The Lost Subject: Personal Finance

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Were you taught about money and personal finance when you were in school? I wasn’t. Even today personal finance is not taught in most schools or considered a curriculum requirement for college students. How do we expect today’s youth to stop the vicious cycle of debt if we don’t teach them how? The latest report from the Federal Reserve shows that consumers are still using their credit cards in a big way; revolving credit, which is made up primarily of credit card debt rose to $801.0 billion. It’s obvious the cycle continues as millions of Americans rack up debt and […] Read more »

Your Credit Score — It’s Not a Measure of Financial Responsibility

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If I received a quarter for every time someone told me I “needed” a credit score I would be super rich right now. There are many myths surrounding the credit score and believe it or not, it’s the financial world itself that continues to spread these myths. Ask any educated finance graduate if you need a credit score and you’ll most likely hear a “default” answer of ABSOLUTELY. Ask them why you need a score and not only are you likely to get an evil eye roll, the next words out of their mouth will probably be…ARE YOU KIDDING ME? […] Read more »

Surprise, Your Credit Report Stinks

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Credit reports are a funny thing that even the most seasoned of financial experts have trouble understanding. With all of the “myths” and “misconceptions” about credit scores swirling around it can be difficult to decipher myth from the real truth. Recently my friend went to a car dealership in search of a new vehicle to replace their old vehicle. Unfortunately, they didn’t have the money saved up to purchase the vehicle (I advised paying cash makes the most financial senseJ), and were going to have to finance the vehicle. When applying for any loan or line of credit you are […] Read more »

Buyer Beware Hidden Charges May Be Affecting Your Bottom Line

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You are one of those people that diligently budgets for every expense, cuts costs wherever possible–a sheer genius when it comes to personal finance. So why does it seem you just can’t get ahead as a middleclass American citizen doing all the right things when it comes to sticking to your budget? The economy has taken its toll on just about everyone, both consumers and business. In fact either you or someone close to you has likely fallen victim to a foreclosure, layoff, or downsizing. When you fill up at the pump you wonder when a gallon of gas and […] Read more »

Just Say No to Inflatable Santa’s

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“Mommy please can we get one of those inflatable Santa’s?” This is the plea I have heard from my eight year old son since we began to decorate (with our already purchased) holiday decorations the day after Thanksgiving. My answer remains constant, “Not right now buddy, we don’t need an inflatable Santa.”  Unfortunately millions of Americans apparently do feel they need inflatable Santa’s, two Christmas trees, and thousands of twinkle lights to adorn their homes so they can feel the magic of the holidays.  According to a Bloomberg report, “This year U.S. consumers will spend $6 billion on decorations, the […] Read more »

Do You Worship the “Not So Mighty” Credit Score?

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When you were younger, do you remember hearing countless people advise you to “build your credit”? Those same voices were buzzing around in my head until I got a clue in 2007! “You’ve got to build your credit” they’d say, and the reason is usually based on the myth that says in order to be financially responsible you must build your score. I despise this myth most of all because from what I see, it has ruined more lives than it has helped. Think about it. 18 year old after 18 year old has inserted themselves into the murky waters […] Read more »

The Scariest Halloween Costume EVER!

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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 »

Book Review: Living Well With Bad Credit

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Back in December, I was asked if I would participate in a book review online tour. The book is Living Well With Bad Credit by Chris Balish and Geoff Williams. Now before I get started I must point out that this book has some things I ultimately disagree with, but with that said, it also has some helpful tidbits to help exterminate the notion that bad credit is the end of life as you know it. One of the very first things that stood out to me was one simple phrase. It’s a phrase that sounded so familiar, but it […] Read more »

Top Ten DUMBEST Reasons To Get A Pay Day Loan!

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WARNING: The list below has been known to cause delusional thoughts and irrational behavior. If what you are about to read sounds like a good plan, you have been hypnotized and must vacate immediately.  You are in DANGER!  If you want to know what using a pay day loan company feels like, go donate ALL of your blood.  It’s the same thing.  You won’t be doing much with what’s left!  To weaken the effects, complete this exercise immediately! The following was said to be the Top 10 Best Reasons To Get A Pay Day Loan.  Some of them are considered, […] Read more »

“He Who Has Not Christmas In His Heart, Will Never Find It Under A Tree.” ~Roy L. Smith

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The Spin-Off First I just want to thank everyone for participating in yesterdays discussion.  I enjoyed it so much and am pleased to see that all of you did too.  SO THANK YOU!  To be honest yesterdays post started as just another Christmas Gift idea article.  Then it transformed into what you enjoyed so much, so I left out the original idea to shorten the post. People go absolutely insane come Christmas.  They let guilt, popular opinion, and the need to impress others take over their wallets.  They say things like, “I have to get them something, they might buy […] Read more »

Oh No It’s Monday: Carnival Edition

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Good morning everyone! It’s Monday and I hope everyone had a fantastic weekend!  Some of you who follow me closely know I am ending the summer semester in my public speaking class today.  In fact, I have to squeeze together a persuasive speech to give to my class tonight.  Usually I am in the final stages of writing my speech, but this one is different.  I was hit with a curve ball when I got extremely sick over the weekend.  I work weekends, and didn’t want to call out of work, so the time I spent at home was where […] Read more »

Government Reliance Vs. Personal Responsibility- Wait Or Create?

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Now I have said this before, but I’ll say it again.  This is not a political blog, and I intend to keep it that way.  However, with so many things happening right now in Washington that a) involves money and debt, and b) involves you, I think it’s relevant.  I want to compare Government reliance to personal responsibility.  I think personal responsibility has more benefits, delivers greater success, and allows us to be more free in the process.  I think Government reliance robs us of incentive, and keeps us inside the box where our options are limited. We all know […] Read more »

Hope Is The Dream Of A Soul Awake

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“When you do nothing, you feel overwhelmed and powerless. But when you get involved, you feel the sense of hope and accomplishment that comes from knowing you are working to make things better.” As some of my most loyal readers know, I eat, sleep, bath, and drink personal finance.  It’s sometimes all I talk about, definitely all I think about, and I seriously love blogging about it!  I absolutely NEVER EVER pass up an opportunity to discuss with someone the benefits of debt freedom.  My co-workers and friends, even the ones that aren’t completely on board, seem to know deep […] Read more »

Motivation 101 – What You Believe, Is What You Achieve!

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Dawn and I have been going back and forth for days now.  I wanted to share with you the difference between her and I, mainly by pointing out why I think she is wrong in her thinking.  Her thinking is how most people look at it, and what I am trying to do here at EOD is to show people that there is another way that provides more options.  I believe that more options translates into a higher success rate.  A lot of people limit themselves by not realizing their options.  I think Dawn dwells on the problem instead of […] Read more »