Welcome, Spring! Aside from all the pollen, springtime is one of my favorite times of the year. Every spring, the world transforms from winter's dull gloominess into a warm, bright, colorful landscape of flowers and sunshine.

Spring always gives me the feeling of a fresh start. Like the world around us, we can grow and bloom into something bright and beautiful. To start fresh, though, you have to do a little spring cleaning and get rid of the old.

Have you already filed your taxes? If not, now is the time to start gathering your information because May 17th will be here before you know it. Finances were a little trickier in 2020, so if you plan to do your own taxes, make sure you have all the necessary information about the 2021 tax season. If you plan to take your taxes to a professional, try not to wait until the last minute and make sure you have all of the necessary documents to ensure the process goes as smoothly as possible. For more information on how you can prepare yourself for tax time, check out the BALANCE blog below.

In honor of Black History Month, Carolina Trust highlighted influential African American men and women all month long on our weekly Living Local Carolina segments. The individuals whom we had the honor of talking to had such inspiring and interesting stories. It was such an honor to learn about their lives and the hurdles they had to jump through in order to succeed.

In honor of Random Acts of Kindness Day on February 17th, I visited Autumn Care of Shallotte, a nursing home in Brunswick County, NC, and dropped off flowers and reachers for the residents. I hate to admit that it took a special day like Random Acts of Kindness Day to remind me to reach out to our local nursing home and see how I can help. The senior citizens in our community laid the groundwork for the lives we live today, so I feel like we owe them our love and support, especially during tough times like the pandemic.

Before the pandemic, I tried to visit local nursing homes a few times a year, even if it was just to talk to the residents. Many residents rarely have visitors, so you can tell they really enjoy your company. Unfortunately, many local nursing homes had to quit allowing visitors and limit interaction between residents as a COVID-19 precaution. For some, the reduced social interaction led to feelings of loneliness, depression, and isolation. Although facility workers do their best to plan safe activities that boost morale, it's up to us to reach out to our local nursing homes and find ways to make sure they still feel like they have a valuable role in society.

I became a homeowner a little over six months ago and absolutely love it. I'm not quite sure if it's because I love my house so much or if I love the idea of actually having something of my own. However, I will say that as I'm settling into my home, I've begun to notice a few things that I will probably change in the next few years.

Knowing how to make a monthly budget is the important first step to financial freedom. That means retiring comfortably, spending time with your family, and traveling like you always wanted. Monthly budgets, however, aren’t something you can set and forget about. In order to make one work for you and your family, you must always review and tweak it. To help, here are seven tips for improving your monthly budget for your family:

Budgets are a valuable money management tool.  Even if you’re happy with your financial health, budgets can keep you from slipping into bad habits.  They can even help you save a lot of money.  If you’re struggling to make ends meet, budgeting is an excellent way to get control of your spending.

If the word budget makes you think of never-ending columns and rows, don’t worry.  There are budgeting methods that make it easier to manage your finances once a budget template is in place.  There are even budgeting apps for your smartphone that can keep you on track. 

You may not be able to have the big super bowl party like usual, but there is one festivity that you can still enjoy, the snacks. Whether or not your team wins, you'll be sure to score it big in the kitchen with these delicious recipes from Chef Jamie Daskalis, Owner of Johnny D's Waffles and Benedicts.

According to the American Psychological Association's survey, which measures causes of stress, money consistently lands near the top with 61% of Americans reporting money-related anxiety. The biggest factor in this stress is overspending according to CNBC Personal Finance. We worry when total expenses (amount spent monthly) exceed total income (amount made monthly), causing mounting debt. 

Create a monthly budget to ensure you do not spend more than you make in a month, forcing you to take on additional debt. 

The basic idea behind putting in long work-hours is that our quality of life will improve. Maybe you pull some overtime or go above and beyond to earn a raise or promotion. Regardless of how you go about increasing your salary, there’s an expectation that bank accounts will swell, and life will get a tad easier. One of the things that hold many of us back from saving a lot of money though is controlling our spending.