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.

Not only is it cheaper it’s also more fun to drive and see the sights together as a family.  I find flying extremely stressful with kids.  When we can, we try to save ourselves the hassle and vacation within a day’s drive of home.

Splurge on your space

It’s not everyday that you get to splurge and save money.  But it can actually be cheaper to rent a condo than a hotel room if you make use of the full kitchen.

A bargain priced hotel room will cost you at least $50 and that’s if your family can fit into one traditional hotel room.   Change that to a minimum of $100 if you have more than 4 people in your family.  If you upgrade your accommodations to a small condo you will have  more than just some extra space.  You might have more money too!

We recently rented a two bedroom condo in a desirable location for $165 per night.  We will save at least $80 per day by eating breakfast and dinner in our condo.  That brings our actual hotel costs to $85 per night.  I think if I really bargain hunted I might be able to get a hotel in this area for $65 per night.  But I’d also have to add in a shuttle to our specific vacation spot, wifi, and parking.  Those costs would bring the true cost of the hotel up to $95 per night.   And don’t forget.  We are going to be much more comfortable in our condo. We can spread out.  The kids don’t have to share a bed.  We can watch TV while sitting in actual chairs.  The list goes on and on.

The drawback here is that I have to cook.  But I bring super quick and easy meals with us to make things, well, quick and easy.  You can maximize the savings by having lunch at the condo too, but I like to eat out some.  We are on vacation after all!

Hit the off season

You can maximize your fun and travel dollars by traveling in the off season.  The same condo we rented above costs $225 per night during peak season.  The sweet spot is the first week of off season.  The prices and crowds will be lower but most of the attractions will still be open.  I hate crowds.  I’d rather miss a few shops and restaurants than to pay extra to stand in line.

What are your money saving vacation tips?

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
and One Empty Wallet.

On the sixth day of Christmas my habits gave to me: Six Needs a Wanting

Five New Credit Cards
Four Credit Offers
Three Reasons to Shop
Two-hundred Sales
and One Empty Wallet.

On the seventh day of Christmas my habits gave to me: Seven Days a Shopping

Six Needs a Wanting
Five New Credit Cards
Four Credit Offers
Three Reasons to Shop
Two-hundred Sales
and One Empty Wallet.

On the eighth day of Christmas my habits gave to me: Eight Impressed Neighbors

Seven Days a Shopping
Six Needs a Wanting
Five New Credit Cards
Four Credit Offers
Three Reasons to Shop
Two-hundred Sales
and One Empty Wallet.

On the ninth day of Christmas my habits gave to me: Nine Minimum Payments

Eight Impressed Neighbors
Seven Days a Shopping
Six New Needs a Wanting
Five New Credit Cards
Four Credit Offers
Three Reasons to Shop
Two-hundred Sales
and One Empty Wallet.

On the tenth day of Christmas my habits gave to me: Ten Exceeded Limits

Nine Minimum Payments
Eight Impressed Neighbors
Seven Days a Shopping
Six Needs a Wanting
Five New Credit Cards
Four Credit Offers
Three Reasons to Shop
Two-hundred Sales
and One Empty Wallet.

On the eleventh day of Christmas my habits gave to me: Eleven Money Fights

Ten Exceeded Limits
Nine Minimum Payments
Eight Impressed Neighbors
Seven Days a Shopping
Six Needs a Wanting
Five New Credit Cards
Four Credit Offers
Three Reasons to Shop
Two-hundred Sales
and One Empty Wallet.

On the twelfth day of Christmas my habits gave to me: 12 Months of Debt

Eleven Money Fights
Ten Exceeded Limits
Nine Minimum Payments
Eight Impressed Neighbors
Seven Days a Shopping
Six Needs a Wanting
Five New Credit Cards
Four Credit Offers
Three Reasons to Shop
Two-hundred Sales
and One Empty Wallet.

Photo Credit

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 selected via random.org.

Thanks to Life Insurance Finder for sponsoring this awesome giveaway — THE BEST GIVEAWAY ON ENEMY OF DEBT EVER! You guys will forever ROCK!

Today’s lucky winner of $500 is:

SAMMI

I’d quit my job – I’m just waiting until I can make it without it!”

Congratulations Sammi! I hope this $500 gets you a little bit closer to quitting your job!

Photo Credit

So far I’ve found three. They were an altoids can, a key hider thingy, and a Tupperware container. Inside is a piece of paper for you to put your name (or codename!) and the date. There are also little trinkets that people have left. You can swap them out and leave something of your own. Some of the items are trackable. You can log those on the website and watch them travel around, moving from cache to cache.

