goals | Enemy of Debt: Where Behavior Meets Reality

Changing My Money Mind in 2012

Written by Suzanne Cramer on December 22, 2011 · 10 Comments

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 »

Tags: accountability, Behavior, budget, Change, credit cards, Debt Elimination, Emergencies, goals, pay off debt, personal finance, saving money

Just Say No to Inflatable Santa’s

Written by Suzanne Cramer on December 8, 2011 · 9 Comments

“Mommy please can we get one of those inflatable Santa’s?” This is the plea I have heard from my eight year old son since we began to decorate (with our already purchased) holiday decorations the day after Thanksgiving. My answer remains constant, “Not right now buddy, we don’t need an inflatable Santa.” Unfortunately millions of Americans apparently do feel they need inflatable Santa’s, two Christmas trees, and thousands of twinkle lights to adorn their homes so they can feel the magic of the holidays. According to a Bloomberg report, “This year U.S. consumers will spend $6 billion on decorations, the [...] Read more »

Tags: Behavior, budget, Budgeting, Christmas, credit, credit cards, debt, Debt free, debt freedom, Economy, goals, Kids and Money, money, pay off debt, saving money

To Be or Not To Be…That is the Question

Written by Suzanne Cramer on November 24, 2011 · 2 Comments

Thankful that is…today is Thanksgiving a time to spend with loved ones and reflect on what you are thankful for. It has been a tough year for my family and some days I didn’t feel so thankful, but today I have a renewed attitude of thankfulness and realize just how lucky I am to have my health, my family, and the support of communities like this one. Unexpected Gifts of Thanks Sometimes we are dealt a bad hand and just need to make the best of less than perfect situations. Divorce. On April 5th of this year my divorce was [...] Read more »

Tags: budget, Change, debt, Debt free, determination, Economy, goals, pay off debt, personal finance, savings

Day 1: No Restaurants in November 2011 – Let the Savings Begin!

Written by Brad Chaffee on November 1, 2011 · 20 Comments

So today it begins. No Restaurants in November baby! If you missed the rules I am giving myself (and possibly you) click here to see if you have what it takes. Yep those are challenging words! :D Have you decided to be TOTALLY WEIRD by participating in such a thing? WARNING: Your friends may laugh at you. You may get called some names. Your actions may cause people to feel judged. If this happens to you, please tread carefully. Unpredictable behavior may ensue. I get it. It totally sucks to be the only person at work with a bagged lunch, but guess what? It also sucks to be broke and/or keeping yourself from reaching your goals. Read more »

Tags: avoiding high monthly restaurant costs, Budgeting, challenges, dining out, eating out, eating out as a novelty, food budget, goals, no restaurants in november, pay off debt, Priorities, saving money

Do Our Parents Money Decisions Define Us?

Written by Suzanne Cramer on September 1, 2011 · 15 Comments

From a young age I was given the ability to choose how I would spend my money. I was raised in a “typical” family unit with two hard working parents and a younger sibling. We weren’t rich, we weren’t poor we were considered middle class, I suppose. My dad worked long hours as a small business owner (he was a mechanic) and my mom worked part-time so she could take care of us. The family business was passed onto him by my grandfather who came to the states with nothing except the clothes on his back. Read more »

Tags: accountability, debt, Debt free, goals, Kids and Money, Motivation, personal finance, savings

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

Debt Free Checklist: Plan a Special Meeting

Written by Brad Chaffee on June 6, 2011 · 7 Comments

Back in May I wrote a post called Your Debt Free Checklist, which listed steps you would take action on and complete to become debt free. I also mentioned in that post that I would break down each step on the list into a series of articles. This is the first post of that series and it covers setting up a special meeting with your spouse. Some have asked me why I haven’t left it open to anyone in a relationship. Why did I specifically mention “spouse”? That’s actually very simple. I know some people that aren’t married that combine [...] Read more »

Tags: Debt Elimination, Dream Budget, financial goals, financial objectives, goals, Marriage, meeting with your spouse, Retirement, security, teamwork

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

What’s Your Debt Free Plan? Get Organized!

Written by Brad Chaffee on January 7, 2011 · 9 Comments

Photo Credit: banspy So it’s 2011 and you have decided to get out of debt. What next? Getting out of debt can be a very overwhelming undertaking especially when you have no idea where you actually stand. The truth, although sometimes ugly, shall set you free. Too many people — my former self included — simply avoid the truth and walk around ignoring the reality of their financial situations. I’ll just say what you probably already know. Ignoring reality doesn’t make it any less real and denial does more to hurt you than to help you. Once you’ve decided that [...] Read more »

Tags: 2011, Dave Ramsey, david bach, Debt Elimination, debt free for life, financial blueprint, goals, new years resolution, organization, pay off debt, personal finance, total money makeover

My New Year’s Resolutions for 2011

Written by Brad Chaffee on January 3, 2011 · 18 Comments

Photo Credit: lululemon athletica Happy New Year everyone! I’ve gotten to somewhat of a late start this year as far as my resolutions are concerned. I have plenty to accomplish in 2011 though, so here’s what I am hoping to accomplish this year. Financial Save $10,000 Emergency Fund – In 2010 we had a few setbacks in the emergency fund department. Neither were bad things, just set backs. We ended up settling on our second mortgage which depleted our emergency fund by over $7,000. OUCH!! The other thing happened here recently where we decided to give a good portion of [...] Read more »

Tags: 2011, goals, new year, New Years Resolutions

Organize And Break Your Goals Down Into Actionable Steps

Written by Brad Chaffee on January 4, 2010 · 12 Comments

Have you made a list of goals for 2010 yet? Most of you probably saw my very comprehensive list of resolutions that I posted on Friday. In fact, some of you may have cringed at such a long list. One of my good friends, and a subscriber, sent me this message in response to that post. “Drink more beer!” Haha! Now I just want to point out to all of you that this is a first for me too. I’ve made resolution after resolution, year after year, only to lose interest fairly quickly. It seems that most people, including myself, [...] Read more »

Tags: goals, New Years Resolutions, Paying off your debt

My 2010 Comprehensive List Of New Years Resolutions

Written by Brad Chaffee on January 1, 2010 · 35 Comments

What are your New Year Resolutions? It seems to be so easy to make resolutions but even easier to abandon them as the year passes by. My main goal for the year is to stay motivated to complete all of my resolutions for the year. I plan to do that by giving you a monthly update as to my progress on these goals below. Ultimate accountability! I would ask that you help me by keeping me accountable. You can do that by actively participating in the comments section of each “Resolution Tracker” update post. Thank you and I hope each [...] Read more »

Tags: goals, New Years Resolutions, Personal Development