, and be honest about your spending! Money causes a lot of marital issues. Don't let it! There may be a lifestyle change getting on a budget so give each other some grace as you walk through this together! If you are single, get a friend to help hold you accountable! Make sure it is a friend that will support your new spending choices. Tip #6 Review your spending weekly to keep your budget on track. Adjust for any unexpected expenses immediately so your total budget doesn't go over. Your budget is going to change from month to month. It is not set it and forget it so stay on top of it! Plan for the big expenses at the beginning of the month so you can get them checked off the list! Tip #7 Food is a common category to overspend so make a meal plan, eat at home, and eliminate food waste. (Be sure to check out last week's podcast and the blog post The Value of Meal Planning as well as my e-book How to Meal Prep) Meal planning not only saves you money; it also creates less stressful evenings. If you are going to eat out some, be sure to add it to your budget so that you don't ignore that expense. Tip #8 Plan for quarterly and annual expenses in your monthly budget. Don't let those big expenses creep up on you and put you into credit card debt. If you know of upcoming home repairs, save for them in your monthly budget. And if you get a tax refund, make a plan for that money such as debt paydown or savings; don't go on a shopping spree! Tip #9 If you have credit card debt, cut it up, prioritize paying off the debt, and only use cash or a debit card during the payoff process. If you are regularly tempted to overspend by using your credit card then put it away! Tip #10 Create savings goals and a priority list. An Emergency Fund should be at the top of the list. This is enough to cover 3-6 months of expenses. Once you have that, you can focus on saving for a home down payment, retirement, paying for college, etc. Different saving categories need different savings tools such as a savings account for the emergency fund, maybe an IRA for retirement, and a 529 plan for college. Create goals for the different categories! Be sure to track your progress and make sure you are achieving them! All information is considered educational and is not considered financial advice.

Asian-style chicken noodle soup is a comfort food with an Asian flare! An easy slow-cooker meal that is healthy and delicious! Ingredients for the Asian Style Chicken Noodle Soup 2 boneless chicken breasts, sliced into small strips 32-ounce chicken broth (low sodium) 1/4 cup soy sauce 1/8 cup sesame oil 4 cups water 2 tbsp pad thai sauce 1 small yellow onion, sliced extremely thin 1 1/2 cups chopped carrots or shreds 1 large rib celery, sliced 1 cup shiitake mushrooms, sliced 1 tsp ginger 2 tsp Chinese 5-spice 10.5-ounce Cantonese egg noddles 3 baby boy choy Instructions for the Asian Style Chicken Noodle Soup Mix well with all ingredients except the noodles and box choy into the slow cooker. Set to high and cook 3 to 3 1/2 hours. Add the noodles and bok choy and cook for about 10 minutes until the noodles are soft. Serve immediately. I have a plethora of slow cooker healthy recipes for your next dinner. Be sure to check out my entire recipe section for easy, healthy meals for you and your family.

