Fist Pump Friday: I Love You Like A Blogger Roundup – 10/26

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A couple of weeks ago I fist pumped for my kids being financially responsible as they both paid for the privilege of having a car using paychecks from their part-time job. Today they both received paychecks again, and I noticed they are each accumulating quite a healthy bank account balance. I started to wonder if  I should have them take on a larger financial responsibility as what they currently pay is only a portion of their car payment and insurance. In the end I decided against it in favor of letting them grow their accounts, saving for emergencies or special […] Read more »

Vacation Specials Aren’t Always Special

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My wife planned a weekend get away for our family at an indoor water park in Wisconsin Dells. She found a package offered by one of the hotels that initially saved us over $300 off the regular price. She later found an even better offer that, after a quick phone call, saved us another $80. These packages included the room only for two nights. Another package offered additional amenities, but analysis was needed to determine if it was worth the higher cost. Package Details My wife and I went through the list of additional amenities, researching how much each of […] Read more »

Fist Pump Friday: I Love You Like A Blogger Roundup – 10/19

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Schools in Minnesota are out Thursday and Friday of this week, so my family and I are at Wisconsin Dells at an indoor water park. My wife had found a great deal for a two night stay in a specific room, however just a few days before our trip she discovered an even better deal was available from their website. She called the resort and asked for a price adjustment, which the reservations person agreed to.  With a simple short phone call, she saved us about $80! Fist pump for saving money AND my favorite posts of the week! Posts […] Read more »

Restaurant Wine: By The Glass Or The Whole Bottle?

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My wife looked at the wine list at a nice restaurant and noted many were available both by the glass and the bottle. We were out with friends and several in the group were looking at having a glass of wine. If we could all agree on one would it be worth it to buy the entire bottle instead of each ordering an individual glass? Figuring out whether buying a bottle would save money requires several questions be answered. What Is The Restaurant’s Wine Pour Size? The size of a restaurant’s wine pour (serving size) may vary, but is typically […] Read more »

Fist Pump Friday: I Love You Like A Blogger Roundup – 10/12

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Today is payday! Well, not for myself or my wife, but for both our kids! That means my daughter will be paying her car insurance bill and my son will be making his car payment. It gives me great pleasure as a parent to see my kids working hard to earn cash, taking care of their financial responsibilities and have some money left over to have some fun with. Fist pump for financially responsible kids, AND my favorite posts of the week! Posts That Make Me Fist Pump Is there a college savings rule of thumb? from Words On Wealth […] Read more »

Spend Money On Things That Give You Goosebumps

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Personal finance blogs talk a lot about how NOT to spend your money. I’m trying to give spending a positive twist, and help you decide how you SHOULD spend your money. Last week I gave a list of things I don’t mind pulling my wallet out for. This week I’m going to take take it in a little different direction and help you determine what things belong on your list. Another way to look at useful spending is to think about things that really enhance your life. In many cases, these may be experiences or hobbies. A clip of a […] Read more »

5 Things I Don’t Mind Spending Money On

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Achieving your ultimate financial goals requires you to be selective in how you spend your hard earned money. Being a wasteful or frivolous spender leaves less money in your pocket to put towards eventual financial freedom. But being wise with your money doesn’t mean living in a cardboard box and subsisting on bread and water – it simply means executing selective spending. Spend your hard earned cash on things that matter to you. Here’s a list of 5 things I don’t mind pulling my wallet out for: Expensive Groceries USDA Prime rated steak, lobster tail, crab legs and beef tenderloin […] Read more »

Fist Pump Friday: I Love You Like A Blogger Roundup – 9/28

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Earlier this week I wrote how I’m forcing my daughter to go shopping. That’s a bit of an exaggeration, since she really does want to go buy new clothes anyway.  I was talking with her this morning and told her as she’s walking around the mall this weekend to think about how it feels to be able to essentially buy whatever clothes she wants. I told her that feeling is called financial freedom.  If she works hard and is smart with her money, she can continue to have that feeling throughout adulthood. Fist pump for financial freedom, and my favorite […] Read more »

I’m Forcing My Daughter To Go Shopping

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I told my daughter to plan to go shopping at the mall this Saturday. I encouraged her to engage in a full on shopping spree and spend a significant amount of money on herself. Yes, you read correct. It may not seem like very financially responsible advice, but I sincerely believe it’s exactly the right thing to do. My daughter got her first part-time job over the summer, working one night a week. She did such a good job, they wanted to expand her hours when school started.  Balancing schoolwork, being on the cheer team, and the job has been […] Read more »

Fist Pump Friday: I Love You Like A Blogger Roundup – 9/21

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Welcome to the weekend, EOD Nation!  I’m feeling extremely relieved for several reasons: we have our hail damage insurance claim taken care of (as much as we can right now) and are just waiting for our contractor to tell us when the roof will be done Our new refrigerator was delivered, and is keeping all our food cold again A major problem at work I’ve been involved in has been resolved With these three stress points behind me, I plan on attending a high school football game tonight, cleaning out smokers tomorrow, and enjoying Minnesota Vikings football on Sunday. Fist […] Read more »

Why I Love My Appliance Protection Plan

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Appliance delivery people are carrying a brand new refrigerator into my house as I write this blog post. The best part of this particular refrigerator is the cost: Zero. That’s not entirely true, to be honest. Our old refrigerator stopped working, was not repairable, and therefore being replaced under our appliance protection plan which costs us $60 a month. How Our Appliance Protection Plan Works Under the plan, repairs to the covered appliances have no cost. If an appliance cannot be repaired, it is replaced with a comparable new one. Another perspective is we’re paying each month towards future appliance […] Read more »

Fist Pump Friday: I Love You Like A Blogger Roundup – 9/14

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I noticed last weekend our refrigerator just wasn’t keeping things cold.  We had someone come look at it, and after unsuccessfully trying to revive it by replacing one part, the repair person declared our fridge’s compressor was broken.  Replacing the compressor is just as expensive as buying a new fridge, so I guess we’re dropping major coin on a new fridge. Wrong! After our water heater needed replacement a few months ago, we upgraded our appliance protection plan.  While we have been paying more per month, we’re going to get a new fridge for no additional funds out of our […] Read more »

Insurance Companies Are Not Your Friend

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  Insurance companies portray themselves as friends who are there for you in your time of need. However, the reality is they’re a business. Their number one priority is making money, not what is best for you. I’ve been dealing with a hail damage insurance claim since May for exactly this reason. Original Claim The first round of our hail damage insurance claim didn’t turn out well. The adjuster originally approved to have one side of our home resided and the front side of our roof shingled. The explanation given was only one side of our home and the front […] Read more »

Fist Pump Friday: I Love You Like A Blogger Roundup – 9/7

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My daughter got her driver’s license this week! She’s extremely excited about being able to go places in a car by herself, and I’m just as excited about not having to pick her up from school, cheer practice or taxi to and from friends’ homes. Her freedom does result in a higher  monthly insurance premium. However, that increased cost is up to her to pay.  She has a part-time job, therefore she can afford to pay for the insurance as her contribution for having the privilege to drive.  More freedom for all, plus a lesson in financial responsibility…..You have to […] Read more »