Dirty Dice: A Fun and Frugal Way To Exchange Gifts

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Dice

Over the weekend Vonnie and I hosted a family Christmas gathering for her side of the family. We sent the invite out via Facebook several weeks ago, and it didn’t take long for the RSVPs to start rolling in. We also started getting questions regarding whether we were going to have a gift exchange, but with over 30 people expected to show up, we weren’t sure how to do it and keep it economical. Talking about it for awhile we remembered a game that we’ve played at Christmas gatherings before, and decided it would be perfect for this one as [...] Read more »

I’m In Debt, But I Party Like a Rock Star

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memoria 024

It all started in 1997 as a housewarming party at Vonnie and I’s first home. We hosted both our parents, and a few select close relatives. We decided to make it a tradition, and this year we hosted our 16th annual Memorial Weekend Party. It’s grown over the years, and quite frankly, it’s achieved almost legendary status. Friends and family come from out of town and stay not only at our home, but also the homes of our neighbors. A great time is certainly had by all that attend, however with all it’s fanfare comes a lot of work, and [...] Read more »

Inexpensive or Free Outdoor Family Fun

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summer fun for free

Last week Team EOD member, Jana gave you some great ideas for free or inexpensive indoor activities that you can do this summer. Today I want to give you some activities to do outdoors that are budget friendly and super fun! Keep with What Works The traditional outdoor activities should definitely not be over looked. A trip to the park for a picnic and romp on the playground will never get old. You can take the fun up a notch but being a kid yourself. Nothing gets those kids laughing more than watching their grown-ups acting silly and having a [...] Read more »

Free or Inexpensive Indoor Summer Activities

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Kind of like this. But inside.

This is the first in a 2 part series on how to keep kids entertained for minimal or no cost during the summer months. The second part, written by fellow EOD member Jessica Streit, will appear next week. This summer is going to be a different experience for me. It’s the first summer I’ll be home full-time with my daughter (who is 5) and quite frankly, I’m already panicking. Not so much because of all the time with her (which is awesome) but because, honestly, I don’t know what I’m going to do with her.  On normal days, I have [...] Read more »

I’m Hot Because I’m Bald

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head 002

What comes to mind when you think of the stereotypical, sexy, attractive male? If the covers of magazines and romance novels are any indication, it’s a tall, tan guy with washboard abs, and of course a head of thick, long flowing hair. However, there are signs that this viewpoint is changing. Earlier this week, my friend and fellow blogger Suzanne Cramer wrote a post asserting that financially responsible men are attractive. Well, I’ve got some news, and it’ll knock the socks off of Suzanne and other women who share her viewpoint. Bald men are more attractive because they’re financially responsible. [...] Read more »

Do You Have the Mentality to be Wealthy?

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Winning the lottery

You may have heard that the Mega Millions Lottery has a HUGE Jackpot tonight! You did hear that right? It’s not really talked about all that much. If you are anywhere near the television, internet, radio, a store or people in general then you’ve heard. The internet is full of blog posts where people talk about all the things they would buy if they won. I wrote a post today too. I didn’t focus on what I would buy because I found out something about myself. I’m not mentally ready to be wealthy! I know it sounds weird to say [...] Read more »

Expensive Hobbies and Habits and Their Cost-Saving Alternatives

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cost saving alternatives to expensive coffee

Scrapbooking. Spa Days. Golf. Sewing. Travel. Gourmet Coffee. Smoking. Clothing. Dining Out. Hobbies are meant to be a time to relax, release some stress and have fun. Hobbies are enjoyable because they are always something you enjoy. Habits are formed for similar reasons. They can help you relax, help you release stress and occasionally bring fun to your life as well. All of the activities mentioned above are either habits or hobbies. And all can be budget busters when allowed to be. Some people may feel that they have to give up the things they love in order to save [...] Read more »

3 Ways to Save Money on Family Vacations

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luggage

We are getting ready for our annual family vacation. We've been taking one family vacation a year for the last 5 years. It's a fun tradition for which we save up all year. Here are some ways we keep costs down and fun up. Drive Rock it old school family vacation style and load up the station wagon, or minivan, as the case may be. Sure, gas isn't cheap but it's way cheaper than buying a family's worth of plane tickets. Read more »

12 Months of Christmas Debt (The Song)

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Christmas Debt

On the first day of Christmas my habits gave to me: One Empty Wallet On the second day of Christmas my habits gave to me: Two-hundred Sales And one empty wallet. On the third day of Christmas my habits gave to me: Three Reasons to Shop Two-hundred Sales And One Empty Wallet. On the fourth day of Christmas my habits gave to me: Four Credit Offers Three Reasons to Shop Two-hundred Sales and One Empty Wallet. On the fifth day of Christmas my habits gave to me: Five New Credit Cards Four Credit Offers Three Reasons to Shop Two-hundred Sales [...] Read more »

The $500 Winner in the Kill Your Debt Giveaway is…

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Woman jumping for joy

3 loooooooong weeks ago I posted the Kill Off Your Debt $500 giveaway. Hopefully you entered to win! If not, keep your eyes peeled open for my next giveaway in December. Then I will be co-hosting the 3rd annual Brad & J’s Christmas Stimulus 2011, where we show our appreciation for all of you. The giveaway went great and it was really fun to read all of the great things you would do once you’re debt free. Thank you all for participating!! After 533 entries — including 19 blog post entries and approximately 144 tweets — a winner has been [...] Read more »

Frugal Fun: Geocaching

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snowball 1

My family started a new hobby this weekend and we are totally hooked! Geocaching.  It’s completely free and a total blast.  If you’ve never heard of geocaching it’s a world-wide treasure hunt. You can sign up for free at geocaching.com and there are lists and lists of hidden caches. (The caches are the treasures.) You can search by zip code to find ones near you. Each treasure has coordinates that you can plug into your GPS that will bring you within feet of the cache. Then you have to use your noggin. So far I’ve found three. They were an [...] Read more »

Readers and Contestants: Want to Help Me Make This the Most Awesome Reality Series Ever?

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Okay, I’ve been racking my brain about this reality series idea. The more I brainstorm the more awesome I know it will be. I need your help though, and I am giving away THREE BOOKS to the reader who helps me come up with a name for this reality series!! I NEED YOUR HELP! Here’s what I have (that I can reveal) and what I need from you — my loyal debt hating readers and soon-to-be audience members of the greatest blog reality series in blog history. What I Know (subject to change as new ideas or challenges arise.) Competition [...] Read more »

Shred Your Credit Card…Fa la la la la, la la la la!

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ShredYourCreditCard

What is in the air this holiday season? I am feeling especially festive right now so I decided to break the news in a little song. haha! Maybe I had way too much fun coming up with ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas! Then again, I could have had too much eggnog, but who cares. The important thing is that I’m sharing it with you. I was recently asked to be a part of something I couldn’t say no to. Actually it was more like I injured myself just trying to respond. Okay, I didn’t really injure myself but I will [...] Read more »