Name Change Advice

Looking for name change advice or some tips for newlywed life? The MissNowMrs experts have created state-specific name change articles and checklists for you. We’ve chronicled our recommendations for how to travel while changing your name AND how to handle voting during the transition.

We’ve also compiled our best guidance for how to handle difficult sister in laws, holidays as newlyweds, the ever-annoying baby questions, and much more. Why? Because, while we are name change experts, we’re also newlywed wives, moms, and sisters.

We hope our name change advice articles help smooth your transition to your new name, and a whole new phase of life. Congratulations and best wishes from the entire MissNowMrs team!

Newlywed Finances: Tips For Setting Goals Together

Newlywed finances are incredibly important to discuss. Once the excitement of the wedding is over and the reality of living together as newlyweds sets in, getting your financial house in order is an absolute must. Finding the right place to start, though, can be overwhelming. These tips can help.

Where are You?

One of the first things you may want to do is understand exactly where you’re at. This should involve looking at what the two of you make each month, then making a detailed list of expenses that you’ll need to deal with. Don’t forget to factor in things like groceries, transportation expenses (bus passes, subway fare, or gas) and day to day living expenses. This process should not only help you understand what you have coming in, but also identify any spots where you’re wasting money as well.

New Financial Needs

In addition to thinking about what you’re already spending money on, you may also have new financial needs to consider. For example, now that the two of you are married, do you need to apply for new health insurance together? What about life insurance? If your spouse has a child, are there childcare expenses you hadn’t previously considered? Add all of those into your monthly budget as well.

Set Both Short and Long Term Goals

Lots of couples just move like zombies from month to month without really planning for their goals, but look ahead five years, then look ahead ten years. Where do you want to be together as a couple? Do you want to own a home? Do you plan to have children? Are there investments you need to make right away? Looking down the line a bit will help you set aside money for the future each month.

Flexibility and Fun

Once you set your financial goals, though, don’t assume they’re set in stone forever. Make sure you both reevaluate at least once a year, but maybe even every six months to ensure you’re on track to meeting your dreams and dealing with the reality of financial life together. Also, make sure there’s a little room in your budget for fun. Your first years as newlyweds should be spent making memories that will last a lifetime. So, be sure to add a vacation or life experience to your list of goals!

How are you handling your newlywed finances? Did our tips help? We’d love to hear from you in a comment.

Get To Know Your In-Laws: 4 Tips You Need Now

Curious how to get to know your in-laws? One of the most important and potentially tedious relationships you’re likely to have, is with your in-laws. They’re not your parents, but now they’re family and very important to your spouse. Taking the time to get to know them as individuals (not just your in-laws) will help your relationship with them and your relationship with your partner for years to come.

Be Considerate

Everyone likes to be appreciated, so take your mother-in-law out to lunch for her birthday. Don’t forget a card and/or flowers on Mother’s Day or Father’s Day. While technically your husband should keep up with his family and you should keep up with yours…you may end up responsible for all parents appreciation. Better to be the one sending cards than letting your spouse forget and make both of you look bad! There are a number of creative ways you can show your respect, so take advantage of each one of those.

Think Outside the In-Law Part

Sure, they’re your partner’s parents, but you should think of them as your friends and/or mentors. Try to get involved with something they enjoy (like gardening or golf). Having a common interest will give you things to talk about during family dinners and holidays. The relationship you have will be an important part of your marriage, and a cue for how your spouse should treat your parents…so keep that in mind the next time you visit your in-laws.

Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff

There are bound to be differences between you and your in-laws, but if you don’t keep an open mind, you may not really see them for who they are. So maybe your mother in law has a few decorating opinions that aren’t in step with yours, just smile and try to understand her viewpoint. You aren’t obligated to make any of the changes she suggests. Listening will win you more points than arguing. Keep in mind that it takes some time to develop a relationship and understand each others boundaries. Proper communication will help you build a lasting relationship.

Time Will Tell

Rome and relationships weren’t built in a day. Try to give things a bit of extra time to gel, particularly if your new spouse was very close to his family. The closer they are, the more threatened they may feel by your presence, so be sure to be respectful and friendly, but try to give your in-laws a bit of extra space too. The relationship you build is essential to a happy marriage, so even if you don’t start off on the right foot, keep at it.

What tips do you think are the most important when getting to know your in-laws? We’d love for you to share in a comment.

