This trick for spending less doesn’t cost a dime. Just a few seconds and a couple of thoughts … As Americans, we have so many opportunities to spend money on things we don’t really need. Thankfully, though, there’s no shortage of ways that we can trick ourselves into spending less, like putting up spending roadblocks … Read more
Having an emergency fund gives huge peace of mind. But how many of these expenses are actual emergencies? Dave Ramsey thinks that emergency funds are so important that he devotes two of his seven Baby Steps to them: Save $1,000 to start an emergency fund Pay off all debt using the debt snowball method Save 3 to … Read more
Shopping is usually a pain-free experience, but not always. Sometimes a taped-up package hides a nasty surprise … Big department stores are one of the conveniences of modern life that most of us use without much thinking about it. We’re fortunate to live fairly close to an IKEA, the Swedish home furnishings store where things … Read more
Just when we thought our non-mortgage debt was paid off, we remembered about our 401(k) loans … I’ve talked a number of times about Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University. I recommend it regardless of whether you feel you need help with your finances or not. (My wife and I learned a lot more than we … Read more
Life insurance is a vital consideration in financial planning. Thing is: You might not need as much as you think, if anything at all … This is a guest post from my friend Eric Rosenberg, a personal finance blogger and podcaster at Personal Profitability in partnership with Mason Finance. He writes about personal finance, credit … Read more
I wrote this post after we got our budget together for the sixth month in a row. (We’re now working on nearly two years as of 8/2019!) Here are a few budgeting lessons we’ve learned along the way … One practice we’ve continued after completing our journey through Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University is monthly … Read more
We’ve cut our grocery budget substantially. However, we hold on to a few conveniences to save time, even though they cost a bit more … We used to spend a lot more than we really needed to on food. Between putting our entertainment expenses on a budget, and putting a few principles to work, we … Read more
VoIP phones save us a lot of money over what we used to pay for our landline, even after equipment purchase. This one weakness caught me off guard, though … Over the past year, we cut expenses (and commitment) by (a) switching our cell phone providers and (b) switching our landline to a VOIP (voice … Read more