finances

How Lexington Law is Helping Me Recover My Credit

September 30, 2020 by Rachel 20 Comments

I remember my Senior Year of high school like it was yesterday. The excitement and anticipation of what was to come was a total rush! At the time, every impressionable adult in my life urged me to go to college, despite being ‘undecided’ on a major. My guidance counselor urged me and my parents to take out student loans because, in her words, the return on the investment would be worth it. And interest rates were so low, right?! Well, that’s not exactly true. But even years after my college graduation, Lexington Law is helping recover my credit from student loan debt.

ABOUT LEXINGTON LAW

I’ve talked in great detail about my credit journey. Well, I’ve been a college graduate for nearly 14 years, and I am embarrassed by the amount of student loan debt still looming over me. Despite making monthly payments on all of my student loans, I could never seem to get ahead. Did you know that despite the ‘low interest rates’ your actual amount due over the principal will grow and grow and grow?! It’s honestly insane how much money I was throwing away towards interest.

How Lexington Law is Helping Me Recover My Credit

That’s where Lexington Law comes in. As a law firm, they have actual lawyers to drive the credit repair process and intervene as needed. They take questionable negative items, which are things in your credit history that could lower your score, and they challenge them.

Lexington Law are trusted leaders in credit repair for a reason. They use a three-step process which is proven to help repair credit. The first step is to analyze your report to identify any questionable negatives impacting your score. The second step is to address these items by challenging them with creditors. And the third step is to accelerate by keeping the process going to get individual clients to their goals!

HOW TO GET STARTED

When you first call Lexington Law, a credit advisor will pull a TransUnion Summary Report and FICO Score for free. While it only shows the first 5 of your negative items, it’s enough to get an idea of where you stand credit-wise and how it’s impacting your current situation.

From there, should you decide to use Lexington Laws services, you’ll be charged a one-time fee of $14.99 to pull all of your reports and histories. From there you’ll be charged a “First Work Fee”. This First Work Fee helps get your case started. Their advisors will start analyzing reports and start the credit repair process.

WHY IT’S IMPORTANT TO USE LEXINGTON LAW

As a young 17-year-old headed off to college, I had no idea how those massive student loans would haunt me for years to come. But calling Lexington Law has helped me go from feeling defeated to feeling hopeful. Now there’s a plan in place and I have trusted leaders on my side. And now I spend less time worrying, and more time with my family.

So call Lexington Law today and kickstart your credit repair journey. Because your credit is not written in stone!

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Tips for Maintaining Financial Flexibility with Cash In and Cash Out Services

November 23, 2018 by Rachel 14 Comments

Thank you PayPal and Walmart for sponsoring this post. Introducing PayPal cash in and cash out money services, the financial services alternative which allows you to manage your PayPal account and cash flow needs on your own terms!

Confession: For as long as I can remember, I’ve had an unhealthy relationship with money. I’ve always felt like it not only determined my worth as a person but that my struggles with it defined me. Over the years I’ve taken steps to redefine my relationship with money. I’ve turned to using a cash system because the cash in and cash out method is the one way I am truly able to hold myself accountable.

Fortunately, PayPal has recently made it even easier to access my cash when I need it. PayPal cash in and cash out services at Walmart means that I no longer have to wait for my money. I no longer have to rely on someone else to manage my finances — I can take back control. Guys, this is such a game-changer.

If you have a PayPal account, you’re able to access the funds quickly and easily by loading and withdrawing funds at all US locations of Walmart. That means no more inconvenience and high fees! Your money, your way! PayPal Cash Mastercard customers can make online purchases and pay bills simply and access their PayPal balance at ATMs and the Walmart service desk for just $3 per service.

Here are some other ways I effectively manage my cash:

1. Track it. — I keep my receipts from every transaction and manually track it in a small notebook. This way I’m seeing what is coming in and what is going out in black and white, which just makes it all that more real.

It’s an easy way to see where my money actually goes. The money spent on groceries, personal items, clothes, gas, etc. — it’s all right there for me to see.

2. Prioritize. — When it comes to finances, not everything is black and white. Money is time and time is money, but we all have different priorities for where we draw the line. For me, there are certain things that are just worth the money, such as paying someone to mow our lawn so that I have more time to work and spend time with my kids. Sure, it may be seen as an unnecessary expense to some, but I’ve chosen to make work and my children a priority over other things.

