I Know a Secret About Kohls….

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Our son needed new dress clothes for his confirmation last weekend, so it was timely that we received a 30% off coupon in the mail from Kohls.  I usually don’t get excited about their coupons because they show up in my mailbox fairly often.  So frequently, in fact,  that I would never buy anything at Kohls unless I had a 30% off coupon in my hand. It should be fairly obvious that the regular price of their merchandise is simply over priced. With mailing in hand, we headed to Kohls to see what they had. On the shopping list for […] Read more »

I Love You Like a Blogger Roundup – 05/17

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On May 2nd, we had 15 inches of snow dumped on us.  On May 14th temperatures soared into the middle 90s.  My son, who inexplicably is somehow 14 years old already and will be entering high school next year, is being confirmed this weekend. Life is crazy. Even more crazy, we received a flyer in the mail for that 14 year old son to signup for driver’s training.  $350.  Really?  My public school supplied that class for free for everyone when I was his age.  I could just say it’s too expensive and not have him do it, but in […] Read more »

The Winds Of Debt Only Blow In One Direction

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A windy day was in the forecast with gusts up to 40mph. I didn’t care, I was going for my run. The wind smacked me in the face almost immediately as I started off down the street. I tucked my head down, turned the volume up on my iPod, and cut through the wind for the first half of my run. Every step was a struggle, the end of each block a victory. I was grateful when I reached that familiar street corner that represented the half way point of my run. I smiled as I turned the corner, knowing […] Read more »

I Love You Like a Blogger Roundup – 05/10

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My son Tristan is getting confirmed in two weeks, so Vonnie and I are dedicating this weekend to a full out cleaning blitz.  I’m actually excited about it because our home could use a good top to bottom cleaning.    It may sound strange for me to be excited about cleaning, but you have to remember I’m a guy that obsessively straightens the shoes by the front door when we have guests over.  Having a picked up, neat and tidy, clean home just puts my state of being into a peaceful place. With all that cleaning going on, we won’t be […] Read more »

I’m NOT Paying More Than You Quoted Me!

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Saturday was a day that my daughter has been looking forward to all school year. It was picture day for her dance class, and Tori and two of her closest friends were very excited to finally put on this year’s dance recital costume.  In the past we have made this day a special event by getting her hair done, and letting her put on a little bit of makeup. Most years we’ve paid to have her hair done, but the price to do that can be quite expensive even for a young girl. Vonnie had called around to get the […] Read more »

I Love You Like a Blogger Roundup – 05/03

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It’s been a crazy weather week here in Minnesota.  On Tuesday we were outside in shorts and t-shirts enjoying 75 degree weather at my son’s baseball practice.  Yesterday I had to throw on my winter jacket and boots to shovel 13.5 inches of snow that got dumped on us from the largest snow storm ever to hit Minnesota in May. On the financial front,  my freelancing income got a boost in April as I picked a few new pieces of work.   Extra income is always good, and provides some additional breathing room in our financial picture! Time to give out […] Read more »

My Wife Doesn’t Stop…..Until She Gets What She Wants

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When my wife gets her mind set on a mission, her tenacity at achieving a goal is unparalleled.  This is true in every facet of life, including those times when she feels that she has been overcharged, or not getting what was promised to her. I got to see my fiery wife in action again this weekend. Back in our free spending days we had a subscription to Sirius/XM radio. We had purchased a detachable faceplate unit that fit into a mounting plate in our car, or on a portable radio that we commonly use outside. The $15 a month […] Read more »

I Love You Like a Blogger Roundup – 04/26

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Our finances feel very strange at the moment.  We’re 4 days from payday, and we’re not trying to stretch every dollar trying to make it until the next infusion of income – which was the standard method of operation for so many years.    We have our budgeted amounts for groceries, gas, and allowance for the kids plus our own weekend entertainment fund.  Did I mention we have a baby emergency fund too?   That’s the power of sitting down and having twice a week budget discussions with Vonnie, making a detailed spending plan, and most importantly actually sticking to it. I […] Read more »

In Finances, Fitness and Life, Together We Stand, Divided We Fail

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Over the weekend Vonnie and I watched the movie “This is 40″ with a group of friends.   I won’t give away many of the details of the movie for those who haven’t seen it yet, but the plot revolves around the fact that the two main characters are about to reach that milestone age of 40. The movie focuses on the changes that go on in people’s lives as they move into middle age, and their reaction to those changes.  I cannot confirm or deny that both Vonnie and I may or may not be reaching this milestone age […] Read more »

I Love You Like a Blogger Roundup – 04/19

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Uffda, it’s been a busy week!  For those of you not familiar with “uffda” it’s a Norwegian phrase, but I think you get the idea of what it means and it sums up my week pretty darned well.  One of the very cool things that happened this week was that I increased my flat bench press maximum weight during my strength training routines…..twice. That never happens.  Never. On Monday, I lifted 275lbs for the first time.  Yesterday I pushed 280.  I was super excited as this  is by far the strongest I’ve ever been.  I literally leaped off the bench […] Read more »

Online Coupon Sites That Will Save You Money

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Over the last few months I’ve been making an effort to use coupons to help save on groceries, household items, and other essentials of life. It’s obviously one of those things that you get out of it as much as you put into it. It takes time to dig through the local ads as well as websites to find coupons that match the products that my family actually uses. Through my quest for using coupons experience (say that fast 10 times!) I’ve found a handful of websites on which I have been able to find useful coupons that can genuinely […] Read more »

How Much Would You Pay For A Child’s Birthday Party?

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A few years ago, I put together my daughter’s 8th birthday party for under $35. Her 11th birthday, which we celebrated over the weekend, was a different story. There’s a huge difference between the two ages, and we’re dealing with an entirely different set of rules. The suggestion of playing games for prizes now results in the newly perfected pre-teen eye roll. The last few years, having a sleep over with her friends as been the foundation for keeping the cost of her birthday celebration down. This year she was adamant she did NOT want a sleep over party because […] Read more »

I Love You Like A Blogger Roundup – 04/12

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This weekend we will celebrate my daughter Tori’s 11th birthday.  I can easily see the bits of personality she has inherited from her mother and I.  She has her mother’s dramatic flair, compassion for others,  as well as her strong will (otherwise known as stubbornness).   She gets her work ethic and sense of humor from me.  🙂  She’s seriously one of my favorite people in the whole world to hang out with – you never know what that girl is going to come up with next. I worry sometimes about how our debt situation affects her, as she (like her […] Read more »

Cookies, A Robbery, and Wings: The Life Of A Mystery Shopper

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The concept of mystery shopping has been around for awhile. Mystery shoppers go into stores, posing as real customers, and then write up an evaluation of their experience in exchange for a small payment. I started mystery shopping a few years ago primarily as a way to earn a little extra cash. But over time, it has grown to be much more than that. Did you know that mystery shopping can be used to accomplish tasks you wouldn’t have normally? Did you know mystery shopping can help improve your marriage? Did you know it can even add some excitement to […] Read more »