The Financially Free Blog
What My First Warm-Up Call Was Like
FinGym client Jessica Weeks opens up about how she felt about her WarmUp call and what she has accomplished in the 3 months that she’s been a client of Tai’s.
Top 5 Things You Need to Know About Filing For a Tax Extension
The tax deadline is approaching and panic is starting to set in. You feel like there’s no way you can get everything together to submit in time, so what can you do? The good news is you can file a tax extension. While that might seem like the easy way out, there are some important things to know first. Here are the top five things you should know and how to file for a tax extension.
Message from the CEO: Asking for Help
In case you didn’t know, The Financial Gym is my life’s purpose (in addition to being Will’s mom). And I never thought about living a purposeful life until ten years ago when my life coach suggested it would make me a happier human being. In 2009, I was living the opposite of a purposeful life. I was working at a hedge fund, making a six-figure salary; and my only career goal was to make more money and buy a massive home at some point. During my life coaching, one of my “exercises” included reading a book about Happiness; and after finishing it, I knew that I would find my life’s purpose in the pursuit of helping people. I just didn’t know what that would look like.
5 Ways to Use Your Tax Refund Wisely
After all the talk about Trump tax reform, you were worried about tax time. Will you owe? Or will you get a refund? But you got a tax refund! Phew. Getting back a chunk of change can be a relief and also cause for celebration. But before you start popping off the bubbly, think about how you can get the most out of your tax refund. We got you covered. Here are five ways you can use your tax refund wisely.
Do I have to report cash and side hustle income on my tax return?
If you’re a side hustler, but also have a 9 to 5 job, you might wonder how all of this will affect your taxes. You’re familiar with the W-2 life, but what about all of your side hustle income? Do you have to report it? Read on to learn more about what you need to know about side hustles and taxes.
My "Gym-Fueled" Life Changes
Client and Warm Up Call Associate, Rebekkah, has paid off $14K in credit card debt, funded her emergency savings, increased her credit score by 50 points and even funded a two-week European vacation. Learn how she overcame her money fears and to accomplish all of this and more.
5 Women to Know In the Personal Finance Space
You know at The Financial Gym we’re all about supporting women. As a female-founded company, we love supporting other women trailblazers, especially in the personal finance space. That’s why for Women’s History Month and International Women's Day we’ve rounded up our favorite top five ladies in personal finance.
4 Reasons to Enjoy the FinGym Webinars
Let’s be honest, webinars have a bad rap. If you’re anything like I am then you know the drill - log in, tune out. My experience with the Financial Gym webinars has been different. These one-hour sessions are packed with information and make it easy to get the most out of the brain power behind The Gym.
Message from the CEO - Are You a Woman of Action?
My message on International Women’s Day is to become a woman of action. Or, if you are a man reading this, encourage the women around you to become women of action. Whatever you would complain about, take the complaint and become the agent for change.
How the Financial Gym Helped Change the Way I View My Finances
I saw an ad on Facebook, and I was immediately intrigued about having a financial advisor that’s more like a gym trainer. My first thought was automatically “Oh, there’s no way I could afford something like that”. But did that stop me from signing up for a free warm up call and finding out all the information I could? No, it did not. I was immediately hooked after that first call and especially after I found out that I could afford the monthly membership fee.
Student Loan Debt Consolidation vs. Refinancing
Whether you should consolidate or refinance is a personal decision. If your main goal is to save money, refinancing can help. If you want to simplify your payments, consolidating can be a good option. Like any loan-related decisions, you want to read the fine print, know your interest rate, repayment term and monthly payment. Think of the short-term and long-term benefits, weighing the pros and cons to come to a decision that works for you.
How Saving Less Helped Me Surpass My Emergency Fund Goal
As far as I was concerned, saving almost half my monthly income was the way to go. It worked on paper, and made logical sense, but it didn’t fit in with the full picture of what I was trying to accomplish, which I didn’t see until Crystal laid it out for me. She suggested that I reduce my monthly emergency fund contributions by $166 so I could have more flexibility with the rest of my budget.
What to Declare on a W-4 If You're Single
Whether you’re just starting a new job or want to change your tax situation, there’s one form that is inevitable for employees to fill out. The W-4. This is where you put down your tax withholding which states how much should be taken out of your check and this is what will determine if you get a refund or not. If you’re single and not filing jointly and don’t have kids to worry about, you might wonder what is the right thing to put down. Read on for more guidance. Please note we’re not tax specialists so this is general guidance and anything specific should be discussed with a tax specialist.
How The Financial Gym Helped Me with 3 Huge Life Changes
In the span of a few weeks, Financial Gym client Elena Douvanis Irwin left her corporate job, got married, and started a full-time master’s degree program at NYU to pursue a brand-new career as a mental health counselor. It was a lot - and she knew it. Elena describes how and why she joined The Gym so she and her new husband could start their financial journey together and what she has learned so far.
Let’s Talk About My Experience with the Financial Gym
Money talk used to be a scary conversation I mostly avoided. I very much had an out of sight, out of mind attitude coupled with a shame that I should know about this and didn’t feel equipped. This state of being wasn’t helping me feel any more in control of my money or empowered about money management. Staying silent about money also could not help me with wealth or long term life planning, both larger concepts but certainly worth mentioning as we begin this chat.
5 Things You Can Write Off On Your Taxes that You May Not Know
As you head into this year’s tax season, you want to make sure you get all the deductions you can! Taxes for 2019 can be done now and you can get ahead and submit before April 15. Just make sure to deduct what you can and if you get a refund, use it wisely.
5 Reasons We Love No Spend Days
One way to reset your finances is to implement “no spend days” several times a week. Like the name suggests, it’s all about having days where you don’t spend anything, not even a penny. We’ve created this no spend day tracker to help you get started.
How to File Your Own Tax Return
It’s tax time. Let’s face it, most of us hate tax time and are filled with dread. Though doing your taxes isn’t exactly on your “fun” list, they are unfortunately a requirement for “adulting.” If you have regular 9 to 5 employment, it’s likely you can file your own tax return without too much hassle. Here’s how you can file your own tax return.
7 Ways to Crush Tax Prep
How should you prepare to file your taxes? What papers do you need to get ready for tax season? We have complied a list of 7 ways you can prepare for tax season!
Trim that Extra (Financial) Weight: 5 Tips on How to Get Out of Debt Fast
If you want to learn how to get out of debt fast, you have to make moves to make it happen. These five tips can help you get on the path to debt-freedom so your money can once again be all yours.