Lifestyle | Enemy of Debt: Where Behavior Meets Reality

Why “Go Big or Go Home” is Destroying Your Budget

Written by guest on January 22, 2012 · 7 Comments

In the U.S., we like our space and we like big. We drive big cars, we like big houses, and one of our favorite phrases is even “go big or go home.” We are obsessed with size in every way, shape, and form, and it is destroying our budgets. The greatest offenders to our larger than life attitudes include: Your Home In other countries, even the industrialized ones, it isn’t uncommon to see a family of 5 sharing a small apartment. In the U.S., however, we expect everyone to have their own large room and there to be adequate space [...] Read more »

Tags: Budgeting, buy large, Lifestyle

Imagination is Free

Written by Travis on November 4, 2011 · 5 Comments

I’m going to ask you to do something you may not have ever been asked to do before. Close your eyes, and think of a recent experience in your life that was extremely stressful. Go to your “nervous, anxious, so angry I want to punch a wall” place. What do you feel like doing? What would deflate the negative energy you’re feeling? Going out to eat so you don’t have to add the stress of cooking to the pile? Going shopping and buying anything you darn well please so you regain the feeling of control? Having your significant other notice [...] Read more »

Tags: gift giving, Inspiration, life, money, Relationships

Pay Day Loans are for Lazy People…Do This Instead!

Written by Brad Chaffee on October 10, 2011 · 10 Comments

Recently, I had a conversation at the Financial Blogger Conference and Pay Day Loans came up. First off, I was kind of surprised to hear a financial blogger say that these loans had their place because most bloggers agree that these types of loans are dangerous and avoidable. At the time my mind was spinning a hundred miles a minute but I said nothing because not only had I just arrived at the conference, but I know that debates like this are rarely productive (especially with a financial blogger). So I bit my tongue but I do have an opinion [...] Read more »

Tags: alternatives to pay day loans, church programs, communication, community services, food banks, hard work, I Hate Pay Day Loans, loan alternatives, loans, Pay Day Loans

Sorry, School Fundraiser – You’re Not In My Budget!

Written by Travis on September 22, 2011 · 42 Comments

The inevitable packet came home from school with my daughter last week. That same night, the doorbell started ringing signalling the beginning of the school fundraising season. Whether you have school aged children, or you’ve experienced that knock at the door, you know what I mean. Kids trying to sell you products that you cannot possibly live without at an inflated price all in the name of helping their school. The motivation given to the students is a ladder of prizes – the more you sell, the better the prize. Of course every student begins the fundraiser with hopes of [...] Read more »

Tags: Budgeting, Giving, life, money

Life is so Beautiful, Why Waste it Shackled with Debt?

Written by Brad Chaffee on August 31, 2011 · 27 Comments

As I stared into the beautiful face of our newborn, Hannah Rose, at 7:29 a.m. on Tuesday morning, tears of joy streaked down my face. All I could think about — besides how lucky I am to be blessed with such a wonderful family — was just how beautiful life really is. Those who know me know my children are EVERYTHING to me, and I wouldn’t want to waste a single moment of it unable to take advantage of the complete happiness that being a dad brings. Just like with anything else that travels through the depths of my mind, [...] Read more »

Tags: beautiful life, Bondage, debt, Debt Elimination, interest, life, opportunity, overspending

Finding the Right Balance in Order to Succeed

Written by Brad Chaffee on August 12, 2011 · 8 Comments

Earlier this week, I submitted my article to Perkstreet Financial titled 6 Ways to Change Your Financial Math, Without a Calculator. It really digs into the psychological side of money and asserts that if you're struggling to turn things around by using math and book knowledge, you may be missing the bigger picture. I've said it before; just because you know what to do doesn't mean you will necessarily do it. I mentioned 6 things in the article that I think are far more important than math. They were attitude, behavior, contentment, balance, intensity, and diligence. My point was that by working on these 6 characteristics you might be much more likely to succeed financially. Read more »

Tags: Balance, debt, goals, Intensity, Lifestyle, pay off debt

Understanding Need Versus Want

Written by Brad Chaffee on July 11, 2011 · 12 Comments

Understanding Need Versus Want Understanding a need versus a want is the first step that we should all take when trying to get control of our spending habits and monthly budgets, but it’s often a step we skip. There’s a lot of rationalization in our reasons for spending the way we do and far too little self-introspection. It’s easy to differentiate between need versus want. The definitions are clear and if asked we could all, most likely, tell the difference. Where it gets difficult is in those moments where we’re not really thinking about how much we want something, or [...] Read more »

