How to Set New Year’s Resolutions and Keep Them Too!

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This is a guest post courtesy of my friends over at Ready For Zero. Nearly half of all Americans set new goals for themselves at the beginning of every single year, yet only about 15% actually follow through and accomplish them. Those numbers aren’t exactly encouraging when trying to figure out the challenges you’d like to tackle in 2012. The odds may be stacked against you, but what the statistics don’t show is that this year, you won’t just be setting any old goals. By following the tips that I’ve outlined in this article, you’ll be setting the types of […] Read more »

Preparing for the Ultimate Cost of Raising Children: The College Years

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If you have teenagers, you likely have been spending money on them for years. Clothes, food, toys, doctor’s appointments, camp sessions – it goes without saying that the costs add up pretty quickly. But the biggest expense of raising your children may be yet to come. While there is a wide range of costs depending on the specific college – from a local community college all the way up to a 4-year private university – it can generally be said that second education is extremely expensive these days. And while parents take a variety of approaches to their children’s college […] Read more »

Financial Planning for Retirement – Be Conservative, Responsible, Realistic, and be Successful

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Not long ago I had the good fortune to gain insight with respect to one family’s financial planning that was centered around retirement. This had been a young couple with children, with both the husband and wife having lived through the Great Depression and bleak economic times surrounding World War II. Talk about a life lesson in stretching a dollar! What struck me as unusual was the constant focus, from the very beginning, on retirement and taking care of their children. It was unusual in a very good way. This couple knew that the future was coming. They knew that […] 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 »

Mortgage Free – Why This is Essential for Traditional Retirement

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Who in their right mind would argue that being mortgage free is the only way to be if you expect to retire in some traditional way, with a house of your own? That would be me. As they say, "opinions vary" and "results vary." But, if you pay off the mortgage before you retire, that eliminates a large financial obligation essential for living - someplace to live. That's one of the big reasons it makes sense to me. From my vantage point, as an early self-retired individual, I see being 100% debt free as an essential part of having peace of mind when you retire, and I'm up on my soapbox to explain why. Gather 'round my financially fit friends and lend me your ears. Read more »

Dealing with Debt Collection Agencies

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This is a guest post. Photo by quaziefoto Dealing with Debt Collection Agencies When your debt has been turned over to a debt collection agency, it is important to gather information first. Before you agree to pay the debt, find out what the debt is for, where it originated, and the original amount. If it is a fraudulent debt, you will need to go through the process of finding out whether you are liable for it, and take appropriate steps to work with law enforcement and the credit bureaus, as well as the lender and the debt collection agency to […] 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 »

Home Ownership – Should You Buy or Should You Rent?

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Ahh, the controversial subject of buying versus renting. Many of you know where I stand on this topic, but I wanted to share this article with you submitted by a guest contributor that offers a basic, common sense approach. I think the housing crisis has changed a lot of minds about what it means to own a home, but the important thing is that you make the right decision for you and your family. On one hand, right now is a great time to buy a home, but on the other, it might make more sense to rent until your […] 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 »

Saving Money on Renter’s Insurance

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Photo Credit: kowaleski This is a guest post by Jeff Orloff. Cutting insurance altogether is never a good idea, even when you are trying to save money. Unfortunately, one of the biggest myths when it comes to insurance is that renters insurance isn’t necessary so many people take a pass in order to budget that money for something else even if it means leaving the possessions you have accumulated over your lifetime unprotected from theft or disaster. When it comes to renter’s insurance, there are many ways you can cut costs so that your possessions are protected while staying within […] Read more »

5 DIY Ideas Not Worth Doing Yourself

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This is a guest post written by Isabella York. When we moved into our current house, the ugly and ripped linoleum in the kitchen immediately jumped out at me as an item that just had to go. I have no idea how old it was, but it had obviously seen decades of foot traffic, kitchen spills and dirt. Every morning I would make my morning coffee and look at the ugly linoleum floor that was just begging to be replaced. I’ve always been my own handy person. It just didn’t seem to make sense to pay someone to do a […] 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 »

Teaching Kids About Money – Here’s What Helps

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Photo Credit: Memory_Freak This is a guest post written by Clair Schwan. I can’t say that I have a lot of experience with kids, but I have a lot of experience with money, and part of my childhood involved what I thought was a good training program about the value of money and how it might best be handled. I had four of the best teachers I could possibly ask for – two grandparents who were young adults in the Great Depression, and two parents who grew up in it and struggled through the challenging economic times surrounding World War […] Read more »