Lifestyle blogger – cruises, organizing, managing money, and parenting.
I don’t know about you, but I really STRUGGLE not to overspend when I go to Costco. Some of my friends just think it’s a joke – they call it the “Hundred Dollar Store”. But for me, it was a lot worse than that. My record was nearly $500 in ONE TRIP – one EPIC […] Read more…
I’m writing this on my bill paying day, so it got me thinking. Paying bills is an important part of our financial lives, maybe one of the most important parts, so I’m wondering what is your bill paying strategy? – Do you pay your bills right when they hit your mailbox? – Do you have […] Read more…
As the owner of four cats and a dog, I have paid out my share of vet bills. Maybe even more than my share. Last year, our St. Bernard – Joe got out of the yard, got hit by a car, and ended up with a broken leg that cost us about $800. It really […] Read more…
Here’s a clever idea that might help you manage an out of control spending habit. Use the built-in alerts that your bank offers to help you manage your overspending. It can be surprisingly motivating if you actually pay attention to them. Plus it helps you keep your bank balance in mind before you overdraw your […] Read more…
Every New Year’s Eve, what is the absolute number one resolution? Hands down, it is always to lose weight. It’s like the Holy Grail of resolutions! Because of that, the diet and exercise industry is one of the richest in the world. People spend thousands of dollars each year with hopes of losing weight – […] Read more…
Sometimes our adult kids don’t use good judgement. We love them so we sometime help them a little TOO much. Adulthood is a time for them to stand on their own two feet, but part of good parenting is to gently ease them out of the nest and allow them to take full responsibility for […] Read more…
We are quickly heading into the time of year when everyone is desperate to shed their holiday pounds. This can translate into big bucks for the local gyms and fitness clubs. I looked it up. The figure is about $21 MILLION dollars a year spent on gym memberships just here in the US. Sadly […] Read more…
Residual income can be many things – it can be interest income from a savings account, small royalties or dividend payments from creative work or investments, or even rental fees from income property. In my case, my residual income takes the form of small payments from some minor oil leases that have been passed down […] Read more…
Credit card debt can be a significant drain on your budget. Even if you’ve gotten smart and put the cards away (or cut them up!), you still need to find a way to rid yourselves of those pesky balances. One trap that many debt-ridden consumers get into is just paying the minimum payments. Here’s why […] Read more…
There! I said it – I think college tuition is a huge rip-off. I know it’s supposed to be the American Dream, but I was skeptical of it when I was a kid. If anything, I’ve gotten more skeptical as I’ve gotten older. College tuition inflation has skyrocketed FAR more than it should have. The […] Read more…
If you want to spend dramatically LESS, try switching from plastic to all cash. It will make you so much more aware of what you are spending and you’ll think about your purchases more carefully since cash is a limited commodity while plastic seems to be unlimited (although it really isn’t when that credit card […] Read more…
If there’s one thing I’ve noticed, it’s that most people do not know how to make an effective complaint. I’m actually really good at doing that. I actually used to write formal complaint letters for people on Fiverr. So, here’s a situation I experienced recently that ended in a refund of several hundred dollars. As […] Read more…
So, my middle son Matt got married about a month ago. I haven’t posted the pictures from it because it’s taken a while to get the pictures back from the photographer. But it was a lovely day and we were all excited to see them married. Great weather – perfect since it was a rooftop […] Read more…
I am always surprised when I find that most people have not heard about a water alarm. I think it’s just as necessary as a smoke alarm in your home. These things are BRILLIANT and have saved our bacon more times than I can count. Water damage can be very expensive. We’ve had water in […] Read more…
These 90 days* same as cash deals can be really good or really bad. Here are some tricks to keep them on the good side of things and save you money. They can be very effective when used correctly. (*I say 90 days, but many of them are like 6 months or a year) This […] Read more…