2011 May | Enemy of Debt: Where Behavior Meets Reality

Six Important Questions to Consider When Improving Your Finances

Written by Brad Chaffee on May 27, 2011 · 11 Comments

Are you sick and tired of struggling week to week, month to month? You probably know it doesn’t have to be that way but just haven’t quite figured out how to get the ball rolling. (or keep it rolling might be more accurate) Most of the time we tend to use techniques other broke people use whenever they want to break free. The problem is most people, especially broke people, haven’t a clue as to how to turn things around. We usually need a push in the right direction, from the right person. That certainly describes our old financial patterns [...] Read more »

Tags: Debt Elimination, financial future, Financial Independence, personal accountability, personal finance, Personal Responsibility

Christmas is Coming, Will You Be Ready?

Written by Brad Chaffee on May 25, 2011 · 8 Comments

Here on Enemy of Debt, I have made it a point to get people to think ahead, especially when it comes to Christmas. In 2009, I challenged all of you to have a Debt free Christmas by preparing for it early instead of last minute. Today's post comes from Tyson Morgan and promotes the same idea of being prepared for something that happens every single year. Nope, Christmas is not an "emergency", although far too often, people are putting Christmas on plastic because they failed to properly plan for what's become a MONSTER CONSUMER HOLIDAY. I love sharing different perspectives from different writers, so I hope you enjoy today's post. Will you have a Debt free Christmas in 2011? Read more »

Tags: budget, Christmas, Debt Elimination, debt free christmas, holiday shopping, planning, saving money

Mortgage Free – Why This is Essential for Traditional Retirement

Written by Clair Schwan on May 20, 2011 · 5 Comments

Who in their right mind would argue that being mortgage free is the only way to be if you expect to retire in some traditional way, with a house of your own? That would be me. As they say, "opinions vary" and "results vary." But, if you pay off the mortgage before you retire, that eliminates a large financial obligation essential for living - someplace to live. That's one of the big reasons it makes sense to me. From my vantage point, as an early self-retired individual, I see being 100% debt free as an essential part of having peace of mind when you retire, and I'm up on my soapbox to explain why. Gather 'round my financially fit friends and lend me your ears. Read more »

Tags: become debt free, Debt Elimination, debt free retirement, home ownership, Mortgage, mortgage free, pay off the mortgage, Retirement, retirement expenses

The Government Wants to Raise the Debt Ceiling, But Should They?

Written by Brad Chaffee on May 18, 2011 · 22 Comments

As most of you know I am no fan of the United States Government, especially when it comes to how they spend money. Republicans and Democrats alike have continued to spend like crazy on some of the most ridiculous and unnecessary budget items and it’s put the country in a terrible situation. There has been talk from many groups about whether or not the Government should raise the debt ceiling. Some say we need to stop with the out-of-control spending and others contend that not raising it would cause the U.S. to default on it’s debt obligations. I’m sure you [...] Read more »

Tags: big spenders, debt, Debt Elimination, federal debt, government spending

Should You Take Care of Your Parents Regardless?

Written by Brad Chaffee on May 16, 2011 · 9 Comments

Should you feel obligated to support your parents at or before retirement — regardless of circumstances? That is the question a caller asked Dave Ramsey on the radio last week. Here was his situation. His spouse’s family wanted to put together a fund that would support their parents for the next 25 years. He and his spouse were obviously affected differently by this question but ultimately agreed that it was not their responsibility to totally care for them financially, especially since the parents said they weren’t willing to go to work. They weren’t unable to work, they just didn’t want [...] Read more »

Tags: Debt Elimination, family disagreement, parent care, Relationships, Retirement, selfishness

Your Debt Free Checklist

Written by Brad Chaffee on May 12, 2011 · 13 Comments

Happy Friday everyone! Today’s post gives you a step-by-step checklist to work your way to debt freedom! Each one of these items could be elaborated on in a separate post, so expect to see something in the future for each one. I did however feel it was important to summarize each bullet point for a little explanation. I hope that for anyone just starting to think about their financial situations a little more seriously, and specifically, how debt is affecting it, that this checklist will give you something solid to follow to eventually reach your debt free goals. Click here [...] Read more »

Tags: checklist, Debt Elimination, debt free journey, pay off debt, step-by-step

I Lost 18 Pounds in 14 Days!!

