Nothing. Ok, nothing is a exaggeration, but it drives home the point that nothing has changed from a personal perspective. The principles remain the same after after a horrid financial day as they were on Sunday when things weren’t this bad. If anything a day like today should make you more eager to dump your debt and get on solid financial ground so that you can be in as much control as possible. Ultimately other than trying to influence your representative, you can only control what you do. Wasting energy in fear and stress will only harm you unless it [...]
Read MoreSeptember 2008
In the Sept 22, 2008 issue of Time magazine, there was an article which talked about how getting & staying fit could be worth tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars. The three main points of the article where: Lose weight – The avg annual out-of-pocket cost for diabetics is $454. ($12,000 for more sever cases) Stop Smoking – $100,000 can be saved by not buying cigarettes and investing the difference. Get Moving – The avg annual cost of heart disease is $606. All excellent advice. This article instantly reminded me of the 100 push-up challenge that is featured [...]
Read MoreFirst it was Netflix, now it’s the van. I’ve been putting off writing this post for about a month. It has been about that long since we’ve decided that selling our van would be in our best interest (financially speaking). I first brought this idea up way back in July, but my wife wasn’t on board quite yet. Then we both read Dave Ramsey’s, “The Total Money Makeover” and we realized that we probably made a mistake when we bought our van in the first place. If finances weren’t an issue we’d never sell this van. We love it! It’s just that [...]
Read MoreI have a guest post up at Bible Money Matters explaining numerous ways that coupons can cost you more money than you think. Click here to read Using Coupons Can Cost You Money!
Read MoreNo, not through Napster or some other torrent, but through the unique site Snag Films. The current offer over 300 independent documentaries for absolutely nothing. They have quite a few quality films on there, so be sure to check it out if documentaries interest you. One of those free films is In Debt We Trust. Here is the description of the film : In America’s earliest days, there were barn-raising parties in which neighbors helped each other build up their farms. Today, in some churches, there are debt liquidation revivals in which parishioners chip in to free each other from [...]
Read MoreBear Sterns, Freddie & Fannie, Lehman Bros, Merrill Lynch, AIG…all big names that I normally don’t care anything about. Until now. Yesterday while I was mindlessly entering data (my new part time job) I was also listening to a Public Radio program called “Fresh Air”. Joining host Terri Gross was Michael Greenberger, who proceeded to explain how Wall Street’s woes could affect other markets, including money markets. It opened my eyes (or should I say ears) to how the recent headlines could end up affecting me. Click here to listen for yourself. Spoiler Alert!!! Spoiler Alert!!! Even though Mr. Greenberger [...]
Read MoreI live in an old home. It’s in the historic district of my town. In fact, when we converted it from a duplex back to a single family home, it was front-page news (tells you a lot about my town). Another establishing detail you should know is that it gets rather cold in South Dakota. How cold you ask? So cold that by February everyone here starts to wonder why we live here in the first place. And according to several news sources the cost of heating your home this year is going to skyrocket (here is one source). [...]
Read MoreWhile my tires were being installed by my local Sunoco they mentioned that both front struts and the left outer tie rod needed to be replaced. I had seen some oil in the right wheel well, so the struts weren’t too far out of the question, but tie rods are a notorious rip off part to replace. The quote was almost $700 for just parts, so I told him just to install the tires. He obliged, but now I had to get the new work checked out and done. I had been wanting to try a new mechanic for a [...]
Read MoreWhat was I thinking? Instead of taking it easy this Labor Day weekend, I ended up helping a friend and his family move into their new place. Normally I wouldn’t help someone move on a holiday weekend, especially when they live 200 miles away from me. But this time was different. You see, it was I who convinced them to move themselves instead of hiring movers. Me and my big mouth. Part of me blames you. That’s right I’m throwing the Happy Rock community under the bus. If it wasn’t for all the positive comments I’ve received about saving money, [...]
Read MoreI have learned a thing or two about tires since I had to replace the tires on our 2003 Nissan Murano last year. First, Muranos and by and large most modern cars are equipping larger tires which are more costly. I assume it is for safety and handling purposes, but it sure does hurt the wallet. Muranos have standard 18 inch tires which generally cost $200 a tire. I had some quotes in the $250 range. A year ago the best price I could find was at the Costco tire center for Michelin – Cross Terrain® SUV at $168 a [...]
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