4 Ways Couples Handle Discretionary Funds

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Over the weekend I showed my wife a video of a new piece of equipment I hoped to eventually add to our home gym. The object of my desire had previously been mentioned, so she asked me why I hadn’t purchased it yet. I stated the reason was we hadn’t had a serious conversation about me spending $200. I didn’t feel comfortable making a purchase of that size without discussing it and making sure it fit into our spending plan. Both parties in a relationship deserve to spend discretionary funds on things they want. Cooperation is required to ensure both […] Read more »

5 Ways To Appreciate Your Special Someone For Under $10

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Relationships are hard work. When a person is in a committed relationship it’s easy to take it for granted, and stop doing those little things to impress and show appreciation towards your significant other that you did when the relationship was fresh and new. Jobs, kids, what to make for dinner and a thousand other tasks of day to day life dig a rut that’s easy to get stuck in. When as a part of that relationship you combine finances and target every dollar towards something, it’s also difficult to break off some funds to go that extra step for […] Read more »

My New “Celebrating Financial Freedom” Course!

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Celebrating financial freedom online get out of debt course

If you’ve been following my posts here on EOD for a while now, you may know that I offer a popular Christian get out of debt course that I’ve taught at various venues over the years. The course has always been offered in a physical version with a workbook and CD’s. I’ve been asked many times if I have the course available in an online format, and I’ve always had to say “no”. But not anymore. You Can Win Access to the Course for Free!  (Continue Reading)   You Asked, I’m Making it Happen Over the last few months, I’ve […] Read more »

Debt and Deeper Issues

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Have you been trying to gain control of your money issues but just never seem to get any traction?  I’ve talked to a ton of people over the years who have taken classes, written budgets, read books, and made every effort they could to get out of debt and try to make sense of their money.  But after a short period of time they’re back to the same old habits they’ve always had, ending up with more month than money and steadily adding to their pile of debt. Why does this happen so often?  Is it because I just didn’t […] Read more »

Overspending, Failure to Track Expenses, and A $100 Loan Equals….Success?

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Trying to recover from overspending during the first half of July, Vonnie and I planned our spending  for the rest of the month with only bare bones funds available.  We even sat the kids down and explained to them exactly what was going on, so that they would have realistic expectations in regards to family activities for the remainder of the month. We had a plan that looked great on paper, and we were confident we could execute it successfully. And then real life happened. The first weekend was supposed to be one of those “enjoy what we have at […] Read more »

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 »

The First Step in Combining Finances

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Discussing, setting, and reaching goals together builds trust and unity in a relationship. Having different goals and working against each other breaks down trust and fosters a feeling of "yours and mine" rather than "ours". That is why I'm a huge proponent of combined finances for married couples. I do not suggest combining finances when you are not married, but once you are legally married then your partners actions affect you even if you have a "yours and mine" accounting method. Read more »

Is Blood Thicker than Inheritance Money?

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According to study by the AARP roughly 2/3 of baby boomers are expecting some sort of an inheritance and are spending it before they even have it. They dig deep holes of debt with inheritance money in the back of their mind; failing to understand using inheritance money to pay off debt is not a sound financial plan. In fact inheritances often don’t turn out the way those expecting them think they should. A Family Torn I have a friend who recently had a grandmother pass away. Her frugal lifestyle and previously deceased husband’s good business sense left her with […] Read more »

Should You Take Care of Your Parents Regardless?

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Should you feel obligated to support your parents at or before retirement — regardless of circumstances? That is the question a caller asked Dave Ramsey on the radio last week. Here was his situation. His spouse’s family wanted to put together a fund that would support their parents for the next 25 years. He and his spouse were obviously affected differently by this question but ultimately agreed that it was not their responsibility to totally care for them financially, especially since the parents said they weren’t willing to go to work. They weren’t unable to work, they just didn’t want […] Read more »

If You Want to Fix Your Money, Fix Your Marriage

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Are you constantly trying to figure out why you suck with money? For those that are single, part of the problem is accountability, but for those that aren't, the problem(s) can go much deeper than that. Sometimes the solution is right in front of you, or in this case, in your marriage. Money and Marriage are two words that sometimes seem like distant relatives, but the fact is, the connection between the two are actually hand in hand. If you look at some of the number one reasons people give for getting a divorce, money is usually at the top. I say, if you want to fix your money, fix your marriage...and vice-versa! If you fix your money, your marriage will get better, and if you fix your marriage, how you handle money (as a couple) will follow. It's a positive cycle that involves super communication and a lifetime of commitment! That's right, that commitment doesn't stop at the alter. Read more »

Cleaning Up After a Mess (Apology and Forgiveness)

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Hello everyone, I hope you all had a terrific Easter Sunday! Today, I am starting the launch of the Love Everyday e-book tour. Each week, another piece of this great free resource will be hosted on each contributor’s respective blog. My contribution might not appear to be related to money, but I assure you it is–even if indirectly. Money fights are something we all face when dealing with money, and the aftermath of those money fights determine our financial success or failure. If you don’t know how to apologize to or forgive your spouse, this money thing will seem impossible. […] Read more »

Great Financial Advice From The In-Flight Safety Handbook

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I know what your thinking. "How in the world can an in-flight safety handbook help me financially?" I want to focus today on one specific part of those instructions. Skip ahead to the part about securing your oxygen mask in case of changes in the cabin pressure. Now I know you're really confused, but bare with me. After hearing many stories of financial struggle, and dealing with the raw emotions that come with it, I want to discuss something that seems to be a pretty common issue among struggling families. I have received more than a dozen comments about this issue just over the past six months, so I finally decided to write about it. Read more »

The FREE E-Book “LOVEveryday” Has Finally Arrived!!

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I told you it was coming, and now it’s finally here! The LOVEveryday E-book is now available for download and distribution. (Click the link or view the sideshow below.) We hope you enjoy reading it, as much as we enjoyed writing it.  Sometimes the information you need to make certain changes in your own life are right in front of you. This could be one of those times! Don’t leave it to chance, as I am 100% convinced you will take away from this, something of value, you can apply to your own relationship or marriage. I sure plan on […] Read more »