Written by Brad Chaffee on May 9, 2011 · 9 Comments

Hello everyone! Today is the day I reveal how much weight I lost in just 14 days while doing the Rev Abs 14-day jump start nutrition program. All in all, it was GREAT! The first week went off without a hitch, but week two was a bit more difficult as I experienced elevated cravings pretty much all week long. When I began this jump start program (two weeks ago) I weighed in at 280 pounds. The first seven days I had the most incredible results. One week ago today, I weighed in at 266 pounds. That is not a typo! [...] Read more »

Tags: 14 day jump start, Beachbody products, nutrition, Rev Abs, weight loss

Dealing with Debt Collection Agencies

Written by Brad Chaffee on May 6, 2011 · 1 Comment

This is a guest post. Photo by quaziefoto Dealing with Debt Collection Agencies When your debt has been turned over to a debt collection agency, it is important to gather information first. Before you agree to pay the debt, find out what the debt is for, where it originated, and the original amount. If it is a fraudulent debt, you will need to go through the process of finding out whether you are liable for it, and take appropriate steps to work with law enforcement and the credit bureaus, as well as the lender and the debt collection agency to [...] Read more »

Tags: collections, debt collection, Debt Elimination, Tips

What Kind of Mother’s Day Gift Would You Prefer?

Written by Brad Chaffee on May 5, 2011 · 13 Comments

Photo Credit: Crystl Mother’s Day is almost upon us! I was going to save this post for Mother’s Day but instead decided to post it early out of curiosity. Plus, if there are any men out there waiting until the last minute, because that’s what men do, perhaps the comments alone could help them get their mother (and wife) that perfect gift to show their appreciation. After all, mothers are wonderful and highly under appreciated if you ask me. The question of the day is what’s the “perfect gift”? Mothers do lots of awesome things but the one thing that [...] Read more »

Tags: Debt Elimination, expensive, gifts, holiday, mother's day, special occasions

Frugality Tips – Practice Makes Perfect

Written by Brad Chaffee on May 5, 2011 · 9 Comments

This is a guest post written by Ross of GoBeRich.com. Photo credit: Cliff1066 So I took a little trip to the mall the other day with my girlfriend and one of her friends. This was my first mistake. My second mistake was thinking I would tag along with them while they shopped for clothes and shoes and that it wouldn’t drive me insane. Needless to say, it did drive me insane, so eventually I set off on my own in search of something to occupy myself with. I first headed to Game Stop, as I have to admit, I’m a [...] Read more »

Tags: Debt Elimination, Frugality, shopping, Tips

Enemy of Debt’s 3 Year Anniversary and Reader Appreciation Giveaway

Written by Brad Chaffee on May 4, 2011 · 32 Comments

Hello everyone! Today’s post is ALL about you! Last month on April 5th, Enemy of Debt reached a three year milestone. On that day, I started this blog with Hitting a Home Run and Becoming Debt Free Are the Same. Each year I have been blessed with the privilege of getting to know some really terrific people! I have enjoyed checking my inbox each and everyday to confirm that what I am doing is making a difference. Those emails really do keep me going and I have all of you to thank for it. Whether you actively comment or just [...] Read more »

Tags: Books, Debt Elimination, FPU membership kit, games, Giveaway

Race to Freedom Challenge #3 – Maximize Savings

Written by Brad Chaffee on May 2, 2011 · 15 Comments

Photo Credit: totalAldo Last month you were challenged to stop eating out for the entire month, OR severely cut back to a reasonable level. To recap, my family tried to cut our eating out visits to 4 times with a cap of $120 being the most we could spend for the month. As I reported in the update post a few weeks ago, we went out to eat six times, but since then did add one more time to that for a grand total of $200. To be honest IU’m not regretting that one either because it was right before [...] Read more »

Tags: Debt Elimination, race to freedom, Saving, Spending