We all have moments when something shiny distracts us from our ultimate goal. Join your host, Laura Coleman, as she discusses squirrel moments and how you can help avoid them in your future. Squirrel moments? Yes, you know things like, we are on track to have the money for adoption or fertility, BUT look at that shiny new car. We have a goal to have $2500 in our emergency fund, BUT oh look at that weekend getaway to New York. We have a goal to pay off our debt this year, BUT oh look I need to buy a new pair of shoes.

Squirrel moments are those things that distract us from what we truly want, but they are so shiny and alluring that we forget what our reason behind our goal. Laura provides some tips on how you can avoid those squirrel moments that delay your goals.

Solutions

I'm looking forward to Qube Money coming out because it will help with personal spending money being reigned in. I love that my clients will be able to set aside the money into a Qube or pot of money and still use the convenience of a debit card. If you get distracted by a squirrel moment, you just need to look at the Qube and see if you have money for that squirrel moment. You'll also be able to see what you are taking money away from if you do decide to use it. It's creating purpose and intention with your money.

To learn more about Qube Money, click here.

You can also sign up to be a Beta tester right now. Lifetime Memberships are available right now for $216. After the app launches, the price is $8 a month. I bought the Lifetime Membership and signed up to be a beta tester because I don't want to pay a monthly fee later.

See what Kelli said about the Preparing Financially for Adoption Course!

"I believe one of the biggest struggles families can face is financial struggles and the last thing you want or need is to tie your roller coaster emotions that adoption can bring to poor financial decisions. Preparing financially for Adoption is a resource I wish we had available to us when we adopted! What a gift it would have been to have the structure and accountability to keep us on the same page and communicating before, during and after our adoption process.The spreadsheets provided are gold for staying organized which can relieve a lot of stress. There are also guides for date nights and talking about the $ that I find valuable even now! Money is something that is easy to let one person handle or to choose to not talk about and it's so vital to stay connected on this topic especially when you are making big life decisions for your family such as adopting.Because Laura is a Money Coach and an adoptive mom you can trust she is giving you sound and valuable information.There are so many things that are required to invest in to prepare for adoption, in my opinion this course should be one of them!"

— Kelli

Sometimes your journey to being a forever family feels long! Sometimes things don’t go as planned! You will love listening to Lisa Norman today on The Adoption and Fertility Finance Show about how to keep your mindset healthy as you chase your dreams. 

How do you chase real happiness? How do you chase it when you feel like everything in your life completely sucks? Lisa shares her tips for happiness building blocks that help you create the true kind of happiness you want in your life. 

Lisa’s found that getting up earlier than the kids and having dance parties during dinner help build her happiness. She talks about the difference between self-care and real self-care. This difference is crucial to finding out how to truly be happy even when things aren’t amazing in your life. 

How do you deal with all of the thoughts ricocheting in your head? Which item do you tackle on your enormous to-do list first? Analysis paralysis led Lisa to sit down and design a course that teaches mom how to choose priorities that will build the life they envision. 

You do not want to miss this positive and upbeat interview that explores the “why” behind the decisions that drive us. 

If you loved this podcast, please subscribe and follow us for more conversations about the intersection of family, marriage, money, fertility and adoption.

 

Are you ready to become a forever family? Schedule your judgement-free appointment today to talk with Laura about where you’re at in your financial journey, where you’d like to be, and how you’d like to get there.

 

Links mentioned in this podcast:

LisaNormanProject.com

Lisa Norman’s Courses

Lisa Norman Project on Facebook

 

Hear what one course participant said about the Preparing Financially for Adoption course.

"I believe one of the biggest struggles families can face is financial struggles and the last thing you want or need is to tie your roller coaster emotions that adoption can bring to poor financial decisions. Preparing financially for Adoption is a resource I wish we had available to us when we adopted! What a gift it would have been to have the structure and accountability to keep us on the same page and communicating before, during and after our adoption process.The spreadsheets provided are gold for staying organized which can relieve a lot of stress. There are also guides for date nights and talking about the $ that I find valuable even now! Money is something that is easy to let one person handle or to choose to not talk about and it's so vital to stay connected on this topic especially when you are making big life decisions for your family such as adopting.Because Laura is a Money Coach and an adoptive mom you can trust she is giving you sound and valuable information.There are so many things that are required to invest in to prepare for adoption, in my opinion this course should be one of them!"

