I Do Trust You Because We Did This.

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Yesterday, my friend Travis wrote a post about trusting his wife as she left to go shopping with a spendthrift friend. He mentioned that, although he had a million questions racing around in his mind, he had to let go and trust her to stick to their budget. And you know what? She came through (I should point out here that I’m not surprised because Travis’s wife is awesome). He raised an important issue: trust. Trust in a relationship, especially in financial matters, is excruciatingly important. In fact, without trust in that area, you’re probably not going to have trust […] Read more »

Tough Financial Shape? Just Listen for the Call to Action

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At one point or another, many us will recognize that we're in tough financial shape, and that becomes our call to action. We ought to be thankful we can hear the call when it comes, because for some of us, we don't "get off the dime" and act in our own best interest until it's absolutely necessary. And, some of us are financially hard of hearing. Recently, I've had the opportunity to peek in on the lives of others, through social media, and learn a little about their challenging financial conditions. I'd like to share some of my observations, and insights and suggestions, in an effort to get some value out on the table. I do this in the interest of helping others understand there are various indicators that we should recognize as a type of wake-up call. We ought to create insights regarding these indicators, and put them to work for us, so we sleep better at night. Read more »

Help the Needy – Not so Fast! Let’s do Some Thinking

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help the needy

"Help the needy" is what we've learned since we were kids. But as Suzanne's recent post shows, sometimes our experiences as adults can cause us to rethink that well-worn expression. Who are the needy anyway? Sometimes it's hard to figure out. And, that's what can lead us to donate to a cause, lend money, forgive debts, and help others who have projected themselves to us as being in need. Read more »

Why do so Many Americans Rely on Social Security?

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As I checked up on Twitter Thursday morning I noticed that “social security” was a trending topic. Very rarely do you see a trending topic that has any real life value, so it was for this reason I decided to see what all the fuss was about. You don’t have to be Democrat or Republican to know that Social Security is bankrupt. This is a non-partisan issue, or at least it should be. Some seem to believe that reform is not only needed but necessary, while others think it should just be left alone. Regardless of which side you tend […] Read more »

Congress, American Culture, and Personal Financial Responsibility

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With all the talk recently about deficit spending, the national debt, the need for a balanced budget amendment, and the western world operating largely on borrowed money, two things come to mind. This might be a good time to share my thoughts because there are lots of lessons for all of us who have concern about our financial condition – at home and on a broader scale. Congress is a Reflection of American Culture My first thought is that those in the U.S. Congress are largely a reflection of the “buy on credit and have debt around our neck” culture […] Read more »

Becoming the Leader I Need To Be

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In my day job as a software engineer, I am a technical team leader responsible for ensuring that a team of 8 operates efficiently, completes work items on time, and with quality.  My team respects both my technical and leadership abilities. There is chaos in the absence of strong leadership.  I see that every day. Where weak, or even no leadership is present, projects flounder in failure until someone takes control of the situation and drives it to completion. There needs to be someone with a degree in organizational leadership to step in when another leader can not. The same […] Read more »

It’s Not a Myth, It’s a Lie; You Don’t Need a Car Payment

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Have you ever wondered what it would be like to own and drive a nice car without payments? Wonder no more. It's AWESOME! Imagine driving down the road care-free, except for the road in front of you of course, without having to spend the next 3-6 years paying for it. It's yours. You own it. And the best part is, you didn't have to pay any interest AT ALL. If you lose your job, you know your car will not be repossessed because you failed to make the payments. Ahhh, the good life! Read more »

Does Taking Advice From An Expert Relieve You Of Responsibility?

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Ever since I wrote My Beef With Rich Dad Poor Dad Author Robert Kiyosaki, I’ve been thinking. When it comes to taking advice from anyone, even if they are considered to be an expert, should we just do what they suggest without doing our own homework? I believe that we are still responsible for making sure that any advice that we follow is sound advice. Doctor’s are considered experts and you still hear people say “Did you get a second opinion?”. Being an expert doesn’t mean that you always have the right answers, it simply means that you should be […] Read more »

Personal Responsibility Starts With YOU

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Personal Responsibility Starts With You Not The Government I often talk openly about money, personal finance, and the debt free lifestyle that I so strongly believe in.  In fact, I am sure that some people wish that I would just shut up about it.  After all, who wants to hear someone making good points about how to live a less stressful life without debt?  Because of these conversations I often have, I really get to see where people stand, as well as why they are struggling themselves. It is also hard to have these kinds of conversations without politics coming […] Read more »

Are You Waiting For Washington To Save The Day?

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  As it stands now this is not a political blog, and I want to keep it that way.  However, with the upcoming election, coupled with recent events (bailout, mortgage crisis) and the state of our economy, I feel it is important to address this issue.  It seems that so many people are putting all of their faith into electing a President that they feel will fly down from the sky with his Presidential cape and leotards to save the day.  Why is that?  Do people really believe that Washington is going to come to the rescue? Do you really […] Read more »