If you’re not certain where exactly your ‘line’ is, write it out. Where will you make financial concessions over things you value more? For some, it’s that cup of coffee on the way to work. For others perhaps it’s that takeout for your family. Once you know what is negotiable and what is not, you can work to cut unnecessary expenses out.

3. Be a savvy shopper. — I’ll let you in on a little secret: I never pay full price. No, I’m not even very good at couponing, but I do shop sales and clearance. Because of this perspective on shopping, I’ve had to learn what is truly a necessary purchase and what is not. If my children need new clothes, I’ll shop around and find a sale.

Have I missed out on some super cute outfits because of it? I sure have! But in the grand scheme of things, is that one outfit worth the price? Absolutely not.

Once you adjust your mindset to shopping for items on sale or clearance, it changes the way you look at your spending. The few occasions where I have just had to buy full price have been painful (usually for expenses that are a surprise). But if I’m watching my cash flow the rest of the time, this truly isn’t a problem. That doesn’t mean I like it. Ha!

4. Keep your cash on hand. — Like I said at the beginning, having my cash in my hands has been a game-changer for my financial freedom. Learn more about PayPal’s cash in and cash out services here and take back control of your finances.

What are some of the ways

you keep

financial flexibility?

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of CLEVER and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

New Year, New Me // Simplifying in 2018 with Curbside Delivery

January 8, 2018 by Rachel 45 Comments

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #GiantEagleDelivers #CollectiveBias

Welcome, 2018! This year brings lots of changes for my growing family! And I’m happy to report that, thanks to some serious growth and self-reflection, there are some things I’m just leaving in 2017. For instance, having too much on my plate.

My one “Goal” for 2018 is to Simplify. Simplifying doesn’t have to mean becoming a minimalist or refraining for doing anything fun. There are so many other ways to simplify your life, so I’m going to share some creative, no-nonsense ways you can simplify to be more present in 2018!

1. Keep track of time spent doing all things.

One of the major ways I keep my life on track is by using Google Calendar. Not only is it simple, but it syncs to my iPhone calendar automatically and I can keep my husband in the loop by sending him Google Calendar invites to things we have scheduled (because, let’s face it — he isn’t going to remember unless he sees it pop up on his phone).

But besides the obvious “doctor appointment” notifications, I also schedule time for laundry, cleaning the house, and — here comes the kicker — downtime.

You read that right — I purposefully block off downtime in my Google Calendar and it is non-negotiable! So what if sends me someone an invite? Sorry, I’m busy.

That’s right. Give yourself some time to breathe and make it non-negotiable!

2. Unsubscribe, unsubscribe, unsubscribe!

I cannot even begin to tell you how many “Hurry! Super Sale!” emails I received this holiday season. Truthfully? Very few of them were ‘super’ in any way; and most of them were from the same handful of retailers. It’s… daunting. And totally and completely unnecessary.

Do yourself a favor and take a few minutes today to unsubscribe from the junk. Do you really need to know everytime that retailer has a 15% off sale? Probably not. And if you don’t want to miss their sales, subscribe to their Facebook notifications instead.

Simplify by cleaning out that inbox and I promise you’ll feel so much better about checking your emails!

3. Get comfortable saying “No.”

If you’re like me, the times I feel most overwhelmed are the times I’m most over-committed. It took me the last 5 years to become comfortable enough saying “no” to things that just don’t serve me or my family.

But a few years ago, I read something that really struck me — that when we say “I’m too busy…” for something, we’re really saying “It’s not a priority.”

So I’ve turned that around to suit me — if I say yes to too many things, I won’t have time for the things that really serve me and my family. And, honestly, learning to say no has been a godsend. However, there is still a learning curve for my friends and extended family. It takes a bit more understanding on their part to see why we’re unable to commit to everything.

Try to simplify your schedule by saying ‘no’ more often.

4. Take advantage of Giant Eagle Curbside Express Delivery Service.

One of the things I found most difficult with two children is running errands. Grocery shopping became the bane of my existence. The lugging of children out of the car, into the shopping cart, dealing with tantrums, and navigating other shoppers. It’s exhausting.

The allure of having a personal shopper select the freshest, best products for me, based on my online shopping cart, was too much to contain! I first tried out Curbside Express last year and have since hopped on the bandwagon for Curbside Express Delivery! Yes, delivery! As in they deliver your groceries to your home! Squeeee!

