Tomorrow is Valentine’s Day, and the pressure is OFF.  Well, at least I think it is…..Vonnie and I were talking to some friends about our monthly pot luck get together and we decided to do it on Valentine’s Day.  Vonnie thought spending Vday with friends having a great time was a perfect alternative to the consumerism based holiday it’s become.  But is a trap?  Hmmmm, maybe I better have a backup plan. What are you doing for Valentine’s Day? Posts That Make Me Fist Pump What Does Payday Mean to You? from See Debt Run 3 Golden Rules for Managing […] Read more »

I can’t get enough these days of motivational posts that challenge people to be the best they can be.  This week’s fist pumping posts are full of just that kind of material.  So get warmed up, you’re gonna need those arms to be good and loose. I also had the honor of sharing my story via Loan Now this week, where I also shared my thoughts on debt in general, and my advice to others who are looking to better their financial situation. Happy Friday, EOD nation, see you back here on Monday! Posts That Make Me Fist Pump Success […] Read more »

I always enjoy sharing the story of my wife and I paying off our credit card debt, and this week I was able to do so twice!  Our story was featured this week in a post on US News and World Report Money, as well as in a post by my friend and fellow blogger Paula Pant over at Afford Anything.  Links to both posts are in the Shameless Self Promotion section below – check ’em out!   If that’s not enough to get your fist pumping, then check out my favorite posts of the week! Posts That Make Me […] Read more »

Today is my son’s 16th birthday!  We have him scheduled to take his road test next week, and as you might expect he’s excited about it.  Having a driver’s license will bring him a whole new level of freedom and mobility.  It will also bring with it extra expenses.  Our insurance is going up, and he’ll need to pay for gas if he wants to get around.   As a 16 year old he now has many more options to get his first part-time job.  In addition to filling the gas tank, he has things he wants to buy, including his […] Read more »

 Happy Friday, EOD Nation!  Recently I wrote a post about Gazelle intensity, and how I needed to channel my inner gazelle to save up for a projected tax bill come April.  I had thought that I would need to save about $7000, however after recalculating I believe it’s actually $5500.  Christmas kind of put a slowdown on the savings, but we have been able to put away $1500 towards the effort.  That means we need to save $1000 in each of the first four months of the year to make it happen.  I’ve done the calculations, and have a budget […] Read more »

As it’s the first part of January, the blogosphere is filled with posts about New Year’s resolutions, how to set them, and how to achieve them.  It’s interesting to read so many different perspectives.  It’s a subject that saturates blogs at the beginning of every year, but to tell you the truth, I can’t get enough of them.  I even wrote my own of sorts, and just want to remind all of you of my own viewpoint on the matter.  If you want to achieve any goal in life, keep these things in mind: Take constant action each and every […] Read more »

Happy New Year, EOD Nation!  Today is back to reality day.   The holidays that consume the second half of December are over, and while I and the kids are still on vacation today, the wheels of routine begin to turn.  We will begin to tackle the mountain of laundry that has accumulated, a grocery shopping trip is in the works, and a full blow budget marathon is on tap.  The checkbook needs reconciling, bills need to be paid, and a course needs to be set for 2015.  I feel the winds of normalcy beginning to blow, and that it itself […] Read more »

The presents are opened, the wrapping paper crumpled up and thrown away, and new items assembled – yes, my friends Christmas is now over.  We have even completed our traveling for the season.  All that I have in front of me is a week of complete and unadulterated vacation with absolutely nothing to do.  Whatever will I do with myself?  I have a few things on tap: Relax Get in some great workouts Relax Clean the house Relax Spend time with my family Relax I’m hoping you see a pattern here.  The point is to get a few things done, […] Read more »

Here it is, the weekend before Christmas.  Or as I like to call it, The Calm Before The Storm.  Next week is a short school and work week, and then the entire Pizel family is off for the remainder of the year.  There will be presents to open, traveling to do, and family to see.  I will enjoy the time off, and spending time with family, but I’ll give myself until Sunday before I’ve gone completely bat shit crazy because of the lack of my normal routine.  Yes, I’m majorly Type A, and the struggle is going to be very […] Read more »

Only two more shopping weekends until Christmas, how is your shopping coming along??  My kids submitted their lists last week, and we’ve been picking items off as the days tick by.  We’ll pick up a few more items this weekend, and I’ve got some gifts for Vonnie ordered online and being shipped.  This could turn out to be the easiest Christmas shopping season ever!! To keep you financially motivated and on track, here’s my favorite posts of the week…..check ’em out and give them some love – and do NOT forget to pump those fists! Posts That Make Me Fist […] Read more »

Great weekend ahead, EOD Nation!  We have our neighborhood Christmas party this evening hosted by one of our neighbors.  Tomorrow night we’re getting together with friends for an ugly sweater party.  Each gathering will require us to bring along some dish to pass, but throwing together some sort of appetizer or dessert will be super cheap.  Two nights of fun with friends, two nights with very little spent.  That’s what I like to call #WINNING. It definitely deserves some fist pump action….what do you have going this weekend? Posts That Make Me Fist Pump How To Save $200 On Your […] Read more »

I’m breathing a sigh of relief today, my friends.  In preparation for Thanksgiving at my mother-in-law’s house I spent all day Wednesday smoking a brisket, and got up crazy early yesterday morning to smoke a ham.  I got a great night’s sleep last night though. I hadn’t planned on going Black Friday shopping, but just for fun I looked through all the ads looking for anything that I was in the market to buy.  I found nothing.  The big goose egg.  Nada.  I woke up this morning refreshed and ready to take the rest of the weekend to recharge the […] Read more »

Whew, last night was a late one.  My neighbor hosts a Thursday game night from time to time.  I’m not exactly sure why it has to be on a Thursday and not on a weekend, but it is what it is.  We got going around 8:30 and played one game of Pandemic, and then a round of Ticket to Ride.  I walked in my front door about 1:15am.  One of the attendees brought along a variety of pumpkin beers to try, and there we ample amounts of snacks.  It was a fun, inexpensive…..and late night.  But don’t worry, I can […] Read more »

Earlier this week I talked about gazelle intensity, and how I’m going to tap into that kind of laser focus for two things:  1.) my weight loss and marathon training and 2.) saving up $7000 for my tax bill by April of next year.  Today is payday, so the savings begin.  Unfortunately, I haven’t plowed all the way through my budget for the next two weeks, and I need to do that before I start what I hope to be one of those “goal thermometers” here on my Fist Pump Friday posts.  Therefore, you have a week to think of […] Read more »