— Kelli

How do you teach a three year old about money? What about a newly adopted pre-teen? Stephanie Pyke from MoneyLit talks with Laura Coleman on The Adoption and Fertility Finance Show about how to teach children about human capital.

Stephanie separates jobs into “household jobs we do because we all live here” and “extra jobs”. In her house, the “extra jobs” are an opportunity for children to earn their own money. It’s so hard to get a pret-teen or teen to listen, even when you have fabulous knowledge to teach! Stephanie exposes her kids to books so that they can learn from her in a roundabout way, and she recommends a few great books for teens. 

Laura and Stephanie talk about how to change the money habits of older children, and how to use short and long term goals to teach about delaying gratification. 

Using a physical savings account is more impactful when children are between 3-5 years old, and by about 6-7, they should go out and get a savings account. Stephanie recommends using a mobile app to help them see their savings grow, and they talk about teaching kids about the physical money behind a debit card.

Stephanie’s been using the app Stockpile to teach her kids about investing in stocks. She’s designed her summer program for grades 3-8 to teach children about financial literacy and basic economic concepts. It’s taught locally in Chattanooga, TN, but you can follow her on Facebook for more resources on how to teach kids about money.

If you loved this podcast, please subscribe and follow us for more conversations about the intersection of family, marriage, money, fertility and adoption.

 Are you ready to become a forever family? Schedule your judgement-free appointment today to talk with Laura about where you’re at in your financial journey, where you’d like to be, and how you’d like to get there.

Links Mentioned in the podcast:

Stockpile.comMoneyLit on Instagram

MoneyLit on Facebook

See what Kelli has to say about the Preparing Financially for Adoption course.

"I believe one of the biggest struggles families can face is financial struggles and the last thing you want or need is to tie your roller coaster emotions that adoption can bring to poor financial decisions. Preparing financially for Adoption is a resource I wish we had available to us when we adopted! What a gift it would have been to have the structure and accountability to keep us on the same page and communicating before, during and after our adoption process.The spreadsheets provided are gold for staying organized which can relieve a lot of stress. There are also guides for date nights and talking about the $ that I find valuable even now! Money is something that is easy to let one person handle or to choose to not talk about and it's so vital to stay connected on this topic especially when you are making big life decisions for your family such as adopting.Because Laura is a Money Coach and an adoptive mom you can trust she is giving you sound and valuable information.There are so many things that are required to invest in to prepare for adoption, in my opinion this course should be one of them!"

— Kelli

Should you invest while paying for adoption? Should you borrow from retirement? Laura Coleman talks with Michelle Waymire from The Young & Scrappy on The Adoption and Fertility Finance Show today about how to balance retirement planning with the needs of today. 

First and foremost, if your company offers a match for retirement savings, don’t leave money on the table! Don’t walk away from the opportunity to invest on someone else’s dime. Once you’re in the habit of not investing, it’s hard to get back into the habit of saving for your future. So rather than stopping retirement savings, it may make more sense for you to throttle back while you’re saving for adoption. But don’t stop completely!

The absolute best places to put your adoption goal money really depends on the goal and timeline you’re working with. Is it 6 months, 2 years, or even 5 years? If it’s really short term, it can feel like you’re leaving money on the table by not having it invested, and the last thing you want to do is lose money. A high yield savings account (HYSA) or a CD is a great choice for those shorter goals.

If you have 3 or more years in your savings timeline, then a taxable or brokerage account would be a better choice. Charles Schwab or Vanguard have target date funds that help you plan for goals around a certain date. You could even try Betterment, a robo-advisor. Laura and Michelle talk about some of the benefits of using these brokerages as a savings tool.  

Michelle and Laura share ideas about how to use money dates to realign priorities and goals with your partner. Whether you choose quarterly or annual money dates, remember to keep checking in with each other regularly to be sure that your finances are aligned with your values. 

If you loved this podcast, please subscribe and follow us for more conversations about the intersection of adoption, fertility, and finances.

