Your Perspective On Money Changes….When You’re Paying the Bills

Written by on · 22 Comments

My son looked at me like he didn’t believe what he was hearing. He believed that his parents have an unlimited source of money. My son has been saving his allowance as well as the money he’s earned mowing lawn this summer to get his own computer, and has amassed a pretty good chunk of coin. We had planned on a building a computer together as I thought it would be a cool father and son activity plus save us some money by assembling the computer ourselves. However, recently he found a pre-built computer online that had the required specs, […] Read more »

Inexpensive but Awesome Dessert Using Philadephia Cream Cheese!

Written by on · 10 Comments

Summer potluck cookouts are a favorite activity in our neighborhood. There are two people that are legendary for bringing mouth-watering desserts that everyone looks forward to being the last taste to linger in their mouths as they walk home. But I’ve got a recipe that could change all that and make me the undisputed king of desserts. I’m about to unleash the scrumptiousness of my strawberry cheese pie made with Philadelphia Cream Cheese. It’s a simple recipe that only requires a few ingredients: 9 inch Graham Cracker Crust 8oz package of Philadelphia Cream Cheese 1 Cup Powdered Sugar 1 Cup […] Read more »

The Return Of The 100 Foot Water Slide

Written by on · 20 Comments

It’s been over twenty five years, but I remember it like it was yesterday. Standing barefoot in the damp grass with the sun beating down on my back, I waited patiently. When it was finally my turn, I sprinted and dove onto the wet plastic. Refreshingly cool water sprayed on me seemingly from every direction for the few seconds it took me to travel the short distance to the pool of water at the end of the slip n slide. On Saturday I closed my eyes and remembered those days from my childhood and smiled. When I opened my eyes […] Read more »

Review: Month One Using A Cheap Wireless Plan Through Walmart Family Mobile

Written by on · 19 Comments

I walked onto the baseball field and squatted behind home plate to warm up my son who was pitching. It was the last game of the end of the season tournament, and my eyes watered as he hurled the first pitch at me.  Next year he will be trying out for the high school team. Is he good enough to be a pitcher at the high school level? Will he even make the team?  These are questions I cannot answer, and I couldn’t help but wonder if this is the last time I would watch my son wind up on […] Read more »

Save Money by Being Your Own Florist? Yes You Can!

Written by on · 8 Comments

What’s the key to a successful marriage? That’s a loaded question, and quite honestly I think the answer is unique to each couple. But if I had to give one generality that I think could possibly apply to everyone, I would advise people to listen to their partner. I’m not referring to giving a nod and throwing in an agreeable statement every time there’s a pause in your partner’s voice. I mean really listen to what they’re saying. The amazing thing is, your significant other will actually tell you what they want. About a month ago, my daughter had her […] Read more »

Feed the Teens with New Goldfish Puffs

Written by on · 4 Comments

Summer vacation is here and our house is a revolving door of our kids and their friends. Teenagers are a high metabolism, snack destroying breed. Where they mingle, snacks are required, and a lot of them.  After a school year of eating the same after-school snacks, both Tori and Tristan have been recently begging that we try something different.  Walking through Target, the new Goldfish Puffs from Pepperidge Farm caught their eye. Goldfish crackers have been a staple of our snack drawer for years, so we were confident that the snacks would be a high quality. My main concern was […] Read more »

Are No Contract Phones The Best Wireless Option?

Written by on · 21 Comments

Last fall my family finally made the plunge into the smart phone world.  We were enjoying a cheap wireless plan as we limped along with phones that were over two years old, but envying the features and conveniences that come with smart phones.  With our scratched, dented, and worn out phones showing signs of giving up we pulled the trigger and signed a two year contract with AT&T. Multiple readers suggested that I should have checked out no contract options. I was very excited to be given the opportunity through the Collective Bias Community (#cbias) to try such a plan […] Read more »

The Biggest Ripoff EVER

Written by on · 32 Comments

Every Memorial Day weekend Vonnie and I host a little get together for family and friends. While shopping for the needed supplies last week I purchased a product that could very well be the biggest ripoff on planet Earth. Can you guess what it is? If you guessed bottled water, you were close. At least with bottled water you could make the argument that your preferred brand tastes better than tap water or other brands. But this product, for what I needed it for, was a complete wallet gouger. Ice We purchased a keg of beer for our adult guests, […] Read more »

I Know a Secret About Kohls….

Written by on · 90 Comments

Our son needed new dress clothes for his confirmation last weekend, so it was timely that we received a 30% off coupon in the mail from Kohls.  I usually don’t get excited about their coupons because they show up in my mailbox fairly often.  So frequently, in fact,  that I would never buy anything at Kohls unless I had a 30% off coupon in my hand. It should be fairly obvious that the regular price of their merchandise is simply over priced. With mailing in hand, we headed to Kohls to see what they had. On the shopping list for […] Read more »

The Financial Pothole: Temporary Tax Cuts

Written by on · 26 Comments

In the opening days of 2013 congress pushed through legislation to avoid the so called “fiscal cliff” preventing the taxes of the vast majority of Americans from going up, and automatic massive spending cuts  from kicking in. The news wasn’t all good, however, as the payroll tax decrease was not extended. This means everyone’s paychecks would be reduced by 2% effective immediately. This is a double whammy for me, as it most likely is with many people, since the first of the year is also when the new rates for my medical insurance kicks in. I received my first pay […] Read more »

Real Men Use a Shovel

Written by on · 24 Comments

In Minnesota, we joke that there are only two seasons: Winter, and Road Construction. We DO occasionally say “You betcha,” although not as often, and not as dramatically as in the movies. We eat tator tot hot dish, and in my city the average snow fall is just under 52 inches per year. Walking outside the morning after a fresh snowfall, you can hear snow blowers humming away all over my neighborhood. But you’ll never hear the roar of a snow blower engine coming out of my garage, because I don’t own one. I clear my driveway the old fashioned […] Read more »

Dirty Dice: A Fun and Frugal Way To Exchange Gifts

Written by on · 22 Comments

Over the weekend Vonnie and I hosted a family Christmas gathering for her side of the family. We sent the invite out via Facebook several weeks ago, and it didn’t take long for the RSVPs to start rolling in. We also started getting questions regarding whether we were going to have a gift exchange, but with over 30 people expected to show up, we weren’t sure how to do it and keep it economical. Talking about it for awhile we remembered a game that we’ve played at Christmas gatherings before, and decided it would be perfect for this one as […] Read more »

What Kind Of People Live Without Credit Cards?

Written by on · 35 Comments

Businesses have stopped taking checks, and we’re constantly being bombarded with offers for credit cards that offer low introductory interest rates and rewards point programs of some sort. Some experts even tell us jumping on the credit bandwagon to build up a healthy credit score is a necessity. It seems as if we are being pushed towards swiping a card to make our purchases. But is it possible to ignore all of this and live a credit card free life? My friend Brad Chaffee, founder of this site, is dedicated to living a credit free, cash only lifestyle. While he […] Read more »

Father’s Day Scavenger Hunt

Written by on · 6 Comments

My wife knows better than to ask me what I want for Father’s Day, or for that matter any other occasion that involves gift giving. My answer is always the same, “The best present you could give me is to not spend any money on me.” She never listens to me. She has to get me something, even if it’s under the disguise of “from the kids.” She understands, though, that it’s not necessary, or in our best interest financially, to purchase an extravagant gift. Quite frankly, Vonnie has taken gift giving on a budget as a personal challenge. I […] Read more »