I love it because it’s free, outdoors, kid friendly, not boring, and doesn’t have anything to do with food. That is a pretty tall order for a hobby! But geocaching fits the bill.

Another reason why I’m hooked is because it makes you look at the world in a whole new way. Which I love for both myself and the kids. One of the caches we found was under a light pole cover in the parking lot of a restaurant we frequent. I’ve parked my car within feet of this cache a couple of times and never knew there was a treasure nearby! I think that’s fantastic.

It also makes you break the rules a little bit. Nothing illegal or dangerous, but you get to break social rules. Which I also think is a good lesson for the kids… and me. You don’t have to live your life in a little box, always parking in a parking spot and staying off the grass. One cache we found was in a little grassy area next to some houses. I had to climb a smallish tree to reach up on a high wall to grab the cache. Is that some great breaking of rules? No. But I bet people driving by was wondering what was going on. It’s outside of my normal routine, that’s for sure.

My 5 year old son made up the rules of treasure hunting. They are as follows:

1. Never give up.
2. Be brave.

Those aren’t rules for treasure hunting, those are rules for life!

My tips for successful geocaching.

Ok, so I’ve been at this for almost a whole week so I’m fully qualified to give you some tips.

The title of the cache is a clue. You can also read the logs of other people who have found it. They will give you clues too. Like “I was too tall to see it at first.” Or “Such a nice shady spot!”. Those might seem like innocent comments but they will help you in your search.

You can use the same GPS that you use in your car. Mine doesn’t get me as close as I would like. Sure, it gets me close enough to find a Costco, but to find a tiny cache hidden in a bush takes a little more precision. So I’ve taken to putting the coordinates into Google Maps before I head out. I just use the map so I have a better idea of the location of the coordinates once my GPS gets me to the general area. We have also ordered a handheld hiking GPS. (It hasn’t arrived yet.) I know, I said this is a free activity. It is. You don’t need to buy the special GPS. But, like I said, we are hooked and plan to geocache quite a bit. If we are going to head out into the wilderness I’d like a handheld.

If you don’t have a GPS that’s ok too. You can use Google Maps to give you driving directions from your house to the coordinates. Just cut and paste the coordinates from geocacheing.com into the “To” spot on Google Maps.

Have you ever gone geocaching? Do you love it? Share your stories and tips for a newbie!!

Photo credit: Johanl

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 will last 6 months OR 27 weeks. March 1st – August 31st
• 6 contestants, and 4 stand-in’s, will be selected. Since I will be talking to each contestant once a week, I changed this back to fit a more realistic schedule. I will talk to each contestant once a week on a specific day. The weekly update will be written on the 7th day and posted the following Monday.
• The GRAND PRIZE winner will receive $1,000! (I am considering a possible live finale to present the grand prize.)
• There will be 6 major challenges that each contestant will compete in during this competition.
• The winner chosen for each challenge will win a prize courtesy of the sponsor for that monthly challenge.
• There will be a prize giveaway each month for the “audience” members who *vote for the winners of each monthly challenge.
• There will be 26 weekly updates posted every Monday, which will include my weekly wrap-up, video submissions, and additional commentary and fun from the previous week.
• There’s a possibility that there will be more than one update post per week. (this will depend on how I decide to structure the competition)
• I WILL BE revealing my weight loss information, as embarrassing and as scary as that sounds to me, the same way the contestants will be with their debt and financial information. If they have to do it, SO DO I! I will keep you updated as to what this information will include. If you want to suggest things that I should have to reveal, please do.
• I will brave the scale, and the measuring tape, each and every week for all to see. Total transparency!

What I Don’t

Possible Name Ideas for This Exclusive Reality Series

• Enemy of Debt’s 2011 Debt Elimination Challenge
• Enemy of Debt’s The Race to Freedom
• Enemy of Debt’s Debt Elimination Throwdown
• Enemy of Debt’s Debt Elimination Showdown
• Enemy of Debt’s Debt Free Survivor
• VOTE FOR YOUR FAVORITE NAME in the comments section below!
  

OR

ENTER THE GIVEAWAY: Come up with a name for my reality series and win THREE books written by Daniel R. Solin if your contest name is selected!

• The Smartest Investment Book You’ll Ever read
• The Smartest Retirement Book You’ll Ever Read
• The Smartest (401k) Book You’ll Ever Read

You have until Tuesday February 8th (my birthday), 2011 to submit a name! When a contest name idea is selected a winner will be chosen! If I don’t end up choosing your submission I will pick the best submission of the bunch to receive this special giveaway!

