The Benefits Of Saving

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 »

The Debt Snowball – Do It Your Way!

The Debt Snowball There are so many ways you can pay off your debt.  Of all the methods out there, the one I like the most is the one Dave Ramsey teaches.  The debt snowball is the second baby step in the Total Money Makeover.  You generally start your debt snowball once you have saved AT LEAST $1,000 for your baby emergency fund.  The idea is to give yourself a buffer so that as you are paying off your debt, you will be able to handle life’s little problems without having to borrow money in the process. Dave’s Snowball method […] Read more »

Insurance You Need And Insurance To Heed

Do You Hate Insurance? For most of my life I have HATED insurance.  It always seemed to me that I was getting ripped off, especially if I never had an event to justify having it.  You probably know what I am talking about.  You drive your car for 5+ years without an accident, causing you to think more about all the money you have paid in, that seems to have just been flushed down the toilet.  As much as I hate thinking about that I have learned that insurance is about transferring risk, and the cost that comes with that […] Read more »

Happy Father’s Day!

  HAPPY FATHER’S DAY! I just wanted to wish all you wonderful Dad’s out there a Happy Father’s Day!  With two children and another on the way, this day means a lot to me.  No, not because I might get a gift, or even because some people see it as “my day”.  For me, it’s so much more than that!  It’s great being a Dad!  To me every day is Father’s Day.  I love every special moment that I am blessed to have.  I make sure that I cherish every second.  In my opinion, my most important job is being […] Read more »

He’s Going To Be An Enemy Of Debt Too!

IT’S A BOY!!! Yep, that’s right!  Another Enemy of Debt will be born in October, and on Monday, was confirmed to be a boy!  I cannot wait until October gets here!  I still remember the overwhelming emotional impact I felt when my daughter was born 13 years ago.  It was amazing and something I can never forgot.  When my son was born 3 years ago this July, the same feeling was just as strong.  Some may think that the feeling is slightly less because you have been through it once before, and maybe that is true for some people, but […] Read more »

Is It A Boy Or A Girl?

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 »

An Inconvenient Myth: The Marketing Effect

  This is a guest post by, well…we’ll just call him Mr. Joe for privacy reasons.  Mr. Joe is a jack-of-all-trades, and writing happens to be one of the many.  He’s been my mentor, and a very influential part of who I have become over the last 5 or so years. When he asked me if he could write a guest post for EOD, I was honored, and considered it a privilege.  Perhaps after reading this you will want to see more from Mr. Joe, because it is indeed a wonderful piece. De-mythologizing the Language of Debt You can use […] Read more »

Aaaand…It’s GONE! (Video Post)

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 »

No College Degree Equates To Poverty And A Life Of Debt?

I got a little annoyed last week, when it was suggested that for someone with only a high school diploma, they were limited to working at the checkout at Walmart. (This argument was used to explain why debt was needed by low income families to get by.) Believing this is ridiculous, and spreading it around for someone without a degree to hear, is irresponsible!  This is America!! Imagine someone with only a high school diploma, hearing someone say this and believing it. Dreams can be crushed before they ever have a chance to germinate.  This is why I am such […] Read more »

Debt Free Addicts Anonymous #2: Budgeting Tips Edition

  Here Are 5 Links To Help You Have A Less Stressful Budget Experience Found on the Carnival of Personal Finance: Vacation Time Edition – hosted by Funny About Money Don’t Bust Your Budget: Remember Key Budget Items – written by Aryn over at Sound Money Matters.  This is one of the biggest issues I have found that people struggle with when budgeting.  It’s the very reason I made a place on my FREE budget for this kind of thing.  Next month we have to renew our insurance, which ends up being about $300.  Forgetting that is devastating to a […] Read more »

Motivation 101 – What You Believe, Is What You Achieve!

Dawn and I have been going back and forth for days now.  I wanted to share with you the difference between her and I, mainly by pointing out why I think she is wrong in her thinking.  Her thinking is how most people look at it, and what I am trying to do here at EOD is to show people that there is another way that provides more options.  I believe that more options translates into a higher success rate.  A lot of people limit themselves by not realizing their options.  I think Dawn dwells on the problem instead of […] Read more »

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

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 »

Are You A Genuine, Or Conditional Giver?

This post is not only about becoming debt free, it’s also about charity and giving.  This story triggered some questions for me, and I wanted to ask you what you thought about it.  If you have ever watched Extreme Makeover: Home Edition then you have seen many communities come together for families who needed some help.  In 2006, “a Cincinnati home builder, a handful of Cynthiana contractors and everyone of that town’s subcontractors, churches, painters, drywallers, carpenters, restaurateurs and good-hearted others, to donate tons of materials, labor and time to help build a house for the Hassall family.“ Why Did […] Read more »

Getting Behind On Stuff

I was really hoping to be able to write a blog today.  Normally, or at least since my 5 minutes of blogging fame, I would have already written my articles for up to two days in advance.  However, other things have been keeping my busy.  Last week we had family in from Florida, last night we went to a wedding, and today I was busy fighting weeds in my back yard with a weed eater, as well as finishing the installation of our floor upstairs.  We are in the process of remodeling our house and getting rid of stuff that […] Read more »