If you follow me on Instagram, you have most likely seen me making homemade food for my dogs. And a lot of you have asked me a lot of questions about me doing this! So, I decided I would write a post about it. First and foremost, I am not a vet so I highly recommend consulting your vet before changing their food, especially if your dog takes any meds, has allergies, etc, etc. That being said, I am a huge dog lover and I truly do treat them like family. We have all seen countless recalls of dog food over the years and it really does make you wonder what is in some of it. There are several new dog food companies that make more human grade type food but if you have checked them out they are really expensive. I have been doing the homemade dog food for several months now. I am still feeding my dogs actual dog food but they are getting about half as much of that as they did prior and then the other half is homemade food. The most important part in all of this (in my opinion) is knowing what you absolutely do not need to feed your dog. Knowing this list is so important. I have made this list as inclusive as I can but dogs can have additional allergies separate from this list of no-no's. Again, consult with your vet, especially if you have concerns over anything they have eaten. THE MUST AVOID LIST: Avocado Grapes Cherries Tomatoes Citrus (i.e. oranges, lemons, limes, etc) Mushrooms Onions Rhubarb Asparagus Bacon and Ham Fatty meats Macadamia nuts Nutmeg Cocoa and cocoa powder Garlic Black Pepper Xylitol (this is in some peanut butters now so be sure to check ingredients) THE GOOD LIST: Chicken Salmon Turkey Apples Berries: Blueberries, Strawberries, Cranberries Peaches Pears Watermelon Cantaloupe Bananas Broccoli Brussel Sprouts Peas Green Beans Pumpkin Sweet Potatoes Rice Beets Carrots Cucumbers Kale Coriander Oregano Peppermint Turmeric Cinnamon Thyme Basil Rosemary Parsley Ginseng We don't have a Costco or Trader Joe's in our county so I buy the bulk frozen bags of chicken breasts and salmon filets from the grocery store. If you have the ability to buy more in bulk, you will be able to save some money. I change up the recipes all the time but I aim to have a good blend of meat, a starch, a fruit/ vegetable, and some herbs. The fragrance of the herbs cooking smells great and just adds more flavor. I do generally add 2-3 tablespoons of an oil such as olive, vegetable, or fish. Don't use avocado or canola. Do not use broth because of the salt content, just use water. Each of my recipes makes about 10-12 servings with each serving being 1/2-1 cup. Since I change it up all the time, the following are just some ideas to get you started: Chicken Based Dinner: In a slow cooker, cover the bottom with about 1 cup of water and 2-3 tablespoons oil. Lay 3 chicken breasts on the bottom (you can put them in frozen). Then top with one large sweet potato sliced, 1 16 ounce bag baby carrots, 1 tbsp rosemary and 1 tbsp basil. Cook on the low setting for 6 hours. After 5 hours of cooking, add a 12 ounce bag of frozen green beans or peas. Once the 6 hours are complete, use tongs and shred the chicken. Let the food cool for close to an hour before serving. Note: if you wanted to use rice instead of sweet potatoes, you could add 1-2 cups rice and 2-4 cups water. Salmon Based Dinner: In a slow cooker, cover the bottom with about 1 cup of water and 2-3 tablespoons oil. Lay 3-4 salmon filets on the bottom (you can put them in frozen). (If they are skin on, be sure to pull the skin out before serving. )Top with one large sweet potato sliced. Add one 12 ounce can pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling). Add 3-4 apples (cored and sliced up). (Don't use Granny Smith apples unless you want to be up all night walking the dogs LOL) Add 1 tbsp cinnamon. Cook on low setting for 3-4 hours. Let cool then top with fresh blueberries. Thanksgiving: In a slow cooker, cover the bottom with about 1 cup of water and 2-3 tablespoons oil. Lay 2 turkey breast tenderloins in the bottom. Top with one large sweet potato, sliced. Add one 12 ounce can pumpkin. Add 3-4 apples cored and sliced. Add one tbsp rosemary. Cook on low setting 5-6 hours. Add one 12 ounce bag green beans for the last hour of cooking. Let cool and top with cranberries. I make a few days worth at a time in an XL Slow Cooker. And for dessert, check out my Better than a Pup Cup recipes!

Easy, healthy, and delicious! This recipe makes about 6 hearty portions and can easily be halved. Ingredients: 16 ounce package orzo 4 chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces 3 tbsp olive oil 1 large lemon, juiced 2 tbsp minced fresh garlic 3-4 tbsp basil paste 20 ounce cherry tomatoes 5 ounce fresh spinach 1 cup feta cheese (more to garnish if desired) To Make: Prepare orzo per package directions and set aside. In a dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic. Cook about 3 minutes stirring regularly. Add the cubed chicken to the olive oil and garlic then add the lemon juice and basil paste. Stir well and sauté 8-10 minutes until chicken is cooked through. Add the tomatoes and stir well. Cover and simmer 3-4 minutes. Then stir well again and press the tomatoes to make them burst. Cover and simmer another 4-6 minutes until the tomatoes have broken down. Stir in the fresh spinach. Simmer 3-5 minutes until the spinach wilts. Add the cooked orzo and feta. Stir thoroughly and simmer 2-3 minutes. Serve and top with additional feta if desired.

