Saving Money With DIY Deck Repair

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My wife informed me she asked a professional to examine our deck and provide an estimate to replace a rotten board. I’m re-staining it this summer, and wanted to have the board replaced beforehand. Taking a mental inventory of my tools, I confidentially stated I could replace it myself. Even though my wife’s facial expression expressed doubt, I laid out my plans to replace the board instead of paying someone to do it for me. Tools Needed First, I took inventory of the needed tools: Drill: I have an electric drill powerful enough to remove and insert decking screws (many […] Read more »

Fist Pump Friday: I Love You Like A Blogger Roundup – 6/7

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We’re rolling up on another weekend, EOD Nation!  My neighbors have twin girls graduating from high school this year, and their graduation party is tomorrow.  They’re doing brunch for food, and asked if I would make omelets for their guests using a propane fueled flattop in their garage.  Cooking omelets on a flattop outside?  That’s an emphatic “YES” for me.  Can’t wait! Fist pump for omelets and my favorite posts of the week! Posts That Make Me Fist Pump Tipping On Carryout Orders – Yay Or Nay? from Money Beagle How to Sell Your Old Mobile Devices for Cash from […] Read more »

Save On Medical Bills With This Simple Trick

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The person on the other end of the phone was a representative from my medical care provider asking about my outstanding balance. She stated they were willing to reduce my bill by 20% if I could pay in full over the phone. My outstanding bill was leftover from an ER visit last year, and we were on a 10 month payment plan so that I could use my monthly pre-tax HSA contributions instead of using after-tax out of pocket funds. Given we were half way though our payment plan, and had made our payments on time each month, I was […] Read more »

Fist Pump Friday: I Love You Like A Blogger Roundup – 5/31

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Today, another school year comes to a close, and with it several pieces of exciting news. First, since my wife works for the school district, she doesn’t have to go to work for three months, but she still gets paid. The school district prorates her pay for 9 months of work across all 12 months.  The fact that she doesn’t have to get up and go to work doesn’t change our budget one bit. Second, my son started a new job this week!  He got a job doing IT work for a partnership between his university and a local technology […] Read more »

How To Use Every Penny On A Prepaid Credit Card

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I bought new tires during a Black Friday sale. I got a great price on the tires, plus a rebate in the form of two $61 prepaid visa credit cards. They’ve been sitting on my desk for months unused, waiting for just the right opportunity. It’s hard to spend an exact amount. I’ve had prepaid credit cards before, and typically I get it down to a few dollars, buy some gum I really don’t need and then throw it away when I get the balance as close to zero and then throw it away. Three Ways To Use All Of […] Read more »

Fist Pump Friday: I Love You Like A Blogger Roundup- 5/24/19

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Party weekend is here! It’s our 23rd annual Memorial Weekend party. We’ve stayed mostly on budget, with one unplanned expenditure – we bought a 10×20 tent for some extra shade. The good thing is it’s an item we can use over and over. Party prep is kicking into high gear, and the weather looks fantastic this weekend! Fist pump for staying on budget (mostly), good food, friends and family…..oh and my favorite posts of the week! Posts That Make Me Fist Pump Common Misconceptions about Student Loans from Young Adult Money Fixed-Rate Versus Variable-Rate Loans from Well Kept Wallet Consider […] Read more »

Four Reasons Brick And Mortar Stores Are Killing Themselves

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“You’re probably one of those people that complain about stores going out of business,” a friend said to me during a discussion about something I had ordered online. I do enjoy shopping online but I’m certainly not opposed to shopping at a brick and mortar store. In fact, many times I prefer it. Unfortunately, the fact is brick and mortar stores are killing themselves. I ran into four different scenarios just over the weekend that prove it. Item Online Only I need something to hold down the tents I’m using for an outdoor party. A well known big box home […] Read more »

Fist Pump Friday: I Love You Like A Blogger Roundup – 5/17/19

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My wife and I are again throwing our annual Memorial Weekend Summer Kick Off Party next weekend.  Therefore, this weekend is cleaning weekend, including some carpet cleaning and window washing. I’ll busting out a bucket of water and my carpet cleaner.  I could hire someone to do these tasks, but why would I do that when I can do them myself? Fist pump for DIY cleaning, AND my favorite posts of the week!   Post That Make Me Fist Pump Prevent Costs By Replacing Items Before They Fail from Money Beagle Things that make your life better for under $50 […] Read more »

More Inexpensive Father’s Day Gifts

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Now that Mother’s Day is behind us, it’s time to look forward to the next very important holiday on the calendar: Father’s Day. If you haven’t picked out the perfect gift yet, you still have a few weeks. If you need some inexpensive ideas, I’ve got you covered. Fantastic Father’s Day Gift Ideas Check out this post from last year for ideas to get you started, then check out the brand new list below. Hopefully you’ll either find an idea that will resonate, or it will spark an idea of your own: Grill Time: If the dad in your life […] Read more »

Fist Pump Friday: I Love You Like A Blogger Roundup – 05/9/19

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I found a package from Amazon on my front step when I got home from work today.  Inside was the five pound package of Pancho Villa taco seasoning I ordered a few days ago. My father-in-law has made tacos for decades and says this is the best taco seasoning around.  I was skeptical, but there’s always been something special about his tacos, so last year I ordered some. I’ll tell you this:  he’s right. I make five to ten pounds at a time and vacuum seal it in one pound packages so when Taco Tuesday rolls around each week, all […] Read more »

4 Reasons A Photography Loving Friend Can Save You Big Money

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My daughter experienced her junior prom last weekend. She was excited to get dressed up and go dancing with her boyfriend and other friends from school. Since prom is a special event, she wanted pictures. Not the dad holding his cell phone and hopefully they don’t turn out fuzzy kind of pictures. The kind of pictures you put in a photo album and cherish forever. She asked if we knew anyone with a good camera that could take some pictures. I recommended she contact her brother, as he has a nice camera and is actually taking a college photography class. […] Read more »

Fist Pump Friday: I Love You Like A Blogger Roundup – 5/3/19

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My daughter’s junior prom is tomorrow, and getting ready for it has been an experience.  While we were able to get her dress very inexpensively, it seems the price of everything else has been jacked up.  From flowers to transportation to booking salon services for hair, prom weekend prices applies to everything.  Especially when two of the three schools in our city are holding prom on the same weekend.  I just keep telling myself, it’s a unique opportunity. But hey, fist pump for my favorite posts of the week! Posts That Make Me Fist Pump 7 ways my kids actually […] Read more »

I Want My Daughter To Quit Her Job

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My daughter, a junior in high school, has a fantastic part-time job as a food runner blocks away from our house. They work with the students to ensure they get the time off they need for school activities and family functions. Many of her friends work there as well. She earns $10 an hour, but after tips are counted, it’s closer to $20. This all sounds great, but she wants to quit. I support her 100%. Learning Skills My daughter is taking a class in which she learns the skills preparing for the certified nursing assistant exam. She has almost […] Read more »

Fist Pump Friday: I Love You Like A Blogger Roundup – 4/27/19

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It’s my favorite time of year. Birds are chirping, the grass is turning green, the daylight hours are longer, and most importantly, utility bills are lower.  Oh, that’s right, I’m super excited about the Springtime “don’t need the air conditioner or furnace on” kind of utility bills.   It’s a monthly windfall of several hundred dollars that will last until June.  Open those windows and smell the freshly cut grass, what will you do with your extra cash? Fist pump for Spring, and my favorite posts of the week! Posts That Make Me Fist Pump 5 Easy Life Hacks That […] Read more »