Other Ways You Can Help

Contestants: If chosen, would you be willing to vote for the winners of the audience giveaway based on how supportive they are throughout the competition? The best and most supportive audience members win a prize based on your votes. You in?

Do you live in the United States or Canada? IF I am going to commit to holding a finale in the GRAND PRIZE WINNER’S city, I need to know in advance where you are located in order to “possibly” work out the details?

Readers: Would you be willing to vote for the 6 contestants and 4 stand-ins when that time comes? Audience participation will be a great dynamic to add to this reality series. What I don’t want to happen is for like 5 people to show up and vote. I want YOU to vote for the monthly winners of each challenge to be eligible for the monthly audience giveaways? You down?

What weight loss and health information should I have to reveal during the course of this competition? What stats would you like to know each and every week or month? Should I record everything I eat, how much I exercise, what I weigh, what my measurements are, etc. etc. etc. You decide!

Your help would be GREATLY appreciated!

I want everyone involved — Sponsors, Contestants, and Readers!! Let’s build the biggest debt free community blog ever! Can you help me make that happen?

What is in the air this holiday season?

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 say the email had me at “Shred Your Credit Card!” Lending Club and Perkstreet Financial have come together to “be a part of a different movement.”

All I can say to that is “ALL ABOOOOAARD! Choo-choooo!”

They’ve started a site called ShredYourCreditCard.com where they’ll be giving away a pretty nice prize for the winning video. So fill up one more glass of eggnog and sing along.

Please vocalize to the tune of Deck the Halls…now.

Shred Your Cards

Shred your credit cards and be merry,

Fa la la la la, la la la la.

The alternative is much too scary,

Fa la la la la, la la la la.

Perk Street and Lending Club provide incentive

Fa la la la la, la la la la.

Go make a video that’s inventive.

Fa la la la la, la la la la.

A thousand dollars to the winner,

Fa la la la la, la la la la.

Your debt load will soon be thinner,

Fa la la la la, la la la la.

Follow me in declaring freedom

Fa la la la la, la la la la.

They’re just cards — YOU don’t really need’em

Fa la la la la, la la la la.

Free yourself from financial strain,

Fa la la la la, la la la la.

Jump on board this debt free train,

Fa la la la la, la la la la.

Sing we joyous, all together

Fa la la la la, la la la la.

Heedless of economic weather

Fa la la la la, la la la la.

Seriously now. Go get out of debt in 2011 — while your at it record it! It’s time to take control of your life and your freedom! No one is going to do it for you! It’s completely up to you but you have to take a giant step in a completely new direction. This is that direction and the time is now!

I’m only yelling because I care… Think of it more like an aggressive nudge.

Some will say this isn’t for everyone and they’ll be right. It’s not. But it is for those of you who are spending more than you make. Some of you probably went out and had a Credit Card Christmas — a dirty word in my house. If you’re able to pay the bill by tonight to avoid paying interest, to each his own; but if you’re not, it’s time to start thinking radically different. It’s time to be extreme; to forge a different path!

It’s time to do something important like Shred Your Credit Card!

Walk an easier path, starting today! A path I know to be extremely awesome because I am on that path right now. It’s nice! We haven’t had a credit card in my house since 2008 and we do not plan on changing that. We enjoy our freedom from it and do not consider it a “must-have” financial tool.

While I openly admit, and have toned down my view on credit card use, I still believe it’s a risk worth side-stepping if you can. My family could, so we did.

Are you ready to make that winning video yet? Check out this video entry!

Shred Your Credit Card Contest Details

Here are the details of the contest straight from www.shredyourcreditcard.com.

What do you get when PerkStreet Financial and Lending Club get together? A simple solution to ditching your credit cards once and for all.

Millions of Americans will set out to dump their reliance on credit cards in the new year, and millions will fail. So PerkStreet and Lending Club are creating a microsite (ShredYourCreditCard.com) to help them band together over what will certainly be some compelling videos of credit card’s being destroyed.

Entries and votes will be accepted from December 15, 2010 through January 29, 2011, and PerkStreet and Lending Club are giving away a GRAND PRIZE of $1,000 to the most popular video submitted on January 31, 2011 — which we’re declaring Shred Your Credit Card Day.

The most creative shreds will also receive cash prizes amounting to $900, and top vote-getter per week will also be awarded a $50 gift card throughout the submission and voting period (6 Weeks).

Let’s Get It On in 2011!!