This recipe is similar to my Veggie and Sausage Soup and my Veggie, Bean, and Hamburger Soup but with a different mix of veggies for a slow cooker variety! Ingredients: 1 pound sausage, cooked and crumbed (hot adds more flavor) 1 10 ounce can cream of chicken soup 32 ounce chicken broth 1 sweet onion chopped 15 ounce can kidney beans, drained 15 ounce can northern beans, drained 12 ounce bag frozen lima beans 8 ounce chopped baby carrots 12 ounce bag frozen sweet peas 12 ounce bag frozen green beans shredded parmesan for garnish Add all ingredients except sweet peas, green beans, and parmesan to slow cooker. Mix well. Set the setting on low for 8 hours. When there are two hours left, add the green beans and sweet peas. Mix well. Serve and top with parmesan! Goes great with a grilled cheese!

There are a lot of opinions on credit cards and credit scores. Different financial gurus have different perspectives on the needs and use of both. So, before we dive into talking about adding your child to your credit card, I am going to give you an overview of my perspective. Do I think credit cards are good or bad? My answer is that credit cards in themselves aren't either good or bad but our behavior with them is either good or bad, thus creating good or bad results. If you are someone that can't control your spending with a credit card then by all means use cash or a debit card. If you are a disciplined spender and only use your credit card for expenses within your monthly budget and pay the balance in full every month then using a credit card can be a good thing. I personally use the same credit card for almost all of my purchases from gas and groceries to vet bills for our dogs. At the end of each month, I apply any points or rewards directly back to the balance and then payoff the remaining full balance. I never carry a balance that would be subjected to interest charges and putting myself into credit card debt. Plus, it is generally easier to dispute fraudulent charges on a credit card rather than a debit card. And I also prefer a credit card when traveling because, for example, if you check into a hotel with a debit card they generally charge your card for significantly more than your actual charges will be and it is oftentimes up to a week before you have that overage back in your account. But again, if you can't control your spending with a credit card use a debit card or cash. Credit scores have also been called an "I love debt" score and I can agree with that statement to an extent. Credit scores are often negatively impacted when you pay off debt but we all know that paying off debt is generally a good thing. Credit scores are also negatively impacted when you miss payments so you want to make sure to make payments on time. Having a credit score, specifically a good credit score, makes the approval process of acquiring debt a lot simpler. But credit scores extend to a lot more these days than just acquiring debt. Credit scores are routinely checked for leasing an apartment, setting up utilities, acquiring insurance, and by prospective employers. A poor credit score or not having a credit score or credit history can create a situation of higher deposits, higher premiums, and potentially not getting a certain job. So for these reasons, having some credit history can make a big difference. It's not just for acquiring debt these days. It can be difficult for young adults just starting out when they don't have a credit score or credit history, even if they aren't trying to acquire debt. Back to your child and your credit card. You can add your child to your existing credit card account as an authorized user. Different card types have different age requirements but generally a child 15 or older can be added to your account (some cards allow a younger age). When you add your child to your account as an authorized user, the history of that account attaches to your child's credit history and can help your child create a credit history before they turn 18. One thing to think about though is if your account doesn't have a good history then adding your child may actually hurt them so you want to add them to an account with a good history and be sure to maintain good history on the account. This can also be a great time to teach your child about debt and credit and making a spending budget and adhering to it. When I was 14, I went away to boarding school so my parents added me as an authorized user on their account and I had a credit card to pay for my expenses. When I turned 18, I was able to open up an account on my own. I chose an American Express card that required monthly payment in full and did not allow you to carry a balance and put yourself in credit card debt. It was a great option for a college kid and I was mindful about my spending and paying the bill in full each month and on time. I opened that account in 1995 and I still use an American Express today and my card says "account holder since 1995." Needless to say, that is a good bit of account history. My son is 17 and I added him to my account last year. He also has his own checking account and debit card that he uses for most of his personal purchases. He earns money, deposits it into his account, then pays for things out of that account with the debit card. He also is an authorized user on my American Express and has a card from that account. He uses that card when he is running errands for me such as picking up some groceries. He is a responsible kid and I trust him not to go on a spending spree with it. LOL This is a win win situation for both of us. He is able to pick up items for me without me needing to reimburse him, the charges reflect on my account when I login so I can easily account for them in my budget, and he is building credit history from a solid account with a long (and positive) track record. When he is ready to lease an apartment or establish utilities, he will have some history attached to his social security number which will make the process simpler and most likely require smaller deposits. A few years ago I began teaching a high school personal finance class and I can attest to the need for kids to understand how money works. When your child has a credit card it is a great time to teach them how that cycle works, when the balance needs to be paid in full to avoid interest charges, late fees, and going into debt. It is also a great time to teach your child about creating a budget, adhering to it, and tracking their spending. Not every teen is ready to be turned loose with their parent's credit card, after all you are liable for any charges they put on the card. But once you feel your teen is responsible enough to have a card, it can be a great learning tool and a great way to get them started on the right path to a positive credit history. It is important to note that different card issuers have different age requirements and report differently to the credit bureaus so be sure to get the details before adding your child. It sure is nice being able to have my son help with household errands and not have to constantly reimburse him. If your child isn't quite old enough for this yet, don't worry it will be here before you know it! Information contained in this post is for educational purposes only and is not considered financial advice.

