This post is sponsored advertising content by State Farm®; however, all thoughts are genuine and my own.

On November 22nd my life changed forever. Joseph Karris Rapley Flash was born and everything I had been working towards my entire life made sense. I became a mother the day I received the positive reading on my pregnancy test, but it really hit home the moment I held him in my arms for the first time. He was so little, so precious, so perfect and beyond worthy of all of me. As I looked in his face and cried, I immediately wanted to do everything I could do to protect him.

It’s important to me to be financially secure so my son can experience the life we envision for him. The following decisions will get us on that path:

Business

Smart business decisions enable me to remain an entrepreneur and be involved in his life in the capacity that I desire. This is important to me because I was born to military parents who often didn’t have a say in how much time they spent with my sister and me growing up, due to military obligations. I want to determine how much time I spend with my children, not leave that decision to an employer. Smart business decisions include:

  • Staffing and delegation of tasks to staff
  • Managing relationships with partners
  • Determining proper business structure
  • Working with my accountant
  • Properly allocating revenue using the ‘Profit First’ model

I’ve used several of the tips in the Entrepreneurs Toolbox found on LetsStartToday.com to make sure I’m on track and making the best decisions for my business, myself and my family.

Healthcare

I’ve prioritized my healthcare decisions, including remaining insured, eating properly, exercising, and maintaining low-stress levels so that I remain in the best health possible. This also means making sure our son has access to quality healthcare and quality ingredients when it comes to food and products applied to his skin.

Self-care is also an important aspect of my parentingensuring I have enough time to rest and recharge so that I am showing up at my best for him, as well as minimizing stress on my body. Our health is tied to our financial outcome in many ways and I love that State Farm offers healthy lifestyle tips in addition to financial tips, that are useful and effective. Maintaining good health can help lower healthcare costs, can increase your quality of life and has the potential to lower life insurance premiums.

Finance

I often say that the best gift a parent can give their children is financial freedom. Not a child’s financial freedom but your own financial freedom. It’s common to get stuck buying things for our children to give them happy experiences when they’re little. We don’t realize, however, that by failing to prioritize our financial security we run the chance of becoming a financial burden to them later when they’re starting out in their life, which sets them back. I’ve witnessed too many of my peers unable to move forward in their own lives because they are financially responsible for their parents.

I began establishing my financial foundation when I created My Fab Finance, which meant improving my credit score and my relationship to debt, creating an actual savings account and boundaries so that I wouldn’t use savings on non-savings related items, and making diverse investments so that I can grow my money. Having a solid financial foundation has not only enabled me to create my desired maternity leave and bonding experience, it also has given me more confidence that we will be financial assets to Karris as he grows up, not financial burdens.

Insurance

My biggest fear is our time together ending prematurely. I want to be here for him and with him forever, and in the event I’m not I want to make sure that he is adequately taken care of. While I’m making wise financial decisions on my day-to-day investing for the future, I’m also diligent about keeping my life insurance policies up to date.

I purchased term life insurance at the beginning of my financial journey years ago, but after the completion of Season 4 of the Color Full Lives podcast, presented by State Farm last year, I realized it was time for me to add a universal life insurance policy to my portfolio.

Life insurance can be one of the best ways to create a legacy and helps ensure your family is taken care of in the event of your passing. It helps ensure your family is taken care of in the event of your passing.  Life insurance can help loved ones pay day-to-day expenses, eliminate debt (like a mortgage, car loan, or credit card…) and cover future education costs. Life insurance also provides peace of mind knowing that your loved ones will have financial stability and security when it matters most.

There are a variety of different life insurance options available. To explore what’s best for you visit statefarm.com/Life to research the different options, and connect with your local State Farm agent.

Planning for my son’s future doesn’t stop here. We also established an education savings plan that we, along with family and friends, can contribute to, and I’ve been speaking with my financial advisor about setting up a custodial account for him so that he’ll be ahead of most of his peers financially from the start.

You don’t have to wait until tomorrow or next week to get started on your financial goals and planning for those in your life. Visit LetsStartToday.com to begin.

This post was sponsored advertising content by State Farm.

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Created by nationally recognized millennial money expert Tonya Rapley, My Fab Finance is a leading financial education and lifestyle blog for millennials who want to become financially free and do more of what they love.