How To Participate

Here’s how you can participate and possibly win:

• Cancel a credit card. (Make sure you disguise your credit card number in your video, just to be safe.)
• Film yourself talking about why you’re done dabbling with debt this year, or record the most creative way you can think of to destroy your card.
• Submit your video to ShredYourCreditCard.com. Be sure to choose Bible Money Matters as the site that referred you to win our special prize.
• Vote for yourself EVERY DAY and encourage others to do the same on Facebook and Twitter, or via email.
• Check ShredYourCreditCard.com every Wednesday through the end of January to see if you’ve won a weekly prize.
• Visit ShredYourCreditCard.com on Shred Your Credit Card Day (Jan. 31) to see if you’ve won the GRAND PRIZE ($1,000) or any of the Second Place prizes ($300 each).

Contest Prizes

Here’s what you could win if your video ROCKS:

• $1000 grand prize on 1/31/2011 for the video that gets the most votes overall.
• $300 second prizes on 1/31/2011 for the most creative overall submissions. (selected by Lending Club and Perkstreet)
• $50 prize every week until 1/31/2011 for the top vote-getter of the week.
• $25 prize on 1/31/2011 for my favorite Enemy of Debt reader submission.

How To Win

It’s pretty simple, there are only two ways to win this contest.

• Get votes for your submitted video. Ask others to vote for you. The most votes wins!
• Be creative in your shred. The more creative you are in shredding your card, the more likely you are to be chosen as a winner!

Now stop reading and go get creative! How are you going to Shred Your Credit Card in 2011?

I look forward to hearing from the new YOU!

‘Twas the night before Christmas, when all through my mind
Not a buck to my name, not a one I could find;
My credit cards are maxed out; but I still need to flaunt’em.
While I stand there and watch my finances hit bottom;
The children were cozy all snug in their beds,
Not a clue in the slightest of the danger ahead;
Their beds could be repo’d, or even their pet,
We borrowed for everything; and now we’re in debt.
A reality check is in order but who will it be,
to open my eyes and help me face me.

An idea I have; to my computer I flew like a flash,
Booted it up and went straight for my stash.
My ING DIRECT account was at zero, not a penny still saved,
What is debt freedom? I feel completely enslaved!
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
a website, a good one, that says debt freedom is near,
With a candidly candid, commando approach,
Motivational in nature; a passionate coach.
Your freedom; his mission; debt freedom the mark,
From slavery to freedom, the difference is stark.

Dave Ramsey inspired; impassioned debt hater,
He learned to save now so he doesn’t pay later.
In 2008 his family shouted “enough is enough!!”
Stopped borrowing money and said to heck with their stuff.
They battled a budget and sold their new car,
With no payments and bondage, they’re sure to go far.
Their plan worked and now they’re debt free,
Now the gifts are paid for under the Christmas tree.
Like Dave suggested; they’re living differently than most people do,
so that later they will live like no one else too.

Here is my chance to step up to the plate,
and get rid of our debt before it’s too late.
Head on over to Enemy of Debt and please read;
so you can learn the difference between a want and a need,
Your family will thank you for leading the team,
as Enemy of Debt motivates you to follow your dream.
He says it’s not easy but it’s all up to you
how your life will turn out; that’s so very true!
Don’t wait till retirement to see your mistake;
Don’t rely on Social Security; your future’s at stake.

I have a decision to make; do I have what it takes?
to stop digging myself deeper and put on the brakes;
I think I’ve seen what I’ve needed to see,
it’s time to get busy to set myself free.
My children may not lose their beloved dog Fluff;
My lesson to them; Don’t borrow for stuff!
Now I have a chance to build some real wealth,
and change the direction of my financial health.
Thank You Enemy of Debt for helping me out;
next Christmas will be a debt free one, no doubt.
I encourage you all to check out his great site;
Merry Christmas to all, and to all a debt free night!

Photo Credit: Memory_Freak

Jeff is one of my favorite bloggers. I love his passion and desire to get his family out of debt, even if it means he has to sacrifice himself in the process. This is the act of a selfless father and loving husband. An act that comes from wanting to make the family stronger. Becoming debt free is all about your family!

This is why I wanted to write Jeff from Deliver Away Debt into the awesome PF Comics series put together by Fred & Jeremy over at Credit Card Daily. This comic also features and/or draws inspiration from The Dave Ramsey Show, Brad Tuttle from TIME, and JD Roth from Get Rich Slowly.

I used to deliver pizza as a main source of income, and the money I made from doing it was GREAT! It was also instrumental in eliminating our debt as quickly as we did.

Jeff has a main job working at GM, and delivers pizza as a way to steamroll the debt elimination process. His family is going to be in such a great position in life when it’s all said and done. You’re doing great Jeff, keep up the good work man, and continue to inspire others.

You’re the kind of man that should be looked up to in our society—instead of some self-absorbed athlete. That’s my humble opinion dude! Keep rocking it for the family.

