Did You Get What You Wanted for Christmas?

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  Photo Credit: Carolwrightgifts So, how was your Christmas? Mine was simply fabulous. In fact, it was the most enjoyable Christmas I’ve had in years, thanks for asking. What made this Christmas so different? Come with the spirit of Christmas past as we revisit the Pizel family holiday tour of 2011: First, we see a family of four sitting in their living room on Christmas morning. There aren’t as many presents under the tree as their had been in previous years, but the kids don’t seem to notice. Both children got several gifts that were at the top of their […] 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 »

Santa Is a Waste Of Money

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In a scene common to many American households during the holiday season, my kids sat at the kitchen table thumbing through a stack of Christmas toy magazines creating their Christmas wish lists. I smiled as I watched them, remembering doing the exact same thing when I was a kid.  I actually folded mine up, put it in an envelope and gave it to my parents to mail to Santa. Feeling their excitement as I walked towards the table, I overheard, “Oooh, I’ve never seen that before, that is SO cool! That’s definitely going on my list!” Suddenly having them go […] Read more »

Imagination is Free

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I’m going to ask you to do something you may not have ever been asked to do before. Close your eyes, and think of a recent experience in your life that was extremely stressful. Go to your “nervous, anxious, so angry I want to punch a wall” place. What do you feel like doing?  What would deflate the negative energy you’re feeling? Going out to eat so you don’t have to add the stress of cooking to the pile? Going shopping and buying anything you darn well please so you regain the feeling of control? Having your significant other notice […] Read more »

Sorry, School Fundraiser – You’re Not In My Budget!

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The inevitable packet came home from school with my daughter last week.  That same night, the doorbell started ringing signalling the beginning of the school fundraising season. Whether you have school aged children, or you’ve experienced that knock at the door, you know what I mean. Kids trying to sell you products that you cannot possibly live without at an inflated price all in the name of helping their school. The motivation given to the students is a ladder of prizes – the more you sell, the better the prize. Of course every student begins the fundraiser with hopes of […] Read more »

Take a Step Back…Put your Financial Behavior in Check

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Debt is sometimes inevitable, unavoidable, and well a fact of life for many. No matter what your stage of life you may be faced with financial issues. Life can take its toll on your finances; unemployment, an unexpected illness, divorce or a death in the family can send you into a financial tailspin. But sometimes financial issues stem from a cause deeper than the unexpected; the way you think about money. To snap out of bad financial habits it may require some lifestyle and behavioral changes. 10 Financial Principles Dr. Bernard Poduska, author of For Love or Money writes about […] Read more »

Don’t Stink. Budget!

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If you’re a regular reader of Our Journey to Zero, you know I’ve been on a serious fitness kick now for over 8 months. Getting in shape is all about getting in the habit of exercising. Now that I’m in the habit of exercising, it feels wrong to not work out every day. It just feels like something is missing. Recently I skipped two days in a row for probably the first time this year. I was downright cranky. There are a lot of people who want to get in shape and lose weight. So why don’t they? They say […] Read more »

Life is so Beautiful, Why Waste it Shackled with Debt?

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As I stared into the beautiful face of our newborn, Hannah Rose, at 7:29 a.m. on Tuesday morning, tears of joy streaked down my face. All I could think about — besides how lucky I am to be blessed with such a wonderful family — was just how beautiful life really is. Those who know me know my children are EVERYTHING to me, and I wouldn’t want to waste a single moment of it unable to take advantage of the complete happiness that being a dad brings. Just like with anything else that travels through the depths of my mind, […] Read more »

Book Excerpt – Investiphobia: Overcome Your Deepest Investment Fears

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The Fear of Thinking Long-Term “When you obsess over how your investment is doing from day-to-day or week-to-week, you could be more tempted to tinker with it instead of sticking to your long-term diversified plan. Not to mention, you’ll probably lose sleep.” Erin Burt, Kiplinger.com, March 13, 2008  “Asset allocation, not stock-picking, not sector funds, not guessing the direction of the Dow Jones averages, is the key to financial success.”   Jim Cramer, Intro to The Little Book that Saves Your Assets, by David Darst One of the most popular investment shows on TV is the Jim Cramer show, Mad […] Read more »

Welcoming a New Baby into Our Family

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Hello everyone! I hope you’re having a great week so far! 😀 I just wanted to announce something I am very excited about. In fact, it has been hard not to spill the beans before now, although a few of my closest family and friends know. It’s TOUGH keeping a secret like this one! We’re having a baby, due on October 3rd!! We haven’t yet found out the sex of the baby but like any other time, we’ll be happy with whatever we have — boy or girl. My daughter Caitlin is 15, Isaac is almost 5, and Noah is […] Read more »

O Emergency Fund, Emergency Fund! Where For Art Thou Emergency Fund?

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Have you ever had a true emergency fund before? They say, once you go emergency fund you never go back. Having my beloved emergency fund in my life has been amazing, and I became a better person for meeting her. Ever since the first day I laid eyes on my one true emergency fund, I new I was a changed man. The way she comforted me and made me feel all safe and fuzzy inside. I got butterflies whenever I would think of her. I just knew she was the one! Can you tell I’m struggling? My emergency fund was […] Read more »

When I’m Sick Of Being Fat, I’ll Lose Weight!

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Hello everyone! Recently, I wrote a post titled When You’re Tired Of Being Broke, You’ll Start Saving. If you’ve been a subscriber for any time at all then you know I rarely beat around the bush. I am straight to the point and sometimes that comes off as mean to some. It’s not that I am mean, it’s that I believe that the truth shall set you free. I don’t think that leaving a trail of rose pedals to the bedroom, and dancing around the ugly truth, will help you solve anything. If you know what your situation really looks […] Read more »

BREAKING NEWS: Life Changing Miracle Makes Daddy Proud!

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Sometimes When LIFE Happens To You It Is A Blessing! Well folks, Joseph Noah has arrived!  Beautiful, healthy and a gift better than any other!  I can only describe the feeling as life changing.  That’s part of the beauty of being a parent.  We learn so much from each child and each experience.  The fact that a little baby can change us without ever saying a word is phenomenal!  Today was a remarkable day indeed! Here are a few preliminary photos, I plan to share more later on.  Enjoy them as you are reminded of how beautiful life really is! […] Read more »

15 Books Everyone Should Read At Least Twice

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Reading Rocks! Recently, Newsweek published an article with what they called, 50 Must Reads Now, And Why.  Now I am certain some of the books they picked are great reads, but I am also sure that they left better ones out.  So I came up with a list of financial books I think everyone should read.  More than half of these I have read, and the rest are on my to-read list. The ones that I haven’t read have been highly recommended by others with great enthusiasm. These books will help you in everyday life, and will motivate, inspire, and […] Read more »