Credit Cards Should Have A Warning Label for People Like Me

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I could tell by the writing on the envelope resting on top of the stack of the day’s mail that it was the settlement check I had been waiting for. I am included in a class action lawsuit against Chase in which they are accused of pulling a “bait and switch” by offering customers a fixed, low interest rate to lure new customers to transfer balances and then later jacking up the minimum payment policy. This happened back in 2009, and resulted in my inability to meet my monthly financial commitments. It was also the driving factor that caused my […] Read more »

I Love You Like a Blogger Roundup – 3/1

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I got an email from my daughter’s teacher telling me that Tori had a part in her Elementary School Assembly yesterday.  So Vonnie and I showed up to watch our daughter help teach her schoolmates about integrity.  What we didn’t know was that she was one of two people voted by her class as a person of integrity and would be receiving an award during the assembly. So. Proud. Of. Her. Another person that I’m extremely impressed with, and very fortunate to have met in person at last year’s Financial Blogger’s Conference, is Cait from Blonde on a Budget.  She’s […] Read more »

My Secret Weapon In the Fight Against Grocery Overspending

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“Ha, I did it again!” I exclaimed to myself. My total was illuminated on the screen of the grocery store checkout register: $110.57.  It was the third week in a row that I was within just a few dollars of my estimate, and right on budget for the week’s groceries.  I had certainly done all of the pre-shopping steps to ensure success at the grocery store. I meal planned for the week, made a list of the items I was going to buy, and yes I had even estimated the prices of all the items.   Unfortunately, I’ve followed these […] Read more »

I Love You Like a Blogger Roundup – 2/22

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You’ll have to forgive me, I’m a bit cranky at the moment. If you haven’t heard, winter storm Q is making its way through the Midwest (I have a brother-in-law in Omaha, Nebraska that is supposed to get up to 18 inches of snow!)  I woke up this morning to find 5 inches new snow on the ground, with a couple more yet to come.  Given the weather, I didn’t make my usual trip to the gym this morning.  Not because I didn’t want to drive around in the snow, but because I knew that at 5:30am the school district […] Read more »

What Will You Do…With Your Tax Refund

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If you are one of the millions of Americans slated to receive a tax refund this year, why not make your refund work for you? Of course you will be tempted to splurge on a vacation, start home renovations or maybe even buy something frivolous, but why not use it to improve your financial situation. If you are struggling with debt, have little to no emergency fund, or haven’t even begun to think about retirement those refund dollars could make a big difference. Reducing your debt and preparing for the “what if” are a great way to reduce daily stress […] Read more »

Financial Peace Will Save My Marriage

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Peace. It’s a word that’s been stuck my head. It all started with a post I read last week in which the author described how budgeting brought peace to her marriage. The title stirred something inside me.  A simple, but powerful word, that for some reason seemed to continuously pop into my mind over the weekend. Friday evening we were trying to decide what to do for dinner. None of the options left on our meal planning list sounded very good to the family. In a moment of frustration as my stomach growled, I suggested we go out to eat. […] Read more »

I Love You Like a Blogger Roundup – 02/15

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Another Valentine’s Day has come and gone.  Vonnie and I agreed not to get all caught up in the usual flowers, stuffed animals and sentimental cards.    Maybe when we’re out of debt we will re-instate a small Valentine’s Day gift exchange, but for now we just don’t think it is the wisest use of our money.  Here’s what I did do for her: Made her breakfast:  School day mornings are crazy busy.  I busted ass to get all the usual stuff done in order to make her and the kids a great breakfast, including heart shaped pancakes. We already had […] Read more »

Debt and Deeper Issues

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Have you been trying to gain control of your money issues but just never seem to get any traction?  I’ve talked to a ton of people over the years who have taken classes, written budgets, read books, and made every effort they could to get out of debt and try to make sense of their money.  But after a short period of time they’re back to the same old habits they’ve always had, ending up with more month than money and steadily adding to their pile of debt. Why does this happen so often?  Is it because I just didn’t […] Read more »

Can You Replace a Lost Receipt Using A Rewards Card?

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I hate clutter. Our kitchen counter seems to be a magnet for store ads, receipts and returned assignments  the kids brought home from school.  Every day I sort through a pile of paper to determine which need to be kept, and which can be tossed. With a motto of “when it doubt, throw it out,” you can imagine that occasionally I would get rid of something that we actually need. My son celebrated a birthday in January, and the only thing he wanted was a set of decent headphones to replace the low quality ones that came with his recently […] Read more »

It’s Just Like Money in the Bank – Financial Adages Help Us Learn From Others

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For some reason I started thinking today about the old saying, "It's just like money in the bank." Perhaps that was a hint that I ought to get back to the series I started a while back on financial adages and what we might learn from them. After all, there is a kernel of truth in just about everything we hear, but when an old saying gets passed on from one generation to the next, it's much more than just an old saying...it's more like wisdom dressed up in the robes of a legend. Read more »

I Love You Like a Blogger Roundup – 02/08

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Looks like Old Man Winter is aiming to put the smack down on the North East this weekend.  In some ways I’m kind of jealous because we haven’t had much snow here in Minnesota this year.  On the other hand, I am starting to think I’m just DONE with winter at this point.  I’m ready for warmer weather and the ability to strap on my running shoes and head out on a crisp spring morning.  Not that I mind running in colder weather, it’s a safety factor as the sidewalks are packed with snow and ice right now.  I’m just […] Read more »

It’s a Win-Win: Get Rewarded for Saving

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I recently heard about a really cool concept that started abroad and is making its way to the US—prize linked savings accounts. Just for doing what you’re already (hopefully, should be) doing, you are automatically entered to win a prize. Yes, adults like prizes and anything that is free just like kids do.; a novel idea that has more people thinking about saving for their future. This comes at just the right time, with the rate of savings in America at an all time low. A report issued by the non-profit Corporation for Enterprise Development, found almost one third of […] Read more »

Ostriches and Finances Don’t Mix

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An Ostrich is a large, flightless bird native to Africa which many people believe will bury it’s head in the sand when it senses danger. As the story goes, the ostrich thinks that it is completely safe if it cannot see the pending threat. It hopes that when it finally raises it’s head back above the ground, the threat will be gone, and everything would be ok.  Not very intelligent. Yet in the past I’d insist upon doing the exact same thing with my finances. I wouldn’t pay attention to how much I was spending, completely ignoring financial danger. I […] Read more »

I Love You Like a Blogger Roundup – 2/1

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Three words for you: Super. Bowl. Sunday.   I love Super Bowl Sunday and all that comes with it.  Funny commercials, great food, good times with friends, and if the game is good that’s just the cherry on top.  I have conflicting feelings about who to root for this year.  Randy Moss (Receiver) is now a 49er, and he gave Viking fans a whole lot to cheer about for a lot of years.  On the other hand, Matt Birk (Center) is a Raven, and I STILL can’t believe the Vikings let him go.  Great player, great person.  Both teams are also […] Read more »