I’ve been waiting for it, and it’s FINALLY going to happen.  The NFL season begins in September, when there’s still plenty of nice fall weather to take advantage of.  I feel bad sitting inside watching football when it’s so nice out.  Even when the weather turns colder, there’s fun stuff to do outside.  I long for weekends where the weather just begs you to stay inside. This weekend is that weekend. High temperatures will be in the single digits, wind chill readings way below zero.  It is the PERFECT weekend to whip up a pot of chilli, plop my hind […] Read more »

Happy New Year, EOD Nation!  With a start of  a new year will come a lot of talk of starting over and wiping the slate clean.  While January 1st IS a great way to signify the starting point to achieve new goals and change your behavior, I encourage you to NOT forget the mistakes and the lessons learned in 2015 (and the years before that).  Take your experiences that have made you who you are, and use them as the foundation for a BETTER and IMPROVED you in 2016 in finances, health, or just flat out being a better person. […] Read more »

Merry Christmas, EOD Nation!  The Pizel family just completed the opening of gifts, and the kids are off trying on clothes, playing new games, and texting their friends sharing what was under the tree.  I hope you got everything you wanted this year, including some quality time with your family and friends. Fist Pump for Christmas!!! Posts That Make Me Fist Pump 16 Cheap Ways to Ring in the New Year from Young Adult Money 7 Reasons Why You Can’t Get Out of Debt from The Frugal Farmer Financially Stressed? Give Yourself This Gift from I Heart Budgets The Other […] Read more »

With one week to go until Christmas, I’d put our shopping at about 50% complete.  I sat down and ordered everything  I could online at the beginning of the week, and the packages are starting to roll in.  Vonnie and I will be finishing the rest over the weekend, and then next week is a short work week.  Two days of work, then I’m off until January 4th.  To add to that awesomeness, my birthday is the 28th.  Anyone want to take a guess at how old you think I am??? Fist pump for holidays, vacation, birthdays AND my favorite […] Read more »

I can’t believe how late we are with our Christmas present shopping.  I’ve really put the screws to my kids for ideas of things they want…I mean we have some good ideas tucked away, but we need some help since both my kids are teenagers and their wants are locked deeply inside their “my parents just don’t get me,” brains.  I was able to get my son to deliver a wish list last night, and to be honest I was REALLY excited. Remember my hope that I could do much of my shopping online?   EVERYTHING on his list would need […] Read more »

With Thanksgiving now in the rear view mirror, it’s time to dive into Christmas hook, line, and sinker.   The holiday spirit hasn’t quite got a hold of me yet, but we have our neighborhood Christmas party tonight….so maybe that will kick the “Bah, humbug” right out of me.  I do know that it’s time to seriously evaluate our Christmas budget.  We’ve got presents to buy and not a lot of time.  In a perfect world, I’d just sit in front of my computer and order everything online, then just wait for the packages to be delivered to my door. […] Read more »

Welcome to a special Saturday edition of Fist Pump Friday!  Alright, so I admit that the Thanksgiving holiday threw my schedule for for a loop and thus I’m a day late with my usual fist pumping. I also have a confession to make:  I went shopping on Black Friday.  Not the crazy, stand in line for hours to buy a low quality, cheap TV kind of shopping.  There were a handful of things that we found in the ads that were good deals that we wanted so Vonnie and I went around to a small number of stores looking for […] Read more »

Next week is Thanksgiving (Whoohoo!), and then comes the official  beginning of the holiday shopping season.  I choose not to participate in Black Friday.  The last couple of years I wouldn’t have even if I wanted to – I just couldn’t find anything in the ads that were worth my time and energy.  BUT, I know a lot of people do partake in Black Friday shopping in almost traditional like manner.  If you do, do your research and be armed with price and value comparisons to make sure you get the most for your money.  Our friends over at The […] Read more »

My wife is hosting a “Ladies Night In” this weekend at our home.  There will be wine, there’s a person coming in to lead the group in a painting activity, and there will be food catered.  Ok, so caterer is me, but it sounds good doesn’t it?  I get to fire up the smoker and make brisket sliders.  Vonnie asked me yesterday if we wanted to simplify things and just buy pre-made brisket from Costco. “We will not serve imitation brisket,” was my response. In addition to the fact that using my smoker is one of my favorite activities, pre-made […] Read more »

It’s November, and I’m excited!  Why am I excited? I’m so glad you asked. Later this month is my most favorite of all holidays:  Thanksgiving!  I love Thanksgiving, and everything it represents.  I’m a HUGE advocate of being thankful for what I have.  I spend a moment each night recounting what I have to be thankful for that day, but spending an entire Holiday being thankful?  Glorious. The only problem is, Thanksgiving can be expensive.  Families get together, huge meals are prepared and eaten and the wallet gets a workout.  The time to start setting some funds aside is NOW.  […] Read more »

Happy Halloween weekend, EOD Nation! There will be plenty of ghouls, ghosts and goblins out and about this weekend.  Scary stuff, right?  You know what’s not scary? My finances. Yeah, yeah, yeah…I know, stop groaning.  But seriously, on a holiday that’s meant to be full of scary costumes, your finances are nothing to be afraid of.  Turn on the lights, blow the dust off your spending tracking spreadsheet and get to work.  I’m sure there’s plenty of us that could stand to give our budget a thorough scrubbing.  Am I right? I think it’s worth a fist pump…. Posts That […] Read more »

Last night Vonnie got her hair colored, and since it was all styled we felt like checking out a new restaurant that recently opened in the area.  As you well know, I’m not a huge fan of restaurants, but they did have  chimichurri beef skewers on their appetizer menu.  Since this was something I hadn’t ever had, it fit the bill (no pun intended) of a justified meal out.  That and my wife looked smokin’ HOT.   Even more than usual. On the way home, she asked me how we could possibly be OK with our entertainment spending.  She had just […] Read more »

After a few weeks of above average temperatures, fall definitely hit Minnesota this week.  It’s still been pleasant with highs in the 50’s and 60s but with talk of freezing temperatures during the nighttime, and leaves falling from the trees, the colder weather is here to stay.  Which means it’s time to close down my sprinkler system for the season. For years I borrowed an air compressor from one of several friends or neighbors that own one.  Last year was the first year I actually paid someone to come and do it for me, and I did it again this […] Read more »

I received an email last night from my daughter’s middle school orchestra teacher reminding us the instrument rental contract and fee was due today.  This was news to us since we had received zero previous correspondence regarding the contract and fee.  We knew it was coming, but this year has been different from other years.  Every other year the teacher has been at schedule pick up day at the end of Summer.  We pay our fee then along with all the other beginning of the school year fees.  Except this year, she wasn’t there.  There was a sign that indicated […] Read more »