Fist Pump Friday: I Love You Like A Blogger Roundup – 07/10/20

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Happy relaxing Friday, EOD Nation!  I’m currently on vacation with family.  I’m spending my days cruising a lake on a pontoon boat, casting my fishing line into the water, and firing up the grill. I’ve got a few days left until I roll back into real life, but until then I’m going to enjoy every drop of relaxation I can! Fist pump for relaxing vacations, and my favorite posts of the week! Posts That Make Me Fist Pump Does Stockpiling Cost You Money? The Effects of Stress on Your Finances 17 Best Personal Finance Books to Read of All Time […] Read more »

A Case For No Haggle Car Dealerships

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Some people make buying a car really difficult, and they actually wear it like a badge of honor. They brag about their negotiating skills. Bursting with pride, they tell stories of how they demanded a lower price from the salesperson and walked out only to be called back a week later. If you’re like me, this sounds like stress I don’t need, and a complete waste of time. I seek out no haggle dealerships for my car buying needs. Those that love negotiating car prices are rolling their eyes right now. I got those same eye rolls from people when […] Read more »

Fist Pump Friday: I Love You Like A Blogger Roundup – 7/3/20

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It’s gonna be a hot Fourth of July weekend in Minnesota, but we’re still planning on having a few friends over to hang out for the afternoon.  Our city’s fireworks display has been cancelled (Booooo) but we typically have plenty of private displays visible from our back yard.  I’ll be firing up the grill for some marinated brats and hamburgers, and one of our friends are making watermelon mojitos.  We’ll have other stuff as well.  Looking forward to a low key but fun Fourth of July! Fist pump for ‘Murica, and my favorite posts of the week! Posts That Make […] Read more »

How The Internet Saved Me Money: DIY Sprinkler System Repair Edition

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I frantically sent the email, with a subject line starting with “URGENT.” Then I called the number from the website and left a message saying I didn’t need the service person to come for my 7:00am appointment to look at my sprinkler system. I didn’t need them to come because I found key information that made the service call unnecessary.  The internet saved me money. Broken Sprinkler System About a week ago, I opened my sprinkler system for the first time this summer. The control panel said the system was on, but none of the sprinklers pop up. I called […] Read more »

Fist Pump Friday: I Love You Like A Blogger Roundup – 6/26/2020

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Emergency funds are on my mind today, EOD Nation. There’s even a link to an article about the need for emergency funds in this week’s favorite articles. The reason it’s on my mind, however, is my sprinkler system.  It’s been fairly rainy in Minnesota so far this season, but as we enter July and August things get hot and dry. So I decided it was time to turn on my system.  Unfortunately, there appears to be a problem with the system. Water is being fed into the system, the control panel indicates the system is on when I attempt to […] Read more »

Best Father’s Day Brunch Ever

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How many people went out to eat yesterday to celebrate Father’s Day? Whew, that’s a lot of hands. My hand is not up, I did not go out to eat. What I did was much better. Our neighborhood hosted a Father’s Day brunch in our cul-de-sac inviting people within our neighborhood, and even some friends that don’t. Griddle Me A Main Course A neighbor friend and I both own flat top griddles. He cooked lemon ricotta and cream cheese pancakes on his griddle, while I cooked made to order omelets on mine.  I even had order forms for people to […] Read more »

Fist Pump Friday: I Love You Like A Blogger Roundup – 06/19/2020

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I held out as long as I could, but I finally decided to turn on my sprinkler system for the summer as my grass is looking a little dry. That tends to happen as June turns into July and we enter the warmer and dryer portion of the season. Unfortunately, after opening the water valves, plugging in my control unit and turning on the system, nothing happened.  Something is wrong with my sprinkler system and someone will have to come out and diagnose what is wrong with it and tell me how much it will cost to fix it.  The […] Read more »

How To Bow Out Of Group Activities You Cannot Afford

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Every budget has limits. Whether you’re rich and famous or middle class, there are limits on how much you can spend. Some just run into their limit faster. In a society where success is equated with how much money you have, it’s hard to tell people you don’t have the funds to buy or do something. Especially when you’re being asked to be included in something that sounds really fun like a night out, a weekend away, or a group vacation. With that in mind, here is a list of polite ways to gracefully decline an invitation without making it […] Read more »

Fist Pump Friday: I Love You Like A Blogger Roundup – 6/12/2020

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Happy Friday, EOD Nation!  Minnesota has entered what our governor calls “phase 3” of the Stay Safe Minnesota plan in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. With our transition into phase 3, restaurants and bars are able to open indoor spaces at 50% capacity.  Which is a little misleading as that means 50% of the building’s fire code capacity.  For many restaurants this is almost full capacity of their indoor dining spaces.  When running errands yesterday I drove by some restaurants and noted their parking lots were completely full. As things open up more and more, a re-visit of the budget […] Read more »

Using Your Emergency Fund For Fun Emergencies

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Emergency funds are a must. They protect you from life’s unexpected expenses, keep you from going into debt for unplanned car repairs, medical bills, or home maintenance. While these statements are true, they may not motivate everyone to reduce their spending on fun things to prepare for not so fun things in the future. With that in mind, today I’m trying a different approach in motivating you to have an emergency fund. You see, an emergency fund can also be used to take advantage of opportunities for unplanned fun! Using The Emergency Fund For Fun A friend recently suggested we […] Read more »

Fist Pump Friday: I Love You Like A Blogger Roundup – 6/5/20

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On June 1st restaurants in Minnesota were allowed to reopen, although with restrictions.  Outdoor seating only can be used, and capacity is limited to a maximum of 50 people. I made a reservation for my wife and I, along with two of our friends to eat at our favorite restaurant.  It was a warm evening, and the sun was directly in my line of sight, but I didn’t care.  It was nice to be out, and feel a little bit more normal. I didn’t even mind the bill, since it had been so long since we’d had a full meal […] Read more »

Admission: I Consciously Spend Money On Stuff I Don’t Need

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I waste my money buying things I don’t need. It’s not by accident, or an occasional bad decision. I actively seek out doing so. Searching For Something To Buy I came to this realization as I was at Walmart over the weekend. After gathering the grocery items I needed, I began walking to the sporting goods section on the other side of the store to check for new things I could add to my home gym. This has been customary for me since gyms closed as part of the COVID9-19 pandemic. In the beginning, it made sense. The home gym […] Read more »

Fist Pump Friday: I Love You Like A Blogger Roundup – 5/29/20

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Today is my daughter’s high school graduation day. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, she will not be having the traditional graduation ceremony.  Her school is holding a “drive up” ceremony in which each family (one car per family) drives through the school parking lot.  When a car reaches the front of the school, the graduate gets out, walks up on a stage and receives their diploma.  They then walk off the stage where a photographer will take their picture next to a stone panther (the school mascot) before the graduate gets back in their car. Given the restrictions our state […] Read more »

Where Did the Coupons Go?

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My mailbox has been a little empty lately. I couldn’t put my finger on what had been missing until my wife was buying soap from Bath and Body Works online. Normally I would go to the coupon drawer and pull out the latest mailing from Bath and Body Works. Today, however, there was no coupon to be found. Missing Coupons It got me thinking, there are several retailers I normally receive coupon mailings from, but haven’t since the pandemic started: Bath and Body Works: Free mini item, $10 off of $30, or a 30% off coupon were the standard. Kohls: […] Read more »