10 Things on Which to Never Spend Money

Written by on · 12 Comments

There are so many good things on which to spend money. Here's a list of things to avoid! Extendend Warranties: Just say no. Extended warranties are a numbers game, and those numbers favor the seller. If you are really that concerned that your new purchase is going to break then you shouldn't be buying it. Save your money. If you want to have some fun when the clerk asks you if you would like the warranty respond by asking "Why, is this product no good? Is it going to break? Oh well, maybe I shouldn't buy it at all then." Read more »

Are You Making Excuses for the Money You Spend?

Written by on · 11 Comments
spending too much money on shopping

Yesterday was Black Friday. Did you hit the stores at 4am? Were you one of the million of folks out on Thanksgiving to shop the stores that opened in the evening? Or maybe you are like me, you avoid stores on Black Friday (and the days surrounding it) like the plague! I wasn’t always this way, there was a time when I hit the mall bright and early on Black Friday. I was armed with nothing more than my credit cards and a large cup of coffee. The problem with my “plan” was that I didn’t have a list (and […] Read more »

Dave Ramsey Financial Peace University Week 8

Written by on · 1 Comment

If you are just tuning in I’m currently taking the Dave Ramsey Financial Peace University classes and reviewing them each week. If you missed any you can catch them here; Week 1: Super Saving Week 2: Relating To Money Week 3: Cash Flow Planning Week 4: Dumping Debt Week 5: Credit Sharks in Suits Week 6: Buyer Beware Week 7: Clause and Effect The Class This week’s Financial Peace University is called “That’s Not Good Enough” and is about bargain hunting. Or more specifically it’s about negotiating a deal. The real trick to getting good deals by negotiating is by […] Read more »

It Adds Up – Financial Adages Help Us Learn from Others

Written by on · Leave a Comment

I have a friend who likes to say, "It adds up." He says this when he's referring to saving a little money here and there. Well, of course it adds up, and when we're saving money, it seems to take forever to amount to anything appreciable. But, that's not the case when it comes to spending money, especially when we're buying things with a credit card. Read more »

Is Netflix Really the Devil?

Written by on · 16 Comments

DISCLAIMER: If you are not mindlessly deciding to stay in debt, I might not be talking about you. 😉 Are you upset at the recent price hike announced by Netflix? Is seems a lot of people are lighting the torches and grabbing their pitchforks so they can lynch the once beloved company.I have an idea. How about you get that mad about your debt! Seriously, you should torch IT instead. Wasn’t it Netflix that saved us from companies like Blockbuster? Wasn’t it Netflix that made it possible to watch as many movies as we could mail off and receive in […] Read more »

The Scariest Halloween Costume EVER!

Written by on · 13 Comments

Photo Credit: Halloween Express An Enslaved Debtor complete with bondage. (A person in a suit or dress, with mini cars, school books, shopping bags, bank statements and Starbucks coffee cups glued to it, while sporting the provocative shackle and handcuff accessories.) Seriously though… How special is your Halloween celebration? Do you go ALL OUT, or do you save your greenbacks for some Christmas shopping? According to a survey by National Retail Federation (NRF), Americans are expected to spend 5.8 BILLION dollars this Halloween. That’s not even close to what will be spent on Christmas, but this number surprises me because of […] Read more »

How We Spent Money To Save Money

Written by on · 10 Comments

You’ve probably heard the phrase, “you have to spend money to make money“, but have you ever heard of spending money to save money? I’m always excited to share ways to save money, and quite frankly, I’m SICK of being ripped off by cell phone companies. So we decided to actually do something about it instead of just complaining. Stupid Cell Phones I started long ago with Sprint, which at the time had the worst customer service ever. This was a long time ago and I just couldn’t find a plan that worked for me as much as it worked […] Read more »

Are You Being Frugal Or Just Cheap?

Written by on · 11 Comments

Are you SUPER FRUGAL when it comes to everything? Maybe I shouldn’t dirty the word frugal by using it so poorly. Are you SUPER CHEAP when it comes to how you spend every single dime? If so, this post may help you reconsider your cheaper than thou ways. My example may not work for every situation, but it works if you want your nice lawn mower and weed eater to stay in good condition. Just to clarify, frugal to me, means making the best financial decision I can with my money. To get the best bang for my buck. But […] Read more »

People Need An Excuse To Spend Money, And They’re Eager To Find One

Written by on · 27 Comments

Do You Justify Your Purchases? What About The Bad Ones? A few weeks ago, I was sitting at home watching some T.V. with my wife, after watching 27 inches of snow fall. We were snowed in the day before, and could barely get around on day 2. It was the top of the hour so there was a news update, and that’s when I heard it. I almost couldn’t believe my ears but my wife confirmed what I thought I heard. We watched a news report that stated people were considering an upgrade to a 4WD vehicle—due to the recent […] Read more »

Merry Thriftness – It’s NOT About Being Cheap, It’s About LIVING And LOVING Frugally!

Written by on · 16 Comments

Do you require a gift from someone to be brand new? This is something I have wondered for a while now and it seems like the perfect time to discuss it. With Christmas happening in two stress-filled days, a lot of people are busting their budgets, in hopes of satisfying the person they are buying gifts for. I have to admit, I really hate choosing a gift for someone. It’s a lot of pressure to try and get the perfect gift for someone, only to wonder if they even liked it. (Consider for a second the rush of after Christmas […] Read more »

Buying Bargains: How We Will Spend Less But Give More This Christmas

Written by on · 14 Comments

Is buying bargains high on your list of priorities? If not, you may want to reconsider. On Monday I told you I would share with you how my beautiful wife and I are saving money this Christmas. I also wanted to share with you some of the ways we are bringing in a few extra dollars to offset the unexpected expenses we’ve had in November. We donated more money this month than we budgeted so we thought it was a great idea to put our thinking caps on to earn extra dollars. Too bad I didn’t have my thinking cap […] Read more »

22 Reasons Why You Should NOT Go Out And Buy Windows 7

Written by on · 17 Comments

Oh my gosh!!  Have you heard?  Oh my gosh!!  I just found out today!  Windows 7 just released and everyone is going gaga over “NEEDING” to buy it. Who cares if your current operating system works just fine?  YOU GOTTA HAVE IT…RIGHT?  We just have to own the newest software, the biggest plasma television,  or the highest priced, most advanced cell phones we can find, but WHY? “Oh, oh, oh, I know—pick me, pick me—please pick me, I know the answer!!” Because society has taught you that delaying gratification is a SIN, and that acquiring “stuff” by using good old-fashioned […] Read more »

Cash For Clunkers Revisited – Lesson To Be, Or Not To Be Learned, That Is The Question!

Written by on · 4 Comments

Debt For Suckers Government Plan – Did It Work? When the Cash for Clunkers program launched I could not believe the people that enthusiastically lined up at dealerships to receive their shackles.  The feeling across the nation was that this was a good program that was going to help people.  Help people go into debt during an out of control economy maybe, but help people it did not.  I just could not comprehend such poor judgment in the minds of the very people complaining about record unemployment, rising interest rates, and a rising number of foreclosures. It just proves that […] Read more »