We’re headed to GreekFest, a local event held each year in our city, this evening.  There will be Greek food, entertainment, and crafts to look at and purchase. It should be a good time paired with some amazing food. This is exactly the sort of event at which I don’t mind spending my hard earned cash. I don’t know how to make Greek food, and the entertainment will be fun to watch – should be fun! What about you, EOD Nation, is there a local event you’re looking forward to? Fist pump for Greek food, and my favorite posts of […] Read more »

This weekend my church is holding a summer event for the community featuring a BBQ contest and slip-n-slides for kids of all ages. I’m loading up a trailer with my smoker and setting up a booth in the parking lot tomorrow morning, as I’m participating in the BBQ contest. There are three categories; Ribs, chicken, and BBQ sauce.  I’m entering all three, and I’m bringing my A Game – wish me luck! Fist pump for BBQ contests and my favorite posts of the week! Posts That Make Me Fist Pump How to Pay Cash for Your Next Car, Even When […] Read more »

Today was an exciting day for my daughter, as we purchased a car for her. As a busy teen, she needs a way to get around, and her blue Ford Focus will definitely do the trick.  We’ll be using the car to teach her new financial lessons, as well as car maintenance skills – both of which will be beneficial for her for the rest of her life. She currently has a  summer job, but will be looking for something new as fall draws near. After all, she’ll be expected to pay for her insurance! Fist pump for new cars, […] Read more »

The hunt for a car has begun.  Not just any car, my daughter’s first car. We want to find that balance between safety, a car she likes, dependability and affordability.  We test drove a Ford Focus today with a backup camera and bluetooth connectivity to her phone. It also had the one major attribute she wanted……it’s blue. Doing some research on it before we think about going any further, but it has potential! Fist pump for first cars, and my favorite posts of the week! Posts That Make Me Fist Pump Should You Be Tracking Your Net Worth? from Young […] Read more »

My wife and I are showing our age today as we have tickets to a concert of the 80’s hair bands Cheap Trick, Journey, and Def Leppard. My wife LOVES Journey and is excited to see them. Of course, we’ll have to remember that standard “captive audience” concert prices will apply to anything we buy at the concert such as $12 adult beverages, $20 event parking, and hot dogs priced more like steak dinner. To get the most value for our money we’ll be parking for free a few miles away and paying $3 each to take the light rail […] Read more »

This weekend is a gift card weekend for my family.  We’ve acquired several gift cards and we’ll be using them all to keep overall out of pocket spending down.  Here’s what we have: Olive Garden ($25) : I got this gift card to help smooth over a situation which left me waiting for my to go order for over 30 minutes. I’ll use this to buy alfredo sauce and breadsticks and make the pasta at home. Local Burger Place ($10) : I got this gift card to help smooth over a situation where a local burger restaurant forgot part of […] Read more »

Picture sitting outside on a warm summer evening on a deck looking out over a vineyard sampling wines while eating a wood fired pizza. To me, that sounds like a fabulous Friday night with friends.  But how much would such an adventure cost?  Turns out, not that much: Wine tasting (10-12 wine samples) : $9 x 2 people (my wife and I)  = $18 Wood fired pizza: $14 Total price of hanging out with friends enjoying wine, pizza, and the outdoors is a measly $32. This winery sits just a few miles outside our city and has been there for […] Read more »