Schools in Minnesota are out Thursday and Friday of this week, so my family and I are at Wisconsin Dells at an indoor water park. My wife had found a great deal for a two night stay in a specific room, however just a few days before our trip she discovered an even better deal was available from their website. She called the resort and asked for a price adjustment, which the reservations person agreed to.  With a simple short phone call, she saved us about $80! Fist pump for saving money AND my favorite posts of the week! Posts […] Read more »

Today is payday! Well, not for myself or my wife, but for both our kids! That means my daughter will be paying her car insurance bill and my son will be making his car payment. It gives me great pleasure as a parent to see my kids working hard to earn cash, taking care of their financial responsibilities and have some money left over to have some fun with. Fist pump for financially responsible kids, AND my favorite posts of the week! Posts That Make Me Fist Pump Is there a college savings rule of thumb? from Words On Wealth […] Read more »

Welcome to the weekend, EOD Nation!  I’m feeling extremely relieved for several reasons: we have our hail damage insurance claim taken care of (as much as we can right now) and are just waiting for our contractor to tell us when the roof will be done Our new refrigerator was delivered, and is keeping all our food cold again A major problem at work I’ve been involved in has been resolved With these three stress points behind me, I plan on attending a high school football game tonight, cleaning out smokers tomorrow, and enjoying Minnesota Vikings football on Sunday. Fist […] Read more »

I noticed last weekend our refrigerator just wasn’t keeping things cold.  We had someone come look at it, and after unsuccessfully trying to revive it by replacing one part, the repair person declared our fridge’s compressor was broken.  Replacing the compressor is just as expensive as buying a new fridge, so I guess we’re dropping major coin on a new fridge. Wrong! After our water heater needed replacement a few months ago, we upgraded our appliance protection plan.  While we have been paying more per month, we’re going to get a new fridge for no additional funds out of our […] Read more »

My daughter got her driver’s license this week! She’s extremely excited about being able to go places in a car by herself, and I’m just as excited about not having to pick her up from school, cheer practice or taxi to and from friends’ homes. Her freedom does result in a higher  monthly insurance premium. However, that increased cost is up to her to pay.  She has a part-time job, therefore she can afford to pay for the insurance as her contribution for having the privilege to drive.  More freedom for all, plus a lesson in financial responsibility…..You have to […] Read more »

I’m excited to fire up my new smoker this weekend!  I’m making summer sausage using some venison a friend of mine gave me.  He provides the venison, I’m kicking in the pork to mix with it as well as the seasonings and we’ll split the product.  When I’m done, I’ll have made about 40 pounds of summer sausage at a cost of $2 a pound.  I’ll keep half of it, which means I’ll have plenty for holiday and football gatherings. Fist pump for making sausage, and my favorite posts of the week! Posts That Make Me Fist Pump The Top […] Read more »

We’re headed to GreekFest, a local event held each year in our city, this evening.  There will be Greek food, entertainment, and crafts to look at and purchase. It should be a good time paired with some amazing food. This is exactly the sort of event at which I don’t mind spending my hard earned cash. I don’t know how to make Greek food, and the entertainment will be fun to watch – should be fun! What about you, EOD Nation, is there a local event you’re looking forward to? Fist pump for Greek food, and my favorite posts of […] Read more »

This weekend my church is holding a summer event for the community featuring a BBQ contest and slip-n-slides for kids of all ages. I’m loading up a trailer with my smoker and setting up a booth in the parking lot tomorrow morning, as I’m participating in the BBQ contest. There are three categories; Ribs, chicken, and BBQ sauce.  I’m entering all three, and I’m bringing my A Game – wish me luck! Fist pump for BBQ contests and my favorite posts of the week! Posts That Make Me Fist Pump How to Pay Cash for Your Next Car, Even When […] Read more »

Today was an exciting day for my daughter, as we purchased a car for her. As a busy teen, she needs a way to get around, and her blue Ford Focus will definitely do the trick.  We’ll be using the car to teach her new financial lessons, as well as car maintenance skills – both of which will be beneficial for her for the rest of her life. She currently has a  summer job, but will be looking for something new as fall draws near. After all, she’ll be expected to pay for her insurance! Fist pump for new cars, […] Read more »

The hunt for a car has begun.  Not just any car, my daughter’s first car. We want to find that balance between safety, a car she likes, dependability and affordability.  We test drove a Ford Focus today with a backup camera and bluetooth connectivity to her phone. It also had the one major attribute she wanted……it’s blue. Doing some research on it before we think about going any further, but it has potential! Fist pump for first cars, and my favorite posts of the week! Posts That Make Me Fist Pump Should You Be Tracking Your Net Worth? from Young […] Read more »

My wife and I are showing our age today as we have tickets to a concert of the 80’s hair bands Cheap Trick, Journey, and Def Leppard. My wife LOVES Journey and is excited to see them. Of course, we’ll have to remember that standard “captive audience” concert prices will apply to anything we buy at the concert such as $12 adult beverages, $20 event parking, and hot dogs priced more like steak dinner. To get the most value for our money we’ll be parking for free a few miles away and paying $3 each to take the light rail […] Read more »