Finding a Cell Phone Promotion By Accident Saved Us $250

Written by on · 24 Comments

If you want to chop down the price of your cell phone bill, there are about a dozen ways to do it.   If you want to cut the price of the monthly service you could go with a no contract provider, you could sign up for only talk and text, or you could even just pay for minutes. It all depends upon what you want out of your cell phone service.   Additionally, the cost of phones varies widely based upon brand name and capability. A person can pick up a basic phone from any mobile phone provider inexpensively or a […] Read more »

How to Get Ahead If You’re Living Paycheck to Paycheck (Part 2)

Written by on · 8 Comments
get ahead living paycheck to paycheck

In the first article in the series, I covered eight things that might cause you to end up trapped in a paycheck to paycheck life. In this second post, I’m going to show you a few things you can do to get your finances under control, stop spending more than you make, and end the paycheck to paycheck cycle for good. If you read the last article, at this point you’ve probably figured out some of the top reasons why you’re struggling financially. Once you understand those reasons, I explained that it was important to get your mindset right and […] Read more »

How to Get Ahead if You’re Living Paycheck to Paycheck

Written by on · 6 Comments
get ahead living paycheck to paycheck

Some recent studies showed that more than two thirds of people are living paycheck to paycheck at least some of the time. That’s pretty incredible! It seems to be getting harder and harder to keep your head above water financially, and there is no lack of reasons why that’s happening. Some of it is because our attitudes about money have changed over the years.  Some of it is also because of the changing economy, and some of it is probably due to the fact that the world is rapidly changing, and some are getting left behind because they refuse to […] Read more »

Sometimes it is better to be sorry!

Written by on · 1 Comment

Do you dream about the day when all your debt will be paid off and you’ll feel safe again? I did that! Four years ago, faced with a consumer debt of $160,000 I mourned my safety and feared the risks to my family this meant. Then I forgot to be safe and started living an exciting life. I changed the way we spend. I changed the way we manage our finances. I learned about money, finance and business. I stood at the bottom of a snowy hill asking to buy ski-passes (now, this is so outside my comfort zone). I […] Read more »

The Big Wins You Should Go After

Written by on · 9 Comments

The following is a guest post from Martin of Studenomics, where he’s totally focused on creating financial freedom by 30! I’ve been writing about personal finance for five years now. I’ve explored every topic from big wins to frugality to real estate. There are times where I discuss more advanced topics. Then sometimes I run into a friend and they want to hear about getting started. I know that most of you are past the stage of getting started so we won’t discuss the basics. Instead we will refresh on the big wins. The one thing that we’re all delusional […] Read more »

Paying Off Debt Will ROCK My Marriage

Written by on · 46 Comments

“Should we stop and get the ladies flowers?” suggested the friend I was car pooling with as we pulled into town. The beaming smile on her face told me that Vonnie was very appreciative of the bouquet of flowers I brought her after being out of town for a few days. Relationships are hard work. You need to show your love and appreciation on a daily basis, as well as put their needs before your own. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining. These are things I do willingly and joyfully without even thinking about them. When you love someone, […] Read more »

Unplanned Expenses Fund

Written by on · 31 Comments

We recently had to use up a significant chunk of our unplanned expense fund.  We had a random piece of our roof blow away and, that very same day, my husband’s car battery died. The events occurred a week and a half ago, right smack in the middle of the holiday season. This time of year, we don’t have loads of extra cash lying around. These are the types of issues that personal finance experts reference when recommending emergency funds. Just about everybody has heard of an emergency fund. We all know we are supposed to have at least three […] Read more »

5 Ways to Shake up Your Routine

Written by on · 10 Comments

News flash, we are all super stressed out. Okay, not a news flash. It’s actually pretty well documented just how stressed out most of us are these days. There happens to be a ton of advice on how to combat this stress. The advice is pretty standard and goes a like this: Work out more, eat less, use your vacation days to find a hobby while you are slowing down to enjoy the view and find any and all means to chillax. Although sound advice, the reality is it just feels a little like one more thing to add to […] Read more »

4 Tips to Sweet Talk Your Partner About Money

Written by on · 8 Comments

I love my husband.  That is a fact, but it is also a mantra that I repeat to myself before we sit down to discuss anything about household finances. No matter how innocuous the discussion may be, it typically causes one or both of us a bit of tension.  It should come as no surprise that the number one reason for divorce reported last year was money problems. In our first five years of marriage financial discussions were a battle ground.  Nobody escaped unharmed and we discovered that we had VERY different perspectives about managing money.  We also happened to […] Read more »

Hotel Room Fees Exposed!

Written by on · 18 Comments

I opened the hotel room door to find a flyer labeled “Express Check Out” laying on the floor. Our vacation was over, and it was time to settle up with the hotel for our accommodations. I opened it up and sat down on the bed to examine it for accuracy. The daily room rates were as expected, but there were so many different taxes listed that I began to wonder exactly what those amounts were for. Normally I just assume the hotel is charging the government required taxes, but I was feeling especially frisky that morning and decided to verify […] Read more »

Summer Vacation is not What it Used to be…It’s Going to be Better!

Written by on · 8 Comments

Every summer I begin the season with an acute case of “Mommy guilt.”  I have two children, an eight year old daughter and a four year old son.  When summer hits for these two there is not real change to their Monday through Friday routine. I take my daughter to a summer camp that is run out of the same daycare my son attends. Although my daughter is not in school, she and my son are both woken up early and out of the house in much the same manner as the school year. Why do I have “Mommy guilt” […] Read more »

Buying a Home- Is it a Good Investment?

Written by on · 8 Comments
Buying a Home Is it a Good Investment

Most people have been told at some point that buying a home is a good investment.  We’ve heard from our parents, the media, relatives, and real estate pros that buying a house is a good investment that will help you to secure your financial future. We’re told that investing in a home that appreciates over time will help you secure your golden years by paying it off in your younger years and leaving you without a house payment when your older.  It also provides you with a large chunk of money once you sell it and downsize to a smaller […] Read more »

I’m NOT Paying More Than You Quoted Me!

Written by on · 36 Comments

Saturday was a day that my daughter has been looking forward to all school year. It was picture day for her dance class, and Tori and two of her closest friends were very excited to finally put on this year’s dance recital costume.  In the past we have made this day a special event by getting her hair done, and letting her put on a little bit of makeup. Most years we’ve paid to have her hair done, but the price to do that can be quite expensive even for a young girl. Vonnie had called around to get the […] Read more »

Why Zombies Seem Easier to Face Than Real Life

Written by on · 9 Comments

Just in case you have been living under a rock, Zombies are all the hotness.  The story is not really new, but the popularity of the genre is reaching a critical mass thanks to hits like The Walking Dead. What strikes me about the trend is the timing. There seems to be (to me anyway) a solid correlation between the rise of the Zombie/ post-apocalyptic genre and the decline of the national economy. Let’s explore some common themes. The total eradication of modern technology…no more cell phones, TV or gadgets. A return to living off of the land and the […] Read more »