Hello Enemy of Debt Readers

Written by on July 28, 2011 · 2 Comments
HI!

Hello Enemy of Debt readers!! I’m so excited to be a contributor of this site. I’m really looking forward to getting to know all of you. So I thought I’d start off by telling you a little about myself. My name is Ashley. I’m a work-at-home mother of two. My littlest one is starting Kindergarten this year, which when that happens it will be the first time in 10 years that I don’t have a kid at home with me. I’m kinda freaking out about that. I better see my productivity go through the roof! If not, I’ll have no [...] Read more »

Where Debt Begins: The Disconnect Between Perception and Reality

Written by on July 26, 2011 · 2 Comments
Where Debt Begins

If you are like most people today, you have debt payments challenging your future and creating a drag on your ability to invest. In addition to the financial issues debt creates, it also affects how we feel about ourselves and how we look at the world around us. We may think to ourselves, “what’s wrong with me?” or “where did I go wrong?” To move past these feelings, it might be helpful to consider where it might have all started. Read more »

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Are You Teaching Your Children to Avoid a Financial Stomach Ache?

Written by on July 20, 2011 · 13 Comments
curds and fries

Photo credit: newyork808 During the last week of school, my twelve year old son went on a class trip to the Nickelodeon Universe theme park inside the Mall Of America. When I picked him up from school, he told me that he didn’t go on any rides the last hour because he didn’t feel well, and still didn’t. Trying to determine the cause of his stomach issue, I asked him what he had for lunch.  The conversation went something like this: Tristan:  “I wanted Subway, but there wasn’t one in the food court where we went to eat. So we [...] Read more »

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Frugality Tips – Spending Less Before and During Vacation

Written by on July 18, 2011 · 3 Comments
vacation budget

Are you planning a vacation? Everyone looks forward to going on vacation. It’s the time of the year when people can cut loose and enjoy some quality time with friends and family. However, it’s an easy mistake to make to ‘enjoy’ yourself a little too much before you realize upon your return that you’ve spent too much. Being frugal on vacation can be tricky because you don’t want to be watching every last dollar all the time and you’d much rather have a relaxing time creating memories that will last a lifetime. But you can do both and have a [...] Read more »

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Is Netflix Really the Devil?

Written by on July 13, 2011 · 16 Comments
Bloody Netflix

DISCLAIMER: If you are not mindlessly deciding to stay in debt, I might not be talking about you. Are you upset at the recent price hike announced by Netflix? Is seems a lot of people are lighting the torches and grabbing their pitchforks so they can lynch the once beloved company.I have an idea. How about you get that mad about your debt! Seriously, you should torch IT instead. Wasn’t it Netflix that saved us from companies like Blockbuster? Wasn’t it Netflix that made it possible to watch as many movies as we could mail off and receive in one [...] Read more »

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Understanding Need Versus Want

Written by on July 11, 2011 · 12 Comments
Need Versus Want

Understanding Need Versus Want Understanding a need versus a want is the first step that we should all take when trying to get control of our spending habits and monthly budgets, but it’s often a step we skip. There’s a lot of rationalization in our reasons for spending the way we do and far too little self-introspection. It’s easy to differentiate between need versus want. The definitions are clear and if asked we could all, most likely, tell the difference. Where it gets difficult is in those moments where we’re not really thinking about how much we want something, or [...] Read more »

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July Love Drop — Help Felicity

Written by on July 7, 2011 · Leave a Comment
Love Drop EOD

The Love Drop team is at it again! Last month they gave over $5,000 worth of cash and goods to their recipient, the Aubin family, who was struggling financially after the passing of their dad, and this month they’re ready to do it again and help out another person They’ve given out over $45,000 in the past 6 months, and show no signs of stopping. If you know of anyone yourself that could use their help, make sure to let them know. Watch the Aubin Family Love Drop Video! This month they’re heading down to Atlanta to help Felicity, a [...] Read more »

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How to Avoid Debt as a College Student

Written by on July 6, 2011 · 2 Comments
college student

This is a guest post. These days, it can take a considerable sum of money to attend college. However, the effort doesn’t have to break your bank account or put you into a considerable amount of debt. Here are some tips for helping you keep your finances under control. Save Your Pennies The sooner you start saving for college, the better. Parents can help support their children though options such as 529 plans, for which some states even offer income tax breaks. Remember, anything you’re able to save now, you’ll have to put toward your college education later. Academic Preparation [...] Read more »

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Motivation — Coping with “Slow to No” Progress

Written by on July 5, 2011 · 7 Comments
broke

We became debt free in late 2009, which is when we officially started saving our big emergency fund. Here we are almost 2 years later, and we are back at square one — ZERO! This post has been a year in the making! The first year of debt freedom, we had $9,500 before it started to go downhill. We weren’t wasting our money on frivolous spending, but we added a new baby into our world as well as lost an income. If you add up all of the savings that has vanished in the last year that could have been [...] Read more »