It’s so easy to use. I use my Giant Eagle card to log in to an online account where I’m able to personally shop for items ranging from fresh fruits, to frozen foods, to paper products, to deli meats and cheeses. I can even use my preloaded e-coupons and and other sale items!

From there, a Personal Shopper does the shopping for me and I wait for the scheduled delivery (yep, I even get to choose the time and date of delivery!).

I loved that I was able to try it for free the first time and that I was able to add to my shopping cart online during my spare time (which, let’s face it, is when the kids are napping). And delivery was a breeze! Remy was eager to check out what goodies had been delivered and I couldn’t help but bask in the happiness that we didn’t even have to get out of pajamas to get groceries!

Do yourself a favor and simplify your shopping routine by using Giant Eagle Curbside Express Delivery Service.

5. Save time cooking by using a pressure cooker.

Look, my husband has been “team pressure cooker” for the last 5 years, and I’m on a recent convert (hello, popular electric pressure cooker!). But anything that cuts down on the time it takes to prepare a healthy meal for my family is a win.

Some of the pressure cookers also have a slow cook feature as well, so if you’re looking to toss something in the crock pot in the morning and have it ready by the time you arrive home from work, this would be perfect at helping you simplify your meals.

6. Take 5 minutes out of your evening to plan your day tomorrow.

Take 5 minutes out of your evening routine and sit down with a pen and paper. Nope, don’t open your email and create a task (you’ll get too distracted from your inbox).

Keep it simple and short. Write down a few must-do’s followed by a couple of action items. You’ll go to sleep with a plan to attack the next day and less stress in the morning. Simplify by planning ahead.

7. Purge items that no longer serve a purpose to your family.

This is a big one. Like any family, we’ve accumulated ‘stuff’ over the years. Kids stuff, kitchen stuff, other stuff… and it rarely continues to serve a purpose, right? So get rid of it!

I’m not suggesting you do this all in one day. But if you come across something and you realize you no longer need/use it, toss it. Or donate it. But don’t sit and wait for it to become useful again. Simplify by minimizing.

So cheers, 2018. Let’s do this. I’m ready to live more simply and enjoy my family and time for myself!

Breast Cancer Awareness Month // What You Need To Know

October 27, 2015 by Rachel Leave a Comment

October has always been a month of celebration for me and my family. It’s not only my birth month, but I share this month with so many friends, and the birth of my son. But I would be remiss if I failed to mention the elephant in the room — October is also Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the annual campaign to increase awareness of the disease, offer information and support to those affected by breast cancer and raise funds for research into its cause, prevention, diagnosis, treatment and cure.

I am lucky. I know only a small handful of people who have had breast cancer. And, luckily, they have been through treatment and are currently in remission.

And that is due to, in large part, early detection and prevention.

Here’s what you need to know about breast cancer:

Breast cancer is the second most common kind of cancer in women, with skin cancer being the first.
About 1 in 8 women born today in the U.S. will get breast cancer at some point in their lives.
Approximately 231,340 new cases of breast cancer are diagnosed in the U.S. each year.
Breast cancer patients with employer-sponsored health insurance spend $6,553 out-of-pocket.

Even as the second most common cancer among women in the United States, millions of women are surviving breast cancer thanks in part to early detection and improvements in treatment. The goal of screening exams for breast cancer is to find cancers before they start to cause symptoms (like a lump that can be felt). Screening refers to tests and exams used to find a disease, such as cancer, in people who do not have any symptoms (that they are aware of).

While women age 40 and older should have a mammogram every year and should continue to do so for as long as they are in good health, women in their 20s and 30s should have a clinical breast exam (CBE) as part of a periodic health exam by a health professional preferably every 3 years. If you are seeing a gynecologist for an annual exam, they will likely be doing a breast tissue exam during that time.

It’s frightening to think that any one of us could potentially have our lives derailed by breast cancer. And it’s even scarier to think that health insurance wouldn’t bear the burden of the cost. At least, not in it’s entirety.

During the Fall we are all burdened with looking at our employer-based insurance coverage and determining the best plan of action for our families. However, I urge you to also consider policies that can help ease worries about the financial cost of breast cancer if it were to occur. When caught early, the survival rate for breast cancer is as high as 99 percent, but the diagnosis can be accompanied by an expensive treatment regimen. Aflac’s cash benefits can help policyholders pay the out-of-pocket costs associated with costly cancer treatments.

