What Kind Of People Live Without Credit Cards?

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Businesses have stopped taking checks, and we’re constantly being bombarded with offers for credit cards that offer low introductory interest rates and rewards point programs of some sort. Some experts even tell us jumping on the credit bandwagon to build up a healthy credit score is a necessity. It seems as if we are being pushed towards swiping a card to make our purchases. But is it possible to ignore all of this and live a credit card free life? My friend Brad Chaffee, founder of this site, is dedicated to living a credit free, cash only lifestyle. While he […] Read more »

I Love You Like a Blogger Roundup 9/21

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Happy Friday, EOD Nation! I’ve been bursting with excitement anxiously waiting being able to share with you my favorite articles from the past week.  There have been some great ones, so I don’t want to waste anymore of your time – let’s get to the list already! 4 Steps to Avoid Financial Infidelity  from Dr. Jason Cabler via Kylie Ofiu Definitions Of A Middle Class Income: Do You Consider Yourself Middle Class? from Financial Samurai 14 Things I learned On Debt Management from a fellow customer of CareOne Debt Relief Services who is literally DAYS away from being debt free. […] Read more »

Visa GiftCard: Bad Birthday Present?

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With the clock reading 11:20am, we didn’t have much time to get a present for the birthday party Tori was invited to at 1:00pm. Scrambling, we asked our daughter what her friend might enjoy receiving as a gift, but unfortunately she couldn’t come up with much.  The one good idea she did give us was a gift card to a popular clothing store for kids, but we didn’t have the time to go to the mall to get it.  Vonnie suggested getting the birthday girl a Visa gift card that could be spent practically anywhere, further stating we could even […] Read more »

Link Love 9/15

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My whirlwind month of travel has come to and end. In the last 30 days I’ve been to India for work, Denver for the Financial Blogger Conference, and to the Baltimore area for an event with CareOne Debt Relief Services. Each one of these has been a unique, once in a lifetime experience. Along that same train of thought, these five blog posts are also unique and one of a kind articles that you should definitely read this weekend. I command you to do so. I’ve heard that women swoon for guys that are confident, and assertive.  Ladies, how’d I […] Read more »

Chase Put Me On the Road to Financial Recovery, But it Cost them $100,000,000

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I recently received an unexpected letter in the mail from a law firm. Curiously, I opened the envelope, and read the title of the enclosed letter: Notice of Proposed Class Action Settlement and hearing to Chase Credit Cardholders I was instantly reminded of the terror that I felt back in June of 2009 when we received five identical envelopes in the mail from Chase; one for each of the credit card accounts we had with them. The letter inside stated that terms of our accounts were being changed, and the minimum payment percentage was being increased. Our monthly payment was […] Read more »

I Love You Like a Blogger Roundup 9/07

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This weekend I’m attending the Financial Blogger Conference in Denver.  Wednesday and Thursday were days to reconnect and network with other bloggers.  There was also the 3rd Annual Plutus Awards where Enemy of Debt won for “Best Debt Blog.”  Congratulations to TeamEOD for this very special accomplishment!  I feel very honored to be part of Enemy of Debt! Here are some other award winning posts (in my opinion) that you should check out this weekend! Leaks in Spending from Net Worth Journey What’s The Point Of All This?  from Financial Uproar How To Score Free Money From the Airlines  from […] Read more »

How Skype Saved Me $1,400

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On a late August afternoon, my wife and two kids drove to the Steele County Fair where my son was to go to his first demolition derby. I went to the airport, boarded a plane, and flew to Tucson, Arizona. I would be gone for a week during my first business trip. It was also the first time I would be away from my young family for an extended period of time. When I returned home, my family met me at the airport. Standing by the baggage carousel, my 18 month old daughter just stared at me. I kept glancing […] Read more »

I Love You Like a Blogger Roundup – 8/31

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By the time you’re reading this, I will be somewhere over the Atlantic Ocean traveling at mind numbing speed towards Houston TX, which is just a speed bump on my way back to the great state of Minnesota. Dear Hurricane/Tropical Storm/Tropical Depression/Tropical Whatever Isaac, if you delay my trip home by one minute I will personally charter a plane, fly over you, and take a gigantic pee right into your eye. While you contemplate THAT image, it’s time for me to pass along links to my favorite posts that I’ve read throughout the week. First up, we have Before You […] Read more »

A Family Night At the Movies for $5.50

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We were operating on a shoestring budget due to overspending during some vacation activities the first half of July. My kids had been interested, and in my daughters case begging, to be go see Ice Age 3 Continental Drift as a family. Going to a movie can be an expensive excursion, especially if you visit the concession stand. Our usual movie going technique is go see the movie as a matinee, when the tickets are $4.50 per person. However, even that was more funds than we felt comfortable shelling out. With a little creativity, my family of four were able […] Read more »

I Love You Like a Blogger Roundup – 8/24

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I’ve been in Hyderabad, India for work this week and between long days at work, the need to create presentations at night, and my internal time clock being completely messed up I haven’t been able to do as much blog reading as I normally do. However, I was still able to find a number of fantastic posts that I’d love to share with EOD Nation. Spender vs Saver Couples: Get Back on the Same Page from PTMoney Myths About Budgeting from Life and My Finances Stop the money shaming! from Fabulously Broke In the City Finally, as I hope will […] Read more »

How Am I Paying Off $109,000 of Credit Card Debt?

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My wife, Vonnie, and I are on a journey to pay off 109K in credit card debt through the help of a Debt Management Program. We started our journey in July of 2009, and are expected to be rid of this behemoth mountain of debt in March of 2014. Some of you may be wondering, what exactly is a debt management program (DMP)? There is a lot of misinformation about the debt relief industry floating around, so I felt it this would be a great forum to explain what a DMP is, and how it is helping my family get […] Read more »

I Love You Like a Blogger Roundup – I’m Going To India Edition

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I’m heading to Hyderabad, India for the next two weeks for work. To get there I’ll have the privilege of experiencing 28 hours of total travel time across three flights, so I’m going to have plenty of time on my hands that need to be occupied with some sort of activity. Here’s a list of awesome blog posts that I’d totally read during that time if I hadn’t already read them. Whether your stuck on an airplane for hours on end, or sitting in the comfort of your own home snugged up on the couch with your laptop, these posts […] Read more »

Overspending, Failure to Track Expenses, and A $100 Loan Equals….Success?

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Trying to recover from overspending during the first half of July, Vonnie and I planned our spending  for the rest of the month with only bare bones funds available.  We even sat the kids down and explained to them exactly what was going on, so that they would have realistic expectations in regards to family activities for the remainder of the month. We had a plan that looked great on paper, and we were confident we could execute it successfully. And then real life happened. The first weekend was supposed to be one of those “enjoy what we have at […] Read more »

Weekend Links and Love

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Vonnie and I have been working hardcore on our budgeting and communication skills over the last month. We’ve been digging ourself out of a bit of a financial hole due to overspending the first half of July and I’ve really been leaning on my blogging friends for inspiration during this little rough spot. Check out some of the posts that have really struck a chord with me this week and helped me keep rocking the budget and the lines of communication open. “I Want To have fun” – One of the Worst Excuses for Not Saving from Financial Samurai The […] Read more »