Budget Fix

Hi everyone!  This is just an update to let you know that if you downloaded my budget before today, but after the launch, you need to download it again OR make 2 changes yourself. (Recommended) I was trying to make it account for spending more than you budgeted by making the remaining to budget, cell i37, change to let you know you needed to adjust the budget.  The fact is that when you see a red number in the “D” Column you should know that you need to make an adjustment somewhere to compensate for overspending.  The point is to […] Read more »

Here Is Your Financial Blueprint

Here Is Your Financial Blueprint courtesy of Enemy of Debt created by Brad Chaffee Well the time has finally come! You no longer have any excuse at all as to not having a budget.  I have created a worksheet for you to use to make budgeting fast and easy.  It is up to you to take advantage of it.  I have included a savings worksheet for you as well.  Remember a budget isn’t a device to control you, it is a device used to control your money.  Whether you use it to spend irrationally or to manage responsibly, the point […] Read more »

If My Words Were A Hand, They’d Be Slapping Some Sense Into You!

STOP BORROWING MONEY!!! Just to clear things up, the title isn’t to be taken literally. It’s just my way of grabbing your attention and telling you that if you are in debt, you need to hear this!! So LISTEN UP! This is perhaps the most important thing to learn after getting yourself on a budget. Dumping your debt will help you gain traction and in return offer you a hope you have never imagined. The reason is because all of the things most people have their money spent on before they ever get paid, steals their hope. When you accept […] Read more »

The “B” Word!

Yeah I said it, the “B” word….Budget. My FPU class just finished Lesson Three called Cash Flow Planning, and when most of us think about a budget, all kinds of negative thoughts surface. First we think it will keep us from having fun. If you are like me then you may have thought it was more trouble than it was worth. Seriously, why should we do a budget when it always seems to collapse midway through the month? Most of us have avoided doing a budget our entire life all because of these misconceptions. The truth is that the budget […] Read more »

Buying vs. Renting – What Should You Do?

I think a majority of people would say it is better to buy simply because of the “I own it”, way of thinking. I used to believe the same thing. I think people do not take into consideration all of the things that should change that “normal” way of thinking. Dave Ramsey believes that if you are in debt, have no savings and no plan you SHOULD NOT buy, and I am right there beside him in agreement. You need to consider insurance costs, property taxes, as well as being responsible for ALL repairs. All of which does not enter […] Read more »

Relationships That Count

You Do It! If there is one thing that comes through clearly in the “Relating With Money” lesson it is that we all need support and encouragement.  We need each other.  If you are married, you need your spouse in order for this money thing to work.  If you are single you need someone to hold you accountable.  So many people that I know use the “you do it” philosophy when it comes to money.  I have too. When Alana and I first got married, she was the one who controlled the finances.  That was until we had a few […] Read more »

Video Of The Week – Brian Tracy

As most of you know I am a big fan of Brian Tracy.  Here’s Brian Tracy talking about wealth, happiness, and balance.  If you don’t have balance then that means there is something that needs attention.  It is up to us to manage our lives like we manage our jobs.  A machine that needs all parts to function in order to work at it’s best is just like our lives.  Everything has to be properly maintained or something will fail.  Failing in one aspect of our lives can often lead to failing in the very thing we wanted to succeed […] Read more »

My Payments Ate My Savings!

America has no use for Piggy Banks anymore! America is in the RED! With a negative savings rate, America is in DESPERATE need of a Total Money Makeover. What will it take? When will people finally understand why saving money is too important to ignore? America needs new priorities, like yesterday! As one of the very many bloggers who blog about money and personal finance, it is my duty to help spread the word. How much do YOU have saved up? What in the world is keeping us from doing what we know we should? Is your savings account overflowing […] Read more »

Where It All Started For Me

**I just wanted to share with everyone my very first blog about becoming debt free! This is where it started. A passion to get out of debt, an intensity to do it now, and a desire to help spread these principles to anyone willing to listen! One night I was inspired to connect my love for Baseball as a child, to becoming debt free as an adult. For those who haven’t read this one, I hope you like it. Please comment.** Hitting A Home Run And Becoming Debt Free Are The Same! 7 out of 10 people live paycheck to […] Read more »

Bankruptcy – The Morning After Pill of Personal Finance

Is Bankruptcy The Answer? I was on the Financial Peace University Forums today and happened to notice the word bankruptcy being thrown around as an option. This isn’t a rant as much as it is an argument as to why you should avoid bankruptcy completely. I realize that this is a very touchy subject for people so my intention is not to make a judgment, but instead to express an alternate view. I would like to remind everyone that I was very close to filing bankruptcy myself at one or more times in my life and am very glad that […] Read more »

A Gentle Scream!

  How can a scream be gentle? Debt CONsolidation is a CON.  It’s what normal people do and normal people are broke.  normal people do it because they are conned into believing that it will solve all their problems.  If saving interest on a few STUPID debts and giving it to the broke guy conning you, is your idea of fixing your problems, then consider being weird for a moment. Why pay someone to cut you? Paying someone to “work out your life” is not what you need.  All you are doing is moving your debt, that’s it.  There’s not […] Read more »

A Comment Response

BALANCE is important! I decided to write this blog because I received a comment yesterday about my lack of writing recently. The comment said “I miss the times when you used to write. not just paste up you tube video. :(” (ONE of those youtube videos I made myself!) I agree with the poster about what is better my opinion or video from another source, but I feel I must explain why it just isn’t possible for me to ALWAYS write as I did in the beginning of this blog. If I have learned anything from Dave Ramsey, Dan Miller, […] Read more »