I’m excited, and not just a little bit. A week from Sunday is the Twin Cities 10 mile race, something I’ve been training for the last 6 months. I have one more long run tomorrow morning, and then it will be short easy runs next week to keep my legs fresh. I’ve put in the work, and now I’m ready to ENJOY the race. I’m SO looking forward to it! In the middle of October I’m headed to St. Louis for the Financial Bloggers Conference where I will have the chance to network with other bloggers and learn how to […] Read more »
Xzilon Washes – My Only Car Splurge
The following is a guest post from Crystal at Budgeting in the Fun Stuff, where she covers spending, saving, and budgeting for fun along the way. ———- I drive a crappy car with no upgrades at all, although I think it did have a Xzilon interior treatment before it left the dealership. I plan to keep driving my car for at least another couple of years. Buying My Car – Xzilon Not Included My car hunt started right after college in 2005 since I needed to give back my parents’ extra car. I had a really awful experience with a […] Read more »
Shopping For A Mortgage? Don’t Make These Three Credit Mistakes
[Guest post by Lindsay from TeacHer Finance] Deciding to take the plunge into homeownership is a really big deal for a lot of people, and for good reason: purchasing a home is a huge commitment that few of us sign onto without serious consideration. After all the hemming and hawing about whether or not to buy or keep renting, many of us are so excited to dive right into house-hunting that we fail to pay attention to some – ahem – key details. Of course, I’m talking about the all-important credit score, the little digit that has the power to […] Read more »
Using Ebay to Kill Debt
[The following is a guest post from Crystal at Budgeting in the Fun Stuff, where she covers spending, saving, and working in the fun stuff along the way.] My husband and I didn’t have much debt during or right after college, but we didn’t have much money either. That meant that the one car payment we did have was extra annoying. We had day jobs but we wanted to earn a little more to help pay down the car loan even faster. That’s when we looked around and my husband realized that he had about 10,000 Magic: The Gathering cards […] Read more »
The Cost Of Decluttering Your Home
It wasn’t how I envisioned my Saturday playing out. After completing my early morning eight mile run, I asked Vonnie what was on her agenda for the day. She suggested we do some much needed cleaning, but first she wanted my help in repotting some plants. After doing one, I started looking for a hand garden shovel that would make the task easier. My search led me to the small shed on the side of our garage. I opened the door of the shed and stared at the cluttered contents, knowing the small shovel was likely buried in a box […] Read more »
Inflation vs Currency
[Guest post] The Banco Central do Brasil is fighting back against the upward pressure on inflation. In 2012 consumer prices went up by 5.8%; so far this year prices have risen by 6.09%, worryingly close to the upper limits of 6.5% for the year as a whole. The central bank’s response has been to raise its benchmark “Selic” interest rate four times, from the 2012 low of 7.25% to today’s 9%. The latest move took place in late August and analysts are sure there are more increases to come. In the most recent survey by the Bloomberg news agency, the […] Read more »
I Love You Like a Blogger Roundup – 9/20
I have to be honest, I’ve been feeling just a little “off” the last couple of weeks. I’ve been going to bed earlier trying to get more sleep, but I just feel tired all the time. In the gym I haven’t been able to push nearly the weight I had been just a few weeks ago. I don’t know what the deal is, but I’m hoping a weekend of relaxation and even more sleep will help remedy the situation. Have any of you ever experienced something like this? September is almost over, which means your chance to vote for Enemy […] Read more »
My Short Term Mindset is Getting in the way of my Long Term Goals
When you work in the personal finance industry people kind of expect you to be wealthy. I guess it is similar to when you retain the services of a personal trainer. You don’t feel inspired or confident by an out of shape personal trainer. When I tell people what I do for a living some of them assume that I must be financially set. The reality is that I do make some better choices sure, but I am far from my ideal financial state. Like most average middle class families, we struggle from time to time. We have successfully avoided […] Read more »
Investment Properties: How to Maximize Your Rental Income
If you are interested in investing in a rental property, you also need to know how to maximize your income, despite the costs. Because investment properties are decidedly riskier than buying a home, you need to make sure that you pare down the amount you’re paying for the mortgage loan. To keep within range, the down payment should fall around 20% for one unit or 30% for a property that features two to four rental units. You can also expect to pay the lender about 1.5% more than the advertised rates. Don’t forget the landlord’d insurance as well. Property Taxes: […] Read more »
What Do Long Distance Running and Getting Out of Debt Have In Common?
I walked down my driveway and accelerated into my normal running pace as I crossed the line separating the concrete of my driveway and the asphalt of the road. I was excited to head out for a Saturday morning run, the target distance being five miles. I hadn’t run outside much lately but I had been doing a lot of treadmill running, and was sure it would all come back to me. Except it didn’t. I was expecting an effortless run, as I remembered enjoying so many previous times. What actually followed was seventy minutes of alternating between running, walking, […] Read more »
I Love You Like A Blogger Roundup – 9/13
In Monday’s post I reviewed Jeff Rose’s book Soldier of Finance, and announced that I would be giving a copy away. I’m very excited, as this is the first give away I’ve done on Enemy Of Debt! Without any further delay, the winner is…. Susan! I have your email address from your comment entry, and will be contacting you to arrange shipping the book to you. Congratulations! Yesterday I received my statement for my reduced paycheck for the furlough week. Vonnie and I sat down and did our budget and spending plan for the next two weeks, and I’m very […] Read more »
Being In Debt is NOT a Necessary Part of Life
Most Americans have a pile of debt. Are you one of them? Debt has gotten to be such a normal part of life in this country that most people don’t even question it anymore. In fact, some people think having debt can even be a good thing. But really, do you need a pile of debt to get all the things you want and need out of life? Let me answer that one for you… No, you don’t. In fact, I think it’s just plain silly to think that debt is a necessary part of living a normal life. […] Read more »
Review and Give Away: Are You Ready To Be a Soldier of Finance?
I had too much debt, no savings and had no idea how to build a real budget and live within my means. In June of 2009 my finances were a mess and I needed help badly. There are thousands of families with their finances in the same state of disarray today, and looking for something or someone to help them get on the right path. I had the opportunity to take an advanced look at a new book by blogger and Certified Financial Planner Jeff Rose which aims to help people in situation just like mine. Soldier Of Finance leans […] Read more »
Building Wealth – Money of Stuff? Go for Stuff
Last month I argued in favor of building wealth with money. There certainly are a lot of positive points to consider. This month I'm taking the side of stuff and arguing that as we pull ourselves out of debt and start building some wealth, we ought to be focused on having things, possessions, personal property, real property and other materials and physical resources instead of money. Am I changing my mind? Not really, I’m just looking at the other side of the same coin and being equally enthusiastic about it. Read more »