Tags: necessity, needs versus want, Spending, spending habits

Reach Your Goals by Aligning Your Actions With Those Goals

Written by Brad Chaffee on February 15, 2011 · 21 Comments

Last night I was taking a closer look at my goals and I realized something. My top two goals in 2011 are to lose weight and to save approximately $15,000 for our big emergency fund and a “newer” used car. As I was considering what I could do to make sure I do something every day that contributes to my success, I realized something. I have a blog, Enemy of Fat, just kind of hanging out in the enchanted land of blogger abandonment, all the while I’m writing for another blog I started called Inside C’ville. That blog does nothing [...] Read more »

Tags: accountability, efficiency, fitness, goals, transparency, weight loss

Why the Frugal Get Fit: How Fitness Can Help You Save Big

Written by Brad Chaffee on February 9, 2011 · 22 Comments

Photo Credit: thephotagraphymuse This is a guest post written by Pam Greene. Bob was overweight as a child. He continued to gain weight throughout his life until he weighed almost four hundred pounds. When he was in his early 60s, he caught a cold. The cold turned into pneumonia and from there his health took a deathly downward spiral. His kidneys started shutting down. He had congestive heart failure. For a week, he was on death’s door in the intensive care unit in the hospital. Doctors worked feverishly to save his life. Miraculously, they did. Bob never regained his full [...] Read more »

Tags: financial health, fitness, Frugality, health, health care, Lifestyle, personal finance, weight loss

Refund Anticipation Loans Are For Dummies

Written by Brad Chaffee on January 26, 2011 · 6 Comments

Have you ever paid the outrageous cost associated with getting a Refund Anticipation Loan? Guess what? I have been that dummy! (Get ready! I’m feeling…ummm…in-your-face today.) I’ve been a dummy more times than I’d like to admit, and while we’re all being honest — so have you. I guess the question is this. Are you going to do something dumb *this year* when filing your taxes? If you have done the refund anticipation loans before and do not see a problem with them, let me ask you this? Do you realize that you are giving money away for nothing? I [...] Read more »

Tags: 2011, fees, H&R Block, pay off debt, personal finance, rapid refund, refund anticipation loan, rip off, save money, tax refund, tax return, taxes, Turbo Tax

Media Deliberately Tries to Affect Our Personal Finances, so Here’s My Set of Defensive Measures

Written by Clair Schwan on December 13, 2010 · 16 Comments

Photo Credit: beggs Today we’re getting deeper and deeper into a culture that is influenced by media, but thankfully it’s “selective media.” I don’t mean media that selectively reports things or gives you one side of the story. That’s nothing new at all. What I mean is viewers can be much more selective about what is watched, listened to, and read. With an ever-expanding selection of television programs, radio programs, print publications, and Internet websites, we have more to select from now than ever before. And, changes in the marketplace are reflected as more new choices. Large print media are [...] Read more »

Tags: advertising, Lifestyle, media, media influence, personal finance

How To Dress Nicely On A Budget

Written by Brad Chaffee on October 27, 2010 · 9 Comments

This is a guest post by David Bakke Photo Credit: beckyjohns7 Up until recently, I always had the luxury of having the majority of my clothes purchased for me, either by my mom when I was younger, my wife when I was “grown up,” and by family and friends during the gift-giving holidays. I know, it sounds like I’m really spoiled or something, but in actuality, all of these close people in my life have always enjoyed shopping for clothes for me. Yup, I’m a pretty fortunate guy! However, my wife got a full-time job two years ago that made [...] Read more »

Tags: Budgeting, clothes, Money Crashers, personal finance, saving money, wardrobe

The Scariest Halloween Costume EVER!

Written by Brad Chaffee on October 18, 2010 · 15 Comments

Photo Credit: Memory_Freak An Enslaved Debtor complete with bondage. (A person in a suit or dress, with mini cars, school books, shopping bags, bank statements and Starbucks coffee cups glued to it, while sporting the provocative shackle and handcuff accessories.) Seriously though… How special is your Halloween celebration? Do you go ALL OUT, or do you save your greenbacks for some Christmas shopping? According to a survey by National Retail Federation (NRF), Americans are expected to spend 5.8 BILLION dollars this Halloween. That’s not even close to what will be spent on Christmas, but this number surprises me because of [...] Read more »

Tags: credit, debt, frugal costumes, Halloween, Spending

Dessert Before Dinner? Why America Sucks At Managing Money

Written by Brad Chaffee on October 4, 2010 · 15 Comments

Photo Credit: Memory_Freak Have you ever wondered why America sucks at managing money? We’re not exactly a country that’s living off of table scraps ya know. We’re considered by most to be a prosperous nation. That may be true in terms of what we have compared to other countries, but certainly not true in terms of how we manage it. When it comes to the money and financial planning department, most Americans appear to be lacking! In America debt is a WAY OF LIFE! From the Joneses to [insert name of Government Bureaucrat here], America has lost its way. People [...] Read more »

Tags: discipline, financial planning