My First Trip to Costco: Why I Hate Club Stores

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I’m not a fan of “club” stores. Vonnie and I have a membership at Sam’s Club, but to me it’s useful only for the selection and price of certain cuts of meat worthy to be put on my smoker. Other than that, I could dump the membership and not miss a beat. My problem with club stores is the magical trance that comes over people (including myself) once the store is entered.  It’s the perspective  that if you find a product that you use (no matter how rarely), it should be snatched up immediately because every product is the sale […] Read more »

Don’t Let Debt Hold You Back

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2012 is rapidly coming to a close and it’s time to start thinking about your goals for 2013. If you have debts consider developing a plan to make 2013 the year you get out. Interest Affects Your Bottom Line The exercise of defining all of your credit card debt and the subsequent interest rates should be a top “to do”. Start by pulling your free annual credit report and seeing what you owe and at what rate. Create a spreadsheet, document or put a pen to paper listing your debts. Then calculate how much money you are spending each month […] Read more »

Kids, We’re In Debt

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Preface: My wife and I were discussing various financial subjects over dinner one evening last week when  Tori, our ten year old daughter, blurted out, “I remember when mom told us we were in debt.”   After she told us the story from her perspective, I asked her if she would be willing to write me a blog post about it.  Immediately after dinner she sat down in front of the computer, and began typing away.  The following is the story of our journey out of debt through the eyes of our daughter. Three years and four months ago my mom […] Read more »

Smart Phones are Going to Cost Me How Much?

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A mutiny is brewing at home, and I don’t know how much longer I can hold it off. Our cell phone contract expired in August which means we are eligible for a handset upgrade, or able to change carriers without penalty at any time. With scratched screens, odd behaviors, and increased frequency of complete “lockups” our phones are beginning to tell us they are nearing end of life. Chances are we will need to make a move soon, and if that move doesn’t include the iPhone as an option I fear I may come home one day to find the […] Read more »

What’s Your Measuring Stick for Value?

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Over the weekend I went out to eat on two different occasions. The bills were significantly different, and so were the experiences. Restaurant #1: Vonnie and I visited a nice restaurant that came highly recommended, and has a reputation. The kind of reputation that usually results in people mentioning going there during Monday morning hallway conversations at work when asked if you and your significant other did anything special over the weekend. Vonnie had butternut squash ravioli, a cranberry spinach salad, and a glass of wine while I ordered the shrimp and scallop au gratin. Oooh, sounds fancy! Except it […] Read more »

Life is about Experiences, not Money

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Yesterday, I ran the Twin Cities Marathon for the third time. I’m not an elite runner, so my goal isn’t to win, but to simply finish with the best time possible. But I approached this one a bit differently than the previous two. I wanted it to be about more than just an internal struggle to finish. I wanted to fully experience everything the marathon had to offer. Marathons across the United States have become more than just a race, they have become events with cheer zones, bands playing along the way, people dressed up in costumes and spectators with […] Read more »

I Will Now Cease Any and All Complaining

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It was a 30 minute ride to and from the office during my two week stay in India, and since I wasn’t driving I had a lot of time to look at the scenery. I was surprised to see empty lots in the middle of a metropolitan area of millions of people. The driver told me that owners don’t want to leave their property empty for very long, or they’d end up with squatters which are almost impossible to get rid off. He pointed at just such an empty lot, which was dotted with small tin shacks covered with blue […] Read more »

Visa GiftCard: Bad Birthday Present?

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With the clock reading 11:20am, we didn’t have much time to get a present for the birthday party Tori was invited to at 1:00pm. Scrambling, we asked our daughter what her friend might enjoy receiving as a gift, but unfortunately she couldn’t come up with much.  The one good idea she did give us was a gift card to a popular clothing store for kids, but we didn’t have the time to go to the mall to get it.  Vonnie suggested getting the birthday girl a Visa gift card that could be spent practically anywhere, further stating we could even […] Read more »

I Dare You to Move

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I just finished moving for the fifth time in five years. Not only is moving not fun, it’s expensive! I have moved for various reasons over this time frame, divorce, a brief second marriage and a crazy landlord. People move for many other reasons, a change in jobs, to be closer to family, the list goes on and on. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 17 percent of the U.S. population moves each year. The reality is moving is just part of life’s adventures and whether you do it once in your life or twenty times there are ways you […] Read more »

Razor Customer Support Rocks!

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Standing in the kitchen, we told our daughter, Tori, she was only getting one present for her birthday. She looked a little confused as we handed her a small, flat, rectangular present that was very light. She opened it up and screamed in delight as she realized it was the picture cut from the packing box of the Razor electric scooter she had been coveting ever since her friends in the neighborhood had gotten one a year earlier.  We had not intended to purchase such an expensive birthday present, but it was something Tori really wanted. So, we sacrificed a […] Read more »

2012 Meets the 1950’s

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Today’s stage is set for the I Love Lucy show. A devoted wife and mother Lucy didn’t work but depended on Ricky, her star performer husband to bring home the bacon. Lucy longed for the chance to be a star and if she were here today maybe even a credit card. The sad truth is that she wouldn’t be able to get one. Why? Well because of the Credit CARD Act of 2009. The act which was meant to protect people has put stay at home mom’s at arm’s length from applying for credit. In an effort to help students […] Read more »

I’m In Debt, But I Party Like a Rock Star

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It all started in 1997 as a housewarming party at Vonnie and I’s first home. We hosted both our parents, and a few select close relatives. We decided to make it a tradition, and this year we hosted our 16th annual Memorial Weekend Party. It’s grown over the years, and quite frankly, it’s achieved almost legendary status. Friends and family come from out of town and stay not only at our home, but also the homes of our neighbors. A great time is certainly had by all that attend, however with all it’s fanfare comes a lot of work, and […] Read more »

Survive Wedding Season Debt Free

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I have surpassed the threshold of having multiple friends I grew up, or went to school with (making us all about the same age) getting married in what seemed like—all at once. There was a span of about three years where I attended, or was in fifteen weddings—the expenses crushed my finances. I never calculated the actual amount I spent, the shock may have given me a heart attack, but I would venture to guess I spent an average of $750 for each of the 5 weddings I was in and roughly $200 for those I attended, making the total over […] Read more »

Youth Sports: Are They Worth the Expense?

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My son has been involved in youth sports since he was three. We have run the gamut; gymnastics, karate, soccer, wrestling, lacrosse, and football. My initial goal in exposing him to youth sports was to have him expend some of his little boy energy in a way that was safe and fun for him. Little did I know the love for competition would blossom at such a young age; he is addicted… to thrill of practice, games, and being a winner. For those of you that don’t know me, I am a divorced single mom and my son is a […] Read more »