Vacation Time Is Here: How To Enjoy A Beach Vacation Without Spending A Lot

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benidorm sunset

Visiting a sun-drenched beach is ideal for getting away from everyday life. It offers the chance to relax in beautiful surroundings, enjoy some sunbathing, and try some fun activities. The cost of a beach holiday makes it suitable for anyone and the following tips are some ways to enjoy an even more affordable time. Choose your Location Wisely Popular destinations can have price competition that lowers the costs of flights, accommodation, and attractions. Benidorm, Spain holidays 2014 are ideal for beach lovers who want to enjoy fun and exciting beach vacations that are competitively priced. Many low cost airlines fly […] Read more »

Your Kids are Watching, What Are You Teaching Them?

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In a rush of memories recalled by the video being projected onto the wall, I was reminded of countless times my parenting skills didn’t qualify as Father Of The Year material. It was the last session of my son’s driver’s education class and parents were asked to attend the last half of the session. The instructor was attempting to drive home the point that the only way we will ever create a culture of safer drivers was for us parents to put in the time and effort to teach our sons and daughters how to be good drivers. The video […] Read more »

A wedding is a statement of commitment not a show of opulence

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See the picture? It’s me (or my back) on my wedding day 21 years ago. Why my back you may ask? Because my sister in law thought that everyone takes pictures of the bride’s front but she hasn’t seen a picture of the bride’s back. Ever! So here you go; a picture of my back which also happens to show a wonderful detailed of my wedding suit. To tell you the truth, I have not thought of my wedding for a very long time. Even worse, I caught myself thinking the other day about the interesting stage of life I’m […] Read more »

I Love You Like a Blogger Roundup – 06/20

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My 18th wedding anniversary is coming up in just a few weeks.  Three years ago, Vonnie and I were at about the midway point in our debt management program.  We were making progress, but money was tight and I was looking for an inexpensive yet meaningful  gift to give her.   She absolutely LOVED the look and smell of plumeria flowers when we were in Hawaii, so I found a online company that sold plumeria plants.  Since they were shipped from Hawaii, all the leaves and branches had to be removed so essentially what I got for my $10 was a […] Read more »

Optimise your spending: eliminate waste in your life and budget

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optimise your budget

In my last post I told you about the ERR budgeting strategy I came up with to optimise our spending and make out money go further. Today I’ll share a bit more about the first element of it – eliminate. This is about eliminating waste and deciding what you absolutely want in your life. Let’s get back to the time when my husband told me about the enormous, obscene amount of consumer debt we had. Now, I’d love to tell you that I kept my cool and calmly went on following the commandments of personal finance. It was not to […] Read more »

No Effort, No Results

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A little over a year ago my mom had major back surgery.  Over the years her spine had become so twisted that it was squishing her internal organs in a way that was extremely uncomfortable, and would only get worse.  Titanium rods were attached to her spine using large screws in hopes that it would force her spine to be straightened, improve her posture, and resolve some breathing and pain issues she had been dealing with for years.  She is in her mid to late 60’s and the doctors advised that if she was going to have surgery the time […] Read more »

Watch Out for Your Money

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identity theft

The following is from Crystal at Budgeting in the Fun Stuff.  That’s where she writes about her bills, saving for the future, and making sure to fit in fun stuff along the way. No one cares as much about your money as you do…well, you and scammers. Be vigilant and protect your cash. There are a million ways that bad people will try to grab your money for themselves. Here are ones that I’ve heard about recently. Identity Theft I was eating lunch with my grandpa and his friends last week. Other than me, no one at the table was […] Read more »

Two rules of wealth building: our debt story

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wealth building

Good day, Enemy of Debt readers. Travis already mentioned that I’ve joined the EOD Team so I’m writing this in a way of introduction. After all, before anyone pays any heed to anyone on the Internet these days, they wish to know what their credentials are. What makes my relationship with Enemy of Debt passionate (yep, I hope the site loves me as much as I love the site) is that I am a big, gigantic enemy of debt. I am a debt destroyer: I destroyed sh*tload of our debt and I support others to do the same! I started […] Read more »

Why You Should Never Use a Home Equity Loan to Pay Off Debt

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Why You Should Never Use a Home Equity Loan to Pay Off Debt

Have you ever thought about taking out a home equity loan to help pay off debt? There are a lot of financial gurus that will advise you to dip into your home’s equity when you have a pile of debt you need to get paid off. But I believe paying off your debt with a home equity loan is not a wise move, and I’ll tell you why in just a minute.   Why Some Gurus Recommend Home Equity Loans For Paying Off Debt But first, I want to cover why some “financial gurus” say you should consolidate your debt […] Read more »

I Love You Like A Blogger Roundup – 6/13

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This Sunday is Father’s Day, so I’d like to give an extra special fist pump to all the dads out there!   The best gift I received from my wife for Father’s Day was very simple:  Time.   I’m a busy guy, constantly in motion doing things to keep the household running.  One year she told me that for the afternoon I could do whatever I wanted.  I decided to finally get to trimming the trees in the front yard of the home we lived in at the time.  I just couldn’t ever seem to find the time to get it done,  […] Read more »

How to Talk with Your Teens about Credit

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It’s not at all uncommon for teenagers to receive credit card offers in the mail. Are your children prepared for this? Do they know what to do with these offers? Do they understand how credit works? According to Consumer Action, it’s up to you to teach them: “Parents are usually the best people to teach their kids about credit, and since even young children can use credit cards, it’s never too early to begin this education.” In many families, if the parents don’t take the time to teach their kids about credit, those kids may end up making naïve choices […] Read more »

No Thanks, DirectTV, You Know Where You Can Stick Your High Pressure Sales Act

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I thanked the employee that had asked if I needed any help, guided me to what I was looking for within Best Buy,  and answered my questions. As I began to turn away, he said, “Oh, just one more thing. Who is your cable provider?” It was at that moment I noticed for the first time he was wearing a shirt with the DIRECTV logo embroidered into it. I knew exactly what was coming next as he led me to a table where he pulled out a notebook and started asking me more questions. He wrote information I was providing […] Read more »

I Love You Like A Blogger Roundup – 6/06

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Today’s the last day of the school year for my kids, and I’m celebrating.  This means that my morning routing just got a whole lot less complicated for the next three months.  I honestly think I’m more excited about the summer than they are.  Is that wrong? Extra special fist pump for summer vacation today, let’s get it on! Posts That Make Me Fist Pump The Importance Of Figuring Out Your Money Philosophy from Bible Money Matter Why I’m So Excited to Spend Money Again on Cable TV from Luke1428 Bad Money Habits and the Excuses We Make for Them […] Read more »

A Sure-Fire Way To Save On Taxes

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Thomas J. Stanley studied America’s wealthy for decades. One of the observations he made was that the top wealth holders, those who kept a larger portion of their income, only realized 3.66 percent of their wealth in taxes compared to 6.7 percent for those those who consumed it. In other words, those who pay less in taxes do so by spending less and saving more. When spending money we pay: Sales and local tax Income tax Property tax If I want to pay lower taxes then follow these three simple suggestions: Consume Less A simple way to save on sales tax […] Read more »