Posts made in March 2020

Have a Fairy Tale Wedding, But Beware: In Fairy Tales, Brides Suffer After “I Do”

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Anne Beall, Ph.D.

Disney and Allure Bridal have joined forces to create a line of Disney-themed wedding dresses to “[turn] fairy tale dreams into reality for brides.” The dresses, says the Allure Bridals website, “capture the style and spirit of Disney Princess characters.”

But hold on…why, exactly, would a bride want to be a princess in a fairy tale marriage?

It turns out that although fairy tale weddings may be wonderful, fairy tale marriages are not. My firm analyzed 169 Grimms’ fairy tales, which are the precursors to all major fairy tales today. This collection includes the most beloved ones such as Cinderella and Snow White. We used statistical methods to identify patterns and determine what fairy tales are really saying; what we learned suggests that fairy tale marriages are doomed.

Four hidden messages we uncovered help explain why.

Men Should Have Agency and Power, Women Should Be Kind and Weak

In many fairy tales, a beautiful kind woman is abused, often by a witch or stepmother, and then saved by a prince or king who whisks her away to his kingdom where they marry shortly thereafter. What’s implicit in many of these stories is that the partners are not equal in power, agency or status. For example, Cinderella brings her good looks and a kind heart to the relationship whereas the prince brings wealth, power and a high-status position. Thus, fairy tales tell men and women that they should not be looking for their equal.

Men Are Valued for Their Actions, Women Are Valued For Their Looks

Marrying up is not without its flaws. When male characters marry royalty, 100% of the time it’s the result of their actions—feats of bravery, defeating armies, and killing giants. However, female characters marry royalty most of the time because they’re beautiful. Thus, fairy tales tell women to focus on their appearance and tell men to focus on being smart and brave.

Only Evil Women Have Control Over Their Lives

Fairy tales also have a great deal to say about power and control after the wedding. Princesses were the most powerful character only 12% of the time followed by queens who were the most powerful character only 3% of the time. So, if becoming a princess or queen through marriage, looks glamorous, in fairy tale land it comes with a lack of power.

Interestingly the female characters in fairy tales who have power are stepmothers and witches. Characters like Cinderella’s stepmother, the witch in Hansel and Gretel and many other nefarious female characters are the females who are powerful. These stories suggest that power is the province of good men (princes and kings) or evil women (witches and stepmothers).

After “I Do” Kings and Princes are Happy But Queens are Sad

Not surprisingly, male and female royalty have different emotions in fairy tale marriages. Queens are the characters who tell us about what it’s like being married to royalty: they are accused of terrible crimes by other women who long to take their place, or it’s the woman’s mother in law who is trying to get her removed. In these stories, the king determines her fate and many queens are banished or given death sentences.

Given the horrendous things that happen to queens, it’s no surprise that the most common emotion they express is sadness (41%). In contrast, the most common expressions that kings and princes express is happiness. Approximately 41% of king’s expressions and 56% of princes’ expressions are happy ones.

So, have a fairy tale wedding and feel free to wear a princess dress. Just be wary about how fairy tales and the implicit assumptions they carry about equality, desirable attributes in a spouse, and power don’t lead to happily ever after—even in fairy tale land.

Anne E. Beall, PhD is the CEO and Founder of Beall Research, Inc, a consulting firm that uses data and research to discover trends and create solutions for Fortune 500 companies. Author of Cinderella Did Not Live Happily Ever After and 7 other books on fairy tales, gender dynamics, human-animal relations, and market research, Anne previously worked for the Boston Consulting Group (BCG). She received her MS, MPhil, and PhD from Yale University. A lover of cats, storytelling, and walking, Anne lives in Chicago.

The Growing Influence of Video Games in the Entertainment Industry

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Ever since video games became more popular in the 1980s, they have spread into other entertainment areas like songs, movies, and TV shows. Today, video games are more sophisticated and popular than ever, and many have become steeped in popular culture. So, it is no wonder that games are now influencing the entertainment industry even more.

Video Games in Songs

From ABBA and Aerosmith to Green Day and 50 Cent, a wide variety of bands and artists have been immortalized in video games. But did you know various groups have written songs about video games? Here are three of the best:

·     British rock band Bring Me the Horizon’s song Shadow Moses reached number 2 in the UK Rock and Metal Singles Chart in 2013. The song is named after the main setting of the 1998 game Metal Gear Solid. The closing theme of the video game is referenced in Shadow Moses’ opening vocal line.

