High School Reunion Drama

My 10-year high school reunion is next month.
There is going to be a barbeque on Saturday, an evening event with dinner, a DJ and possibly a mechanical bull (!) on Saturday night and an afternoon outing at the lake on Sunday.  People are ticked though because the evening event is $50 per person with a cash bar.  [...]

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Home Improvements Are Tempting Me!

I knew that stopping the debt snowball to replace our heat pump and hot water heater was necessary, but also dangerous.
You see, once I get started on a home improvement project, I want to keep improving!
Here is my list of things I currently want to do to the house:

Install a storm door for the front [...]

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Why is Buying Something Always a Good Thing?

When you tell someone you are buying a car, a house or even a new pair of shoes, do they ever express worry?
Or do they say they’re “so happy for you,” “jealous” or offer, “congratulations!” (that must be one great pair of shoes, by the way…).
Now that I’ve become a personal finance geek, what I [...]

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Save Money by Visiting the Store Less Often

In the past two weeks, have you made an “emergency” trip to the store because you were out of something you need, like toothpaste, paper towels or shampoo?
When visiting, did you only purchase the item you ran out of?
On Thursday, I made a Target run for Q-Tips (which I’ve been out of for a few [...]

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Define “Living Paycheck to Paycheck”

The phrase “living paycheck to paycheck” gets thrown around a lot, but the truth is, I don’t really understand what it means.
Here are some possible definitions:

Not having enough money in savings to survive for a reasonable amount of time without a paycheck (i.e., not having a three-month emergency fund)
Spending your entire paycheck (or more) and [...]

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A Guilt-Free Way to Reduce the Gift Budget and Snowflake the Difference

Tell me if this sounds familiar:
You’re planning on giving your sister a $20 birthday present – probably a DVD that she’s been wanting. You get to the store, and the DVD is on sale for $9.99. “Great,” you think, “Now I can buy her the DVD and a CD.”
Stop right there.
If you want to get [...]

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My Mattress is Pathetic

This is my mattress, and I can’t take it any more.
My husband got it seven years ago when some co-workers donated used furniture to his post-divorce “bachelor pad.” While we’ve I’ve gotten rid of most of his hand-me-downs, we are still sleeping on this thing, which has to be pushing 20 years (my stepson is [...]

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The Most I’ve Ever Paid For A…

Pair of Shoes – $140 (shiny black Doc Marten boots back in the day)

Purse – $80 (black leather from Fossil that I bought for a business trip)
Watch – $120 (Diesel watch that was wedding gift to my husband – he no longer wears because he mowed the lawn with it on and it reeks)
Pair of [...]

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A Dumb Way to Spend Your Money: St. Patrick’s Day T-Shirts

What’s that ya have?
A St. Patrick’s Day t-shirt.
A St. Patrick’s Day t-shirt? Brilliant!
What do you do with it?
Well, I have found a way to get thousands of Americans to purchase a shirt that they can only wear one time!

So you charge them five bucks and make sure “2008″ appears in the middle of the [...]

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Times When I Just Can’t Say No

Some things are easier to say no to than others. Here are some recent questions I’ve had a hard time saying no to, even though I really shouldn’t be spending the money:

Do you want to come out with us to a bar tonight? (friends)
Are we going to take another group vacation to the lake this [...]

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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 happiness. [...]

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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 me for his assisted nail trim (he has [...]

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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 all [...]

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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 12-packs. Probably [...]

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