I am not sure many other finance terms inspire more fear than the word ‘BUDGET’. Ok, well maybe bankruptcy, foreclosure, and a few others, but you get the point. Some people even will physically squirm when they think about having to adhere to a budget. I am here to squelch some of those fears and I am not even a fervent budgeter. A budget is nothing more than a plan for your money. That’s it! There isn’t anything magical, nothing scary, no straight jacket, just a plan. Here is the formal definition : Budget : a scheme or method of [...]
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I have a small confession that I need to make. We spent almost $50 this month on Easter supplies and candy. That was just for our 2 year old, since the 2 month old isn’t old enough to partake. Some of you may laugh, saying “I spent way more”, but to me that is a large sum on items that have almost no lasting purpose. What happened? Two things, lack of planning and lack of communication. This is the first year that The Rockette and I were forced to mesh our individual preferences into our own special tradition. This normally [...]
Read MoreGot an old car that is giving you problems? Scared that your junker is going to leave you stranded? Well, then you might be struggling with the question of when to let go of the old car and get a new one. It is a question I often see people struggle with, and one that people seem to make decision based on emotion or to justify their desire for a newer car. Deciding that your current set of wheels is more hassle than it is worth isn’t an easy decision. I am not even sure that there is a correct [...]
Read MoreMost of us intuitively know that when the first big heat wave hits our town, good prices in the air conditioning and fan aisles will be few and far between. The question remains though, when is the best time to buy an air conditioner? Well, now we know. The best time to buy air conditioners is August, along with computers, lawn mowers, and camping equipment. New cars are cheapest in November and December. Save on iPods in February or September. Where am I getting this you ask, Consumer Reports Calendar of Deals article. Consumer Reports experts have taken the time [...]
Read MoreI go to the vending machine maybe once a month. Each time it gets more and more painful knowing that the item is has such a huge markup(I still buy). I realize that am paying for my lack of planning and laziness. Let’s take a look at how much we are paying for convenience. I compared the price of a couple items out that could be purchased at Costco or Sam’s club to the $0.80 cents that you would pay in a vending machine. $0.138 cents for Austin’s Crackers – 580% more in a vending machine $0.226 cents for Microwave [...]
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