With the holidays right around the corner, you've probably started making your shopping list and scouring through sales ads for all of the best Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals. Although you could quickly load up your Amazon cart with all the gifts on your list, I would encourage you to look into local businesses as an alternative.

Holiday décor and music are filling department stores, Starbucks and Dunkin have released their holiday drink menus, and some people have already started putting up their trees. Although I'm not quite in the holly jolly spirit yet, I have begun financially planning for the holidays so that my debt doesn't outweigh my cheer. Below are the tips I'm using to keep myself in check as I kick-start my holiday spending.

For a girl like me who's obsessed with pink, there's no better month of the year than October. Not only do I love seeing things transform to my favorite color, but also being able to raise awareness for the important cause that pink stands for, Breast Cancer.

One of the most complex parts of sticking to a budget is breaking unhealthy spending habits and creating new healthy ones. Evaluating your spending and determining which aspects prevent you from sticking to your budget is an excellent place to start.

Check out the BALANCE blog post below for 5 Habits Every Budgeter Should Develop:

Fall is officially here, although it may not seem like it with 80-degree weather and palm trees instead of falling leaves.

Growing up in the mountains of Virginia, the arrival of fall was always seen and felt. It didn't take much to really get into the fall spirit. However, when I moved to the beach, I found that embracing the fall season required more effort on my end.

Since there isn't a major transition in the environment around me to help get me excited about fall, I've relied on the following things to get me in the spirit.

With the start of a new school year right around the corner, it's time to start filling the cart with back-to-school items. If the rows and rows of school supplies at Walmart and Target haven't already sucked you in, then Tax-Free Weekend is the perfect time to grab some of the key items on your list.

Living in an area that experiences hurricane season for six months out of the year, we need to be prepared. A great way to do a bit of pre-planning so that you're not panicking when a hurricane is on its way is to put together a Hurricane Preparedness Kit. 

I don't know about you, but I feel like summer is easily my biggest spending season of the year. I've finally re-saved money that I spent during the holidays and get the urge to spend it, and boy do I. I spend on new summer clothes, fun outdoor events, travel, and vacation; I'm just a spending machine during the summer months.

If you're like me and are looking to boost your summer stash of cash, check out the BALANCE blog below for a few helpful tips.

There is no better time of year to live at the beach than the summer. I love spending time outside by the ocean or the river and soaking up the UV rays, with sunscreen, of course. 

Summertime has finally arrived at the grand strand, and unfortunately, hurricane season came right along with it. Living near the coast, we are in hurricane season from June 1st to November 30th. Thinking about a potential hurricane can be somewhat stressful. However, being educated and prepared can help relieve a bit of that anxiety. Check out the BALANCE blog post below for tips on how to financially prepare before a natural disaster.