Liz Hagg's Finance Blog

Over the past few weeks, we've been looking at affordability from a few different angles: Facts, Influences & Choices - separating what's true, what influences our situation and where we still have choices Lifestyle Creep - how conveniences, expectations and even luxuries can quietly become our new "normal" The Whole Affordability Equation - recognizing that affordability isn't caused by just one thing. Housing, interest rates and inflation matter, but so do income, debt, lif

Affordability is complicated. Yet when we're struggling financially, it's easy to identify one reason we can't get ahead: Housing prices Interest rates Inflation Student loans Wages And if I believe there's one reason I can't get ahead - and that reason is completely outside my control - where does that leave me? STUCK. That's exactly where I don't want the affordability conversation to leave us. Because affordability isn't driven by just one thing. It's an equation with a lo

Last week, I introduced a different way to think about affordability - separating facts, influences, and choices. This week, let's talk about something that can happen so gradually we don't even notice it. Lifestyle creep. Lifestyle creep happens when our spending slowly increases as our income, circumstances, and expectations change. But I think there's another influence contributing to it today: Convenience. Think about the old Staples Easy Button. That was easy. In many wa

Hi Friends, If you've been paying attention to the news, social media, or even conversations with family and friends, you've probably noticed one topic keeps coming up: Affordability. It seems everyone has an explanation. Some say previous generations had it easier. Others argue people today simply need to work harder or spend less. Then there are countless headlines pointing to one culprit: Inflation. Housing. Student loans. Wages. Government. Corporations. The truth? It's r

Starting around age 10, we gave our kids a set amount of spending money before each trip. That was their money for souvenirs, treats, and extras. If they spent it all on Day 1...that was their choice. If they carefully made it last...great. If they came home with money left over...they got to keep it. What I loved most wasn't what they bought. It was watching them start to think differently. Instead of me constantly being the "Yes” or “No" person, they became the decision-mak

Sometimes the hardest parenting decisions become the ones our kids appreciate most later. For some families, it’s high school graduation season… and for others, it’s college visit season for rising seniors. As families tour campuses and talk about the future this summer, I thought I’d share one of the hardest financial conversations we had as parents — and a few things I’ve learned since becoming a financial coach. My daughter had just toured a school she absolutely loved. Tu