Spending Money in Ways that Make You Happy

I’m a fan of MSN Money columnist MP Dunleavey (although I don’t necessarily agree with her decision to purchase a more expensive house while trying to get out of debt). Back in July, she wrote an article about 7 Ways to Buy Happiness, in which she discusses spending money in a way that brings long-term [...]

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I Finally Left My Overpriced Hair Salon!

When I get my hair cut, it comes to $31 and I tip $6. I usually get it cut every seven weeks or so. Now, this might not seem like much to some of you, but I live in the midwest where haircuts are relatively cheap. I used to go to Snip ‘N Clip, but [...]

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My Dog, Cash (Appropriately Named)

So, I just got back from the vet for my dog’s annual physical and shots. $172.25! What happened? Complete Physical Exam: $35 3-Year Rabies Vaccination: $24 3-Year Distemper/Parvovirus Vaccination: $32 Heartworm Test and Tick Screen: $43.25 Fecal Analysis/Centrifugation: $23.00 Express Anal Glands (I mentioned he’d been scooting around): $15 I think they forgot to charge [...]

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Prioritizing Your Smaller Wants and Needs

Now, I may be trying to get out of debt, but I’m not crazy. If I get $20 for my birthday, I’m going to spend it, not put it toward my debt. But what to spend it on? If I keep the cash in my wallet with no clear plan, I’ll end up blowing it [...]

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Are Children’s Birthday Parties Getting Out of Control?

My stepson turns 9 next month, and we are in the process of planning his birthday party. It’s not going to be too elaborate – we’re renting a couple of lanes at the bowling alley during “cosmic bowl” for about 8 kids and having cake. Total cost: $56 plus the cost of invitations, cake and [...]

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Debt Collectors Who Don’t Believe They Have the Wrong Number

For the past week, I’ve been getting daily messages on my answering machine for Shawn Connely. Now, I don’t know who Shawn Connely is, but he hasn’t had this phone number for at least two and a half years. My husband was off work Friday, and answered the phone. The woman asked for Shawn, and [...]

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Much Worse than a Latte Factor: The Gift "Budget"

While I feel like I had a frugal Valentine’s Day and birthday season, I estimate that we spend about $3,500 per year on gifts. That’s almost $300 per month! ($140 if you don’t count Christmas, which we pay for out of one of our two extra paychecks) This includes gifts, dining out on special occasions, [...]

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My Latte Factor

Everyone has a “latte factor,” right? Mine is Coke. Not the drug, the drink. My husband and I consume approximately three 12-packs of Coke Zero a week, plus the free drinks my work provides and the plastic bottles he buys once a day. So, I figure that’s at least $500 a year just for the [...]

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Pregnant with Debt

When I was younger, I figured I’d have a baby when I was 24. Then, it became 25, 26, etc., and now I’m hoping to get to it before I’m 30. What happened? Well, student loans, credit cards, cars, a house..plus, I wasn’t really ready until recently. So now that I’ve started seriously thinking about [...]

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Why FICO Scores Are Important for Non-Borrowers

Everyone knows that having a high FICO score is key to getting low interest rates and can save you thousands of dollars. But what if you don’t need to borrow money? Financial guru Dave Ramsey calls the FICO score an “I love debt score,” and suggests manual underwriting for mortgages. I maintain that there are [...]

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Yes, We’re Going to Paint Our House Ourselves (Gasp!)

Our house is almost 10 years old, and as far as we can tell, has never been repainted. I did some touch-up work in the fall, but paint is peeling and things are getting ugly!Now, I’m not sure how much it would cost to hire someone to paint the house, but I’m guessing about a [...]

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My Dave Ramsey Hybrid Approach to Paying Off Debt

I started listening to the Dave Ramsey Show podcast in July, and have continued to listen to it every day on my way to work. That’s a real compliment to the show, considering I’m a non-church-going liberal and he’s, well…not. I’ve been working on paying off my debt ever since I began acquiring it in [...]

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Our Current Financial Picture

When I read financial blogs, I like knowing the writer’s financial stats, so here are mine: Household Income: $105,000 Mortgage: $139,435 at 5.88% Fixed Second Mortgage: $35,149 at 7.86% Fixed (We took out a 80/20 loan when we purchased our house a few years ago – dumb. But at least our rates are fixed.) Student [...]

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Broke on Valentine’s Day

Whether you’re in a relationship or not, being broke on Valentine’s Day is no fun. But that’s been my situation for the last five years or so. It used to be because my and my husband’s birthdays are both within five days of Valentine’s Day, and my stepson’s birthday is in early March. So, we [...]

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10 (Possibly Strange) Ways I Save Money

Since I’m trying to get out of debt (and am a tad cheap), here are some ways I save money: I hardly ever wash my car. Which is black. I’ve been seriously tempted to use the little windshield cleaning stations at QuikTrip on my entire car though. The only lattes you’ll ever see me drinking [...]

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