Unplanned Expenses Fund

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We recently had to use up a significant chunk of our unplanned expense fund.  We had a random piece of our roof blow away and, that very same day, my husband’s car battery died. The events occurred a week and a half ago, right smack in the middle of the holiday season. This time of year, we don’t have loads of extra cash lying around. These are the types of issues that personal finance experts reference when recommending emergency funds. Just about everybody has heard of an emergency fund. We all know we are supposed to have at least three […] Read more »

Are You the Next Pawn Star?

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One of my favorite shows to watch is Pawn Stars on the history channel. Watching episodes of this popular TV show has become somewhat of an event at our house. The show is educational, fascinating and largely about making money, what’s not to love? Long before banks, ATMS and check-cashing services, there were pawn shops. Pawning was the leading form of consumer credit in the United States until the 1950s, and pawn shops are still helping everyday people get by when they need to. The premise of Pawn Stars is a multigenerational family; The Harrison’s running a pawn shop in […] Read more »

Chase Put Me On the Road to Financial Recovery, But it Cost them $100,000,000

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I recently received an unexpected letter in the mail from a law firm. Curiously, I opened the envelope, and read the title of the enclosed letter: Notice of Proposed Class Action Settlement and hearing to Chase Credit Cardholders I was instantly reminded of the terror that I felt back in June of 2009 when we received five identical envelopes in the mail from Chase; one for each of the credit card accounts we had with them. The letter inside stated that terms of our accounts were being changed, and the minimum payment percentage was being increased. Our monthly payment was […] Read more »

I Dare You to Move

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I just finished moving for the fifth time in five years. Not only is moving not fun, it’s expensive! I have moved for various reasons over this time frame, divorce, a brief second marriage and a crazy landlord. People move for many other reasons, a change in jobs, to be closer to family, the list goes on and on. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 17 percent of the U.S. population moves each year. The reality is moving is just part of life’s adventures and whether you do it once in your life or twenty times there are ways you […] Read more »

Turn the Tables on Your Debt to Savings Ratio

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Recent years have been tough on everyone; unemployment, the mortgage debacle, and rising costs on everything from food to gas have caused many of us to re-evaluate our budgets and learn to cut back. One in four Americans has more debt than savings. A recent survey by Bankrate.com found that 25 percent of Americans have more credit card debt than they have in emergency savings. Yikes, that is definitely a scary statistic. But, you don’t have to let it happen to you! While credit card debt may take some time to get out of there are lots of things you […] Read more »

Money Problems Are All I Have

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The caller ID showed an incoming call from the wife of a couple with which my wife and I are close friends. I answered the phone with a quickly forgotten  humorous remark as the voice on the other end was shaky, asking for a favor.  Our friend and her teenage daughter were having a huge argument and they needed a third party to step in and mediate the situation. Our friends are working through marital issues, and have recently separated as they attempt to work through them. Their teenage daughter has taken it especially hard, and is very angry.   The […] Read more »

Changing My Money Mind in 2012

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It’s that time of year when we all vow to change our ways and resolve to go on a diet, quit smoking, or get out of debt. How many of us actually have a plan in place to make our resolutions a reality? Unfortunately most of us don’t and this is why we are doomed to fail before we even start. Yes, money is necessary to support our lifestyle, but do we let it determine how we live our lives? The fact is many of us do. We allow ourselves to live up to or above our means which often […] Read more »

Lessons for Investors from Irene

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Irene and a KFC Cup

Millions of Americans were affected by Irene, whether it was a hurricane or a tropical storm. The debate, for many, seems to center on whether reporters and forecasters “over-hyped” the strength of the storm as it approached the East Coast. The answers to that debate are not relevant but there is one lesson we can learn from the experience of forecasters as they plotted the probable track and strength of Irene. At a very basic level, there are two parts to forecasting hurricanes. The first is performed by computers and this generates a variety of possible tracks and levels of […] Read more »

As Seen On CNN.com

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An Unusual Day In The Life Of A Part Time Blogger Well let me start by saying, WOW!!!  Today was an extraordinary day for me.  Two weeks ago I was contacted through my website by Jim Kavanagh, a writer for CNN.com.  When I woke up this morning I had no idea what I was in for.  Kavanagh wrote a terrific story called, Walking Away From Credit Cards, which highlighted the fact that some people have chosen to say NO to credit cards. I was quoted as saying, “Credit card debt is our biggest hindrance in being able to take care […] Read more »

Are You Waiting For Washington To Save The Day?

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  As it stands now this is not a political blog, and I want to keep it that way.  However, with the upcoming election, coupled with recent events (bailout, mortgage crisis) and the state of our economy, I feel it is important to address this issue.  It seems that so many people are putting all of their faith into electing a President that they feel will fly down from the sky with his Presidential cape and leotards to save the day.  Why is that?  Do people really believe that Washington is going to come to the rescue? Do you really […] Read more »

Murphy’s Fall

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  Murphy’s Fall? I wanted to take this opportunity to introduce you to something that you have or will possibly go through.  I have coined the term “Murphy’s Fall”.  Murphy’s Fall isn’t the fall of Murphy.  Instead it is something you yourself go through because of Murphy.  That’s right.  It’s what can happen when Murphy has moved in and just doesn’t want to leave.  It could be equivalent to what marathoners call “The Wall”, which is when a marathoner reaches the 20 mile mark and starts to rationalize giving up.  It’s when you start to tell yourself that you have […] Read more »

If My Words Were A Hand, They’d Be Slapping Some Sense Into You!

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STOP BORROWING MONEY!!! Just to clear things up, the title isn’t to be taken literally. It’s just my way of grabbing your attention and telling you that if you are in debt, you need to hear this!! So LISTEN UP! This is perhaps the most important thing to learn after getting yourself on a budget. Dumping your debt will help you gain traction and in return offer you a hope you have never imagined. The reason is because all of the things most people have their money spent on before they ever get paid, steals their hope. When you accept […] Read more »

The “B” Word!

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Yeah I said it, the “B” word….Budget. My FPU class just finished Lesson Three called Cash Flow Planning, and when most of us think about a budget, all kinds of negative thoughts surface. First we think it will keep us from having fun. If you are like me then you may have thought it was more trouble than it was worth. Seriously, why should we do a budget when it always seems to collapse midway through the month? Most of us have avoided doing a budget our entire life all because of these misconceptions. The truth is that the budget […] Read more »

Buying vs. Renting – What Should You Do?

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I think a majority of people would say it is better to buy simply because of the “I own it”, way of thinking. I used to believe the same thing. I think people do not take into consideration all of the things that should change that “normal” way of thinking. Dave Ramsey believes that if you are in debt, have no savings and no plan you SHOULD NOT buy, and I am right there beside him in agreement. You need to consider insurance costs, property taxes, as well as being responsible for ALL repairs. All of which does not enter […] Read more »