Debt Free News #26 – Deacon Hayes

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Getting out of debt is one of the greatest joys on the planet! Don’t believe me? Try it. Those that have achieved debt freedom know it and those that want debt freedom need to be reminded of it. Life is tough sometimes but it’s a lot nicer to be facing the many obstacles and unforeseen circumstances life throws at us without debt making it even tougher. Getting out of debt is a marathon not a sprint and it takes time to get there but it is so worth it. If you have debt and are wanting to rid yourself of […] Read more »

I Love You Like a Blogger Roundup – 10/5

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This Sunday I’ll be running the Twin Cities Marathon. Yes, I’m voluntarily running 26.2 miles. I’ve been training for the last year, so there’s quite a bit of anticipation for race day to come. Very similar, I’m sure, to the anticipation you’ve been feeling the past few days for this week’s EOD roundup. Here’s my favorite posts of the week: Favorite Posts: How to Get Your Spouse on Board Financially (Our Story) from Dr. Jason Cabler at Celebrating Financial Freedom The Great Debate: Kids and Money Matters from Suzanne Cramer at Straight Talk On Debt Lifestyle Inflation – What To […] Read more »

7 Habits of Debt-Free People

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As an indebted individual I always admire those that live a completely debt-free lifestyle. My in-debtedness is for the most part to what most consider “good” debt; a mortgage and a few outstanding medical bills. My goal is to set up a payment plan for them and pay them all off by this time next year. I cut credit card debt out of my life in my late twenty’s only using credit cards to my advantage and paying the balances in full each month. Living debt free is a lifestyle choice that requires hard work and an affirmation for saying […] Read more »

I Love You Like a Blogger Roundup 9/07

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This weekend I’m attending the Financial Blogger Conference in Denver.  Wednesday and Thursday were days to reconnect and network with other bloggers.  There was also the 3rd Annual Plutus Awards where Enemy of Debt won for “Best Debt Blog.”  Congratulations to TeamEOD for this very special accomplishment!  I feel very honored to be part of Enemy of Debt! Here are some other award winning posts (in my opinion) that you should check out this weekend! Leaks in Spending from Net Worth Journey What’s The Point Of All This?  from Financial Uproar How To Score Free Money From the Airlines  from […] Read more »

Debt Freedom and Optimal Health is Ultimate Freedom!

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I’M KICKING OBESITY’S ASS! Do you want to know how I feel RIGHT NOW? My idea of freedom has been elevated, expanded and has completely evolved into something I never expected. In other words, I thought debt freedom was total freedom but I’m blown away by the ultimate freedom I’m beginning to explore. If you thought I was some kind of freak before (about debt), now you’re going to think I’m a raging lunatic because the freedom I see before me has opened my eyes and has my undivided attention. In My World If you have debt and are not […] Read more »

How Am I Paying Off $109,000 of Credit Card Debt?

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My wife, Vonnie, and I are on a journey to pay off 109K in credit card debt through the help of a Debt Management Program. We started our journey in July of 2009, and are expected to be rid of this behemoth mountain of debt in March of 2014. Some of you may be wondering, what exactly is a debt management program (DMP)? There is a lot of misinformation about the debt relief industry floating around, so I felt it this would be a great forum to explain what a DMP is, and how it is helping my family get […] Read more »

If at First You Don’t Succeed, Try, Try AGAIN!

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Are you a debt-hating maniac like I am? Are you successfully working your way out of debt so that you can live a less stressful and more financially productive life? If you’ve been reading this blog for any time at all then you probably know I believe more than anything in your ability to eliminate the debt from your life. Keep chopping away at your debt and one day you will reap the rewarding benefits of that freedom. Unfortunately, some people never find their stride. They’ve tried everything they possibly could, yet getting out of debt seems so unreachable to […] Read more »

What Will You Sacrifice for Freedom?

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C-H-A-N-G-E. People hate it! People hate having to change anything, sometimes regardless of the benefits that lie ahead. Change is uncomfortable and sometimes a little scary. The fear of having to face something unfamiliar can often paralyze us into inaction. Sometimes change is forced upon us and sometimes the choice is our own to make. So whether we like it or not, change is a very big part of who we are. We may as well embrace it. In terms of personal finance, change is constant. And when it comes to debt change can save you from financial destruction. Nobody […] Read more »

Failing Financial Literacy?

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Financial Literacy Month is a great time to take a look at how we are doing when it comes to making the grade with our financial knowledge. Millions of Americans are failing miserably and among them, are college students. With little financial finesse and the freedom to make their own decisions many are starting their financial lives in need of debt help. Researchers from five American universities recently conducted a survey on credit card debt and financial literacy among college students and released the results in April just in time for Financial Literacy Month. The findings confirm that our youth […] Read more »

The Not-So-Pretty Story of Paying Off My Debt

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Hundreds of people emailed, commented, tweeted and direct messaged me after this post asking to hear more of my story. The number one question: How did you do it? How did you pay off $571,817.68 in less than 3 years? The answer to paying off debt is pretty simple. Stop using credit. Earn more than you spend. Use the extra earnings to pay off debt. It’s not romantic. It’s not complicated. It’s actually very straight forward. I, however, do not typically do things the easy or simple way. In hindsight, I can see that the first year of my “debt […] Read more »

Battle of the Sexes, Over Debt?

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In today’s world women are no longer “just staying home” to raise their children. I say “just staying home” as anyone that is a stay at home parent knows that raising children is one of the most difficult jobs you will ever have. Many women are both working full-time and raising their children out of necessity for their family. Whether you are married with kids, divorced with kids or widowed with kids it’s a tough dual role to play, for either parent. As a divorced single mom I know the challenges of going it alone and the debt that goes […] Read more »

Living the Life We Want Because of Debt Freedom

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I have a sneaky suspicion that most people underestimate the power of debt freedom. The benefits of paying your debt off are enormous. The changes we have been able to make because of our debt freedom have been both surprising and very exciting. It was surprising because although I knew getting out of debt would be awesome and beneficial I hardly expected for it to change our lives the way it has. We recently began looking at how we could further mold our life into one that best fits our wants and desires. That’s the inspiration for me finally writing […] 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 »

$571,817.68 Down And $0 To Go – Special Anniversary Celebration

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571,817.68 is a lot of dollars.   On January 18, 2009, this is how much I owed in debt. After a decade of living beyond my means. A couple of lousy real estate transactions. And a failed marriage.   I have carried this debt for nearly three years. Watching each month as the numbers crawled toward zero. And yesterday, I made my very last payment. New balance: $0.00.   If I stacked 571,817 dollar bills into a pile and weighed it – it would be 1,167 pounds.   That’s literally HALF a ton. The debt I carried weighed as much as […] Read more »