A couple of days ago, I asked my fit Facebook friends for recommendations on a starter strength training plan to complement an aerobic exercise plan. Because I’m Really Serious This Timeâ„¢ about losing weight. When I heard the story of a North Dakota woman who was to hand out “fat letters” to obese kids instead … Read more
(This is a guest post by Jon from Money Smart Guides, which encourages people to pay off their debt and invest in their future. You can also like him on Facebook and follow him on Twitter!) Over the course of my 34 year life, I’ve made plenty of boneheaded mistakes, like the time I just … Read more
This past weekend I had the pleasure of visiting with a bunch of my family’s relatives, some of whom I hadn’t seen in years. Much fun and amusement was had by all. I want to share a quick story about what one wise relative taught one of his children. The gist of it is as … Read more
There have been a number of news articles indicating that the DoD furloughs for fiscal year 2013 are here to stay. So for 600,000+ Department of Defense employees, it’s three furlough days down, and eight more to go. The good news, at least for DoD employees around in my neck of the woods, is that … Read more
Discounted gift cards are a reasonably easy way to spend less at many stores. Briefly, the market for buying gift cards under face value goes like this: A person sells an unwanted gift card to a liquidator like Cardpool or GiftCardZen for, say, a 20% discount to face value. Another person buys that gift card … Read more
Life can become hectic. The incessant activities of making a living, raising children, and feeding passions can strain the connections associated with married life. One piece of advice that’s often given to married couples experiencing these kinds of strains is to schedule dates — as in put it on the calendar, make reservations, get a … Read more
My wife and I have been married almost eleven years, and I wouldn’t change it for the world. Nonetheless, even though we’ve been sharing our finances that long, getting it right is still a work in progress. We’re on board with our personal finance plan and all that, but we are still learning how to … Read more
To move forward with our personal finance plan for 2013, we’ll be tracking our expenses more carefully. Just like Johnny Five, we need input to change direction with our finances, and to start making better deals with ourselves to meet financial goals. I’ve had one version of Quicken or another for years, but I’ve always … Read more