Sierra's Day

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  • Manifest with Daily Affirmations

    Disclaimer, this post may contain affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission for purchases made through the links at no additional cost to you.

    We’ve all heard the terms manifestation and affirmations, but do we all believe we can manifest through the use of daily affirmations?

    Everyone has their own set of beliefs and routines, but the power of affirmations can be magical. I was never a huge believer in what I thought was “woo woo shit” until I dropped my ego and gave it a try.

    What are Affirmations?

    Affirmations are positive phrases you say to yourself to improve your confidence and inner belief in yourself.

    Some people select affirmations and and write them out in their favorite journal each morning. Others choose their affirmations and stand in front of the mirror and repeat them while staring at their reflection. Some do both.

    It sounds silly, but it works.

    Why do Affirmations Work?

    Affirmations work because they are forcing your brain to focus on the positive. You are telling yourself positive things and it is rewiring your subconscious to believe those things.

    Everyone has a subconscious part of the brain that rules their everyday life. Your subconscious holds the beliefs that you live by. A lot of people are subconsciously choosing limiting beliefs that are dictating their lives.

    By implementing positive affirmations into your daily life, you are rewiring your subconscious to have more positive beliefs. It is similar to how meditation and hypnosis works.

    What affirmations should I use?

    You can use any affirmations you want. They can be broad such as “Today is going to be the best day,” or you can get specific for a goal you have coming up.

    Maybe you have a big work presentation coming up, so everyday until then you choose the affirmation, “I aced my presentation.” You can add specifics to it, so if you are presenting to a potential investor, “I aced my presentation and secured the funding from the investor.”

    Some people choose multiple affirmations to incorporate into their daily routine. A few of my favorites are;

    “I am worthy of all of the good that comes my way”

    “My body is strong and healthy.”

    “I am worthy of the love I am shown.”

    How do I implement affirmations into my day?

    You can implement affirmations into your day in a few ways. You can add them to your morning or night routine through journaling. Grab your favorite journal, this one is a great option for affirmations, and write out three to five affirmations, repeating them until you fill the page.

    Or you can stand in front of the mirror and say them out loud to yourself. This can also become a part of your morning or night routine.

    Everytime you go to the bathroom throughout the day you can look in the mirror and repeat your affirmations to yourself.

    You can also record a voice note of you saying your affirmations and play them on repeat in the morning when you are getting ready or at night before bed.

    Conclusion

    Affirmations are powerful. Implement them into your day to day routine and see what difference it makes. Don’t expect a magical overnight transformation, but shifting your mind to think positive thoughts is a really powerful thing.

    When you shift your mindset to one of positivity and inner belief, you will be able to manifest all of your desires.

    Check out my other blog posts here. Check out my favorite lifestyle products here.

  • Three Personal Financials to Know Before Buying a House

    Disclaimer, this post may contain affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission for purchases made through the links at no additional cost to you.

    Buying a house may be the largest purchase you will ever make in your life. It is no small feat and takes a lot of thought and consideration. There are three personal financials you need to know before buying a house.

    To keep yourself organized on this journey, check out this House Hunting Organizer.

    For more information on things to know before buying your first house read this blog post. Otherwise, read on to learn what three pieces of personal financial information you need to know before you buy a house.

    Hand holding money

    My Experience

    I am no expert in buying a house, as I’m currently in the process of buying my first house. I’m learning as I go and have obviously been through the preparation process before I started the house hunt.

    This blog post is meant to help others who are preparing to buy their first house get their finances in order.

    Know Your Savings

    You need to know how much you have in your savings when buying a house. If you don’t have an idea of what you have saved, it’s gonna be more difficult to estimate your monthly costs and budget.

    Remember closing costs also require up front cash. If you have $20,000 saved, don’t expect that to all go towards your down payment. You may have $10,000 in closing costs, so that would only leave you with $10,000 for a down payment. That can greatly affect your budget.

    I was not aware of how steep closing costs were when I first started this process. If there’s anything you take away from this, remember closing costs exist and you have to budget for them.

    This may mean you might have to save for a few more months before you’re ready to buy a house. That’s okay though, it’s better to know ahead of time. It would suck to find a house you love and not be able to afford it when you thought you could.

    accountant working on desk using calculator for calculate finance report in office

    Your Budget

    You should decide what your budget is before you start looking at houses. It would suck to fall in love with a house, only to find out it’s way over budget. This is why you need to know what price house you can afford.

    I recommend to work backwards from a monthly payment to see what price you can afford. There are other items that are factored into your monthly payment, such as taxes, homeowners insurance and PMI (private mortgage insurance).

    PMI is typically charged if you don’t have a 20% down payment. Some banks waive PMI, some charge it.

    If you can find a bank that doesn’t charge PMI, it may be a good option to go with them. It can save you on your monthly payment. Banks that don’t offer PMI may charge higher interest rates though. You have to do your own due diligence and crunch the numbers.

    Your Credit Score

    You need to know what your credit score is. This is going to impact how much house you can get approved for and the interest rate the bank can offer you.

    Along with how much debt you have, and your savings, your credit score also factors into your budget. The higher the credit score, the more house you can get approved for. The higher your credit, the better the interest rate the bank will offer you.

    A better interest rate, means a better monthly payment. This means you can save money compared to your counterpart buying the same priced house with a lower credit score.