Editor’s Note: Enemy of Debt was in no way, shape, or form, paid or compensated for this stellar review. These words reflect sincere admiration for a guy that loves his family, from one passionate blogger to another!

Now go check out Jeff in the new PF Comic #6: Taking Extra Jobs.

I hope the title got your blood pumping enough to want to give me a piece of your mind!! I have had this in mind for quite some time, so I think I have waited long enough. I want to introduce a way for you to share your thoughts about anything financially related. A few months ago I acquired a phone number for a new service called Google Voice. Google Voice ROCKS! So the first thing I did was pick a number.

I didn’t get exactly the number I was looking for but the one I ended up choosing was close enough.

The number is: 484-483-3282 OR (484-H8-DEBT-2)

I would like to use it as a way for YOU to share your thoughts with me about finance, or more specifically about debt. You can leave a voice mail comment about a recent post, you can ask a question, share a resource…it’s really up to you. If it’s about personal finance, anything is fair game! Google voice has many features and some people use it as an extra line which is transferred to their cell phone. However, I will only be using it as a voice mail system. No one will answer and your call will never be broadcast on this blog. Your voice mail will be between you and I, but I may choose to use your call as inspiration for a post, but even then, your privacy will ALWAYS be respected!

I want to give you yet another way to engage Enemy of Debt. If you want me to write about a specific topic, call me! If you want to tell me how awesome or inspiring a post was, call me! If you want to share your debt free story, by all means, CALL ME! You can even call me if you want to tell me how much you disliked something. You can’t hurt my feelings, and chances are what’s on your mind could help me improve your experience here on Enemy of Debt. I believe candor is the key to improvement, which is why I am not afraid to tell you exactly what’s on my mind, no matter how politically incorrect, or seemingly harsh it might be. I’m not afraid to hurt your feelings so don’t be afraid to hurt mine!

Let’s Get This Party Started Right!

The truth is I wish I could give every person that called $100 for proclaiming their hatred for debt, but I can’t…NOT YET!

Here’s what I want to do though. It’s teeny, tiny, but it’s something. For every person that calls and simply rants about why they hate debt, I will send you a free IH8 DEBT bumper sticker! Put it on your beater, on a magnet, in your office, in a frame, or on your fridge as a reminder. It doesn’t matter what you do with it, what matters is that you HATE DEBT! Consider it a certificate of financial achievement because that’s truly what it is! Hating debt will gain you financial freedom faster than any other thing you do with your money! I want to hear from you!!

Give me a call, share your rant, and give me a way to contact you so I can send you your free certificate of achievement! (Please know that your privacy is my top priority here, so no need to worry about me sharing your information with anyone. Your call will be completely confidential and any information obtained would strictly be used to keep my end of the bargain!)

I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU!

Help me launch this hotline with a bang, and receive the most prestigious financial certificate available on the web!!

Don’t H8 DEBT?

I wanna hear from you too! In fact, I think your message could give me plenty of inspiration to keep Enemy of Debt going for hundreds of years to come! I LOVE hearing from people who believe debt is a tool! (Don’t you worry, just because we disagree on the subject of debt, your privacy is just as important to me! I must ask that anyone who calls please be respectful and at least coherent. You don’t have to whisper or even keep your cool, get loud, but be respectful.)

If my use of the word ignorance offended you, or wasn’t politically correct enough, call me to give me your VERY BEST reason why that statement is false.

For the record, I have been ignorant too. Luckily, ignorance isn’t permanent, it’s only a temporary state of being! The choice is yours to make!

DISCLAIMER: To the very few of you who have been forced into debt by absolutely NO FAULT of your own, my heart goes out to you. BUT, what are you gonna do about it now that you have it? Start HATING IT so you can get it out of your life!

I Don’t Believe In Beating Around The Bush!

Perhaps some of these articles will inspire you to call my new hotline! Am I on the mark, or off my rocker? You be the judge!

484-H8-DEBT-2 (484-483-3282) CALL ME!

• When You’re Tired Of Being Broke, You’ll Start Saving
• People Need An Excuse To Spend Money, And They’re Eager To Find One
• The Cold Hard Truth: Debt is STUPID and You Might Be Too!!
• Bankruptcy – The Morning After Pill of Personal Finance
• Are Your Priorities Backwards?
• A Destructive Mindset: Is This What You Believe Too?
• Are You Waiting For Washington To Save The Day?
• Personal Responsibility Starts With YOU
• Saving To Buy, Instead Of Buying To Slave!

Happy Friday everyone!

This game isn’t to be confused with my recent giveaway and fundraiser of the “I’m Debt Free” game.

