savings | Enemy of Debt: Where Behavior Meets Reality

P90X Your Finances this Year

Written by Suzanne Cramer on January 5, 2012 · 5 Comments

Unless you have been living under a rock, chances are you have heard of the P90X workout system and its charismatic fitness guru, Tony Horton. On January 1, 2012 I started the P90X system and have embraced both the diet and exercise requirements, hoping to take my health and fitness to the next level. I don’t know about all of you but I need a regimented diet and exercise plan to have any chance of staying on track. In fact last year I completely fell off the wagon and gained 30 pounds! I made 2 resolutions for 2012: Get healthy [...] Read more »

Tags: accountability, Behavior, budget, Change, debt, determination, financial planning, pay off debt, personal finance, saving money, savings

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

What Will You Do With Your “No Restaurants in November” Savings?

Written by Paul Puckett on November 2, 2011 · 4 Comments

If you’ve accepted Brad’s challenge for No Restaurants in November by the end of the month will have saved up a sum of money. Last year, Brad saved $524.25 during the 2010 version of No Restaurant Month. Your savings will depend on how much you make and then spend at restaurants. When November ends, what should you do with the money you saved? Pay down your debt! First, if you have debt, use your November savings to reduce your outstanding debts, particularly the higher interest rate credit cards. You might think about what those balances represent and, if it’s financing [...] Read more »

Tags: budget, dining, eating out, Investing, no restaurants in november, pay off debt, savings

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

Top 10 Dumbest AND Smartest Things You Can Do With Your Tax Refund

Written by Brad Chaffee on February 7, 2011 · 22 Comments

Photo Credit: JD Hancock Top 10 Dumbest Things You Can Do With Your Tax Refund Pay for a refund anticipation loan – Pay hundreds of dollars to get your refund faster? Hmmm. You may as well pay the Government to cash out your retirement fund while you’re at it? Buy lottery tickets – Instead just give it to me. I’ll give you 30% back, while making you believe there is a chance you could win big. Waste it on a new car – New cars lose value as soon as you drive them off the lot…duh! NOT use it to [...] Read more »

Tags: college fund, dumb, interest free loan, pay off debt, Retirement, savings, smart, tax return, tax season, taxes

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

O Emergency Fund, Emergency Fund! Where For Art Thou Emergency Fund?

Written by Brad Chaffee on October 25, 2010 · 16 Comments

Have you ever had a true emergency fund before? They say, once you go emergency fund you never go back. Having my beloved emergency fund in my life has been amazing, and I became a better person for meeting her. Ever since the first day I laid eyes on my one true emergency fund, I new I was a changed man. The way she comforted me and made me feel all safe and fuzzy inside. I got butterflies whenever I would think of her. I just knew she was the one! Can you tell I’m struggling? My emergency fund was [...] Read more »

Tags: emergency fund, Freedom, life, love, savings

Weekend Review: Save-A-Lot Edition

Written by Brad Chaffee on January 16, 2010 · 4 Comments

Hey everyone! I hope you are having a great weekend so far. Below you will find out how Julie’s shopping experience at Save-A-Lot went. It sounds like she did save a lot! Also I have put together some links from other bloggers that I have enjoyed this past week. Please enjoy and have a great rest of the weekend! From Julie: (The winner of the $15 Save-A-Lot gift card and EOD T-Shirt) Just wanted to give you an update of my Save a Lot experience. Could not have come in at a better time. Out of the blue – last [...] Read more »

Tags: save a lot, savings

HELP! I Had To Use My Emergency Fund!

Written by Brad Chaffee on July 15, 2009 · 5 Comments

Even The Best Plan Has Snags Having a baby emergency fund is an essential part of starting a healthy financial plan. It gives you some wiggle room in order to handle what life throws at you (mainly the little things), while paying off your debt with gazelle intensity. If you have no debt, then you should have 3/6 months of savings in your fully funded emergency fund. Life happens at the most inconvenient time, but if you have an emergency fund, it’s not so stressful. Needless to say, when that time comes you will need to know what to do [...] Read more »

Tags: debt help, emergency fund, help, rainy day, savings

The Benefits Of Saving

Written by Brad Chaffee on June 29, 2009 · 8 Comments

I had to give this speech to my class tonight, and thought I would post it. It’s the very first outline I have ever organized! Usually I just write it as I feel it, when I feel it, and then organize it later. I did get an A+ for my presentation so I am excited. I read a little bit more than I wanted to but overall I did great! My next speech will be a ceremonial speech, and I think I am going to do that speech as if I have just become debt free. That will certainly be [...] Read more »

Tags: savings, school, Speech outline

Aaaand…It’s GONE! (Video Post)

Written by Brad Chaffee on June 9, 2009 · 2 Comments

I came across this video and thought you might like a good laugh! I know that for the people that actually were saving and investing their money, this must have been how they felt. It made me start to wonder if their were some of you that stopped saving and investing when the market tanked…did you? Why or why not? What’s the consensus? “Market timing is a not a good idea. Investing with a steady hand and for the long-term is a good idea. However, standing out of the way of a train wreck is not market timing.” – The [...] Read more »

Tags: Economy, Investing, money, savings

12 Steps To Debt Freedom

Written by Brad Chaffee on May 27, 2009 · 59 Comments

I am addicted to becoming and staying debt free! Are you addicted to becoming and staying debt free? If so, these are the principles and ideas that you would follow to achieve such a thing. You have probably heard about the 12 steps of Alcoholics Anonymous, and how they really help these folks cope from day to day. I just created 12 principles very loosely based on those of AA, with a debt free spin. I really just got the idea of where and how to list them, and then I just started thinking of all the things one [...] Read more »

Tags: 12 steps, Behavior, Budgeting, Change, Contentment, debt, Debt free, decisions, determination, Diligence, frugal, Frugality, money, savings

Are You A Super Saver?

Written by Brad Chaffee on May 26, 2009 · 5 Comments

Are You Looking For Ways To Save Some Money? We are! Here recently we took a trip to a neighboring city just for that reason. We jumped on the interstate, and headed about 30 miles west, to visit a store that has deeply discounted food. My wife loves going here but I have been a little hesitant because of the fact that some of the food is past the expiration date. I have always been a little finicky when it comes to this sort of thing, and that does include leftovers in the fridge past a few days old. You [...] Read more »

Tags: budget, coupons, groceries, money, savings

Got Credit Cards? Here’s Another Reason To Say Goodbye!

Written by Brad Chaffee on May 15, 2009 · 6 Comments

There are some that are so adamant about the fact that credit card companies are NOT bad, and do NOT take advantage of consumers. I disagree, and I think that an article I came across from dailyfinance.com proves otherwise. For the minority that have the discipline to not carry a balance, you will be okay, but for the rest of you who use credit cards to subsidize your income, you might want to consider cutting the cord! The article states that, “credit card companies are insisting upon exercising their right to abuse their customers in the name of higher [...] Read more »

Tags: credit, credit cards, debt, savings, snakes