7 Ideas For Leftover Turkey

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Thanksgiving is over, but the leftovers remain. If you’re like me, the turkey prepared is always too big, and there’s a container of leftovers sitting in the fridge. You may be struggling to figure out what you’re going to do with it given you only have a few days to eat it before it becomes unsafe. Below is a list of my favorite things to do with leftover turkey. Freeze It If you have more leftover turkey than you could possibly eat in a few days, pack it in freezer bags and store it in the freezer for future use. […] Read more »

Switching Financial Roles

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There’s an old saying about walking a mile in the shoes of someone else to gain wisdom and understanding. That’s true in many aspects of life, including your finances. I’m not talking about living a day in the life of someone significantly more or less off financially, I’m talking about your significant other. Let’s be real, as much as we might talk about doing finances together, there’s usually one person that drives the family’s finances more than the other. There may be financial meetings and discussions to keep everyone on the same page, but in most cases one person carries […] Read more »

6 Personal Finance Books that Will Educate Your Children

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Financial literacy has become increasingly important for all of us these days. A variety of problems, including high levels of consumer debt, have led experts to believe that financial education is the only way forward. Of course, for adults, it is a little too late, as many are already in a difficult financial situation. However, steps can be taken to ensure that the younger generation does not end up in the same boat. More and more experts are now keen to see personal finance become part of the national curriculum. They believe that giving children an early insight in relation […] Read more »

Bad Things Happen and We Better be Prepared: How I Battled Cancer and Took Charge of Our Finances

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On November 21, 2005, my life turned upside down. Just three and a half  months before that day I had given birth to my first and only child, my daughter Lily. My husband and I waited six years to start a family, planning so we would be ready.  But no matter how hard you try, sometimes all the planning in the world doesn’t prepare you for the unexpected. After Lily’s birth, my health started to fail. I finally went to the doctor and was diagnosed with malignant pleural mesothelioma. I was told I had a mere 15 months to live […] Read more »

Why Camping is a Very Expensive Holiday Option for Me

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camping costs

Last Sunday we drove to the airport and my son boarded a plane. On his own and he is only thirteen. He is off for a week camping with a friend and his family. Why we are not with him, you may ask? We are staying put because, contrary to popular belief, camping for me has always been a very expensive holiday option. “Always” as in the three times I’ve tried it, that is. I tried camping for the first time about twenty years ago; we were young(ish) and my step sons were still at an age when sleeping in […] Read more »

A wedding is a statement of commitment not a show of opulence

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See the picture? It’s me (or my back) on my wedding day 21 years ago. Why my back you may ask? Because my sister in law thought that everyone takes pictures of the bride’s front but she hasn’t seen a picture of the bride’s back. Ever! So here you go; a picture of my back which also happens to show a wonderful detailed of my wedding suit. To tell you the truth, I have not thought of my wedding for a very long time. Even worse, I caught myself thinking the other day about the interesting stage of life I’m […] Read more »

The Big Wins You Should Go After

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The following is a guest post from Martin of Studenomics, where he’s totally focused on creating financial freedom by 30! I’ve been writing about personal finance for five years now. I’ve explored every topic from big wins to frugality to real estate. There are times where I discuss more advanced topics. Then sometimes I run into a friend and they want to hear about getting started. I know that most of you are past the stage of getting started so we won’t discuss the basics. Instead we will refresh on the big wins. The one thing that we’re all delusional […] Read more »

Misplaced Dad On A Pre-Teen Shopping Trip

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Today is officially my daughter’s twelfth birthday, but we celebrated it over the weekend.  From our observations, as well as by asking her directly, the thing she wanted the most for her birthday was clothes.   This was not surprising in the least, as my little girl, who’s biggest care in the world used to be wondering when her hair would be long enough to be put in a ponytail, has transformed (seemingly) overnight into a young woman who stares endlessly into a mirror primping and futzing with her hair, even applying some makeup before heading to the bus stop. The […] Read more »

Teaching Your Kids About Money? 5 Concepts They Need to Know

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teaching your kids about money

Are you regularly teaching your kids about money and how to handle it?  I don’t mean just talking about very simple concepts such as “save money” or “don’t spend it all”.  I mean are you really teaching them what money is all about? When they get older are they going to have a clear picture of how to manage their money well so they don’t end up in financial trouble like so many people who never learn these principles?    The Basics Still Apply Managing money is much more difficult than it was 40-50 years ago because most of us […] Read more »

Reining In The Baby Expenses

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[Guest author today, Jason Steele] Having a baby creates the ultimate budget paradox. On one hand, it’s every good parent’s instinct to spare no expense when it comes to their children’s health and safety. At the same time, “sparing no expense” can be a non-stop ticket to unlimited debt. So how can parents resolve this paradox? It starts with a conversation about how to express our love and caring in ways other than spending. The wealthiest, most free spending parents do not love their children any more than their more frugal neighbors. And once a child’s need are met, additional […] 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 »

How Skype Saved Me $1,400

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On a late August afternoon, my wife and two kids drove to the Steele County Fair where my son was to go to his first demolition derby. I went to the airport, boarded a plane, and flew to Tucson, Arizona. I would be gone for a week during my first business trip. It was also the first time I would be away from my young family for an extended period of time. When I returned home, my family met me at the airport. Standing by the baggage carousel, my 18 month old daughter just stared at me. I kept glancing […] Read more »

Father’s Day Scavenger Hunt

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My wife knows better than to ask me what I want for Father’s Day, or for that matter any other occasion that involves gift giving. My answer is always the same, “The best present you could give me is to not spend any money on me.” She never listens to me. She has to get me something, even if it’s under the disguise of “from the kids.” She understands, though, that it’s not necessary, or in our best interest financially, to purchase an extravagant gift. Quite frankly, Vonnie has taken gift giving on a budget as a personal challenge. I […] Read more »

Use the Internet To Stay Connected

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Like many families, my family is spread out throughout the U.S. Before we had a child, this aspect of our lives didn’t bother me or my husband too much. It was nice to have our own space but we knew that our parents were a relatively short drive away (3 hours north to my parents, 2 hours south to his) if we needed or wanted to visit (or if there was an emergency). It was a pretty sweet set up, actually. Then we had our daughter. Both of us grew up with our extended families less than 20 minutes from […] Read more »