Fist Pump Friday: I Love You Like A Blogger Roundup – 2/12

Happy Valentine’s weekend, EOD Nation!  In addition to celebrating love (I hope your plans have been properly vetted for value!), with the end of the NFL season it’s time to construct a project list, and get busy.  My daughter gets confirmed in May, which means a large gathering of family to celebrate the event.  I’m not sure why family gatherings of such proportion requires extra cleaning, painting and other home related projects, but at this point, I just accept it. Fist pump for home projects (what?) and my favorite posts of the week! Posts That Make Me Fist Pump You […] Read more »

Make Your Valentine’s Day Gift Be About Value

Unless you haven’t looked at a calendar lately, you’re aware that Valentine’s Day is less than a week away. If you have a significant other you may already have a gift purchased or plans made to give a little extra attention to that special someone in your life. Some people choose to not celebrate Valentine’s Day, seeing it as just another commercial holiday pressuring people to buy stuff. That’s actually a fairly accurate description in my opinion, and that’s great if you and your loved one share that perspective. Others are looking for inexpensive ways to celebrate the day and […] Read more »

Improve your Business Credit Profile in Three Easy Steps

Managing a business can be a difficult task; there are so many different balls to juggle at once. One of these balls is business credit. If you have problems with your business credit it can eventually lead to major issues, and even the failure of your business. That is the last thing that you want to happen so you need to ensure that you try and maintain a good business credit profile. If you are experiencing problems with your business credit then one of the most obvious things to do is make sure you pay on time, and repair any […] Read more »

Fist Pump Friday: I Love You Like A Blogger Roundup – 2/5

Earlier this week brought the end of January, as well as the conclusion of the first month with a reduced blogging workload.  I have to tell you, I didn’t realize just how much of my time it was taking up until  I was able to back off a little due to the promotion and raise received within my full time career.  I had been redlining for a couple of years, and it feels GREAT to have a couple of evenings each week where I don’t do any blogging at all.  As a result, my stress level has plummeted. They say […] Read more »

The Newest Finance Podcasts You’ve Never Heard

Hitting the search button on Google is a great way to find the answer to your questions about money, but how do you know the advice fits your specific situation? Maybe you have two teenage daughters and the author of the article is a single guy fresh out of college. It is likely the advice is technically correct, but it would be nice to have some more context than a little box at the bottom of the post or link to their About page. Personal finance is personal and you want to know the knowledge you are obtaining fits your […] Read more »

The Unbelievable Thing My Wife Said, and How It’s Going To Save Us Hundreds Of Dollars

My wife said something to me this weekend that blew me away. I could barely believe my ears. It got me excited….really, really excited. I’m telling you, what she said was HOT. Now, you might be reading this, and on the verge of throwing this post into the category of “Too Much Information.” But stay with me, I know that you’ll appreciate it. Vonnie and I decided to go out to eat on Thursday night, heading to our favorite steakhouse. She ordered her usual steak, the filet. When it arrived, she cut it open to ensure it was cooked as […] Read more »

Fist Pump Friday: I Love You Like A Blogger Roundup – 1/29

I’m feeling a little lost about this weekend.  Normally I spend my Saturday grocery shopping, doing my long run, laundry and any cleaning or other tasks that need to be done. I do this so that my Sunday is completely wide open to watch football. Except there is no football on this weekend.  What will I do with myself? Of course I’m being a little tongue in cheek, as I won’t have any problem filling the void with family activities or projects around the home.  Maybe I’ll even fire up my smoker……… Fist pump for firing up the smoker AND […] Read more »

Creative Ways To Establish Credit

Without good credit, you’re going nowhere. Without good credit, you can’t get a home mortgage or a car loan at a decent rate. Without good credit, you can’t even get a credit card. It’s a vicious circle that always seems to bite you at an inopportune time. Is there a way that you can repair your credit so that loaners will take you seriously? As it turns out, there are several ways to establish credit so that you can qualify to take the next positive step in your life. Open Up A Bank Account To Get Your Credit Started One […] Read more »

Costco’s Breakup With American Express Is A HUGE MESS

My wife encountered a surprise while booking a hotel room for a trip to Florida we’re planning for the beginning of April. She gave the hotel our Costco American Express card number to reserve the room, and requested an email confirmation. Everything seemed to go smoothly, until she opened up the email. In red lettering was a warning stating that the credit card given expires before the hotel reservation, and that a valid card will be needed when we check in. Looking at the card, it’s expiration date was not for several months. I was momentarily confused, but then remembered […] Read more »

Finding Financial Freedom: Frugal Living Without Feeling the Pain

Many people don’t understand the connection between limiting their spiraling spending habits and creating financial freedom. If you’re having trouble getting started, here are some easy ways to spend less and save money. Hate Convenience Convenience is the killer of savings because it always comes with a premium. Think about it – when you go out to eat, have someone do your laundry, have someone dye your hair for you, have someone clean your house, or have someone make your coffee for you, it always costs more than it would if you did these things yourself. Fix Up Your Old […] Read more »

Fist Pump Friday: I Love You Like A Blogger Roundup – 1/22

Tomorrow is my son’s birthday.  His 17th birthday.  How did that happen?  I’m almost positive that just a few days ago I was standing on a chair putting up Christmas decorations, telling a young toddler to stop hitting the cat with the staple gun.  That really happened (it was empty, just in case you were concerned).   Tonight he’s having all his friends over for a computer gaming party for a dual celebration as one of the other boys in the group shares the same birthday.  This particular friend has a computer, but it’s not the best for gaming.  So, the […] Read more »

Managing debt in a small company: Don’t brush it under the carpet

When you run a small company it doesn’t mean you are immune to running up big debts. It’s a fact of the business world that loans are sometimes essential, and are often an inescapable part of building a business in the early days. Practical plans Repayment of outstanding amounts should form part of the financial planning for your business, whether they be loans, credit agreements or overdrafts, they must be addressed from day one. Some owners of small businesses can find this type of money management straightforward and treat it simply as an extension of the way they run their […] Read more »

3 Things You NEED to Do To Be Successful

I love a good motivational speaker. I have some favorites that I listen to every day on my way to the gym, and have an entire bookmarks folder dedicated to motivational links. I seem to find them while I’m scrolling through my Facebook feed, or just browsing the internet. When I agreed to go to a technological conference for work, I didn’t think for an instant I would come across any motivational material. I was wrong. The subject matter of the conference was disruptive innovation. There was a guy from Intel, and a handful of entrepreneurs on hand as speakers. […] Read more »

5 Considerations Before Getting a Roommate or Renting Out a Room

A generation ago, your senior years were a time to enjoy the prosperity of owning your home outright, and drawing upon a pension and Social Security. The virtual end of pensions, eroding Social Security benefits, and a stagnant economy have all conspired to leave seniors in untenable financial positions. In 2011, 30% of seniors still carried mortgage debt. To help offset this expense, some seniors have opted to take on roommates, resulting in an eight percent increase in the practice over the course of a decade. A roommate can provide companionship and financial security, but can also be a source […] Read more »