A cancer insurance policy can be used not only for treatment expenses not covered by major medical insurance, but also for extra child care that may be needed, transportation to and from the doctor or treatments, and even everyday living expenses, such as mortgage payments or groceries. If you or a family member does end up being diagnosed with breast cancer, or any cancer, you want to be able to focus on recovery not finances, and a cancer insurance policy can help you do just that. Plus, with Aflac’s recently introduced One Day Pay^SM initiative, which allows Aflac to process, approve and pay eligible claims in just a day, you can have the cash you need in hand faster than ever before.

And this is why I’m excited to be helping spread the word about Aflac‘s campaign, “The Duck Wears Pink.”

Aflac is selling a variety of campaign-related merchandise including the plush duck, hats and a breast cancer ribbon pin, with all the net proceeds going to the AACR for the specific purpose of funding research aimed at finding a cure for breast cancer. Aflac supports the groundbreaking work of the AACR – the first and largest cancer research organization in the world with a membership of more than 35,000 professionals residing in 101 countries working on the front lines of the effort to eradicate cancer. The AACR backs every aspect of high-quality, innovative cancer research.

If you feel so inclined, you can donate or shop for merchandise here. And if nothing else, please practice methods of detection and prevention.

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

the evolution of a working mom. (PS. I’m sorry for all of the judgment before)

March 17, 2015 by Rachel 1 Comment

I recently came across this article about how childless women judge working moms. I admit – I’m completely guilty of this. In fact, when we found out we were expecting Ari, one of my fears was how this unexpected pregnancy was going to affect my career. Even long before our unexpected pregnancy, I would think to myself “If I ever end up pregnant, I would still want to work full time. How could anyone want to give up something so fulfilling as working outside of the home?”

Even after Ari was born, I looked forward to going back to work. Sure, not right away. I definitely enjoyed my maternity leave. Well, scratch that – I loved the fact that I didn’t have to juggle work and getting absolutely zero sleep for three months. And having the holidays off didn’t hurt, that’s for sure.

But I looked forward to going back to work. I remember it being more sweet than bitter. I wanted to be around real talking human beings. I mean, I had it rough at home — Ari was colicky for months and months. He refused to sleep and spent most of the day (probably 20 out of 24 hours) screaming and crying. It was awful. So I practically RAN back to work. Seriously.

That feeling lasted for months after I went back to work. And shortly after Ari started sleeping through the night, something started to change. And not just the feeling of being semi-rested; but something in me started to ache to spend more time with Ari.

And that’s part of what prompted me to change my position at work for a job that provided me with more daytime hours with Ari. My work day started at 2pm instead of 8am which gave me plenty of time to have lazy mornings with him. And for a while, that was fulfilling enough. Sure, that meant I had to give up Saturdays to work instead of spending it with Chad and Ari. But the benefits outweighed that con.

Over the last year, perhaps after Ari started becoming less of a baby and more of a toddler, things have majorly shifted for me.

I ache — my whole heart aches — to spend time with Ari and — even I can’t believe this — but to do house-keeping and super domestic things nonstop. I want to spend my time raising my child and doing laundry; I want to help potty train him and do the dishes; I want to vacuum every day and have time to try to learn to cook. I want to be able to work just part-time; just enough to get my fill of adult conversation.

I also think it would make me happier if I was able to be that kind of mom who stayed at home with Ari. But I know that this is not in the cards for us; it’s not something that is financially possible. At least not at this time.

I just can’t believe I’m now this person. I can’t believe I judged working moms for feeling this way. I’ve verbalized this judgment over and over again before having Ari; and for that, I feel incredibly guilty.

A girl I work with has been known to say the same types of things that I used to say about not being able to even imagine NOT wanting to work. It took everything I had to bite my tongue. I knew my words were useless with her. She would never believe me. She would never believe how much a little person could change someone so much. She would never believe how I, the same person who never ever wanted to have a child, could have so drastically changed my outlook on childrearing.

I don’t know if there’s a purpose to this post other than to just put it out there into the universe. Maybe it’s so that I can keep focused on my main goal, which is to be in a position where I can spend my time focused on my family and our household. However, in the meantime, my family will always, always, be first. Chad and Ari are the only things that are important to me; everything else is secondary — everything else is replaceable. But those two? Irreplaceable. And they are my absolute everything.