If you missed them, catch Part 1 HERE and Part 2 HERE. In Part 3, we are looking at finding balance and living the season of life you are currently in. It can be difficult to find balance if you aren't embracing your current season of life. It can also be difficult to find balance if you are focused on fulfilling the expectations of others. Therefore, it's important to recognize what season you are in and the opportunities and challenges that season brings to your life, living in alignment with your purpose, and finding balance within it. Lack of balance is something that many struggle with and it causes stress and overwhelm. Before you can find balance, you have to recognize what it is. Oxford dictionary defines balances as "a condition in which different elements are equal or in the correct proportions." The different elements can range from career, family, home, personal time, and the list goes on. Women, in particular, struggle to find balance between their career, their role as a mom, and managing the home. Looking back at the definition, it is safe to say that all of these different elements are not going to land equally. For this reason, it is important to get them in the correct proportions. There are many seasons of life and they present different choices for us to make. I am in my mid 40s and if I simply look at my current season versus when I was in my 20's there are numerous differences such as: I need more sleep, I am less concerned about social functions, I am more concerned about healthy eating. My son is now 17. When he was a toddler our evenings were consumed with bath time, trying to get him to eat a vegetable, and story time. Now our evenings are filled with baseball games, family date nights trying new restaurants, and reliving chemistry homework. We won't get these seasons back, so embrace them, make memories, and have zero regrets. For example, my son will be off to college in less than two years. I have decided to table several things I want to do because right now I want to focus my time with him. Otherwise, I would get out of balance. How do you choose to live everyday? Are you living in alignment with your season of life, your core values, and your purpose? What is priority to you? Decide what these things are and make changes to shape your day around them. Your everyday lifestyle choices create your journey and your journey is your story. What do you want your story to be? What route is most aligned with you? Think about Google maps. You enter the destination and it gives you the fastest based on current traffic, the shortest based on miles, or the most scenic. Align your everyday lifestyle choices with the route that best fits your personality. Remember the vision board? It can be very useful in guiding you towards balance because it tells you how you want to spend your days. It's why our everyday choices on our agenda have to be aligned with our core values and purpose because that is where fulfillment is found. Balance is virtually impossible to find when you are unfulfilled. Organization and planning is very important on the road to balance. It's where you assign everything in the correct proportions to lower stress and overwhelm. As a recovering people pleaser, I know how difficult it can be to say no, especially once you have set a precedent that you are always going to say yes. We don't want to disappoint anyone but we are repeatedly disappointing ourselves. If it doesn't align with your current season of life, your core values, and your purpose, it has to be a NO! Don't let anything that could throw you out of balance creep onto your agenda. If you are looking for some great books to help you better your habits, find your purpose, set boundaries and more, here is a list I shared at the conference of some of my favorites. Get the list HERE! This post contains affiliate links. If you click on a link and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.