·     The song Symphony of the Night appears on the power metal band DragonForce’s 2014 album Maximum Overdrive. Guitarist Herman Li said Japanese video games inspired the song.

·     American death metal band The Black Dahlia Murder’s 2007 song What A Horrible Night to Have a Curse describes the plot and gameplay of the classic platform-adventure video game Castlevania II: Simon’s Quest.

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Video Games in Television

From live-action shows to animations, there are a huge amount of TV shows based on video games. However, some have been more successful than others. For instance, the immensely popular puzzle game Candy Crush was turned into an American TV game show in 2017, but it was canceled after just one season. On the other hand, the 2012 military sci-fi web series Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn was a huge success. Based on the famous Halo video game franchise, the 15-minute episodes follow a cadet at a military training academy that is attacked by aliens. Other notable live-action shows based on games include 2016’s Street Fighter: Resurrection, 2013’s The Far Cry Experience, and 2016’s Higurashi When They Cry.

Animated shows based on video games tend to be more successful than live-action shows. Popular shows include:

·     Subway Surfers: The Animated Series (2018)

·     Angry Birds Toons (2013 – 2016)

·     Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures (2013–2015)

Video Games in Movies

The Sonic the Hedgehog movie is currently the second-highest-grossing movie of 2020. Furthermore, the film set the record for the biggest opening weekend success at the box office for a video game-based movie in the US and Canada. Video game movie adaptations have not always been successful. For instance, many consider the 1993 Super Mario Bros. movie to be one of the worst films ever made. But there has been a considerable number of game-inspired movies that have been big successes. Here are some of the best.

Tomb Raider

The two original Tomb Raider movies starring Angelina Jolie helped to put video-game-adapted movies on the map, even if the 2001 and 2003 films were rather cheesy. But when Alicia Vikander took over the role of Lara Croft in the 2018 movie Tomb Raider, the film had a more down-to-earth edge to it and reflected the Tomb Raider games much better. It is undoubtedly one of the best video game-based movies to have been released in recent years.

Rampage

The 2018 movie Rampage may not be worthy of an Oscar. But if you are after unadulterated good fun, Rampage is entertaining from beginning to end. Forget the weak narrative, and instead focus on Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson taking on an enormous gorilla, a sea creature, and a strange wolf-like monster who are climbing skyscrapers and destroying the city!

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time

The 2010 action fantasy adventure movie Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time is based on the game of the same name. At the time of its release, it was the highest-grossing video game film of all time. With a stellar cast, high-flying stunts, and gorgeous visuals, Prince of Persia is one of the most notable blockbuster video game movies ever produced.

LA COVID-19 MORATORIUM

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Tonight, the Mayor of LA has issued a moratorium on bars, nightclubs, restaurants, movie theaters and fitness facilities effective midnight 3/16/20

See official announcement HERE.

CDA – announcement HERE.

Listing of testing centers HERE.

CDC Prevention Tips HERE.

The Different Fashion Styles Across Music Genres

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For a lot of people, music and fashion are inseparable. Look at recording artists across genres, and you’ll see the importance of fashion into their craft and how they want their fans to see them. Fashion creates a distinctive style, and it’s one way for music artists and fans to channel their creativity and self-expression.

For every music genre, there’s a fashion style that’s unique to it. When you talk about Hip-Hop, there’s the loose clothing and bling-bling. In country music, you’ll often see the classic cowboy hat and denim jacket. Although some things have changed in music over the years, this fusion of fashion and music is still there.

So, if you want to dress according to your favorite music genre and know the different outfits inspired by your favorite music artists, read this article.

Pop Music

Pop music has a peppy and youthful vibe to it. It’s characterized by lively beats and lyrics about life and love in general. This high-spirited and happy-go-lucky aspect of popular music is also translated into the fashion style of pop artists and their fans.

Outfits of pop stars are sure to stand out among the crowd. Bold accessories, flashy clothing, high-waisted shorts, colorful hairstyles, you name it. It’s something that’s out of the ordinary. Since pop music icons are a staple in television and social media, it’s no surprise that their distinctive style creates waves in the fashion industry.

Electronic Dance Music

Electronic Dance Music (EDM) was introduced on the music scene in the late 1980s. It’s the favorite music to play in nightclubs, with the help of a DJ tinkering on a turntable and a mixer. Like popular music, there’s also a youthful aspect to EDM. After all, EDM music is for dancing and partying.