Easy DIY Projects That Will Change Your Space

Looking for easy DIY projects for newlyweds? You’re married, you’ve moved in and now you’re wondering how to improve your home or apartment together. If the two of you are looking for a fresh look, but you’re not ready to move, DIY projects are often the perfect answer.

You don’t have to commit to a 2 month renovation of your home or apartment to get that great new feeling. Here are a few quick projects to consider that will give you the satisfaction of improving your home as a newlywed couple.

Repaint your Trim
Whether you’re talking about the interior trim in your apartment or the exterior trim on your house, a quick repaint is a simple project the two of you can do together, and it won’t cost you a bundle. Pick out a color you think will look nice at the hardware store, grab a gallon and a couple of brushes, then get busy painting! Worried about trying a color other than white? Check out the Sherwin-Williams paint visualizer. You can upload a photo of your room and see what your trim will look like in thousands of colors.

Add a Light Fixture
Stop by Lowes or check out LightingDirect.com for inspiration. Did you know that there are fixtures that can change your boring overhead lighting into cool hanging lights by simply screwing them into the current socket? Pick something fun to hang over your dining room table or entryway and be prepared for compliments the next time you have friends over.

Plant Some Flowers
Whether the two of you are apartment dwellers or you have your own home, adding some flowers in the spring, summer, or even the fall is a great way to improve the look of your place. If you live in an apartment, add a window box or a few pots out on your balcony. If you don’t have either of those options, there are certainly some blooming plants you can put near a window.

If you have a home, put in an entire flowerbed. Just make certain you know what grows best in your geographic zone before you ever start the planting process. If you’re at Home Depot you can scan the QR code on a flower pot to get all of the care tips for the plants.

DIY projects always make you feel better about yourself and are a great way to build your marriage as you improve your surroundings. What DIY projects have you done recently?

TSA Tip For Newlyweds & Honeymooners

If you do nothing else, follow this one TSA tip for newlyweds! After all of the thought and planning that goes into creating the perfect wedding, most newlyweds are more than ready to set off on a carefree honeymoon! Can you imagine how upset you would be if you couldn’t hop on that plane to your exotic destination? It happens to newlyweds….and it’s horrible.

ALWAYS book your honeymoon flights and travel reservations in your maiden name. And be sure your fiance knows this. We know you and your spouse can’t wait to for you to use your new name. But, if you have your married name on your tickets and your maiden name on your passport…it’s a no go.

Simply wait until you return all tan and relaxed from your first trip as newlyweds to file for your new passport in your new married name. Your new picture will be that much better. If you’ve had your U.S. passport for less than 12 months it’s free! When you receive your new passport, they’ll include your old one. So, you can use the page with your travel stamps in a scrapbook or momento.

Now that you know our TSA tip for newlyweds, tell your other engaged friends the scoop so they don’t miss their dream honeymoon. Should you or your friends need help changing your names, the MissNowMrs app or online name change service can save you hours of hassle!

Help Me Change My Name

Do you know anyone that had trip issues right after their wedding? We’d love to hear from you in a comment.

Potential Name Change Voter Woes

We’ve heard a symphony of name change voter woes over the years. As you know, many women in the United States opt to change their names after marriage. The ideal scenario is to change your name right after your wedding on every identification document you have, down to your gym membership card. While this is the ideal, it rarely happens.

Day-to-day newlywed life and its balance of work, love, friends, family, etc leaves little room for standing in long office lines until you’re an official Mrs. Until recently, there weren’t too many consequences to partially changing your name, but times they are a changing.

One of the new possible consequences of halfway changing your name: not being able to vote. I just read an article in the Columbia Daily Tribune and the author is very concerned about a mandate regulating what forms of ID are considered acceptable proof of citizenship before you can cast a ballot. The mandate in Missouri would require any person who wanted to vote to show a valid driver’s license or U.S. passport in their legal name.

That can be a bit sticky for a woman who changed her name with Social Security, but not on her driver’s license and/or passport. Should the mandate pass, there will probably be a mad dash to the DMV to make the necessary updates, or scads of ladies turned away on election day due to mismatches.

The moral of the story is, if you change your name after marriage be sure to do it completely! Using a name change service like MissNowMrs can streamline the process and save you hours of time and costly future headaches.

Help Me Change My Name

What do you think of the Missouri Photo ID mandate? Is the state you’re living in considering something similar?