This is a completely different game, and one that I know you will also enjoy. One of the major differences is the fact that this game is a little more kid-friendly and interactive. It’s also much cheaper and comes with FREE shipping. Total cost: $22.00.

I have to admit, we weren’t making a very great effort to sit around the kitchen table to enjoy a family board game before. BUT since I am the Enemy of Debt, and this is a debt free game, we have had a little more game time at our house recently. I wasn’t sure how my  4 year old would respond to this game but it didn’t take long before I realized that he was really enjoying himself, and so were we. It’s a family-friendly fun time!!

One of my favorite things about this game is that when the game is over, you can allow your kids to keep their “winnings” from the game. We simply put Isaac’s “cut” in his envelopes along with the commission he earns from doing his chores. Isaac is only 4 years old, but I would be willing to bet he knows more about debt, spending, saving, and giving than most kids his age. I have been working with Isaac for a little over a year and am glad to have another tool to use to keep him interested in learning about handling his money responsibly.

It’s tough enough in this world without having to worry about financial stress. Are you doing what you can to teach your kids about money?

Children And Money: Are You Helping Your Children Learn The Basics?
Children and Money: A Basic Plan To Teach Financial Responsibility

This game is very easy to learn. Living debt free is a great way to give you and your family the financial advantage you have been looking for. Make learning about money and living debt free fun. Get this game so the whole family can learn the basics. Not only is this game just $22.00, but shipping is FREE!!! If you don’t win one be sure to pick up a copy for your family!

Learn how to: (from the website)

• Avoiding debt by paying cash
• Budgeting and setting goals to live debt free
• Starting a debt snowball and paying extra on smallest bills
• Having an emergency fund of $1500
• Having a six-month emergency fund in place
• Investing in a 401(k) and Roth IRA
• Educational savings accounts
• Building wealth and financial freedom
• Paying extra on your mortgage

The Giveaway

All you need to do in order to enter for a chance to win is be a current subscriber to Enemy of Debt and leave a comment below. In your comment answer these two questions: (worth 1 entry)

1. When is the last time you sat around the kitchen table with your family to play a board game?
2. Of all your financial mistakes, what ONE MISTAKE would you want your kids to learn the most?

Want to increase your chances of winning? These can be done at the bottom of this post. (Be sure to leave a comment letting me know about your extra entries.)

1. Tweet this post. (make sure @enemyofdebt is in your tweet.) Worth 5 extra entries!
2. Stumble this post. Worth 5 extra entries!
3. Tip this post. Worth 5 extra entries!

Giveaway Deadline

All entries must be submitted by next Wednesday August 11th at midnight! I will be selecting the winners via random.org, and will update THIS POST to let you know who the winners are on Thursday.

Good Luck!!

The Winners!

The winners of The Debt Free Game are Matt N. and Melissa! (Winners were selected via random.org)

Congratulations and I hope you and your family enjoys this really fun game! Thanks for participating and reading Enemy of Debt!

PURE AWESOMENESS!

Yesterday, Enemy of Debt was introduced to the comic strip world for the first time! Back in February, I sent the creator of the Personal Finance comics an email, suggesting an Enemy of Debt character. Every comic has a villain and since he writes for a credit card site, I thought Enemy of Debt would play the part nicely.

He liked the idea, and even took it one step further by asking me to write up a storyline. Having never written anything like that before I was a bit nervous, but I jumped right on it. I submitted my basic storyline and Fred did his magic. Francis Vallejo did an AMAZING job on the graphics, layout and ink work!

Just the other day Fred released this sneak peak. To date, this is his BIGGEST comic edition yet! It was so big that he had to publish it in two parts. You can check out the first part here.

• On the 2nd of June he will reveal what Enemy of Debt’s next move is to J.Money’s zany gambling habits!
• What has happened to Baker?
• Will Money Funk be ok?

To just be a part of this is so exciting to me! Don’t miss a thing.

Here are the characters listed in order of appearance:

Brian Scheur from My Next Buck

J. Money from Budgets are Sexy – Spreading the Financial Love

Money Funk from Money Funk – Personal Finance and Frugal Living

Enemy Of Debt from Enemy of Debt – Motivational Money Management

Baker from Man Vs Debt – Sell your crap. Payoff your Debt. Do what you love.