Although there are no hard and fast rules when it comes to EDM fashion, what’s certain is that it’s about making a bold statement. EDM fashion is so colorful and graphic, and it incorporates wild patterns, unique materials and funky colors.

For instance, you can often see neon-colored sneakers and edgy clothing worn by people who love EDM music.

R&B

Rhythm and Blues, or popularly known as R&B, often step in to the territory of popular music. But this music genre is closely linked to Soul and Blues, and, later, some aspects of Hip-Hop are also incorporated into R&B tracks.

When it comes to its fashion, there’s a dash of class and sophistication to R&B. You often see Justin Timberlake and Usher wearing suits and ties in their music videos. For female artists, the trend is wearing high-waisted jeans and crop tops, which exude a combination of class and sexiness.

Fashion accessories often include dress shoes, gold and silver jewelry, and luxury watches such as Nomos and Rolex.

Rock

For sure, you know rock music. It’s one of the ageless music genres of all time, and it’s still popular today. Rock music is also a fashion-oriented genre. It has inspired the classic rebel look that often includes ripped jeans, leather shoes, leather jackets, band t-shirts and edgy accessories.

Country and Folk Music

Country and folk music is known for using acoustic guitar, harmonica, banjos, violin, among other instruments. Country and folk singers also have a distinctive Southern accent in their singing voice, and their lyrics talk about life and romance.

Artists in this music genre dress themselves up in Western-style wear, such as cowboy hats, boots, denim jeans, denim jackets and sundresses. Fashion accessories often include bandana, tassel necklace, bracelets, crossbody bag, among others.

Hip-Hop

Hip-Hop music is arguably the most popular music genre today. It started in the 1970s in New York, and today almost all of the top songs in music charts are Hip-Hop tracks.

This music genre has also made a huge contribution to the fashion industry. Hip-Hop fashion, also sometimes called big fashion, is characterized by baggy pants, big jewelry, baseball caps, hoodies and sneakers.

But, right now, Hip-Hop artists are more fluid when it comes to what they wear. Tight jeans and designer clothing are now also worn by rappers and Hip-Hop artists.

Reggae

Reggae music traces its origin in Jamaica. It’s typically played in 4/4 time signature, with prominent bass lines, and off-beat rhythmic style.

Aside from the incredible sound of Reggae, it’s also famous for popularizing one of the most laid-back fashion styles that we see today. Reggae fashion features beachwear and colorful accessories, such as bracelets, necklaces, sandals, and beanies (often with the colors of the flag of Jamaica).

Takeaway

Every music genre has a unique fashion style. After all, music and fashion go hand-in-hand when it comes to promoting creativity and self-expression. If you want to dress according to your favorite music genre, take note of the fashion outfits and accessories mentioned in this article.

New York × Decreasing Population

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New York Is One of Nine States With a Decreasing Population

Recently released data from the U.S. Census Bureau shows that population growth in the U.S. has reached its lowest level since 1937 despite recent gains in immigration. The long-term downward trend is the result of a declining birth rate and increased deaths, especially among America’s aging white population. While population growth has slowed at the national level, population changes at the state and city level vary widely. Between 2017 and 2018, all but nine states saw their populations rise. Texas, Florida, California, and Arizona experienced the largest absolute population increases. At the other end of the spectrum, New York, Illinois, West Virginia, and Louisiana experienced the largest absolute population decreases, largely as a result of residents moving out-of-state. While Texas, Florida, and Arizona also lead the country in net domestic migration (people moving in from other states), California ranks second only to New York for having the most people leaving the state. New Jersey and Illinois are also prominent among the long list of states losing swaths of residents to other states. In order to determine the fastest-growing U.S. cities and states, researchers at 360 Quote analyzed data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Population growth was measured as the percentage increase or decrease in residents from 2013 to 2018 for cities and from 2017 to 2018 for states. Researchers also calculated population changes due to births, deaths, international migration, and domestic migration to provide additional insight into the evolving demographics of each location. The analysis found that New York is one of just nine states that saw a decrease in its population over the last year. Here is a summary of the data for New York: Percent change in population: -0.25% Total population growth (2017 to 2018): -48,510 Births: 227,099 Deaths: 165,728 International migration: 70,375 Domestic migration: -180,306 For reference, here are the statistics for the entire United States: Percent change in population: 0.62% Total population growth (2017 to 2018): 2,020,313 Births: 3,855,500 Deaths: 2,814,013 International migration: 978,826 Domestic migration: Not applicable For more information, a detailed methodology, and complete results for all U.S. cities and states, you can find the original report HERE.