Are you ready to become a forever family? Schedule your 15 minute free no judgement appointment today to talk with Laura about where you’re at in your financial journey, where you’d like to be, and how you’d like to get there.

Links mentioned in this podcast:

Young and Scrappy

Best high yield savings 

Best CDs 

Schwab

Vanguard 

Betterment   

Young & Scrappy Investment Course

 

Check out what Kelli had to say about the Preparing Financially for Adoption course! 

"I believe one of the biggest struggles families can face is financial struggles and the last thing you want or need is to tie your roller coaster emotions that adoption can bring to poor financial decisions. Preparing financially for Adoption is a resource I wish we had available to us when we adopted! What a gift it would have been to have the structure and accountability to keep us on the same page and communicating before, during and after our adoption process.The spreadsheets provided are gold for staying organized which can relieve a lot of stress. There are also guides for date nights and talking about the $ that I find valuable even now! Money is something that is easy to let one person handle or to choose to not talk about and it's so vital to stay connected on this topic especially when you are making big life decisions for your family such as adopting.Because Laura is a Money Coach and an adoptive mom you can trust she is giving you sound and valuable information.There are so many things that are required to invest in to prepare for adoption, in my opinion this course should be one of them!"

— Kelli

Join us in the Paying for Adoption Facebook group as we help encourage each other on our journey towards raising the money for adoption. (or fertility) We did a poll and discovered that members of the group wanted to hear about how to be motivated during the journey to raise money. Laura Coleman provides 6 steps that you can do to overcome discouragement and provide you the motivation you need to raise the money for adoption.

 

To obtain the Money Date guidelines and agenda that Laura mentions in the episode, Join Family Money Coaches email list: Money Date download.

Sponsored by: Adoption and Fertility Grant Success Course 

 

So many couples that have started the adoption journey become overwhelmed with the amount of money that they need to save for the process. It can be so discouraging. With knowledge comes power. At Family Money Coaching, we believe in Debt-Free Adoption. That's why we created the Grant Success Course, to help you find, apply, and obtain FREE money. It'll take some work, but you can do it. The worksheets, excel downloads, checklists, and videos in the Grant Success Course will help guide you on what to put in your grant applications. Ideas will be sparked by the questions in the downloadable PDF, success tips with what to look for to find the ideal grant for you, a list of 80 grants for adoption and 20 grants for fertility, a checklist to help you stay on task, and a list of documents needed for application.

There's a bonus Adoption Financial Planner that will provide tracking for your Adoption Budget, the ICPC travel budget, Spending Plan which is needed for the home study and grant, tracking income sources, calendar to help with due dates, budget estimator, and a place for all contacts during the adoption process.

Adoptive mom Yvonne Lundine shares an inside look into her adoption journey on The Adoption and Fertility Finance Show today. Every adoptive family’s journey looks different, and it’s always cool to see how each family makes it work to achieve the forever family they’re looking for.

 

After talking about maybe adopting someday, Yvonne was presented with a chance to adopt a family member’s child. Because of the timeline, she and her husband needed to come up with the money quickly. Yvonne was able to take out a loan from her 401k to fund her adoption, a choice that comes with a lot of conditions. She talks about how she saved money on lawyers and adoption agencies, which are expenses you may not realize that you can shop around for. 

 

Laura and Yvonne talk about the real parts of adoption; helping the adopted child build relationships with siblings who weren’t adopted out, dealing with interstate adoptions, and navigating the complexities of family relationships when adoption and money are mixed in.  Yvonne’s story is honest about the twists and turns that adoption can take. 

 

If you loved this podcast, please subscribe and follow us for more conversations about the intersection of adoption, fertility, and finances.

 

Are you ready to become a forever family? Schedule your 15 minute free no judgement appointment today to talk with Laura about where you’re at in your financial journey, where you’d like to be, and how you’d like to get there.

Metlife Legal is offered through your employer.

This week's episode is from Sheepdog Financial where Scott Vance interviews the host of The Adoption and Fertility Finance Show, Laura Coleman, about adoption, fertility and the military. Sheepdog Financial focuses on the military specific financial issues faced by military members. It provides useful information and actions to improve your finances.

