Don’t Stink. Budget!

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If you’re a regular reader of Our Journey to Zero, you know I’ve been on a serious fitness kick now for over 8 months. Getting in shape is all about getting in the habit of exercising. Now that I’m in the habit of exercising, it feels wrong to not work out every day. It just feels like something is missing. Recently I skipped two days in a row for probably the first time this year. I was downright cranky. There are a lot of people who want to get in shape and lose weight. So why don’t they? They say […] Read more »

Christmas is Coming, Will You Be Ready?

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Here on Enemy of Debt, I have made it a point to get people to think ahead, especially when it comes to Christmas. In 2009, I challenged all of you to have a Debt free Christmas by preparing for it early instead of last minute. Today's post comes from Tyson Morgan and promotes the same idea of being prepared for something that happens every single year. Nope, Christmas is not an "emergency", although far too often, people are putting Christmas on plastic because they failed to properly plan for what's become a MONSTER CONSUMER HOLIDAY. I love sharing different perspectives from different writers, so I hope you enjoy today's post. Will you have a Debt free Christmas in 2011? Read more »

A Top Priority: What to Consider When Budgeting for Roof Maintenance

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This is a guest post by Herbert Norton. Photo Credit: Mart T Clark Having a roof over our heads is something we often take for granted. And yet, like anything else, roofs are not indestructible. The longevity and performance of a roof is affected by many factors, including the sun, wind, rain, ice, snow, condensation, and just plain old age. Like other aspects of maintaining a home, keeping a roof intact often requires making significant decisions and carefully weighing different options. Here are some important things to consider so that the cost of maintaining your roof won’t send you spiraling […] Read more »

Homemade Wedding Tips and Benefits for 2011

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Are you planning a wedding in 2011? The first biggest test of a successful marriage is planning the wedding. Why? Because the costs involved from hall to caterer to flowers can sometimes be ridiculous and spark unnecessary drama between the parties. Furthermore, new couples don’t want to start off their lives together in debt, especially when the average wedding price tag is anywhere from $26,000 and up. That said, hopefully the lucky couple has enough time to do advanced research and find the most affordable answers to all their needs. Read more »

Final Results: No Restaurants Equal Big Savings

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Photo Credit: scott.eyre Well November has come and gone! As most of you already know, I wanted to challenge myself — and you — to commit to not eating out at any restaurants at all for the month of November. So I started the No Restaurants in November Challenge. Some were excited, some were pessimistic, and some even questioned the reality of doing such a thing. While I definitely consider it to be more realistic than some claim, I still see how different lifestyles could make it more difficult for someone to accomplish this. With that said, I say anything […] Read more »

22 Days of No Restaurants in November

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Photo Credit: Eboli The “Normal” Justification Routine Cue Dream Sequence I’ve been up since 6 a.m. My 1 year old had a rough night due to teething and the day has not been much better. I completed some of the work I needed to do for today but there is so much more to do. I couldn’t keep the kids inside all day while I typed away and it was such a nice day so I took them out to play at the park. We played Frisbee, Downhill Racer, played at the park, then went home and helped Isaac work […] Read more »

Shocking News: Two Weeks of No Restaurants and I’m Still Alive

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Two weeks without a single bite at a restaurant…Yippeee! No delivery. No fast food. No buffets. To be honest with you, this has been much easier than I expected. The rest of this month is going to be even easier. At this point I am wondering why something like this would be considered extreme and unrealistic to so many. Hard maybe, but extreme? Come on. Is making yourself exercise extreme? Is eating right extreme? I think not, although I admit that there is a degree of difficulty in doing any of the above. 😉 Still I find that it’s no […] Read more »

No Restaurant November Update and October Confession

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Photo Credit: Yours Truly It was really fun reading the reactions from people related to this challenge. (responses on other blogs listed below) Until I started reading them I never really considered what I was proposing to be extreme, but apparently it is the equivalent of dangling your child over a balcony. Some adamantly opposed the idea right away, while others admitted it was something they would like to do, but just couldn’t. The rest said let’s do it! That’s what I’m talking about baby! I left a comment on Budgets Are Sexy suggesting that to those who said it […] Read more »

No Restaurants in November Challenge

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Is your budget brutally pounded by your inability to stay away from the restaurants? Of all the things my wife and I have changed about our financial habits, dining out seems to be our current addiction of addictions. We did fine while we were jazzed and intense about getting out of debt, but ever since, we have been haunted by this ghost of convenience. Read more »

How To Dress Nicely On A Budget

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This is a guest post by David Bakke Photo Credit: beckyjohns7 Up until recently, I always had the luxury of having the majority of my clothes purchased for me, either by my mom when I was younger, my wife when I was “grown up,” and by family and friends during the gift-giving holidays. I know, it sounds like I’m really spoiled or something, but in actuality, all of these close people in my life have always enjoyed shopping for clothes for me. Yup, I’m a pretty fortunate guy! However, my wife got a full-time job two years ago that made […] Read more »

Introducing EOD Basic 3.0: Made for Newbies, but Perfect for Everyone

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The day has finally come! HERE–> EOD Basic 3.0 is RIGHT HERE!! <–HERE This one is lighter than the deluxe version (still to come), so I called it EOD Basic. I created it with newbies in mind with a step-by-step process to help you from beginning to end. I am confident that you will love this version. With 2.0, the first reaction I usually got when showing it was: “ohhhh…ummm…yeeaaahhh, where…do…I…begin? In their very best Bill Lumberg impression. 2.0 was great and certainly comprehensive enough for the nerd balls like myself, but I have to admit at first glance, it […] Read more »

EOD Basic 3.0 Almost Ready to be Released!

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Photo Credit: Dr. Propaganda I have been working really hard to try and launch my third edition of the EOD Budget. The new version is called EOD Deluxe Budget 3.0, but as I ran into a few speed bumps trying to add more features to it and revamp the entire thing, I decided to publish the EOD Basic 3.0 Beta version so I could give you something sooner. (Deluxe version still to come) I am finishing up a few last minute details right now, but plan on launching it tomorrow. To those who have been patiently waiting for 3.0, I’m […] Read more »

What is Your Approach to Vacation Spending?

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  Hello everyone! Last week my family and I went to North Carolina for a short vacation. My wife has family in Florida that has been planning this Nags Head trip for about a year. When they first started planning, we were asked if we wanted to make the commitment which would of meant a down payment for the luxurious cottage a block from the beach. As most of you know, last year at this time, my wife and I were in the final stages of paying off our debt, so we could not make the commitment that was needed. […] Read more »

Life is Like a Budget?

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What if Forest Gump would have said, “Life is like a budget. if you have a plan you’ll have some idea of what you’re going to get“? Nothing is perfect, so I am not suggesting that just having a plan is enough. Plans go wrong, but that’s precisely what this post is about—treating your life like a budget when they do. Think of it like this. You have 24 hours in a day. In that 24 hour time you have to decide what you are doing and how long it will take you. If you spend more time on something […] Read more »