Anderson .Paak × Justin Timberlake

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ANDERSON .PAAK & JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE RELEASE “DON’T SLACK”

LISTEN & WATCH THE LYRIC VIDEO HERE

FROM TROLLS WORLD TOUR (ORIGINAL MOTION PICTURE SOUNDTRACK)

“DON’T SLACK” WRITTEN AND PRODUCED BY ANDERSON .PAAK, LUDWIG GÖRANSSON, JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE

SOUNDTRACK TO BE RELEASED TODAY VIA RCA RECORDS – ORDER NOW

TIMBERLAKE RETURNS AS EXECUTIVE MUSIC PRODUCER

DREAMWORKS ANIMATION’S TROLLS WORLD TOUR THE FILM ARRIVES IN THEATERS APRIL 17TH

Trolls World Tour (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) Track List
1. The Other Side – SZA & Justin Timberlake
2. Trolls Wanna Have Good Times – Anna Kendrick, Justin Timberlake James Corden, Ester Dean, Icona Pop, Kenan Thompson & the Pop Trolls
3. Don’t Slack – Anderson .Paak & Justin Timberlake
4. It’s All Love – Anderson .Paak, Justin Timberlake, Mary J. Blige & George Clinton
5. Just Sing – Justin Timberlake, Anna Kendrick, Kelly Clarkson, Mary J. Blige, Anderson .Paak & Kenan Thompson
6. One More Time – Anthony Ramos
7. Atomic Dog World Tour Remix – George Clinton and Parliament, Funkadelic, Anderson .Paak
Mary J. Blige
8. Rainbows, Unicorns, Everything Nice – Walt Dohrn & Joseph Shirley
9. Rock N Roll Rules – HAIM & Ludwig Göransson
10. Leaving Lonesome Flats – Dierks Bentley
11. Born to Die – Kelly Clarkson
12. Trolls 2 Many Hits Mashup – Anna Kendrick, Justin Timberlake, James Corden, Icona Pop & the Pop Trolls
13. Barracuda – Rachel Bloom
14. Yodel Beat – Ludwig Göransson
15. Crazy Train – Rachel Bloom
16. I Fall to Pieces – Sam Rockwell
17. Perfect for Me – Justin Timberlake
18. Rock You Like a Hurricane – Rachel Bloom
19. It’s All Love (History of Funk) – Anderson .Paak, Mary J. Blige & George Clinton
20. Just Sing (Trolls World Tour) – Justin Timberlake, Anna Kendrick, James Corden, Kelly Clarkson, George Clinton, Mary J. Blige, Anderson .Paak, Rachel Bloom, Kenan Thompson, Anthony Ramos, Red Velvet, Icona Pop & Sam Rockwell

OTR × “Moon”

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OTR SHARES NEW SINGLE, “MOON” FT. VANCOUVER SLEEP CLINIC

“Moon” Is From His Debut Album, Lost At Midnight, Set For April 24 Release On Astralwerks

Download / Stream “Moon” HERE

Astralwerks released OTR’s new single, “Moon” ft. Vancouver Sleep Clinic. The Australian artist’s luminous vocals float over OTR’s lush, euphoric production, creating an uplifting, transcendent track.

Ryan Chadwick – the 26-year old aerospace engineer-turned-producer behind OTR – says, “Tim [Vancouver Sleep Clinic] and I first met during an Astralwerks writing camp at Shangri-la, the historic Malibu studio now owned by Rick Rubin. It only took 30 minutes for us to click and find the hook. After that weekend, I spent a lot of time thinking about what it was like to be at that iconic studio. I sort of felt like an imposter and wanted to make something truly worthy of the history there. ‘Moon’ is the result of me pushing myself to rise to the occasion, and challenging my sound to be greater.” Vancouver Sleep Clinic’s Tim Bettinson grew up in Brisbane, Australia. His new album, Onwards to Zion, was hailed by Ones To Watch as an “ambient playlist staple…a collective of refreshing guitar melodies, frosty synths, and angelic vocals that have a way of gliding into the spirit of a listener and settling into the crevices of their bones.” “Moon” is from OTR’s full-length debut, Lost At Midnight, which will be released on April 24. He will support the album with a North American summer tour – his first headline outing. Tickets are on sale HERE.

The Lost At Midnight Tour will include shows at Vinyl in OTR’s adopted home of Atlanta (June 27), Rough Trade in New York City (July 18) and The Echo in Los Angeles (July 24).

