If you’re wondering whether settling credit card debt with Navy Federal Credit Union is possible, the answer is a resounding yes. And, better yet, it’s possible to do it yourself if you wish, saving money over working with an advisor or settlement expert. Let me say, though – we worked with an advisor to settle […]
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What Are You Willing to Give Up To Reach Your Goals?
Most articles about saving money talk about cutting out cable, or reducing your cell phone bill, or calling your insurance company to get a better rate. But are those things really enough to make a significant difference? Today, I want to talk about some things that most of us don’t even question, but that are […]
Continue readingScrew the Joneses: Why We Choose Not to Own Our Home
A couple of weeks ago, my mother sent me, my aunt, and one of my cousins this article from USA Today: “Why your home is a worse investment than you think.” Right now, my mother is renting a house while she figures out where she wants to live next. Last August, she sold her two-story […]
Continue reading$100,000 & Buried in Discontentment
It’s tax time, and that means statements arriving in the mail for everything from interest income to student loan interest expenses. And yes, that means, for 9-to-5 employees, the arrival of the annual W-2, showing the wages we earned last year. In August, I turned 35. And this month, for the first time, my W-2 showed […]
Continue readingIs Your Budget Lying About Your Values?
One of my first conversations with Don this morning went like this: Don: Honey, I need a refrigerator in the shed. Me: Why? Don: Because I want to have cold drinks out there, so I need a fridge. Now, his shed/workshop is a 12 x 30′ shed with power, lights, and air conditioning. It’s also […]
Continue readingMistakes I’m Trying Not to Repeat in 2018
This post is inspired by Steve over at ThinkSaveRetire, whose post listing ways he “Won’t be a Dumbass” in 2018 just landed in my inbox. I don’t typically do New Year’s Resolutions either; while there are absolutely things I want to achieve each year, they’re rarely oriented around January 1st. So, let’s start with a retrospective […]
Continue readingAm I Good Enough to be Rich?
Last week, fresh from moving all weekend and thoroughly exhausted, I realized I had bought a ticket to see Denise Duffield-Thomas in Miami on Monday night. Now, Miami is a four-hour drive from our new house; never mind that I couldn’t find a towel to take a shower, or a plate to have breakfast…It’s amazing […]
Continue readingRevisiting Goals: Checking in on Finances and Progress
I can’t believe we made it through the entire month of May without posting! It has been completely crazy in the last six weeks: Don had another heart surgery and hospital stay We’ve been back to court not once but three times for full-day hearings on child custody My mother, who lives on the other […]
Continue readingMindless Frugality: When Saving Money Goes Too Far
As a general rule, before making a purchase online, I search retailmenot (no, I’m not an affiliate, I just love the site!) for any coupon codes I should be using. I then also check Upromise for rebates towards college savings (because why WOULDN’T you want extra $$ going into your little one’s college account). If all else fails, […]
Continue reading3 Reasons You Should Be Using Digit for Automatic Savings
Okay, I admit I’ve seen people talking about Digit in the past. It’s an app that claims to automatically analyze your spending patterns and painlessly (and sort of behind-your-back) transfer money to savings for you, when it thinks you won’t notice. In other words, in theory at least, it looks at your checking account activity […]
Continue readingCreative Ways to Save When Planning a Wedding
Have you ever noticed how many articles there are that tell you to get rid of your cable subscription? Or call your car insurance provider and ask for a discount? It seems these recommendations are everywhere, but what if you’re ALREADY doing those basic things? What if your $8 Netflix subscription has already replaced your […]
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