With March being women's month, it's the perfect time to talk about the importance of educating women about finances. Although our society has come a long way in achieving gender equality, the financial world still tends to be primarily a man's game, and it's time that changed!

With March being women's month, it's the perfect time to talk about the importance of educating women about finances. Although our society has come a long way in achieving gender equality, the financial world still tends to be primarily a man's game, and it's time that changed!

It's that time of year again; W2s are rolling in, tax professionals are gearing up, and your mind is already swirling with ways to spend your tax refund check. Before getting too excited and seeing dollar signs, check out this BALANCE blog post.

In today’s economy, it is essential that you do what you can to save money. Many people are afraid of sacrificing the things they enjoy in order to keep more cash in their pockets. Fortunately, there are many ways that you can save money without having to give up the lifestyle you enjoy. Here is a look at some easy ways to save money without sacrifice.

Airfare to air fryers. Thai food to tie clips. Memorabilia to memory foam. You can purchase just about anything these days with a buy now, pay later (BNPL) plan. In 2022 alone, consumers in the US bought around $250 billion in goods using BNPLs. The allure of making a small initial payment and splitting the remaining obligation into a series of automatic withdrawals is undeniable. The question remains: Is this a smart way to gain spending flexibility or a tool rife for accumulating bad debt?

Are you looking to get into the Valentine's spirit? Head into Downtown Conway and check out the city's Conversation Heart and Marquee Light Displays. With romantic signs like Kiss Me and Be Mine or fun friendship signs like Bestie or Furever, it's the perfect Valentine's experience for anyone looking to get into the season of love. And the best part is that walking around, taking photos, and enjoying the city's charm is totally free!

Below are the locations for the Conversation Hearts and Marquee Light Displays:

Conversation Hearts:

•  First Kiss: Riverfront Park
• Hug Me: Beside of The Lennon Collective
• Crazy4U & Too Cute: Between A Cup Full Coffee Shop and Ann Booth's Jewelers
•  I'm Yours, Bestie, and Te Amo: Town Green
• True Love: Courtyard to the left of City Hall
• Be Mine and XOXO: City Hall

Marquee Light Displays:

• Love- Kingston Park
•  Single and Happy- Terrace
• Kiss Me- Side of City Hall
•  Be Mine- Courtyard beside of Whitaker's restaurant
•  Best Friends- Under Archway near Planning and Zoning
•  Single and Looking- Public Restrooms near Town Green
•  Furever & Marry Me- Riverfront Park
• Pink and Purple Lights- Walkway Under the Bridge

For more details, check out my Valentine's Day reels on my Instagram page, @successinthebag.

February is American Heart Month, a perfect reminder for everyone to check in on our cardiovascular health. Especially women, as heart disease and stroke cause 1 in 3 deaths among women each year – more than all cancers combined. 

The Why
You know it’s coming. Without fail, it happens every year in late December and spills over well into January. Call it the Raging River of Resolutions or the Betterment Blitz. Whatever name you use, you surely know the feeling of being bombarded with self-empowerment content and ads for ways to make the upcoming year better than the one before.

If you look around the internet, you’ll find many quotes about dreams and goals and what it takes to get there. You don’t have to search hard to find boatloads of people who think they’ve drilled down to the one secret ingredient to achieving all your ambitions in life, whether that key element is passion, determination, planning, or something else.

Did you make any new year's resolutions for 2024? Have you done a good job of sticking to them thus far? If you haven't set any goals for the new year or are struggling to live out the action steps to achieve the goals you set, I encourage you to make a vision board and write your goals down.