Lost At Midnight is now available for pre-order at all DSPs HERE. Fans who pre-order the album in digital format will instantly receive “Moon” ft. Vancouver Sleep Clinic plus “Midnight Sun” (with Ukiyo), “Stay” (with WYNNE), “Heart” (ft. Shallou) and “Drive” (with Panama). The vinyl and digital editions are available for pre-order at http://store.musicbyotr.com.

“Moon” is the follow-up to the single “Midnight Sun” (with Ukiyo), which has proven to be OTR’s most reactive track to date. Heard in the opening scene of the Netflix global hit film To All The Boys: P.S. I Still Love You, which was released last month, “Midnight Sun” has already attained nearly one million cumulative streams worldwide.

This Song Is Sick said, “[OTR & Ukiyo] deliver a four-minute emotional experience packed with soft, atmospheric soundscapes, ghostly vocal chops, skittering arpeggios and crisp, booming drums.” Ones To Watch premiered the official video and noted, “OTR…Captures a Moment of Serene Bliss.” Watch the video HERE.
“Heart” feat. Shallou climbed to #1 on the Sirius XM Chill chart and has amassed nearly 12 million cumulative streams to date. Earmilk said, “To unite the sonically soul-kindling abilities of OTR and Shallou is to create something truly sublime.” The follow-up to OTR’s independently-released 2018 EP Unfold, Lost at Midnight also features collaborations with Saint Sinner, LOWES, Au/Ra and Emerson Leif. Chadwick uncovered his passion for music in 2012, when he began tinkering on a dusty, run-down piano in his college dorm lobby. Taking an internship in Japan in 2014, he found himself living in the small town of in Kurashiki, with no friends and a major language barrier. To combat the isolation, he purchased a keyboard and a train pass and spent all his free time making music and traveling to bigger cities. Upon returning to the University of Cincinnati, Chadwick kept up with his music and began releasing his material under the name OTR – a nod to Over-the-Rhine, a recently revitalized area on the outskirts of downtown Cincinnati. Now based in Atlanta, he recorded most of Lost at Midnight in his apartment, slowly uncovering certain signature elements that now define his sound.

ABOUT ASTRALWERKS:
Established in New York City and now finding its new home in the historic Capitol Records Tower in Los Angeles, Astralwerks was the brainchild of staffers at Caroline Records who saw an opportunity for a label focused on the emerging electronic and ambient scene. Having reached a milestone of 25 years, Astralwerks has quickly become a modern, artist-first label with a true focus on nurturing talent across the electronic genre and beyond. Acting with a scalable, independent and global thinking mentality with the capability to tap into the resources of a major label, has allowed Astralwerks to retain and sign up-and-coming artists such as Illenium, Jonas Blue, Alison Wonderland, EDEN, Sigma and Axwell /\ Ingrosso. As a testament to this pioneering approach, Astralwerks has amassed 34 GRAMMY® nominations, taken home eight GRAMMY Awards and had historic releases from the likes of The Chemical Brothers, Swedish House Mafia, Halsey, Porter Robinson, Phoenix, Eric Prydz, Fatboy Slim and many more.

OTR, music, album, artwork, lost at midnight

“Lost at Midnight” Album Artwork

Brianna Cash × “Numb”

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LYRIC VIDEO FOR DEBUT SINGLE “NUMB”. WATCH NOW!

“One of R&B’s newest voices clearly knows a thing or two about making an excellent first impression.” – E!

“Cash doesn’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon.” – THE FADER

North Philadelphia-bred singer/songwriter/guitarist Brianna Cash releases a lyric video for her debut single “Numb”. The “Numb” single and accompanying music video with Toronto rapper Tory Lanez officially released this past January. The video arrives on the heels of Cash’s stripped-down acoustic video for the song which released this past month, a spellbinding version of the song that showcases the raw heart and talent in Cash’s voice.

Check Out the Lyric Video for “Numb” by Brianna Cash.

Born Brianna Castro, Cash got her start playing in the school band and singing in the church choir. By the age of 15 she’d started writing her own songs, mining inspiration from artists like Stevie Wonder and Lauryn Hill (whose MTV Unplugged special prompted Cash to pick up the acoustic guitar). Soon after linking up with Pop Wansel (who later paved the way for her signing to Fish Grease/ Interscope), she lent her hypnotic vocals to tracks like Tory Lanez’s “Question Is” and landed on The FADER’s list of “5 Artists Ready To Be Philadelphia’s Next Champion.” Read more HERE

Cash brings an uncompromising honesty to each piece of music she creates. “People go back to their [favorite artist’s] first album for everything,” she says. “I want my first album to be like, ‘Oh shit, she came out the gate with some fire. A REAL classic.’ Gotta set the bar for myself to do better.”

