I Love You Like a Blogger Roundup – 10/26

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The picture is an actual radar image of the upper Midwest from yesterday morning.  It had been unseasonably warm here in Minnesota earlier this week with highs in the mid-70s.  Yesterday a cold front moved through and you could literally see and feel the seasons change.  The green is rain, the purple is ice, sleet, and snow.   The seasons may be changing, but one thing that is not changing is the fact that you can find links to the very best personal finance blog posts of the week right here on Enemy of  Debt each and every Friday.  Let’s get […] Read more »

Done Living Paycheck to Paycheck? It’s Up to Us!

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Vonnie and I had made quick work of reviewing and revising our spending plan for the remainder of the month, so we started work on our finances for the first half of November. “I think we should put something in savings,” she said. I was caught off guard and surprised when Vonnie said these words. Not because she said them, but because I knew it was possible. For so many years, it has been so different. We’ve been living paycheck to paycheck for our entire marriage, and up until we enrolled in our debt management plan we supplemented our income […] Read more »

I Love You Like a Blogger Roundup – 10/19

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The second Presidential debate was held this week, and as was the case with the first one and the Vice Presidential debate, Facebook and Twitter were alive with comments.  When it was all over, there was a lot of discussion about who “won” the debate.  Both sides claimed victory of course.  Since it’s all very subjective with your point of view, there really is no clear cut winner. Maybe one day there will be a way to determine who actually won a Presidential debate, but in the mean time there should be no question in anyone’s mind that the below […] Read more »

Credit Card Negotiator

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No it’s not William Shatner the Priceline negotiator, it’s you the credit card negotiator! You’ve got credit card debt that is starting to get out of control and you’ve decided it’s time to take the preverbal “bull by the horns”. So how do you get started? Who do you talk to? Where can you turn for help? Understanding how to negotiate credit card debt just may be the first step for getting your finances back in order. But first things first there are a few cardinal rules when it comes to negotiating with your creditors. 1. Know what you want. […] Read more »

I Improved My Marriage by Talking About Money

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I was describing how I used to hide our debt from my wife this past Saturday in an interview with Gerri Detweiler on Talk Credit Radio, when I said the words: “I betrayed her trust, and it’s taken a long time to recover from that.  In fact, we’re still recovering from it.” I may have typed similar words before in a blog post or two, but I don’t recall ever ever having said the words out loud. I didn’t particularly like how they sounded, but they were true.  The magnitude of our debt had been a huge secret for many […] Read more »

Lending Money – Tips for Success

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Some of us get into trouble by lending money to others. It's a common occurrence. We often see such requests coming from people who have trouble managing their own money, and we see it more often during challenging economic times. It can lead to uncomfortable situations between people, especially if you're not prepared. The trick is to have a plan to deal with the situation before it presents itself. When someone comes asking for money, you're better off if you're prepared to respond. Read more »

Debt Free News #26 – Deacon Hayes

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Getting out of debt is one of the greatest joys on the planet! Don’t believe me? Try it. Those that have achieved debt freedom know it and those that want debt freedom need to be reminded of it. Life is tough sometimes but it’s a lot nicer to be facing the many obstacles and unforeseen circumstances life throws at us without debt making it even tougher. Getting out of debt is a marathon not a sprint and it takes time to get there but it is so worth it. If you have debt and are wanting to rid yourself of […] Read more »

I Love You Like a Blogger Roundup – 10/5

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After last week’s marathon (which I finished in 4:05:47), I’m looking forward to staying at home this weekend and having poker night with the guys in my neighborhood.  It’s always a good time.  I’m also going to fire up the smoker and make something on Sunday to eat while I’m watching football.  I’m thinking baby back ribs, what do you think? Speaking of things that are smokin’  here’s my favorite posts from the past week: Favorite Posts: If Something Looks Too Good To Be True, It Probably Is from Money Beagle Stalking Property Tax Records found on PTMoney Jokes on […] Read more »

A Marathoner’s Guide to Getting Out of Debt

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In life, it’s our experiences that shape who we are and how we handle adversity. Most lessons can be applied across the board and help us in ways we never expected. Today I wanted to highlight the similarities between training and running a marathon to the process of getting out of debt. As most of you know — Travis is a machine — and although he faced some challenges along the way while training for his 3rd marathon, on Sunday he completed it and reached his goal. Achieving debt freedom involves some of the same dedication, sacrifice, and intense focus […] Read more »

5 Killer Ways to Make Money, Even in This Economy

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Make Extra Money

Are you needing to make some extra jack because you’re having trouble making ends meet in this difficult economy?  If you’ve already cut expenses to the bone and done everything else you can to use what you have wisely, then here are a few tips you can use to make some extra money that you can do immediately that can help get your bills caught up, and start paying down that debt.  Some of these are just common sense and some you might not have ever thought about, but all of them can make you some extra money to get […] Read more »

Why You Should Get into the Savings Habit from a Young Age

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piggy bank

(Guest Post by Julian) When you’re a young person (and let’s define that as roughly between the ages of 16-24 for the purpose of this post) it’s common to have the idea of saving and, even more so, the intention of saving, firmly lodged at the back of your mind. It might be that you’re at an age where no one even talks about personal finance so you haven’t even considered saving any money, or, more likely, it might be that you think saving just isn’t necessary, nor sensible, as a 16, 21, or 24 year old. After all, you […] Read more »

Life is about Experiences, not Money

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Yesterday, I ran the Twin Cities Marathon for the third time. I’m not an elite runner, so my goal isn’t to win, but to simply finish with the best time possible. But I approached this one a bit differently than the previous two. I wanted it to be about more than just an internal struggle to finish. I wanted to fully experience everything the marathon had to offer. Marathons across the United States have become more than just a race, they have become events with cheer zones, bands playing along the way, people dressed up in costumes and spectators with […] Read more »

I Love You Like a Blogger Roundup – 10/5

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This Sunday I’ll be running the Twin Cities Marathon. Yes, I’m voluntarily running 26.2 miles. I’ve been training for the last year, so there’s quite a bit of anticipation for race day to come. Very similar, I’m sure, to the anticipation you’ve been feeling the past few days for this week’s EOD roundup. Here’s my favorite posts of the week: Favorite Posts: How to Get Your Spouse on Board Financially (Our Story) from Dr. Jason Cabler at Celebrating Financial Freedom The Great Debate: Kids and Money Matters from Suzanne Cramer at Straight Talk On Debt Lifestyle Inflation – What To […] Read more »

Are You the Next Pawn Star?

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One of my favorite shows to watch is Pawn Stars on the history channel. Watching episodes of this popular TV show has become somewhat of an event at our house. The show is educational, fascinating and largely about making money, what’s not to love? Long before banks, ATMS and check-cashing services, there were pawn shops. Pawning was the leading form of consumer credit in the United States until the 1950s, and pawn shops are still helping everyday people get by when they need to. The premise of Pawn Stars is a multigenerational family; The Harrison’s running a pawn shop in […] Read more »