Frugality Tips – Spending Less Before and During Vacation

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Are you planning a vacation? Everyone looks forward to going on vacation. It’s the time of the year when people can cut loose and enjoy some quality time with friends and family. However, it’s an easy mistake to make to ‘enjoy’ yourself a little too much before you realize upon your return that you’ve spent too much. Being frugal on vacation can be tricky because you don’t want to be watching every last dollar all the time and you’d much rather have a relaxing time creating memories that will last a lifetime. But you can do both and have a […] Read more »

Frugality Tips – Practice Makes Perfect

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This is a guest post written by Ross of GoBeRich.com. Photo credit: Cliff1066 So I took a little trip to the mall the other day with my girlfriend and one of her friends. This was my first mistake. My second mistake was thinking I would tag along with them while they shopped for clothes and shoes and that it wouldn’t drive me insane. Needless to say, it did drive me insane, so eventually I set off on my own in search of something to occupy myself with. I first headed to Game Stop, as I have to admit, I’m a […] Read more »

Why the Frugal Get Fit: How Fitness Can Help You Save Big

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Photo Credit: thephotagraphymuse This is a guest post written by Pam Greene. Bob was overweight as a child. He continued to gain weight throughout his life until he weighed almost four hundred pounds. When he was in his early 60s, he caught a cold. The cold turned into pneumonia and from there his health took a deathly downward spiral. His kidneys started shutting down. He had congestive heart failure. For a week, he was on death’s door in the intensive care unit in the hospital. Doctors worked feverishly to save his life. Miraculously, they did. Bob never regained his full […] Read more »

Personal Finance for Beginners: A Lesson from Oseola McCarty

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So many people are intimidated by the concept of managing their money. It almost seems as if the very idea that we can be in control of our money is just a made up fairytale that only a few get lucky enough to take advantage of. Many believe that wealth is out of their reach and only something the top money earners get to experience. The myth is that you have to earn a lot to build wealth. I would like to introduce you to a woman who rejected that notion. Her name is Oseola McCarty, and she is a […] Read more »

Are You Being Frugal Or Just Cheap?

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Are you SUPER FRUGAL when it comes to everything? Maybe I shouldn’t dirty the word frugal by using it so poorly. Are you SUPER CHEAP when it comes to how you spend every single dime? If so, this post may help you reconsider your cheaper than thou ways. My example may not work for every situation, but it works if you want your nice lawn mower and weed eater to stay in good condition. Just to clarify, frugal to me, means making the best financial decision I can with my money. To get the best bang for my buck. But […] Read more »

The Benefits Of Becoming A Minimalist Are Starting To Sink In

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Hey everyone! Since yesterday’s post was so long, and I have two posts for you today, this one will be brief. I just wanted to talk about something that I have been thinking a lot about lately. GETTING RID OF STUFF! I have come to realize that you actually have more by owning less. Getting rid of stuff is almost as liberating as paying off debt. And of course, just like with our debt, it took us a while to realize that it needed to go. We have recently decided to put our house on the market. That’s right, if […] Read more »

Tax Refund: Will You Save It, Pay Off Debt, Invest It, Or Waste It?

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As we enter tax season, there are some relevant questions we should ask ourselves about our intentions concerning how we use our tax refund. If any of you are like I was, before I became the Enemy of Debt, you’ve probably spent a few tax returns before the ink even dried on the paper. Now most “good” financial advisers will tell you to change your withholding so that you are not giving the Government an interest free loan each year, but also to give yourself more of your own money each month. I actually believe the same thing, but have […] Read more »

In Order To Succeed Financially, You Must Redefine The Word “Deal”

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As the new year approached I thought about all of the things that changed in my life for 2009. The more I thought about it the more I realized that I could indeed be happy with my progress in many areas of my life. Since this is a financial blog, let’s talk about one of the things that I feel was the biggest breakthrough for me financially. The funny thing is that I was introduced to this in early 2008 when I took Financial Peace University, but I guess it had to marinate for a bit first. My breakthrough was […] Read more »

People Need An Excuse To Spend Money, And They’re Eager To Find One

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Do You Justify Your Purchases? What About The Bad Ones? A few weeks ago, I was sitting at home watching some T.V. with my wife, after watching 27 inches of snow fall. We were snowed in the day before, and could barely get around on day 2. It was the top of the hour so there was a news update, and that’s when I heard it. I almost couldn’t believe my ears but my wife confirmed what I thought I heard. We watched a news report that stated people were considering an upgrade to a 4WD vehicle—due to the recent […] Read more »

Did You Have A Debt Free Christmas?

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Well Christmas has come and gone…again! It was a good one too! I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas! Now is usually the time when people start to come down from their Christmas buzz, and reality begins to set in. You’ve heard of buyer’s remorse right? For those who haven’t, it comes after a major purchase, or minor for some people, when you begin to regret your decision to buy whatever it was that you bought. I’ve experienced it for sure! Let’s just call this Christmas remorse shall we? Christmas remorse?? It almost sounds like a bad word. Who […] Read more »

Merry Thriftness – It’s NOT About Being Cheap, It’s About LIVING And LOVING Frugally!

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Do you require a gift from someone to be brand new? This is something I have wondered for a while now and it seems like the perfect time to discuss it. With Christmas happening in two stress-filled days, a lot of people are busting their budgets, in hopes of satisfying the person they are buying gifts for. I have to admit, I really hate choosing a gift for someone. It’s a lot of pressure to try and get the perfect gift for someone, only to wonder if they even liked it. (Consider for a second the rush of after Christmas […] Read more »

Buying Bargains: How We Will Spend Less But Give More This Christmas

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Is buying bargains high on your list of priorities? If not, you may want to reconsider. On Monday I told you I would share with you how my beautiful wife and I are saving money this Christmas. I also wanted to share with you some of the ways we are bringing in a few extra dollars to offset the unexpected expenses we’ve had in November. We donated more money this month than we budgeted so we thought it was a great idea to put our thinking caps on to earn extra dollars. Too bad I didn’t have my thinking cap […] Read more »

Enjoy Frugal Entertainment Without Breaking The Bank

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How Do YOU Define Entertainment? Quite frankly, all of us are different as far as what we value in life.  Entertainment to me could bore you out of the room, but what if I had a plan—making my sacrifice very methodical and purposeful? You value what’s more important to you, and make decisions based on the assumption that you will get something out of those decisions—whether it be fun, security, or both. You have to sacrifice something—either in the beginning or later on in life.  NOW or LATER?  Instant gratification or financial security?  Instant gratification now, comes at a cost […] Read more »

22 Reasons Why You Should NOT Go Out And Buy Windows 7

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Oh my gosh!!  Have you heard?  Oh my gosh!!  I just found out today!  Windows 7 just released and everyone is going gaga over “NEEDING” to buy it. Who cares if your current operating system works just fine?  YOU GOTTA HAVE IT…RIGHT?  We just have to own the newest software, the biggest plasma television,  or the highest priced, most advanced cell phones we can find, but WHY? “Oh, oh, oh, I know—pick me, pick me—please pick me, I know the answer!!” Because society has taught you that delaying gratification is a SIN, and that acquiring “stuff” by using good old-fashioned […] Read more »