Today, another school year comes to a close, and with it several pieces of exciting news. First, since my wife works for the school district, she doesn’t have to go to work for three months, but she still gets paid. The school district prorates her pay for 9 months of work across all 12 months.  The fact that she doesn’t have to get up and go to work doesn’t change our budget one bit. Second, my son started a new job this week!  He got a job doing IT work for a partnership between his university and a local technology […] Read more »

Party weekend is here! It’s our 23rd annual Memorial Weekend party. We’ve stayed mostly on budget, with one unplanned expenditure – we bought a 10×20 tent for some extra shade. The good thing is it’s an item we can use over and over. Party prep is kicking into high gear, and the weather looks fantastic this weekend! Fist pump for staying on budget (mostly), good food, friends and family…..oh and my favorite posts of the week! Posts That Make Me Fist Pump Common Misconceptions about Student Loans from Young Adult Money Fixed-Rate Versus Variable-Rate Loans from Well Kept Wallet Consider […] Read more »

My wife and I are again throwing our annual Memorial Weekend Summer Kick Off Party next weekend.  Therefore, this weekend is cleaning weekend, including some carpet cleaning and window washing. I’ll busting out a bucket of water and my carpet cleaner.  I could hire someone to do these tasks, but why would I do that when I can do them myself? Fist pump for DIY cleaning, AND my favorite posts of the week!   Post That Make Me Fist Pump Prevent Costs By Replacing Items Before They Fail from Money Beagle Things that make your life better for under $50 […] Read more »

I found a package from Amazon on my front step when I got home from work today.  Inside was the five pound package of Pancho Villa taco seasoning I ordered a few days ago. My father-in-law has made tacos for decades and says this is the best taco seasoning around.  I was skeptical, but there’s always been something special about his tacos, so last year I ordered some. I’ll tell you this:  he’s right. I make five to ten pounds at a time and vacuum seal it in one pound packages so when Taco Tuesday rolls around each week, all […] Read more »

My daughter’s junior prom is tomorrow, and getting ready for it has been an experience.  While we were able to get her dress very inexpensively, it seems the price of everything else has been jacked up.  From flowers to transportation to booking salon services for hair, prom weekend prices applies to everything.  Especially when two of the three schools in our city are holding prom on the same weekend.  I just keep telling myself, it’s a unique opportunity. But hey, fist pump for my favorite posts of the week! Posts That Make Me Fist Pump 7 ways my kids actually […] Read more »

It’s my favorite time of year. Birds are chirping, the grass is turning green, the daylight hours are longer, and most importantly, utility bills are lower.  Oh, that’s right, I’m super excited about the Springtime “don’t need the air conditioner or furnace on” kind of utility bills.   It’s a monthly windfall of several hundred dollars that will last until June.  Open those windows and smell the freshly cut grass, what will you do with your extra cash? Fist pump for Spring, and my favorite posts of the week! Posts That Make Me Fist Pump 5 Easy Life Hacks That […] Read more »

I’ve had two very different dining out experiences in the span of a week.  Earlier this week I wrote about a bad experience in which I overpaid for food that wasn’t that great. Last night, my wife and I paid $50 each for a special event beer paring dinner at a local restaurant. The total price of the meal was $100 for the two of us, but it was fantastic.  The event was a five course meal, each paired with a beer from a local microbrewery.  I expected the meal to be good as we’ve eaten at the restaurant before.  […] Read more »

On Monday temperatures soared into the 70’s here in Minnesota. Wednesday we got punched in the face with a major winter storm that dumped a foot of snow in some areas. Where I live in Southeastern Minnesota we got 5 inches of snow, sleet, rain, and a thunderstorm that shook my house early Thursday morning. We’re less than half an inch away of this being officially the snowiest winter ever recorded. I’m so ready for Spring. So. Ready. To try to get my mind off of things, let’s fist pump the best five articles I read this week! Posts That […] Read more »

Happy Friday, EOD Nation! Today is my last fun day in sunny Florida. Tomorrow we begin the drive back to Minnesota. While I’m sad to see the end of a fantastic vacation with a great group of friends, I’m excited to get back home and into my normal life routine. We’ve had great weather, a ton of fun, AND we’ve stayed on budget. Quite frankly, under budget. How often does THAT happen? Fist pump for great vacations, staying under budget, and my favorite posts of the week! Posts That Make Me Fist Pump Save Money on the Grocery Budget by […] Read more »

Greetings from the road, EOD Nation! The family and I are on a road trip to Destin, Florida for our annual spring break vacation.  The hotel we’re at tonight had free food available in the lobby tonight including breadsticks, salad, and soup.  Instead we opted to go out to a Mexican restaurant, and the food was subpar.  We should have just stuck with the free food at the hotel.  Lesson learned, you just don’t pass up free food! Fists up for my favorite posts of the week! Posts That Make Me Fist Pump Comparing Annual Household Expenses from Money Beagle […] Read more »

Well, here we go again.  Another snow storm is forecasted to hit Minnesota this weekend. The snow totals from this system will likely push this season’s snow total into record territory as the snowiest winter ever recorded in my city.  The county’s salt stock piles are depleted, and the supplier is unable to send more. This doesn’t bode well for road conditions in the near future. But, on the bright side, I don’t mind being holed up in my warm and comfy house! Now get your fists up for my favorite posts of the week! Posts That Make Me Fist […] Read more »

One down, two to go. I filed my son’s tax return this morning, which was accepted by the IRS within minutes. Next up, I’ll do my daughters (which will take minutes), and start gathering the data for my own. Hoping to mark taxes completely off the todo list this weekend. Fist pump for putting another tax season in the rear view mirror, and my favorite posts of the week! Posts That Make Me Fist Pump 10 Ways to Simplify Your Finances to Save a Ton of Time and Money from Couple Money 6 Ways We’re Saving Money After Buying a […] Read more »

This is the snowiest February on record here in Minnesota, and we’re not done yet.  Another major snow storm is forecasted this weekend, and potentially more next week before the end of the month. We’ve had snow day after snow day from school, and the white stuff is piling up everywhere.  On the positive side, it’s easy on the budget since it’s hard to spend money when you’re stuck at home! Fist pump for snowstorms (I think?) and my favorite posts of the week! Posts That Make Me Fist Pump Where’s My Tax Refund? How to Check Your Status from […] Read more »