Becoming the Leader I Need To Be

Written by on · 6 Comments

In my day job as a software engineer, I am a technical team leader responsible for ensuring that a team of 8 operates efficiently, completes work items on time, and with quality.  My team respects both my technical and leadership abilities. There is chaos in the absence of strong leadership.  I see that every day. Where weak, or even no leadership is present, projects flounder in failure until someone takes control of the situation and drives it to completion. There needs to be someone with a degree in organizational leadership to step in when another leader can not. The same […] Read more »

Where Debt Begins: The Disconnect Between Perception and Reality

Written by on · 1 Comment

If you are like most people today, you have debt payments challenging your future and creating a drag on your ability to invest. In addition to the financial issues debt creates, it also affects how we feel about ourselves and how we look at the world around us. We may think to ourselves, “what’s wrong with me?” or “where did I go wrong?” To move past these feelings, it might be helpful to consider where it might have all started. Read more »

Financial Planning for Retirement – Be Conservative, Responsible, Realistic, and be Successful

Written by on · 7 Comments

Not long ago I had the good fortune to gain insight with respect to one family’s financial planning that was centered around retirement. This had been a young couple with children, with both the husband and wife having lived through the Great Depression and bleak economic times surrounding World War II. Talk about a life lesson in stretching a dollar! What struck me as unusual was the constant focus, from the very beginning, on retirement and taking care of their children. It was unusual in a very good way. This couple knew that the future was coming. They knew that […] Read more »

Six Important Questions to Consider When Improving Your Finances

Written by on · 9 Comments

Are you sick and tired of struggling week to week, month to month? You probably know it doesn’t have to be that way but just haven’t quite figured out how to get the ball rolling. (or keep it rolling might be more accurate) Most of the time we tend to use techniques other broke people use whenever they want to break free. The problem is most people, especially broke people, haven’t a clue as to how to turn things around. We usually need a push in the right direction, from the right person. That certainly describes our old financial patterns […] Read more »

Does Taking Advice From An Expert Relieve You Of Responsibility?

Written by on · 19 Comments

Ever since I wrote My Beef With Rich Dad Poor Dad Author Robert Kiyosaki, I’ve been thinking. When it comes to taking advice from anyone, even if they are considered to be an expert, should we just do what they suggest without doing our own homework? I believe that we are still responsible for making sure that any advice that we follow is sound advice. Doctor’s are considered experts and you still hear people say “Did you get a second opinion?”. Being an expert doesn’t mean that you always have the right answers, it simply means that you should be […] Read more »

Self-Reliance: A Thing Of The Past, Or A New Frontier?

Written by on · 11 Comments

As my readers know I am pretty big on personal responsibility. By staying away from the blame game that keeps us static, we should tap into our own abilities to resolve the most complex of problems.  I believe that we have within us a tremendous ability to make things happen for ourselves. Today, there seems to be a growing effort to stifle those abilities, and I believe that is a big mistake. We have gone from a country of creativity and ingenuity to what seems to be one of entitlements and dependence. I am very happy to announce that I […] Read more »

Government Reliance Vs. Personal Responsibility- Wait Or Create?

Written by on · 4 Comments

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 »

Individual Responsibility – A Challenge

Written by on · Leave a Comment

Enemy of Debt And Frugal Freedom Living Team Up! Another friend of mine over at Frugal Freedom Living created a page (excerpts below) to highlight our similar beliefs on individual responsibility.  Clair Schwan contacted me after reading a few of my articles and we talked about success, personal responsibility, and of course debt freedom.  Clair is a good friend to have and has put together a very insightful website to help you see frugality in a different light.  I know people that view frugality as something someone who is greedy and wants to hoard money partakes in.  It’s quite the […] Read more »

Is It A Boy Or A Girl?

Written by on · 10 Comments

That Is The Question! I have not announced this here on EOD yet, but thought that today would be the best time to do so.  Alana and I are having another baby, due to arrive on October 26th to be exact.  I am very excited about this and today we find out whether we are having a boy or a girl.  I LOVE BEING A DAD, it is the best gift EVER!   What Do I Hope We Are Having?  Honestly it really doesn’t matter to me.  Either way I will be excited just the same.  I do hope that my […] Read more »

Personal Responsibility Starts With YOU

Written by on · 1 Comment

Personal Responsibility Starts With You Not The Government I often talk openly about money, personal finance, and the debt free lifestyle that I so strongly believe in.  In fact, I am sure that some people wish that I would just shut up about it.  After all, who wants to hear someone making good points about how to live a less stressful life without debt?  Because of these conversations I often have, I really get to see where people stand, as well as why they are struggling themselves. It is also hard to have these kinds of conversations without politics coming […] Read more »

Are You Waiting For Washington To Save The Day?

Written by on · 1 Comment

  As it stands now this is not a political blog, and I want to keep it that way.  However, with the upcoming election, coupled with recent events (bailout, mortgage crisis) and the state of our economy, I feel it is important to address this issue.  It seems that so many people are putting all of their faith into electing a President that they feel will fly down from the sky with his Presidential cape and leotards to save the day.  Why is that?  Do people really believe that Washington is going to come to the rescue? Do you really […] Read more »