OTHER COMICS FROM FRED & FRANCIS

Where did Brian from My Next Buck get his coin from? – The special coin

Why is J.Money from Budgets Are Sexy crazy about lottery tickets? – Mo’ Money

From Blog to Book featuring J.D. from Get Rich Slowly

Debt Buster featuring Baker from Man vs. Debt

CREDITS

Illustrator: Francis Vallejo – Graphics, Panel Layout and Inking

Story: Brad Chaffee

Editor: Fred Schebesta

On the regular…I hear average people complain about the current state of our economy. I hear average people complain about Government spending and how wasteful and inefficient it is. I hear average people complain about the rising U.S. debt, which is now over 12 trillion dollars. I hear average people complain about the U.S. budget which seems to be compiled of massive debt and lots of red numbers. In a nutshell, I hear average people complain about the basic financial decisions made daily in the U.S.

Guess what?

The average person is just as broke, just as bad, and just as irresponsible as the U.S. Government when it comes to financial matters. Yep, 7 out of 10 people are broke, so what does that tell you? Not certain what it tells you, but what it tells me is that the average person is NOT smarter than the U.S. Government.

EOD Tip: Monkey See, Monkey Don’t – Stop doing the same things with your money, that our Government does with theirs ours. Want to be financially well-off? Do what financially well-off people do.

Are you the average person?
Government answer: YES! Average is good, follow our lead.

1. Yes, and I like it that way.
2. Yes, but I am ready to be extraordinary.
3. No way, common sense is King.

Do you have an emergency fund?
Government answer: NO! Who needs an Emergency Fund when you collect taxes?

1. Yes, and it feels GREAT!
2. No, but I am ready to get one.
3. No, I have my credit cards.

Do you have and maintain a monthly “balanced” budget?
Government answer: NO! Who needs a “balanced” budget when using tax payer money?

1. Yes, and it helps me stay focused!
2. No, but I would like to give it a try.
3. Nope, who needs a budget?

Do you spend more than you make?
Government answer: Of course! Thank God for taxes!

1. Yes, why do you think I love my credit cards so much?
2. Yes, but it’s time to gain control of my behavior.
3. Nope, not anymore.

Do you have debt not including your mortgage?
Government answer: YES! Got to keep these failed programs going so we can continue to raise taxes to pay for them.

1. Yes, we have tons of debt, who doesn’t?
2. Yes, but we are working to eliminate it!
3. Nope, no debt for us please!

Do you have, or have you ever thought about funding your own retirement?
Government answer: Of course not, tax payers fund ours, but you need us to fund yours.  (Ironic eh?)

1. Yes, but I haven’t started just yet.
2. Yes, my retirement is growing slow but steady.
3. Nope, that’s what the Government is for.

What do we take away from all this? Well, if you are spending other people’s money it doesn’t really matter at all apparently, but if you are spending your own it better matter!

EOD Tip: Government Reliance Vs. Personal Responsibility- Wait Or Create? – If you want to be smarter than the U.S. Government, you should focus and try as hard as you can to become more self reliant. Taking personal responsibility for your life and your actions, is one of the most valuable attributes to becoming who you want to become.

Your money should matter to you as much as, if not more than, what the Government is doing with the money they take from you. The Government has proven time and time again that it has no real grasp on how to manage money. In our society debt is seen as good, mostly because it allows us to buy stuff we wouldn’t otherwise be able to afford. I am screaming at the top of my lungs here to tell you it is a lie. You can have anything you want with a little discipline, sacrifice and an actual financial plan that isn’t void of common sense.

If debt was the answer to prosperity, why is our economy suffering SO BADLY, even after the Government spent HUNDREDS OF BILLIONS of our tax dollars?

Common sense? It’s not as common as you would think.

As the Government has proven, you don’t need common sense when you are using tax payer dollars. It doesn’t take much to do it their way, but being smarter than the United States Government gives you control, security, dignity, and a much better quality of life. Be smarter than the U.S. Government and take control of your money, instead of continuing to spend on auto-pilot.

So are you Smarter Than The U.S. Government?

Looking for more to read? Be sure to check me out over at the Self Reliance Exchange.

Some people have a problem with getting older, but not me. I welcome the added wisdom, knowledge, and experience of the previous year, and am ready to move on to bigger and better things. Age is nothing more than a number.

Live life, love life, and enjoy it while you can—become DEBT FREE!

