Allow Me to Introduce Myself…

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Editor’s note from Travis Pizel:  It is with great excitement that I introduce to you Suzanne Coblentz, a brand new member of Team EOD!  Suzanne is the Social Media Manager for CareOne Debt Relief Services, along with wearing many other hats.   She brought me on board as a customer blogger over three years ago, and is the person responsible for launching my blogging career.  She’s dedicated to helping people rid themselves of the shackles of debt, is a personal friend of mine, and is someone that I admire and respect immensely. She’ll be sharing her personal perspective on debt […] Read more »

Are You Financially Smarter Than a 5th Grader?

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I am a huge supporter of financial literacy, for both kids and adults. Financial literacy has become more complex since I was a fifth grader back in the 80’s (I know I am dating myself here). The financial services industry has exploded offering everything from online trading to debt relief. Tax laws make filing taxes a DIY nightmare, unless you purchase software like TurboTax with a step by step guide. And, applying for a loan or a credit card of any kind requires reading twenty plus pages of fine print. In a previous article, The Great Debate Kids and Money […] Read more »

What Will You Do…With Your Tax Refund

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If you are one of the millions of Americans slated to receive a tax refund this year, why not make your refund work for you? Of course you will be tempted to splurge on a vacation, start home renovations or maybe even buy something frivolous, but why not use it to improve your financial situation. If you are struggling with debt, have little to no emergency fund, or haven’t even begun to think about retirement those refund dollars could make a big difference. Reducing your debt and preparing for the “what if” are a great way to reduce daily stress […] Read more »

Life is about Experiences, not Money

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Yesterday, I ran the Twin Cities Marathon for the third time. I’m not an elite runner, so my goal isn’t to win, but to simply finish with the best time possible. But I approached this one a bit differently than the previous two. I wanted it to be about more than just an internal struggle to finish. I wanted to fully experience everything the marathon had to offer. Marathons across the United States have become more than just a race, they have become events with cheer zones, bands playing along the way, people dressed up in costumes and spectators with […] Read more »

What Kind Of People Live Without Credit Cards?

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Businesses have stopped taking checks, and we’re constantly being bombarded with offers for credit cards that offer low introductory interest rates and rewards point programs of some sort. Some experts even tell us jumping on the credit bandwagon to build up a healthy credit score is a necessity. It seems as if we are being pushed towards swiping a card to make our purchases. But is it possible to ignore all of this and live a credit card free life? My friend Brad Chaffee, founder of this site, is dedicated to living a credit free, cash only lifestyle. While he […] Read more »

The Other 99% Slogan

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Several months ago I drove passed a home that had a large sign out in front that said, "We are the 99%." It was a curious sign, and I was tempted to ask what they meant by it. A month or so later I heard about occupy Wall Street and their 99% slogan, so I eventually figured out what that large sign was trying to convey. Great concept. After I started thinking about it, I remembered another 99% sign that I saw in a doctor's office. It read, "1% are misfortunate, the other 99% are misbehaving." Please excuse the misspelling in the slogan, but the point of the sign was to remind folks that whether they're trying to quit smoking, lose weight or make better choices in diet, there are roughly 1% who fail because of misfortune - the misfortunate - while the other 99% fail because they don't apply themselves in a deliberate manner - the misbehaving. Another great concept. Read more »

You Definitely DON’T Need a Credit Score

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This guy thinks he needs a credit score

Do you have a credit score?  Probably so.  Do you have any idea what your credit score is?  Maybe you do, maybe you don’t.  Do you really believe that it’s totally necessary to have a credit score?  Most people do, and I think they are wrong. First, let’s take a quick look at exactly what your credit score is and why you have one.  Your credit score, also known as the FICO score, was created by the Fair Isaac Company (Thus “FICO”) to estimate a person’s credit worthiness.  Your FICO score is really just a number that tells people how […] Read more »

What Will You Sacrifice for Freedom?

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C-H-A-N-G-E. People hate it! People hate having to change anything, sometimes regardless of the benefits that lie ahead. Change is uncomfortable and sometimes a little scary. The fear of having to face something unfamiliar can often paralyze us into inaction. Sometimes change is forced upon us and sometimes the choice is our own to make. So whether we like it or not, change is a very big part of who we are. We may as well embrace it. In terms of personal finance, change is constant. And when it comes to debt change can save you from financial destruction. Nobody […] Read more »

Free or Inexpensive Indoor Summer Activities

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This is the first in a 2 part series on how to keep kids entertained for minimal or no cost during the summer months. The second part, written by fellow EOD member Jessica Streit, will appear next week. This summer is going to be a different experience for me. It’s the first summer I’ll be home full-time with my daughter (who is 5) and quite frankly, I’m already panicking. Not so much because of all the time with her (which is awesome) but because, honestly, I don’t know what I’m going to do with her.  On normal days, I have […] Read more »

When Should You Give Up?

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Photo from Flickr by Brian Carlson, Houston, Texas

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about difficult situations. When is enough enough? How do you know when you should just focus your energy elsewhere? Sometimes life can really make you feel like you are beating your head against a brick wall. A lot of the articles on Enemy of Debt talk about persevering. However, there may be times when it is a smarter financial move to just give up. Here are some financial examples of when you might want to say, “Enough!” Making payments on something that isn’t worth it This could be a house, car, or something else. […] Read more »

Expensive Hobbies and Habits and Their Cost-Saving Alternatives

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cost saving alternatives to expensive coffee

Scrapbooking. Spa Days. Golf. Sewing. Travel. Gourmet Coffee. Smoking. Clothing. Dining Out. Hobbies are meant to be a time to relax, release some stress and have fun. Hobbies are enjoyable because they are always something you enjoy. Habits are formed for similar reasons. They can help you relax, help you release stress and occasionally bring fun to your life as well. All of the activities mentioned above are either habits or hobbies. And all can be budget busters when allowed to be. Some people may feel that they have to give up the things they love in order to save […] Read more »

Why “Go Big or Go Home” is Destroying Your Budget

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In the U.S., we like our space and we like big. We drive big cars, we like big houses, and one of our favorite phrases is even “go big or go home.” We are obsessed with size in every way, shape, and form, and it is destroying our budgets. The greatest offenders to our larger than life attitudes include: Your Home In other countries, even the industrialized ones, it isn’t uncommon to see a family of 5 sharing a small apartment. In the U.S., however, we expect everyone to have their own large room and there to be adequate space […] Read more »

Imagination is Free

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I’m going to ask you to do something you may not have ever been asked to do before. Close your eyes, and think of a recent experience in your life that was extremely stressful. Go to your “nervous, anxious, so angry I want to punch a wall” place. What do you feel like doing?  What would deflate the negative energy you’re feeling? Going out to eat so you don’t have to add the stress of cooking to the pile? Going shopping and buying anything you darn well please so you regain the feeling of control? Having your significant other notice […] Read more »

Pay Day Loans are for Lazy People…Do This Instead!

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Recently, I had a conversation at the Financial Blogger Conference and Pay Day Loans came up. First off, I was kind of surprised to hear a financial blogger say that these loans had their place because most bloggers agree that these types of loans are dangerous and avoidable. At the time my mind was spinning a hundred miles a minute but I said nothing because not only had I just arrived at the conference, but I know that debates like this are rarely productive (especially with a financial blogger). So I bit my tongue but I do have an opinion […] Read more »