What is a flow through (also called a pass through) entity? A lot of times when people think about a business, they think corporations. They think these businesses (these corporations) themselves pay corporate taxes. But, not all businesses are corporations. And, even those that are corporations can be different types of corporations. Yes, there are corporations, such as C corporations, that are required to file and pay income taxes on the income of the business. When the news is talking about the taxes that Amazon has to pay, Amazon as a corporation has to pay those taxes on it’s income. The thing is, most small businesses are flow through entities. Approximately 95% of small businesses in the U.S. are flow through entities. This means that the business itself doesn’t pay actual income taxes. Instead, the income from the business flows through from the business to the owner(s) of the business and the owner(s) report the income on their personal tax returns and pay the tax due personally. LLC’s and S corporations are examples of flow through entities. Some flow through entities are subject to self-employment tax while others, like an S corporation or an LLC with an S election, does not pay SE tax. This is why it is very important to know the different types of structures when setting up your business. Let’s look at a simple comparison. Bob and Sally are married and they own and operate a business together, B&S Wine Shop. B&S Wine Shop has net (taxable) income of $125,000 for 2023. That is total revenue minus total expenses. If B&S Wine Shop is a C corporation then B&S will pay a 21% corporate tax rate, or $26,250 in tax. That leaves B&S with $98,750 that it can declare as a dividend to Bob and Sally. That dividend will be taxed at 15% on their personal tax return, $14,813. Total tax paid $41,063 or 33% of the $125,000 income their business generated. If B&S Wine Shop is an LLC and is subject to self-employment tax, then the full $125,000 would flow through to their personal tax return. B&S itself would not pay taxes. Bob and Sally would pay $17,662 in SE tax and then they would pay $16,172 in income tax (they get a deduction for half the SE tax paid). Total tax paid $33,834 or 27% of the $125,000 income their business generated. Plus, there would be additional tax savings if they made an S election for their business but we won’t cover that here. Most small businesses choose a flow through entity because in the end it saves money in taxes. However, large businesses generally don’t meet the requirements to be a flow through entity so they are taxed at the corporate level instead. There are a lot of arguments whether or not big corporations pay their “fair” share of taxes. Many people often argue that the corporate tax rate of 21% is too low. However, it is important to note that when the income after taxes is distributed as a dividend to the shareholders, it is taxed again. In the example above, B&S paid a 33% effective rate on their $125,000 income if taxed at the corporate level whereas only 27% as a flow through entity. Information contained in this post is for educational purposes only and is not considered financial advice.

This meal is quick and simple to make and is delicious! It is packed full of flavor! Ingredients: 5.2 ounce Boursin cheese 1 1/2 pounds chicken breast, diced 2 cups dry orzo 0.7 ounce Italian dressing recipe mix 10 ounce jar quartered artichoke hearts (with juice) juice of 1 large lemon 1/2 cup red onion, finely chopped 1/2 cup olive oil 2 cups broth 2 cloves garlic, minced 3 ounce fresh spinach 3-4 slices bacon, cooked crisp (optional) Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease a 9x13 casserole dish and set the Boursin cheese in the middle. In a large bowl, thoroughly mix all other ingredients except bacon. Spoon around the Boursin cheese. Bake for 30 minutes uncovered. Stir well. Bake an additional 10-15 minutes. Garnish with bacon and serve.

