The Perks of Plastic
Some people seem surprised to learn that I use credit cards. After all, I once had $20,000 of credit card debt. However, I’ve learned from my mistakes and now follow four rules for the wise use of credit cards. Anyone who follows those rules will find that credit cards can work in their favor. Some […]
How to Be a Smart Organic Food Shopper
One of the key challenges to eating healthy is doing so without breaking the household bank. That’s because eating healthy means not only eating plenty of fruit and vegetables, it means choosing organic food. Add food inflation to the mix and it’s easy to conclude that you can either spend smart or eat healthy – […]
Picking A Fight With Food Inflation
For many families, food is one of their largest expense categories. And you’ve no doubt noticed that food prices have been on the rise. It’s obvious to me that there are fewer discounted items at the grocery store these days. And, when I reached for a can of one of my favorite brands of coffee […]
Filling Out Dad’s Financial Report Card
For most of us, our number one source of financial instruction is our parents. Some parents make the effort to actually teach their kids about money. But all parents teach either good lessons or bad through their example. With Father’s Day occurring this weekend, I thought it would be interesting to consider: How did your […]
Applying for a Mortgage? Check Your Credit Score First
Your credit score plays an important role in determining whether you will qualify for a mortgage and, if so, at what interest rate. On a $200,000 mortgage, for example, someone with a good score (760 or higher) will pay nearly $200 less per month than a person with a bad score (639 or lower). You […]
How to Mess Up Your Financial Life
I thought I knew a thing or two about making financial mistakes. After all, I’m the guy who once received a $60,000 inheritance and turned it into $20,000 of credit card debt. And it only took me two years! I messed up with money the old fashioned way. I didn’t pay attention to my income […]
Avoiding A Common, Costly Budget Mistake
Homes and cars are typically two of the biggest expenses for most people. With a house, just think of the mortgage, the property taxes, and the insurance. With a vehicle, even if you don’t have a loan, just think of today’s mortgage-like fuel expenses and the insurance. But wait. I missed something. Did you notice? […]
Making Money Online – Pat Flynn Interview
At a time when “job security” has become an oxymoron, wouldn’t it be nice to generate some income apart from your 9-to-5 job, especially if it didn’t take a ton of time? And what if that other source of income could be done from home, didn’t require you to hit up your friends and neighbors […]
The Art of Simple Living
Not long ago, a friend went through his closet and gave away literally half of his clothes. Rather than missing the items, he said life felt less complicated. Instead of feeling deprived, he felt freed up. Jane Hammerslough, author of Dematerializing: Taming the Power of Possessions, describes how a roof repair gone wrong forced her […]
Financial Paperwork: What to Keep, What to Toss
Anyone enjoy filing papers? I didn’t think so. But you’ll be glad to have done the job with some sense of order should Uncle Sam ever come calling with a question about what you put on line 43 of your 1040 from ‘08. I recommend keeping financial paperwork in three different places: an easily accessible […]