For the past few years, I have sworn off Black Friday. However, I may….repeat MAY brave the Black Friday crowds this year for a very special gift. Jealous of her brother’s new computer, my daughter wants her own laptop. A laptop clocks in at way more than what we would budget for a Christmas present, so we made a deal with her. If she pays for half, we would pitch in the rest as her main Christmas gift. If I can find a laptop for a killer price on Black Friday, I could potentially make a run at it. I […] Read more »
Save Money Using Chippmunk + $100 Visa Gift Card Giveaway!
We’re a week away from the official start of the busiest shopping season of the year. Who wants to save some money? Today I’ve got not one, but TWO ways to help you save money during this year’s holiday shopping season. First, I want to introduce you to a new coupon site called Chippmunk. Chippmunk is super cool because it’s an aggregate savings search engine. Whoah, back up, let’s try that again in plain English. It simply means Chippmunk scours the internet for the best deals so you don’t have to. I was playing around with it today and it […] Read more »
Getting the Average American Out of Debt
[Guest author today, Graham from MoneyStepper.com] Getting out of debt isn’t easy. But, as many inspirations in the personal finance blogosphere have proven, it’s achievable. And when it is achieved, boy does it feel good!! We see hundreds of figures every year on “The Average American” and that they are in a position of debt like never seen before. Well, today, we are going to get this average American, let’s call him Tay (“The Average Yank”), out of debt for good in under 3 years, with relative ease! The Average American’s figures To help Tay, we need to know a […] Read more »
5 Tips to Ensure Financial Security After Retirement
[This is a guest post] In today’s financial turmoil, we all have become financial worrywarts. We always worry about our financial security, especially after retirement. Unfortunately, we worry a lot, but hardly do anything anything about it, whether it is for the betterment of our retirement or paying next weeks grocery bill. Many people tend to live beyond their means and either lie to themselves about or hide it from their financial advisor, if they have one. Many are losing out on a good night sleep because of the fear that they will be running out of money much sooner […] Read more »
Reining In The Baby Expenses
[Guest author today, Jason Steele] Having a baby creates the ultimate budget paradox. On one hand, it’s every good parent’s instinct to spare no expense when it comes to their children’s health and safety. At the same time, “sparing no expense” can be a non-stop ticket to unlimited debt. So how can parents resolve this paradox? It starts with a conversation about how to express our love and caring in ways other than spending. The wealthiest, most free spending parents do not love their children any more than their more frugal neighbors. And once a child’s need are met, additional […] Read more »
Credit Card Companies Think You’re Stupid
Over the weekend I saw a credit card commercial that had me shaking my head. In the commercial, two woman are having lunch at an outdoor restaurant when one woman suggests the others’ friends are simply inviting her to events so they can pay with their credit card and earn credit card rewards points. When the bill comes, woman #1 whips out her credit card and offers to pay. The commercial ends with the two staring at each other, one wondering if she is being used, the other hoping her friend won’t figure it out. Seriously, do credit card companies […] Read more »
Use The 4 Keys of Consistency to Get Out of Debt
When you decide to start getting out of debt, it can be hard because you’re attempting to live life in a new way. You’re changing your mindset about money and developing new habits that you hope to be permanent. But while you’re in the midst of making all these changes, it can be easy to let some of those old habits and mindsets creep back in. Change is hard. That’s why it’s necessary to learn how to be consistent when you’re trying to getting out of debt. It Takes Firmness of Character To Get Out of Debt One definition […] Read more »
I Love You Like a Blogger Roundup – 11/15
Friday baby, YEAH! It’s payday and our emergency fund is up…unfortunately so is my weight. I can’t out exercise bad eating habits, I need to remember that. We don’t have any big plans for the weekend, which feels great. I do, however, plan to punish myself for the weight gain with some ass kicking workouts. Maybe I’ll even throw something on the smoker – wait, what’s that about eating better? What do you have going on this weekend? Posts That Make Me Fist Pump Failing To Plan Ahead Destroys Budgets from Frugaling Your credit card is NOT your emergency fund […] Read more »
Warning: The Long Term Effects of Debt Will SHOCK You
Before we enrolled in our debt management plan, many of our credit cards had very high interest rates, some as high as 29.99%. We were making very little progress on the actual balance of our accounts, our payments going mostly to line the pockets of the credit card companies. I know I’ve paid an insane amount of interest to creditors because of our overspending. With the finish line of our debt management plan in sight, I wondered how different my financial picture would look if I had invested that money instead. What I discovered SHOCKED me. Ground Rules First let’s […] Read more »
Got Space? – Rent It!
[The following is a guest post.] When wanting to get a little extra cash coming in most people might head towards sites such as Ebay or those buying old electrical items to get the money as soon as possible but in the end your item is gone and you can’t get it back without buying another one. So why not consider renting, not everyone wants a stranger living with them which is likely to be the biggest factor to put someone off, but it can come with advantages, especially if you choose a friend rather than a stranger. In addition […] Read more »
Waiting to be Shot is a Default Financial Choice for Some – Work to Avoid This Undesirable Approach to Personal Finance
I learned the expression "waiting to be shot" when I worked for a small engineering and consulting firm about 25 years ago. We used the expression to refer to employees who weren't performing well, they knew it, and yet they didn't have the courage to go find another job where they'd be more successful. The idea of waiting to be shot isn't limited to demanding enterprises and indecisive employees. For some of us, it's very much a part of our personality, and it's often reflected in how we manage our personal finances and the many things that can influence our financial well being. If we recognize the problem, we can perhaps do something about it. After all, there are much better alternatives to "being shot." Read more »
I Love You Like a Blogger Roundup – 11/08
Posts That Make Me Fist Pump What is the Key to Success When Paying off Debt? from Frugal Rules Personal Finance Lessons I Wish I’d Been Taught in School from Blonde on a Budget Debt Payoff Hangover from Budget And the Beach via Debt And The Girl Screw ‘em: Doing What’s Best for You in Your Debt Payoff Journey from The Frugal Farmer How to Flip the Switch and Develop a Budget Mindset from The Heavy Purse Shameless Self Promotion Residual Interest; Why Your Last Payment to a Creditor May Not Close Your Account is my post this week in […] Read more »
Challenge Accepted!
So in my last blog I challenged everyone to come up with a financial savings strategy that I could execute as a 30 day financial challenge in November. So I chose two to try this month…I know such an over achiever. I am trying Ali’s suggestion from the comments, to take the equivalent amount spent on non-essential items and place in a savings jar. I am also going rogue and trying an idea that I did last year and putting every single five dollar bill in a savings jar. With six days into the month I have saved $10.00 from […] Read more »
How Does It Feel to Pay Off $100,000 of Debt?
Last Thursday we made the October payment to our debt management plan. After hanging up the phone, I leaned back in the chair to let the gravity of the payment sink in. To be honest with you, my bottom lip trembled a little bit as tears started to form in the corners of my closed eyelids. With our 52nd payment, the amount of debt that we have repaid through our debt management program has hit the mark of $100,000. Sitting in a conference room at work with the door closed, I couldn’t quite figure out the exact reason behind my […] Read more »