Coincidence or Providence?

by Joe Plemon on January 27, 2012

in Biblical Thoughts On Finance

Although I am NOT a “name it and claim it” Christian, I believe God is actively at work in my life.  I also believe that Jesus’ words, “… give and it will be given to you” are still applicable today.  Where am I going with this?  I recently experienced an amazing convergence of two seemingly unrelated events:  a mission trip sponsorship request and a negotiation with an advertiser for my blog.  Were they coincidence of providence?  Read on. [click to continue…]

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“18 Months Same as Cash!” … Really?

by Joe Plemon on January 25, 2012

in Credit Cards,Debt,Dollars and Sense

Run...Don't Walk...Away from these offers!

Is zero interest for 18 months REALLY zero interest?  If you can walk a tightrope while juggling flaming torches, then maybe.  But beware — many of these offers are fraught with conditions that will make your head spin.

Best Buy, for example, is currently offering 18 months zero interest on all purchases over $429.  However, the fine print describes the tightrope: [click to continue…]

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How to Get the Most Gasoline Savings From Your Kroger Points

January 23, 2012

When my home town Kroger store recently opened a gasoline station, I tried out their discounted fuel.  Not knowing exactly how the program worked, I simply asked for the biggest discount, which turned out to be $0.50 a gallon.  With my 18 gallon purchase, I saved $9!  Needless to say, I like this program! To [...]

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Nine Practical Ways to Love God More Than Money

January 20, 2012

I write this post as much to myself as to you: I fully realize how money will persistently and insidiously seek to capture a bigger and bigger portion of my heart and my life.  I also know this: drifting through life doesn’t work because I seldom drift closer to God. Perhaps this is why Jesus [...]

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Unabashedly tooting my own horn: Check out my interview as “Best of the Best”

January 19, 2012

I want to thank Bill Hazelton, who runs Credit Card Assist, for including my site in his “Best of the Best Blogger Series“.   If you want to learn all sorts of things about me and my site,  give it a look.   While you are at it, check out Bill’s site — it is one of [...]

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Why I Put a New Engine in My Old Cadillac

January 18, 2012

My post “My car needs a new engine.  Should I sell it, fix it, or junk it?” from October, 2010 received quite a few comments, with many recommendations to sell it, quite a few to fix it, but only a couple who thought I should replace the engine.  Since that time, I have continued to [...]

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7 Weird Ways to Save in 2012

January 16, 2012

For as long as I can remember, I’ve always had a New Year’s goal to save a certain amount of money.  Usually it was for a specific item like a car, vacation, or to pay off student loans.  For some, their goal to save more money revolves around looming credit card debt, which is at [...]

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Considering Jonah

January 13, 2012

Have you ever thought about how Jonah relates to your finances? If not, you should. For those who didn’t go to Sunday school as a kid, Jonah was one of God’s prophets. He came from a rich family and was a big deal prophet of God.

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Joe on TV: Financial Tips For Those Going Through a Divorce

January 11, 2012

I was the “Money Expert” on our local TV station this week, discussing the topic “Preparing for Divorce“.   Only three minutes…give it a look. A challenge and a tease:  if you notice anything different about my appearance, note it in the comments.

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How Should You Invest in 2012?

January 9, 2012

It’s hard to imagine that the financial crisis happened over three years ago.  The ups and downs of the market over these past few years have been anything but stable.  Just three years ago, you were probably looking at your retirement funds wondering where half of it went.  Trust me, I know how discouraging it [...]

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Being Satisfied With What We Have

January 6, 2012

How does the phrase “be satisfied with what you have” strike you?  I confess that it bothers me.  I might be a pretty content guy, but the idea of being satisfied with what I have implies that I shouldn’t be hoping for more…a nicer house or a more dependable car or even a fancier cell [...]

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Why You Should Resolve to be Weird This Year

January 4, 2012

Have you heard these? “Isn’t the average credit card debt something like $15,000?  My $12,000 isn’t all that bad, is it?” “Yes, I pay $600 monthly on car payments, but everyone has car payments.” I have — in fact I heard these two statements in the past two weeks:  people justifying their dismal financial standing [...]

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