In 1975:

• Gerald R. Ford was President – President Ford escaped 2 assassination attempts.
• U.S. Population was 215,973,199.
• Federal Debt was $541.9 billion.
• Unemployment was 8.5%.
• Pittsburgh defeated Minnesota in Super Bowl.
• Saturday Night Live premieres on NBC. George Carlin hosts the first show.
• One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest sweeps the top Oscars, winning Best Picture, Director, Actor, and Actress.
• Academy Award, Best Picture: The Godfather Part II, Francis Ford Coppola, producer; Gray Frederickson and Fred Roos, co-producers (Paramount)
• Record of the Year: “I Honestly Love You,” Olivia Newton-John
• Album of the Year: Fulfillingness’ First Finale, Stevie Wonder (Tamla/Motown)

This Time Last Year:

• I HATED DEBT!
• I had debt, and Sallie Mae wanted to move in until 2018. I said NO WAY!
• We were 14 months into our Total Money Makeover. One of the only New Years Resolutions I have ever followed through completely on.
• Barrack Obama became President.
• U.S. Population was 307,212,123 (July estimate)
• Federal Debt was 10.6 TRILLION.
• Unemployment was under 8%. Currently over 10%.
• I had under 41 subscribers.

Today:

• I STILL HATE DEBT!
• I have been married for 5.5 years.
• I have 3 kids: Caitlin 13 Isaac 3 Noah 4 mos.
• I HAVE NO DEBT except for the house.
• Federal debt is currently 12.3 TRILLION. (Don’t take notes from Washington.)
• New Orleans Saints defeat The Indianapolis Colts.
• Am more motivated than ever to teach debt freedom.
• Am one week away from my last 2 days of work. (SAHD/WAHD) Nice!
• Am looking forward to becoming a Certified Financial Counselor in April.
• Considering approaching Washington to introduce them to Financial Peace University.
• Starting my third FPU at my church.
• Write for Self reliance Exchange, and something else that is still a secret.
• I have 500+ subscribers. (AND I LOVE YOU ALL!)
• I AM MORE FREE THAN I WAS LAST YEAR!

That’s it from me today! I will be spending the day with my family! Have a great Monday!

photo credit

Hello my awesome EOD readers!

Basically, I think it would be SUPER COOL if someone in every state declared their hatred for debt the way that I have.

As some of you know, I have already done this myself.

So what I envision is for 49 of you, one from each state with the exception of Virginia, to eventually get a personalized plate that reads:

Once you have done this, be sure to email me at freedom@enemyofdebt.com, so I can list your state as complete. If you have a website or blog, I would also be happy to link to it from this list of DEBT HATING AMERICANS.

I am going to make this even more exciting, as if that were possible right? When this list is completed, I will be giving away $50 to one lucky winner from the list. Winner will be chosen via random dot org by the number next to each state.

What are you waiting for? Go make me proud!

I have learned that some states charge an arm and a leg for the pieces of aluminum that are put on their cars. I created bumper stickers that are MUCH cheaper if you still want to show your support for Enemy of Debt and share your hatred of debt.

IH8 DEBT 50 Plates In 50 States

1. Alabama
2. Alaska
3. Arizona
4. Arkansas
5. California
6. Colorado
7. Connecticut
8. Delaware
9. Florida
10. Georgia
11. Hawaii
12. Idaho
13. Illinois
14. Indiana
15. Iowa
16. Kansas
17. Kentucky
18. Louisiana
    
19. Maine
20. Maryland
21. Massachusetts
    
22. Michigan – Divine & Debt Free
    
23. Minnesota
24. Mississippi
25. Missouri
26. Montana
27. Nebraska
28. Nevada
29. New Hampshire
    
30. New Jersey
31. New Mexico
32. New York
33. North Carolina
34. North Dakota
35. Ohio
36. Oklahoma
37. Oregon
38. Pennsylvania
39. Rhode Island
40. South Carolina
41. South Dakota
42. Tennessee
43. Texas
44. Utah
45. Vermont
    
46. Virginia – Enemy of Debt
    
47. Washington
48. West Virginia
49. Wisconsin
50. Wyoming

1.) I am thankful for the healthy birth of our new little man Noah. He has been a blessing and so much fun to be around.

2.) I am obviously thankful for the fact that we have become debt free in 2009. This accomplishment alone has helped our lives become less stressful and more enjoyable. It’s been a wonderful experience to say the least.

3.) I am really thankful for the people I interact with daily throughout the blogosphere. That may seem cheesy to some, but I have learned so much from the people around me—bloggers and readers alike. (READERS – I am especially thankful for you, because without you, I would not have an audience to write to.)

Have a very Happy Thanksgiving, and if you have time read my post over at the Self Reliance Exchange about Black Friday:

Make Black Friday A Debt Free Friday – If you ask me, Black Friday is the worst day of the year. Add my least favorite thing to do—shopping—and you have yourself one turned-off Dad. Just show me some pajamas and the remote, and I’ll show you what contentment actually looks like. I’d even settle for watching “It’s A Wonderful Life” with my wife, but don’t tell her—she’ll be skipping the marketing festivities as well…continue reading.