sacrifice | Enemy of Debt: Where Behavior Meets Reality

No Restaurants in November 2011 – Do You Have a Checklist?

Written by Brad Chaffee on November 14, 2011 · 21 Comments

Hello guys and gals! So here we are two weeks after starting my “insane” challenge of avoiding restaurants for the entire month of November. I’m excited to see where each of you are and how you’ve managed to do so far. It’s been fun no? LOL I have done perfectly so far but surprisingly had a hard time last week. It wasn’t even because I “wanted” to eat out. It was more of what I referred to in my last post where I talked about not planning meals and being out and about around meal time. Needless to say I [...] Read more »

Tags: Budgeting, discipline, eating out, food budget, no restaurants in november, sacrifice

The Most Important Money Advice You Will Ever Receive

Written by Jessica on November 12, 2011 · 9 Comments

You do not need to buy a bunch of books from Dave Ramsey, Suze Orman or David Bach to get this kind of advice. You don’t have to go to week long seminars to learn this powerful tool either. You don’t even have to leave your home. Look no further than this blog post and you will get the most valuable money advice you could ever need. The power of this strategy is amazing! It will teach your children a valuable lesson. It will save you thousands of dollars. It will help your marriage. It will even allow you to [...] Read more »

Tags: accountability, debt, just say no, money, Personal Responsibility, Priorities, sacrifice, saving money

Take a Step Back…Put your Financial Behavior in Check

Written by Suzanne Cramer on September 15, 2011 · 7 Comments

Debt is sometimes inevitable, unavoidable, and well a fact of life for many. No matter what your stage of life you may be faced with financial issues. Life can take its toll on your finances; unemployment, an unexpected illness, divorce or a death in the family can send you into a financial tailspin. But sometimes financial issues stem from a cause deeper than the unexpected; the way you think about money. To snap out of bad financial habits it may require some lifestyle and behavioral changes. 10 Financial Principles Dr. Bernard Poduska, author of For Love or Money writes about [...] Read more »

Tags: budget, debt, Debt free, debt freedom, financial planning, life, money, personal finance, sacrifice, saving money

P90X is Doing for my Body, What the Total Money Makeover Did for my Finances

Written by Brad Chaffee on April 5, 2011 · 8 Comments

Photo Credit: West Point I wanted to get out of debt so I BROUGHT IT!! Now I want to lose weight so I’M BRINGING IT!! What do they have in common? Intensity! It’s about intensity and doing things you wouldn’t “normally do”. It’s not about kind of sort of wanting to lose weight or dump your debt. It’s about sacrifice! It’s about intensity! If you’re not willing to do either your debt free journey will seem like a trip to the moon, and likewise, if you’re trying to lose weight! Its about dedicated and deliberate action! When your security and [...] Read more »

Tags: Dave Ramsey, Debt Elimination, Intensity, P90X, sacrifice, Tony Horton, total money makeover, weight loss

What P90X Can Teach You About Paying Off Debt

Written by Brad Chaffee on February 22, 2011 · 13 Comments

Hello everyone and welcome to Enemy of Debt! As most of you know, I recently realized that my actions were not aligned with my goals. This prompted me to fire up the engine room over at Enemy of Fat, but also, to start P90X right now, as opposed to later. My initial goal was to wait until I had lost a few pounds first, then start P90X. It occurred to me that I may have created the prolonged start for P90X because I was scared, AND knew P90X was going to be tough. Although some of my initial decision was [...] Read more »

Tags: Attitude, Debt Elimination, determination, P90X, pay off debt, perseverance, sacrifice

No Restaurants in November Challenge

Written by Brad Chaffee on November 1, 2010 · 56 Comments

Is your budget brutally pounded by your inability to stay away from the restaurants? Of all the things my wife and I have changed about our financial habits, dining out seems to be our current addiction of addictions. We did fine while we were jazzed and intense about getting out of debt, but ever since, we have been haunted by this ghost of convenience. Read more »

Tags: Budgeting, challenge, dining, eat at home, eating out, groceries, no restaurants in november, restaurants, sacrifice, savings, Spending

Martin Luther King Jr Had a Dream – Do You?

Written by Brad Chaffee on September 2, 2010 · 34 Comments

As I had a chance to reflect on one of America’s great historic figures this weekend, I couldn’t help but think of you. Granted, what this man endured had nothing to do with personal finance, but it had everything to do with amazing self-sacrifice, determination, courage and hope. These are all things that are needed when trying to defy overwhelming odds in order to make big changes in your life. On August 28, 1963 Martin Luther King Jr. delivered one of the most inspirational speeches ever, about a dream and a vision he had for America. That dream was inspired [...] Read more »

Tags: courage, debt freedom, determination, Financial Independence, hard work, hope, Martin Luther King Jr, sacrifice

Is It A Boy Or A Girl?

Written by Brad Chaffee on June 15, 2009 · 10 Comments

That Is The Question! I have not announced this here on EOD yet, but thought that today would be the best time to do so. Alana and I are having another baby, due to arrive on October 26th to be exact. I am very excited about this and today we find out whether we are having a boy or a girl. I LOVE BEING A DAD, it is the best gift EVER! What Do I Hope We Are Having? Honestly it really doesn’t matter to me. Either way I will be excited just the same. I do hope that my [...] Read more »

Tags: Behavior, Change, Choices, debt, determination, Personal Responsibility, Priorities, sacrifice

Motivation 101 – Saving To Buy, Instead Of Buying To Slave!

Written by Brad Chaffee on June 3, 2009 · 6 Comments

Can You Buy A House, Have A Car, Or Go To College Without Debt? With a plan you can! It seems like every time I write an article like this I lose a few subscribers. That’s fine, I am fully aware that I will not please everyone. This would be too easy if I could, and frankly I like the challenge. For some reason people seem to get angry about someone (me) telling them that it is ABSOLUTELY POSSIBLE to live life without accepting the chains and bondage that come with debt. I could speculate all day long about why [...] Read more »

Tags: cards, Cars, Change, credit, debt, Freedom, life, Mortgage, Peace, sacrifice, truth

A Sacrifice Is Not A Loss But A Gain

Written by Brad Chaffee on January 24, 2009 · 21 Comments

Returning Thoughts I am in my car a significant amount of time. I have tons of time to think about so many things. One of the questions I find myself asking is “What in the world do people say when they see my car?”. My first response is usually laughter because I imagine what people might say who would never be caught dead in such a car. To make it even more amusing I have a DaveRamsey.com sticker on my bumper that says, “Act Your Wage”, beside another “Anti-Debt” sticker. To me this makes TOTAL sense, but the average person [...] Read more »

Tags: Cars, Choices, debt, decisions, Frugality, needs versus wants, sacrifice, savings

Murphy’s Fall

Written by Brad Chaffee on October 9, 2008 · 12 Comments

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 »

Tags: credit, debt, determination, Emergencies, Inspiration, Motivation, Murphy's Fall, sacrifice, savings

Memorial Day Tribute

Written by Brad Chaffee on May 26, 2008 · Leave a Comment

Without those BRAVE men and women that sacrificed and paid the ultimate price, we would not be free to have what we have. Becoming debt free wouldn’t matter much without the freedom we have been given. We should all reflect on what kind of person it takes to fill those shoes, as most of us have no idea what sacrifice of this magnitude feels like. The families who have lost loved ones, my heart is with you! THANK YOU! GOD BLESS AMERICA! GOD BLESS OUR TROOPS! Related Articles:Motivation 101 – Saving To Buy, Instead Of Buying To Slave!Living the [...] Read more »

Tags: Freedom, memorial day, sacrifice