A year after our son joined our family, I remember looking back over our budget and being amazed. Nothing had changed!!! How could that be? We had host of new expenses like a $100 every few months formula, yet the amount we could put towards debt and save each month hadn’t really changed. What happened was that having a child changed our priorities. Things like going to dinner and a movie disappeared and the money was routed to more important places. No longer was getting new coat important. I would rather stay home with my family instead of going to [...]
Read MoreNovember 2007
Everyone who is struggling to get out of debt knows how hard it is. If you are looking for some support, advice, and motivation, Dave Ramsey is your man. During the 3 years it took us to get out of debt, I know listening to Dave Ramsey show kept my juices flowing. I don’t think I can give a better endorsement than the fact that listening to Dave’s show got me out of debt much faster(years) than I would have on my own. Listening to other people go through the same thing helped remove the embarrassment and fear and gave [...]
Read MoreThe unthankful heart… discovers no mercies; but let the thankful heart sweep through the day and, as the magnet finds the iron, so it will find, in every hour, some heavenly blessings! -Henry Ward Beecher As I drove home from the second of our family’s Thanksgiving meals, I was struck by the fact that I hadn’t given thanks for much of anything. WOW, on a day that the US is supposed to collectively express gratitude for everything in our lives, I hadn’t let the spirit of the Thanksgiving change me. I was so wrapped up in the business of the [...]
Read More“About 25,000 people die each day from hunger or hunger-related causes, most of them children.” “The United Nations estimates that the cost to end world hunger completely, along with diseases related to hunger and poverty, is about $195 billion a year.” This is post is about shedding some light on poverty around the world. It is so easy to get wrapped up in our small world and own finances without giving as much as a thought to those who have much less around the world. The quotes above were provided by an innovative new new site called FreeRice.com(click the banner [...]
Read MoreOne of the best tips for digging out from under a mountain of debt is to get a bigger shovel. Outside of finding deep meaningful motivation for getting out of debt, increasing the amount of money you put towards debt each month will probably the next biggest catalyst for overcoming debt. Note that if you haven’t truly figured out your financial purpose, you may not have the motivation to finish the job. But if getting out of debt is truly important, why only use your current income to get you there? Here is a list of some ways to create [...]
Read MoreIf you don’t get your car serviced at a dealership it can be very worthwhile to check the recalls that have been issued for your model vehicle. At SaferCar.gov The National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration(NHTSA) provides a simple tool for viewing and researching all auto recalls. Their website provides a host of information on all recalls, documents containing manufacturer communications to dealer, recall statistics, and even a complaint system. Click here for the NHTSA recall website. You should just be able to schedule an appointment with an approved dealer, if your vehicle identification number falls with the recall campaigns [...]
Read More“Scientists surveyed the Yale class of 1953, and found that 3 percent had written down financial goals for their futures at their college graduation. When the group reconvened in 1973, this 3 percent of the class that had started their careers with some kind of plan controlled more combined net worth than the other 97 percent combined.” – Ririan Project : The 7 Habits of Highly Successful Moneymakers After I read that, I started scribbling down my goals! Just kidding, but that is some inspiring evidence for writing down your financial goals. Such good evidence that I wanted to take [...]
Read MoreThe Simple Dollar tackled this question this week, and it really got me thinking. I must admit that I was surprised at the non-confrontational I can’t be a tattler sentiment in the article and in the comments. Somehow it feels frustrating that this is the accepted culture of business, but I guess that is reality. If I am honest with myself, it isn’t any easy decision for me either. With as a backdrop I wanted to explore some of the feeling and perspectives that feed into our current ethical reality. Reporting someone else’s unethical behavior reminds us of all our [...]
Read MoreDid you know that you can sell your old cell phone that you don’t use anymore for cash? I didn’t, but as I looked into a comment I came across a couple sites that give you cash for cell phones. I had heard of sites like Cell Swapper where you can sell your phone and plan to avoid termination fees, but I didn’t realize some sites will give you straight cash for phones without plans. Sites like Simply Sellular, Cash My Phone*, and Phone Is Cash buy old cell phones and resell them. The site Second Rotation buys all kind [...]
Read MoreI have admitted it before, The Rockette have never lived on a formal budget. The closest we come to real budgeting is what I label retroactive budgeting. This is when you come up with reasonable spending amount for the different categories like groceries, clothing, entertainment, etc. Then at the end the month you compare the actual totals to your suggested limits. When we were in the midst of shedding our 70k in debt, we did this almost every month. As the debt shrunk, so did frequency of our retroactive budgeting. I have been trying to decide whether this is a [...]
Read More