*Discover some of the myths that our military believes about adoption, foster care, and what's really true.

* Learn about what to do if you PCS before an adoption is finalized. 

*Discover if you can adopt while stationed overseas.

*Find special programs just for the military for adoption and fertility.

*Empower your decisions by learning tips and tricks from an Accredited Financial Counselor that's experienced fertility and adoption first hand and how to prepare financially for it.

 

Today's episode is sponsored by the Adoption and Fertility Grant Success Course. Find grants specifically for the military and how you can write and submit a successful grant.

So many couples that have started the adoption journey become overwhelmed with the amount of money that they need to save for the process. It can be so discouraging. With knowledge comes power. At Family Money Coaching, we believe in Debt-Free Adoption. That's why we created the Grant Success Course, to help you find, apply, and obtain FREE money. It'll take some work, but you can do it. The worksheets, excel downloads, checklists, and videos in the Grant Success Course will help guide you on what to put in your grant applications. Ideas will be sparked by the questions in the downloadable PDF, success tips with what to look for to find the ideal grant for you, a list of 80 grants for adoption and 20 grants for fertility, a checklist to help you stay on task, and a list of documents needed for application.

There's a bonus Adoption Financial Planner that will provide tracking for your Adoption Budget, the ICPC travel budget, Spending Plan which is needed for the home study and grant, tracking income sources, calendar to help with due dates, budget estimator, and a place for all contacts during the adoption process.

You may also like:

The Greatest Obstacle to Adoption

Family Emergency Binder for Adoption

20 Questions to ask your CPA about Adoption

Dragging your feet can cost you a lot of money. Insurance agent Rebecca Palmer talks with Laura Coleman on the Adoption and Fertility Finance Show about the importance of adequate insurance before it’s too late for your family.

 

How much insurance is enough?

Rebecca shares some general rules about how much insurance you should purchase to take care of your family after you’re gone. They discuss the difference between term and whole insurance, and some different reasons you might choose one or the other. Rebecca cautions against relying completely on employee provided term insurance in the case of a job loss.

 

When can an adopted child be insured?

Term insurance for children is cheap and a prudent step to take to prepare for an accidental death. Having a small policy that can cover the funeral expenses of a child is a way for a young family to avoid the stress of trying to pay for a funeral. Rebecca fills Laura in on the details of waiting until the adoption is finalized to take out a policy on a child. She recommends that a parent take out a policy on themselves during the adoption process because the insurance applications takes longer for an adult.

 

How do you choose who should be the insurance beneficiary?

Rebecca goes over some rules and guidelines for the beneficiary of an insurance policy. Minor children cannot receive the proceeds of the policy, so it is important for a contingent beneficiary to be in place if both parents should die. For single parents, it is especially important to plan ahead. It may be helpful to create a trust and name the trust as a beneficiary of the policy. You can name a trustee who will take care of your child and your child’s money. This can be a good option if you do not have a trusted family member or guardian to take care of your child if you’re gone.

 

For more information about special needs trusts mentioned in this podcast, go here.

 

Rebecca Palmer is a licensed insurance agent in Tennessee and Georgia. She can be reached at: [email protected] or 423-413-9364.

You can find her on Facebook.

 

 

If you loved this podcast, please subscribe and follow us for more conversations about the intersection of adoption, fertility, and finances.

 

Are you ready to become a forever family? Schedule your 15 minute free no judgement appointment today to talk with Laura about where you’re at in your financial journey, where you’d like to be, and how you’d like to get there.

 

Learn more about the Adoption and Fertility Grant Success Course and the Preparing Financially for Adoption course mentioned on the show. 

 

 Paying for AdoptionPrivate group · 8 membersJoin GroupProviding support and resources to help you pay for adoption. 

Can you really make $1,000 a month teaching English online in your pajamas? Laura Coleman talks with VIPKID teacher Rebecca Bratsman on the Adoption and Fertility Finance Show today about her side hustle teaching English to Chinese students in a virtual classroom. 

