We spent a little time looking back at our goals and looking forward to our 2026 goals this past weekend, and one of the things we keep coming back to is - saving more $$ for retirement. We all know everything has been going up in price (including groceries, cars, homes and healthcare). We wanted to share with you a few ways we are saving money in case these might be helpful to your family. (Please note some of these links are affiliate links but we pay for the services monthly - we were not gifted anything in exchange for sharing this info).
Health care - We switched a few years ago from our high-cost/high-deductible Anthem plan to a Health Share Plan. This saves us over $2,000 a month as a family of four and with these substantial savings it allows us to see any providers we want and seek out preventative care. Think of it as a giant pool of money for medical bills that you hope you never have to draw from despite contributing to it monthly. It's worth looking into if your health insurance costs are skyrocketing.
(If you are interested in learning more and seeing if this might be the right fit for you, use this link and associated phone #970-403-5319 for 50% off your first monthly payment).
Mobile phones - We switched our cellular service from Verizon to Visible ($25/month per phone vs $100/month) saving us $300 a month.
Travel tip - we use points from this Capital One credit card exclusively. They can easily be applied to any airline/lodging/qualified travel expense. (Please don't open another credit card if you are working towards paying off credit card debt).
If you need help getting a handle on your finances I can't recommend our undated Money Journal enough - it has space for tracking debts and assets, calculating net worth, monitoring fixed costs and tracking daily spending. I know there are apps that do all of this but the actual process of writing down everything you spend is eye-opening. (We are running low on these and they unfortunately won't be restocked).
On a related note, there are great needs in each of our communities right now. SNAP benefit delays are leaving many local families without essential food support. Let’s come together as neighbors to lend a hand - whether through donations, volunteering, or simply spreading the word to connect families with help.
Here's a free Thanksgiving meal planner and a free holiday task planner to help you get organized for the season ahead. It's also a great time to start thinking about what you want your new year to look and feel like. I like to take a few hours to start setting up my 2026 planner (be sure to check out our blog for lots of planner set up tips).
