From the category archives:

Budgeting

Five Steps Toward Automating Your Way to Wealth

by joeplemon on September 1, 2010

in Budgeting,Investing,Retirement

Will power just doesn’t get the job done.

An automated dimmer ... in the 1950's!

Sure, on a day when you are feeling particularly noble you might set aside an extra $50 in your savings account or pay an extra $25 on that credit card debt. But, if you are like most of us, starting a plan and sticking with it gives you all the progress of a yo-yo. Want to hear some good news? You can circumvent will power by automating your way to wealth. Why does automating work? Because if you don’t see the money, you learn to live without it. [click to continue…]

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You CAN Afford That Baby – Ten Money Saving Tips

August 9, 2010

You have read those cost projections for raising children. MSN, back in 2001 projected a cost of $249,180 (over $350,000 in 2010 dollars) for a family with a $65,800 or greater income. The Baby Center web site tells us the cost of raising a child from baby to adulthood is $266,698. The Wall Street Journal [...]

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How to Pay Off Your House (and everything else) Early

June 14, 2010

“It seems like we will be making house payments forever. We owe $140,000 at 6% interest and are paying $1000 a month. How much sooner could we pay it off if we started paying an extra $100 a month?” The above is a hypothetical question, but it could be you. There are two answers: the [...]

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How We Vacation For $500

June 4, 2010

A great vacation should allow you to get away, relax and have fun. For me (and I assume for you), relaxing and having fun is impossible if it isn’t affordable. This post will share some tips that Jan and I have used over the years and will conclude with the breakdown of our upcoming $500 [...]

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Airstream Saga Continues: Jan and I Second Guess Our Decision

April 14, 2010

Many of you will remember reading about the Airstream camper my wife and I purchased last fall. Previous posts of this ongoing saga are Airstream and Irvin, a Nostalgic Adventure,  Airstream Update: Did We Create a Monster? , and Update on Airstream – Not Good News.

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Four Ways to Cope With Rising Gasoline Prices

March 29, 2010

photo credit: goodrob13 It is starting again. According to CNN Money, gas prices are up 45% from last March and still rising. Prices may not reach the record high of $4.114 per gallon as reported by AAA on July 17, 2008, but people are nevertheless rumbling, “Gas prices are rising through the ceiling and there [...]

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Five Reasons Why a Penny Saved is Better Than a Penny Earned

March 24, 2010

photo credit: robynejay Memo to Benjamin Franklin: “Mr. Franklin, the wisdom of your classic adage is timeless. A penny saved is indeed a penny earned. However, at the risk of trampling on hallowed ground, I would suggest that ‘A penny saved is better than a penny earned.’ I realize that your original rolls easily off [...]

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Budgeting Without Bean Counting…5 Great Tips

January 27, 2010

photo credit: F. Montino As Janice and I have worked on our budget over the years, we have learned that the more we can automate it, the easier it becomes, the more we enjoy it and the greater our chances of sticking with it. We want to feel like we are in control of our [...]

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How to Avoid the Negative Influences of the Wealth Effect

December 14, 2009

photo credit: KrissZPhotography What is the Wealth Effect? Did you know that recessions are good for your savings account, but a booming economy tends to drain your savings? It’s true. In April, 2005, when the stock market was booming, personal savings in the United States dipped to 1% but jumped to as high as 6% [...]

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Top Ten Grocery Saving Tips From the Expert (My Wife)

November 24, 2009

 My wife is a remarkable homemaker; we could never have raised four children on a single income without her amazing skills and creativity.  She was our family barber, the seamstress who patched the knees of torn jeans and fashioned homemade Halloween costumes (robot outfits made from egg cartons can look awesome when done right…see photo) and [...]

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Envelopes: The Glue That Holds Your Budget Together

November 23, 2009

photo credit: piermario “I get worn out trying to track every dollar.” “It just didn’t work.” “I’m not a numbers cruncher.” “Budgets are just too complicated.” Sound familiar? These are just some of the reasons why Janice and I have struggled with budgeting over the years. We would diligently write the numbers on a yellow [...]

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