Fist Pump Friday: I Love You Like A Blogger Roundup – 6/21

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I’m excited to run a half marathon this weekend. As race day approaches, I’ve been peppered with the customary questions  from people wondering why I put myself through such an ordeal. My answer is really two parts.  First, I like running.  I like the feeling of accomplishment, the fact that it takes both physical and mental strength to finish. Second, as one of my favorite motivational speakers like to say, we should all do difficult things. Doing difficult things gives you the mental perspective that you can do anything you put your mind to.  Running a long race once or […] Read more »

Hardware Store Help Saved Me Cash On DIY Home Repairs

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Walking to an afternoon meeting, I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket from a text message notification. My wife sent me a picture of a wet laundry room ceiling with a caption that read “We have a leak, should I call a plumber?” By the time I got home 90 minutes later, my wife was on the phone getting estimates. I told her to hold off having anyone come until I investigated. She bit her lip, her face displaying obvious doubt in my plumbing abilities. My daughter was taking a bath in the whirlpool tub in our master bath […] Read more »

Fist Pump Friday: I Love You Like A Blogger Roundup – 6/14/19

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I was reminded this week how valuable good insurance is.  My daughter had her wisdom teeth taken out, total bill coming to about $2500.  After my insurance was applied, my bill was $513, which I paid for with pre-tax funds from my HSA.  Since the HSA funds were deducted from my paychecks, I can’t say the procedure required zero out of pocket funds.  But I can say not one penny was taken out of checking or savings, and there was zero impact to my monthly budget. Fist pump for good insurance, HSA funds, and my favorite posts of the week! […] Read more »

Saving Money With DIY Deck Repair

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My wife informed me she asked a professional to examine our deck and provide an estimate to replace a rotten board. I’m re-staining it this summer, and wanted to have the board replaced beforehand. Taking a mental inventory of my tools, I confidentially stated I could replace it myself. Even though my wife’s facial expression expressed doubt, I laid out my plans to replace the board instead of paying someone to do it for me. Tools Needed First, I took inventory of the needed tools: Drill: I have an electric drill powerful enough to remove and insert decking screws (many […] Read more »

Fist Pump Friday: I Love You Like A Blogger Roundup – 6/7

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We’re rolling up on another weekend, EOD Nation!  My neighbors have twin girls graduating from high school this year, and their graduation party is tomorrow.  They’re doing brunch for food, and asked if I would make omelets for their guests using a propane fueled flattop in their garage.  Cooking omelets on a flattop outside?  That’s an emphatic “YES” for me.  Can’t wait! Fist pump for omelets and my favorite posts of the week! Posts That Make Me Fist Pump Tipping On Carryout Orders – Yay Or Nay? from Money Beagle How to Sell Your Old Mobile Devices for Cash from […] Read more »

Save On Medical Bills With This Simple Trick

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The person on the other end of the phone was a representative from my medical care provider asking about my outstanding balance. She stated they were willing to reduce my bill by 20% if I could pay in full over the phone. My outstanding bill was leftover from an ER visit last year, and we were on a 10 month payment plan so that I could use my monthly pre-tax HSA contributions instead of using after-tax out of pocket funds. Given we were half way though our payment plan, and had made our payments on time each month, I was […] Read more »

5 Reasons Working from Home is the Cheaper Choice

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The number of people who work from home has skyrocketed in recent years. It’s becoming easier for many people to work from home, as many companies are allowing their employees to work remotely part- or full-time. The appeals of working from home are vast as it saves money for employees and employers. Economic Office Equipment Alternatives Photo by Toa Heftiba on Unsplash The costs of running an office can quickly begin to add up. If you’re an entrepreneur with your own startup, the cost of setting up your own home office can easily save money in areas such as office […] Read more »

Fist Pump Friday: I Love You Like A Blogger Roundup – 5/31

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Today, another school year comes to a close, and with it several pieces of exciting news. First, since my wife works for the school district, she doesn’t have to go to work for three months, but she still gets paid. The school district prorates her pay for 9 months of work across all 12 months.  The fact that she doesn’t have to get up and go to work doesn’t change our budget one bit. Second, my son started a new job this week!  He got a job doing IT work for a partnership between his university and a local technology […] Read more »

Marketing Tips for Graphic Designers & Artists

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While you love being an artist or graphic designer, you may struggle to find clients or let people know you and your services are available for their projects. It can help to see marketing and advertising as a type of art. Like with any other type of art, there’s a learning curve involved with perfecting marketing. Here are several insights to help you sharpen your prowess and understanding of finding and keeping clients. Reach Out to Local Business Groups You could have untapped resources waiting in your own backyard. Do some research to see if there are business groups in […] Read more »

How To Use Every Penny On A Prepaid Credit Card

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I bought new tires during a Black Friday sale. I got a great price on the tires, plus a rebate in the form of two $61 prepaid visa credit cards. They’ve been sitting on my desk for months unused, waiting for just the right opportunity. It’s hard to spend an exact amount. I’ve had prepaid credit cards before, and typically I get it down to a few dollars, buy some gum I really don’t need and then throw it away when I get the balance as close to zero and then throw it away. Three Ways To Use All Of […] Read more »

5 Broadband Characteristics You Ignore at Your Peril (when you work on-line)

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broadband characteristics

  Broadband has firmly become a necessary part of contemporary lifestyle. We relax by watching Netflix and streaming movies and TV programmes. We no longer worry about forgetting to take books on our travels – we can download these anytime, anywhere in the world (okay, nearly anywhere). More importantly, we rely on broadband, and broadband characteristics like speed, in our working lives. We send e-mails, read material on the internet, gather customer feedback through on-line forums and buy/sell products on-line. Entertainment, relaxation or work, broadband is important. Have you tried to watch a movie and have the screen freeze on […] Read more »

How to Get a Business Loan with Bad Credit?

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There are instances when a business needs to borrow money from lending firms. However, a good credit score is typically what it takes to get approved for a loan. If you have a bad credit score, it can affect how the lending company sees you as a loan applicant. Most of the time, having a bad or low credit score means that your loan is more likely to get denied. Nonetheless, there are ways to go around to this. It is possible to get a business loan with bad credit. Getting a Loan With Bad Credit? Is This Possible? While […] Read more »

Fist Pump Friday: I Love You Like A Blogger Roundup- 5/24/19

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Party weekend is here! It’s our 23rd annual Memorial Weekend party. We’ve stayed mostly on budget, with one unplanned expenditure – we bought a 10×20 tent for some extra shade. The good thing is it’s an item we can use over and over. Party prep is kicking into high gear, and the weather looks fantastic this weekend! Fist pump for staying on budget (mostly), good food, friends and family…..oh and my favorite posts of the week! Posts That Make Me Fist Pump Common Misconceptions about Student Loans from Young Adult Money Fixed-Rate Versus Variable-Rate Loans from Well Kept Wallet Consider […] Read more »

The Powerful Thing that Many People Striving to Kill Debt Never Do — But Should

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Debt is the era’s most offensive four-letter word. Behold these grizzly statistics, courtesy of the good ol’ Federal Reserve: Total consumer debt in 2018 reached (cue Dr. Evil voice) $3.898 trillion — a 7.6% jump from 2017. Student loan debt in 2018 totalled $1.524 trillion, with the average indebted student owing $76, 468 (that’s a heck of a lot of ramen noodles). The average consumer debt per capita in 2018 was $11,880. In May of 2018, credit card debt reached $1.02 trillion — the highest level ever recorded. 20% of adults roll over $2,500 or more a month in credit […] Read more »