    Close up of hands at wooden desktop with laptop computer and abstract credit score scale on screen. Finance and consumer concept.

    Conclusion

    The three personal financials you need to know before buying a house include your savings, your budget and your credit score. If you get these in line and understand your personal situation, you will be in good shape to start your house hunting journey.

    Click here to read more and follow along on my personal house hunting journey.

    To keep yourself organized, check out this House Hunting Organizer.

  • First Time Homebuyer Tips I wish I Had Before Starting the Process of Buying my First House.

    Disclaimer, this post may contain affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission for purchases made through the links at no additional cost to you.

    Buying a house is no small feat, so here are first time homebuyer tips I wish I had when I first started the process of trying to buy a home.

    The last four years, I’ve had the goal of buying a house. I moved back home, like many, when COVID hit. Four years later and I’ve finally settled on buying a single family home to live in. I’ve made the decision, but still haven’t found the house, though I’ve been close.

    I’m a thinker, one might say an over-thinker, so I am thorough. I do my research and try to find the best way to do something. Naturally I felt prepared going into the whole process, even though I didn’t know it all, I was confident I could learn.

    I started the process and man was it a slap in the face. Nobody told me how draining this whole process could be. Here are some overlooked first time homebuyer tips.

    First Time Homebuyer Tips

    1. No matter how prepared you feel as a first time homebuyer, there will be more to learn.

      Remember, you haven’t done this before and everyone has something they can teach you. Even if you’re used to knowing your facts and understanding the process, it’s okay to not know it all. Let people help you and guide you, but do your research and make sure their guidance aligns with your goals.

      The biggest thing that helped me was taking notes. I know, it’s old school, some of you probably haven’t taken notes since high school, but it’s valuable. This is one of the first time homebuyer tips that no one told me, probably because it almost seems silly, but it’s helpful.

      When I met with the bank, I walked in there with a new notebook. Man did it come in handy. I was learning so much. And let me tell you, I have referenced this notebook almost daily since that first meeting.

      I took notes on the first conversation with my realtor and every bank I have talked to since. From different quotes and interest rates, they’re all in one spot.

      If you’re gonna shop around, which I highly recommend you do, you’re going to be getting a lot of information. Notes allow you to look back on that info and remember who told you what. You can look back on the different programs each bank has and compare notes from each bank.

      It may seem like extra work, but my notebook has become my best friend through this whole process. Click here for the notebook I have been using through this process.

      2. Keep an open mind.

      Don’t have a one track mind. Try to keep your mind open to all of the possibilities. You may not see the potential in a house, but try to look at it from a different angle. Don’t see it for what is right in front of you, see it for what it can be. Kinda ironic because usually we’re being told to take what’s in front of us for what it is, but houses are different, we’re not dating the house, you’re making it your home.

      Obviously if there are major structural damages or something large that would need repairs, you may not have the time or resources to see the potential.

      For a structurally sound house, remember the paint and furniture isn’t permanent. You can make it anything you want it to be. As a first time homebuyer it may be hard to see the potential of a house because you’ve never had your own house to make yours, so try to get creative with your imagination here.

      3. Remember everyone is trying to sell you something.

      There are genuine people out there who want to help you, but at the end of the day they all have a job to do and that is to sell you something. Your real estate agent is selling you a house, your mortgage officer is selling you a mortgage, they are going to do whatever they can to get the job done.

      With that being said, make sure you interview and find a quality real estate agent you trust to guide you on this journey. Don’t be afraid to ask questions up front and really get a feel for your agent. If something doesn’t feel right, get a new agent. You don’t have to agree to work with the first agent you talk to.

      Remember no matter how nice the people at the bank are, they are also selling you something. Not to say they aren’t good people, but they may tell you want you want to hear to try to get you to go with their bank or mortgage company.

      Moral of the story; do your own research and don’t be afraid to advocate for yourself. Speaking up for yourself may save you thousands of dollars.

      4. Don’t fall in love with a house.

      I feel like we’ve all heard this one, but it’s true. No matter how “in the bag” you think a deal is for you, don’t count on it. I was sure a deal was going through, I was ecstatic I finally had the purchase contract and would finally be a homeowner, only to get a phone call that the seller backed out. You never know what will happen and this can be highly discouraging as a first time homebuyer.

      You may find the house of your dreams and the sale could fall through, but remind yourself that something better will work out. Every time I’ve been bummed about a house not working out, an even better one that fits my needs has come along.

      Now I still haven’t found the one yet, but I’m not lying when I say I’m grateful that the house I put my first offer in on, didn’t work out because better ones have come along. They haven’t worked out either, but I’m trusting the right one will. And when it does, y’all will hear all about it.

      5. Relax, it will all work out.

      I like to tell myself that the universe, god, whatever you believe in has a plan. It’s a cliche, but “rejection is redirection.” It’s hard to let go sometimes, but I’m sure there have been times in your life where you look back and are glad something didn’t work out. Trust that this will be true with your house journey too.

      Summary

      Now that you have my top five first time homebuyer tips, I hope you have more confidence and feel more prepared for your own home buying journey. It can be stressful, but have fun with it. You only get to be a first time homebuyer once, so lean into it, learn the process, embrace the unknown and find the house that you’ll make your home.

      Stay tuned on my journey to home ownership and renovating and making a house my home at sierrasday.com/house