We’re getting together with friends tonight for a shrimp boil.  Everyone is contributing something to the boil and we have several people in the group that have experience with doing them.  It should be fun and frugal, not to mention delicious. Fist pump for shrimp boils and my favorite posts of the week! Posts That Make Me Fist Pump 9 Legit Ways Make Money on the Weekends from Frugal Rules Why I’m Feeling Guilty Spending Money from MoneyNing Guaranteed Ways to Save Money on Groceries from Red Debted Stepchild 6 Warning Signs you’re Living Beyond your Means from Create My […] Read more »

Yesterday was Independence Day – Happy Birthday America!  I didn’t do any of the usual 4th of July stuff. No grilling out, no being outside playing games, and I might have seen one or two fireworks explode out my living room window, but I wasn’t really paying attention.  I did go to the new Spiderman movie with my wife, brother-in-law and sister-in-law, and then hit up some favorite restaurants for a few happy hours. While it wasn’t the traditional 4th of July sort of activities, it was exactly what I wanted to do – spend time with loved ones, enjoying […] Read more »

After a relatively cool start to the summer, this weekend looks to be a scorcher here in Minnesota. My wife and I will be celebrating our 23rd wedding anniversary, and we’ll be hanging out with friends on a boat doing some tubing and waterskiing.  I love summer! Fist pump for summer, anniversaries and my favorite posts of the week! Posts That Make Me Fist Pump 4 Ways to Make Sure Your Bills Get Paid On Time from Beating Broke Step Up Your Grilling Game With These BBQ Blogs from Clever Dude Your Emergency Fund: Why You Need One And How […] Read more »

I’m excited to run a half marathon this weekend. As race day approaches, I’ve been peppered with the customary questions  from people wondering why I put myself through such an ordeal. My answer is really two parts.  First, I like running.  I like the feeling of accomplishment, the fact that it takes both physical and mental strength to finish. Second, as one of my favorite motivational speakers like to say, we should all do difficult things. Doing difficult things gives you the mental perspective that you can do anything you put your mind to.  Running a long race once or […] Read more »

I was reminded this week how valuable good insurance is.  My daughter had her wisdom teeth taken out, total bill coming to about $2500.  After my insurance was applied, my bill was $513, which I paid for with pre-tax funds from my HSA.  Since the HSA funds were deducted from my paychecks, I can’t say the procedure required zero out of pocket funds.  But I can say not one penny was taken out of checking or savings, and there was zero impact to my monthly budget. Fist pump for good insurance, HSA funds, and my favorite posts of the week! […] Read more »

We’re rolling up on another weekend, EOD Nation!  My neighbors have twin girls graduating from high school this year, and their graduation party is tomorrow.  They’re doing brunch for food, and asked if I would make omelets for their guests using a propane fueled flattop in their garage.  Cooking omelets on a flattop outside?  That’s an emphatic “YES” for me.  Can’t wait! Fist pump for omelets and my favorite posts of the week! Posts That Make Me Fist Pump Tipping On Carryout Orders – Yay Or Nay? from Money Beagle How to Sell Your Old Mobile Devices for Cash from […] Read more »

Today, another school year comes to a close, and with it several pieces of exciting news. First, since my wife works for the school district, she doesn’t have to go to work for three months, but she still gets paid. The school district prorates her pay for 9 months of work across all 12 months.  The fact that she doesn’t have to get up and go to work doesn’t change our budget one bit. Second, my son started a new job this week!  He got a job doing IT work for a partnership between his university and a local technology […] Read more »

Party weekend is here! It’s our 23rd annual Memorial Weekend party. We’ve stayed mostly on budget, with one unplanned expenditure – we bought a 10×20 tent for some extra shade. The good thing is it’s an item we can use over and over. Party prep is kicking into high gear, and the weather looks fantastic this weekend! Fist pump for staying on budget (mostly), good food, friends and family…..oh and my favorite posts of the week! Posts That Make Me Fist Pump Common Misconceptions about Student Loans from Young Adult Money Fixed-Rate Versus Variable-Rate Loans from Well Kept Wallet Consider […] Read more »

My wife and I are again throwing our annual Memorial Weekend Summer Kick Off Party next weekend.  Therefore, this weekend is cleaning weekend, including some carpet cleaning and window washing. I’ll busting out a bucket of water and my carpet cleaner.  I could hire someone to do these tasks, but why would I do that when I can do them myself? Fist pump for DIY cleaning, AND my favorite posts of the week!   Post That Make Me Fist Pump Prevent Costs By Replacing Items Before They Fail from Money Beagle Things that make your life better for under $50 […] Read more »

I found a package from Amazon on my front step when I got home from work today.  Inside was the five pound package of Pancho Villa taco seasoning I ordered a few days ago. My father-in-law has made tacos for decades and says this is the best taco seasoning around.  I was skeptical, but there’s always been something special about his tacos, so last year I ordered some. I’ll tell you this:  he’s right. I make five to ten pounds at a time and vacuum seal it in one pound packages so when Taco Tuesday rolls around each week, all […] Read more »

My daughter’s junior prom is tomorrow, and getting ready for it has been an experience.  While we were able to get her dress very inexpensively, it seems the price of everything else has been jacked up.  From flowers to transportation to booking salon services for hair, prom weekend prices applies to everything.  Especially when two of the three schools in our city are holding prom on the same weekend.  I just keep telling myself, it’s a unique opportunity. But hey, fist pump for my favorite posts of the week! Posts That Make Me Fist Pump 7 ways my kids actually […] Read more »

It’s my favorite time of year. Birds are chirping, the grass is turning green, the daylight hours are longer, and most importantly, utility bills are lower.  Oh, that’s right, I’m super excited about the Springtime “don’t need the air conditioner or furnace on” kind of utility bills.   It’s a monthly windfall of several hundred dollars that will last until June.  Open those windows and smell the freshly cut grass, what will you do with your extra cash? Fist pump for Spring, and my favorite posts of the week! Posts That Make Me Fist Pump 5 Easy Life Hacks That […] Read more »

I’ve had two very different dining out experiences in the span of a week.  Earlier this week I wrote about a bad experience in which I overpaid for food that wasn’t that great. Last night, my wife and I paid $50 each for a special event beer paring dinner at a local restaurant. The total price of the meal was $100 for the two of us, but it was fantastic.  The event was a five course meal, each paired with a beer from a local microbrewery.  I expected the meal to be good as we’ve eaten at the restaurant before.  […] Read more »

On Monday temperatures soared into the 70’s here in Minnesota. Wednesday we got punched in the face with a major winter storm that dumped a foot of snow in some areas. Where I live in Southeastern Minnesota we got 5 inches of snow, sleet, rain, and a thunderstorm that shook my house early Thursday morning. We’re less than half an inch away of this being officially the snowiest winter ever recorded. I’m so ready for Spring. So. Ready. To try to get my mind off of things, let’s fist pump the best five articles I read this week! Posts That […] Read more »