RETAIL / AMAZON / APPLE MUSIC / SPOTIFY / TIDAL

For more information on Brianna Cash, visit:

INSTAGRAM / TWITTER / SOUNDCLOUD / WEBSITE

Queen Naija – Butterflies Pt. 2

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Preserving unprecedented momentum from a breakthrough 2019, platinum-certified R&B singer and songwriter Queen Naija officially shares her new single “Butterflies Pt. 2” today. Get it HERE via Capitol Music Group. It stands out as the sequel to her recently platinum-certified 2018 single “Butterflies.”

Earlier this week, she teased out the track on YouTube with a “Memory Video.” View it HERE. The clip impressively neared 1 million views in less three days. It intercuts intimate real-life moments between Queen Naija and her boyfriend Clarence White. Cycling through actual Facetime chats and iPhone video, it seamlessly reflects the vulnerability of the track itself. Over acoustic guitar-laced minimal production by Rice N’ Peas [Kiana Ledé, Bazzi], emotion shines through the verses as she confesses, “I still get butterflies.”

“Butterflies Pt. 2” sets the stage for an even bigger 2020 as she readies her anxiously awaited full-length debut album for release very soon.

5 Reasons You Should Create A Financial Budget

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To successfully manage your finances, you must create a budget and stick to it. This may not be easy at first, but it is a rewarding endeavor that will benefit your life. Getting a handle on your hard-earned money makes a huge difference in your lifestyle. Making a financial budget is necessary to live a full life because your choices can make or break you. Here are the top five reasons why you should create a financial budget.

Gives You Control

Your financial budget will give you more control over your money. You will know how much you earn, where every penny is going, and how much you need to save each month. Everything is enumerated, so there is no room for errors. With this roadmap, you have a clear grasp of all your assets and liabilities. It will prevent arguments and protect your relationships because everyone in your family is on board. You all have a clear picture of what is happening with your funds, which helps avoid misunderstandings and arguments.

Helps Attain Goals

A budget is akin to a blueprint that will help guide you into achieving your financial goals, both short-term and long-term. Whether it is setting funds enough for investments, buying a new house, saving money for your kids’ college tuition, or preparing for an emergency, having a definite plan on how to get things done makes you more efficient. You can prioritize your objectives, so you can readily devote your resources to the things that matter to you. With a plan in place, you can crush your goals without getting super stressed out. As the saying goes, people who fail to plan, plan to fail. If you want to hit your targets successfully, you must be willing to do your part.

Keeps You Honest

When you document all your expenses down to the last cent, it allows you to see how you are spending your money concretely. You don’t get surprised that your paycheck has been depleted at the end of each month. With this mindset, you avoid nasty overdraft charges and steep credit card feels. When you hold yourself accountable every day, there is less risk of impulse purchases that drain your savings. When you are true to yourself about your spending habits, you can quickly achieve your goals.

Helps Improve Your Habits

It is a terrible habit to spend more than you earn. This sets you up for a lifetime of misery because you will be immersed in debt. If you continue your bad habits, you set yourself up for financial ruin. By accounting how much you spend and making a budget for your needs, you will make better choices. With these in place, your warning bells will ring when you notice that you are headed in the wrong direction. Consequently, you can take the necessary steps to avoid trouble by inculcating good financial habits. Keeping a budget or financial plan also trains you to be more systematic and consistent with your record-keeping.

Deters Debt and Improves Credit

With a solid financial plan in place for yourself and your family, you are in complete control of your spending. You can make adjustments with your choices if your budget doesn’t cut it. You may also be able to determine ways to help address your existing debt. Moreover, your budget will prevent you from accruing more debt and entering a dangerous downward spiral. When you have your plan in place, you are motivated to pay your bills on time because you see the results firsthand. All of these elements work in conjunction to help you build a good credit score. Better credit gives you more favorable options to lean on during financial emergencies.

Final Word

Crunching numbers may not be as fun as going on an all-out shopping spree, but you need to be more financially responsible as this equates to a better overall quality of life. Having a financial budget prevents you from spending money that you don’t have. Crafting a detailed budget that everyone follows is the only way to achieve real security for your family. Apart from keeping your short-term spending in check, it also sets you up for a more solid long-term financial future.