tip of the mornin' to ya

oh hey kiddos. hope everyone had a nice, cheap, fun, free weekend. i caved a bit this weekend. but didn't do too badly. and, alas, i have an article for you. i know, i know...you can thank me later.

tips for a solid financial foundation

1. begin early – you have time on your side. (it's amazing what a couple hundred bucks a month can do. just think what a couple thousand a month could do!)
2. know that debt-free life is possible. (seriously. it is. but probably a marathon, not a sprint)
3. you are ultimately responsible for your financial well-being. (eventually your parents will take you off the payroll. for some of us this happened sooner than others...which is super annoying. 'look at this car my parents just got me!!' ---seriously?!? you're 30! isn't that embarrassing????)
4. don’t spend beyond your means. (i'm learning how to do this. but lots of us are guilty of it. no, i probably shouldn't have bought $200.00 shoes when i was unemployed. lesson learned-better late than never)
5. monitor and control your spending.
6. establish some good financial habits right now.
7. begin building your net worth. (join mint.com. i love it and it lays out your net worth. its a bit sobering to see a negative number here. knowing that if i kick the bucket tomorrow i'd literally be 'in the hole' for about $3500.00 (not for long!!))
8. stop trying to impress other people. (yea. quit. ashleycolean.)
9. take good care of your stuff and you will get more out of them. (like your shoes) 
10. find and work toward your true passions. (i'm still workin on this. but my wheels are turning)
11. improve yourself every chance you get.
12. talk about money-and be honest. (i don't understand why people are so afraid to talk about money. maybe, if our generation had talked about-in a serious way-our financial situation, how to understand it, and ways to fix it-i'd be out of debt. having a true, honest conversation about money is so educational-for everyone involved! and yes, please quit lying and acting like you make $80k/year. it's asinine.)
13. give without strings or regrets

info from an article written by Niyi Adeoshun

don't say i never gave you anything.

xoxo ashleycolean