Despite the fact that we are still digging our way out of debt (we’re down 17%!), we recently started using a credit card for our everyday purchases. I’ve always been a big believer in using my debit card AS a credit card. Especially since our bank charges a $1 fee after you make more than […]
What would you do with a $1,000,000?
photo credit: khrawlings FiveCentNickel asked his followers on twitter, “What would you do with a major windfall? For the sake of argument, let’s say that someone dropped a million bucks in your lap. Would you pay down debt? Buy something nice? Save or invest it?” There are tons of responses over at FCN, but most […]
My Thoughts From Watching Confessions of a Shopaholic
I went to Confessions of a Shopaholic on Friday evening, a rare treat, right before the flu hit me hard. The movie was really entertaining, and I have a new love for Isla Fisher. She lights up the screen. I definitely think it’s worth a rental when it comes on DVD, it’s probably not one […]
How We Cut The Cable Bill
We finally pulled the plug, well mostly. The one holdout on our monthly expenses was the cable “bundle.” We (stupidly) signed a (stupid) contract that had us at $99/month for phone, cable and internet for a year, and then it jumped to $144/month for the second year. We also have a TiVo which I adore […]
When It Pays To Pay For A Service
Sometimes it pays to have someone else provide a service for you. Some services you might consider outsourcing are haircuts, landscaping, basic car maintenance, house cleaning, and babysitting. Learn more: How To Balance Your Work At Home Life With Your “Real Life” One service I absolutely can not provide for the family is haircuts. In […]
No Spend Month Update
We’re over halfway through out no spend month, so here’s an update. We have gone over the $600 mark, as of today our total is $897.82. The new goal is to stay under $1,100. (I know we have 2 expenses left for the month, plus gas and anything else that comes up) We have 12 […]
mortgage rates hit 37 year low!
As if you don’t know already mortgage rates have hit a record low. Rates on a fixed rate, 30 year mortgage are running about 5%, some as low as 4.25%! The catch is to qualify you have to be either a “well-qualified”buyer, or “well-qualified”homeowner. The frustrating thing is this does not help many people who […]
Don’t Be Afraid To Negotiate Prices
Want to try the oldest form of saving money? Negotiate the price. It works for homes, cars, and other large purchases, but it also works for small and less expensive items. If you are planning to purchase a home or car, there is a ton of great advice on negotiating price, but too often people neglect […]
Keep it Simple at Christmas
This year more than ever before I’m trying to keep the holidays simple. With 4 kids you’d think we spend a lot on Christmas, but we manage to keep it cheap by using these 5 simple strategies. 1. Pay attention to what the kids you are shopping for like. Usually a few times a year I […]
It’s the Holiday Saleson
This year it seems more than other holiday I’m getting a ton of emails, mail, and coupons for SALES. I get it, the economy isn’t that great, consumer confidence is down (where’s my portion of that $700+ billion?), and people are spending less. In my not-so-humble opinion that’s a good thing. Most of us were […]