 

As an online ESL teacher for two years, Rebecca has a lot of advice about:

How to prepare for the VIPKID job interview 

Best practices for an ESL teacher 

How to create an educational background

The importance of self-care and sleep in this job

What kind of teachers the company is looking for

 

Laura and Rebecca talk about the tax implications of independent contractor work, and the importance of breaking finance goals into manageable chunks. The minimum requirements for teaching for VIPKID are: 

A Bachelor’s degree in any field

A minimum of one year teaching children (this does not have to be classroom experience)

Eligibility to work in the USA or Canada

Native English speaker

Reliable Internet connection (generally, if your internet can handle Skype, you should be fine)

Laptop or Desktop computer 

A quiet workspace

Once hired, the Chinese government requires teachers to complete a TESOL certificate. VIPKID offers this to their teachers at no cost, and it takes about ten hours to complete. The application process can be daunting! There is an initial interview and then mock classes to show that you understand how to teach ESL to children. It is always helpful to have someone walk you through the process. You can contact Rebecca via Facebook if you’d like help through the interview process. 

 

An important update: As of November 12, 2019, VIPKID will no longer be hiring teachers who live in the state of California. 

 

If you loved this podcast, please subscribe and follow us for more conversations about the intersection of adoption, fertility, and finances.

 

Are you ready to become a forever family? Schedule your 15 minute free no judgement appointment today to talk with Laura about where you’re at in your financial journey, where you’d like to be, and how you’d like to get there.

 

Links mentioned in this podcast:

Rebecca’s VIPKID referral code

IRS tax calculator

Today's episode is sponsored by The Adoption and Fertility Grant Success Course. 

So many couples that have started the adoption journey become overwhelmed with the amount of money that they need to save for the process. It can be so discouraging. With knowledge comes power. At Family Money Coaching, we believe in Debt-Free Adoption. That’s why we created the Grant Success Course, to help you find, apply, and obtain FREE money. It’ll take some work, but you can do it. The worksheets, excel downloads, checklists, and videos in the Grant Success Course will help guide you on what to put in your grant applications. Ideas will be sparked by the questions in the downloadable PDF, success tips with what to look for to find the ideal grant for you, a list of 80 grants for adoption and 20 grants for fertility, a checklist to help you stay on task, and a list of documents needed for application.

There’s a bonus Adoption Financial Planner that will provide tracking for your Adoption Budget, the ICPC travel budget, Spending Plan which is needed for the home study and grant, tracking income sources, calendar to help with due dates, budget estimator, and a place for all contacts during the adoption process.

On this episode of the Adoption and Fertility Finance Show, Laura Coleman talks with certified financial planner Pam Horack from Your Financial Mom about the funding and financial process for IUI and IVF treatments. Pam shares her personal experience and how she used employee benefits to make fertility treatments more affordable for her family. Finally, she shares some strategies for planning that could reduce the cost of your fertility treatments.  

 

If you loved this podcast, please subscribe and follow us for more conversations about the intersection of adoption, fertility, and finances. Join our community on Facebook, Paying for Adoption. 

 

Are you ready to become a forever family? Schedule your 15 minute free no judgement appointment today to talk with Laura about where you’re at in your financial journey, where you’d like to be, and how you’d like to get there.

 

Links from this podcast: 

Your Financial Mom’s Facebook page

Pathfinder Planning LLC- Pam’s website

Looking for another way to raise money for fertility or adoption? Check out the Adoption and Fertility Grant Success Course. 

So many couples that have started the adoption journey become overwhelmed with the amount of money that they need to save for the process. It can be so discouraging. With knowledge comes power. At Family Money Coaching, we believe in Debt-Free Adoption. That's why we created the Grant Success Course, to help you find, apply, and obtain FREE money. It'll take some work, but you can do it. The worksheets, excel downloads, checklists, and videos in the Grant Success Course will help guide you on what to put in your grant applications. Ideas will be sparked by the questions in the downloadable PDF, success tips with what to look for to find the ideal grant for you, a list of 80 grants for adoption and 20 grants for fertility, a checklist to help you stay on task, and a list of documents needed for application.

There's a bonus Adoption Financial Planner that will provide tracking for your Adoption Budget, the ICPC travel budget, Spending Plan which is needed for the home study and grant, tracking income sources, calendar to help with due dates, budget estimator, and a place for all contacts during the adoption process.