My recent blog, Part 1: The 3 I’s and your Budget, focused on the I of Inflation and specifically talked about the cost of groceries. We all have to eat so the grocery category in our budget is essential. I further spoke about that with the increase in the cost of groceries, something else in the budget has to give or you need to increase your income. The most common casualty when something in the budget needs to give is saving. People generally don’t want to have to inconvenience themselves by reducing what they spend in another category (such as entertainment, etc) and they erroneously convince themselves that they have plenty of time to save later. However, it does make a difference in the end. For example, if you are 35 and you are investing (saving) $200/month and you do that until age 65, you will have about $282,000. However, if you tell yourself you can wait and start doing that at 45 and you invest $200/month from 45 to 65, you will only have about $114,000. So for a $24,000 additional savings (10 years at $200 per month), you gain an additional $168,000! This is why it’s important to make the budget work and continue saving! When we think of saving money on groceries, we tend to immediately think about coupons. While coupons can be a great way to save money on groceries, there are other ways to keep that grocery budget in line! Here are my top tips to keeping your grocery budget in line: Meal Plan! I know I continue to beat this dead horse but it’s because it works! When you buy groceries without a plan, the likelihood of food waste increases dramatically. When you throw food out, you are essentially throwing money in the trash. Plus, when you don’t have a plan for dinner, you are more likely to eat out. Eating out kills the food budget, especially when you add on fees for delivery. Stock Up On Specials! We don’t have a Costco or anything similar in our county so I take advantage of weekly specials but buying certain things in bulk can also be a big savings (just make sure it is things you will consume and won’t end up throwing out). When I do my weekly grocery order, the first thing I check are the weekly specials. If items I use regularly, such as chicken breasts, are on special, I will buy extra and put them in the freezer. However, I don’t stock up on things that we don’t regularly eat because they are likely to end up being thrown out and that is just money wasted. Stay Organized! Keep your pantry, refrigerator, and freezer organized so that you only buy what you need. Plus it will keep items from getting lost, going bad, and then getting thrown out. Create a purpose for any “extras” so they don’t turn into food waste. For example, I purchased croissants for lunch sandwiches last week but we didn’t use them all so on Saturday I made french toast with them. Not a conventional french toast bread but they worked and it was quite good. Don’t be fooled by convenience. While things like mini bags of chips and lunch meat sliced at the deli are convenient, they are markedly more expensive per ounce. It only takes a little more effort to put chips in a container when packing lunch rather than just grabbing a mini bag of chips. Plus, you cut down on packaging waste when you use a re-usable container. Want some more tips? Here are links to some more grocery budgeting blogs I have written: The Grocery Budget Tips to Meal Plan and Prep The Value of Meal Planning Lunch Box Savings You can download my meal planning templates HERE And if you are ready to up your meal planning to meal prepping, check out my class: How to Meal Prep

In Part 3 of The 3 I's and Your Budget, we are talking about Income! Income can be a hot topic! People often feel that they don't earn as much as they should. Some jobs can be a noble profession but don't pay a high income. Some jobs have a lot of income growth potential and some are "dead end" so to speak with little to no income growth. Regardless of what your income amount is, it is the driver of your budget. Even the king of budgeting, Dave Ramsey, says your income is your most powerful tool. The idea when creating your budget is to allocate every dollar of income with intention! The amount of your income dictates how much you can spend in each category. There are guidelines for what percentage of your income you should spend in certain categories. But what happens when that suggested percentage creates a dollar amount that won't suffice? In Part 1 we focused on inflation with the high cost of groceries being an issue for most families. If you need to allocate more to a category then you have to decrease another category. This is where a lot of families are feeling the squeeze these days. We hear people say "if only I had more income then my budget would work." More income isn't always the answer to making a budget work. There are plenty of people that can make a budget work even without a large income. These are people that truly follow the principle of living on less than they make, avoiding debt, and saving. These are the people that generally will just choose to save more or pay off debt quicker if their income increases; they don't change their spending habits. On the flip side, there are people making $250,000 a year that are living paycheck to paycheck because their spending is out of control. More income wouldn't make their budget work until they changed their spending habits. If you are feeling a squeeze on your budget or less money going towards debt payoff or savings then more income may be a solution. Multiple streams of income can be ideal so that you aren't dependent on one source. Maybe a side hustle is right for you. Maybe doing a training or certification so that you can grow in your career is a good path. It's important to remember that not all jobs are meant to be in long term. You have to create the right path for you and your family; evolve, grow, and create situations for income growth. Information contained in this post is for educational purposes only and is not considered financial advice.

This recipe is simple and packs lots of flavor! Pairs well with a salad, pasta, or a veggie side! Ingredients: 4 boneless chicken breasts 4-6 pieces bacon, cooked crisp 8 ounces pesto 1-2 cups shredded mozzarella 1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a casserole dish. 2. Butterfly the chicken breasts. 3. Brush pesto onto the chicken breasts. 4. Add a slice of bacon plus a handful of mozzarella to one half of the chicken breast. 5. Fold closed and place in casserole dish. 6. Top chicken with remaining pesto, cheese, and crumbled bacon. 7. Bake for 30-35 minutes uncovered.