I know, many of you might be asking, "you are single, who are you hashing it out with?" But, even though, I may be single, I am still hashing out that budget with the free spirit me and the sensible tightwad me.
So with that, here is that budget for July 2008.Item Budgeted Actual Owed GIVING Tithe/Charity $?? $??? subtotal $?? HOUSING Mortgage $0 $0 Insurance $0 Maintenance $0 Taxes $0 subtotal $0 $0 UTILITIES Electric $100 Gas $50 Water $40 Internet/Basic Cable $50 Phone $0 Cell phone $50 Trash $15.50 subtotal $305.50 FOOD Grocery $100 subtotal $100 Transportation Auto Gas $70 Insurance $0 Maintenance $0 Tags & Taxes $0 Car Payment $400 $8,524.41 subtotal $470 $8,524.41 CLOTHING Sunday Best $0 Work $0 Everyday $0 subtotal $0 Prescriptions $0 Deductibles $0 Eye Doctor $0 Insurance $0 subtotal $0 RECREATION/Memberships Entertainment $0 Dating $0 Optimist Membership $40 Farm Bureau Membership $0 Subtotal $40 DEBTS Providian Credit Card $0 $0 Fingerhut/WaMu $70 $1,012 Black Gold Insulation $0 $0 IRS $0 $3,795.52 Subtotal $70 $4,795.52 TOTAL $985.5 $13,331.93
In addition, my retirement post made it into the Money Hacks Carnival, check it out.
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or send an email to: kevin -AT- debtfree4ever.net
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The rich rules over the poor, And the borrower becomes the lender's slave.
-- Proverbs 22:7 (NASB)
Thursday, July 03, 2008
Hashing Out July's Monthly Budget
Monday, June 02, 2008
Readers Question: What are your Plans...?
mzmuny asked,
What are your plans once you are out of debt?
Thanks for the question, MzMuny. So glad your asked.
Once I am able to successfully pay off all my debts, my plans are to begin building my savings. I wish to have at least $5,000 in every savings account (budget envelope).
Currently, I only have $5-$100ish in each of those savings accounts.
However, my dream doesn't stop there. I also want to go back to Europe and see a number of spots I haven't yet been able to go to. Like Germany, France, England, Ireland and Northern Ireland. Finally, and probably one of the biggest travel dreams is to visit every single Presidential Library/Museum. I have been to the Carter near Atlanta and Eisenhower in Abilene, KS. Amazing as it sounds, I have yet to visit the Truman in Independence, MO (a suburb of Kansas City, MO) , especially considering how close I live to it.
Over all, I don't want to be rich so people can see "how rich I am," rather I want to help others with their struggles. I am reminded of a recent verse I read, Proverbs 13:7
One man pretends to be rich, yet has nothing; another pretends to be poor, yet has great wealth.How true that is. If a person looks rich, they are probably just someone trying to impress you. The real rich person, usually doesn't want to flash it around. There is a reason, King Solomon is regarded as the wisest man to ever live.
So there, in a nut shell you have it. What I want to do when I become DebtFree4ever!
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Thursday, May 29, 2008
Online Checking = Food Budget Envelope
I recently opened an account at Wamu.com. The reason was simple. 3.25% interest! Ye
p, that's right, while local banks and credit unions aren't even paying 1%, this national giant is paying 3.25%. How awesome is that?
It is true, that they are very customer unfriendly. Many of you may remember, my fights with them with my Wamu (Providian) Credit Card. It's also true that there isn't even a single branch in my state. In fact, the closest branches are in Texas, Colorado and Illinois. However, that can be a good thing. Because, I won't be in the bank every other day withdrawing money. On the downside though, that also means I have to wait several days for a deposit to post.
I decided to give this a try, in part because of my desire to earn a better rate of return on my money. However, the was another reason. Instead of trying to carry around Dave Ramsey's envelope system, (since I am a guy) which is pretty impractical. I decided, that a debit card would work better. So I opened the account, funded both the savings and checking with the minimum $1, received my free checks and my debit card. I can carry this debit card in my wallet and easily use it when I buy my groceries. When the money is gone, I can't buy anything more, until I fund it again.
However, I haven't received any interest yet. Seems, $1 doesn't earn interest, instead you must transfer $5 each month from your Wamu checking into your Wamu Savings to earn in
terest. Otherwise, you have to have a minimum balance of $300.All in all, I think this is a great addition to help with my budget, but I still must be careful to not overspend or to protect my debit card/checking account numbers. The reason is no mater what, they will charge the account $34 for overdraft fees, whether or not I am at fault. But, if I am proactive and protect who I give access to my account as well as watch what I am spending, I should never be in the position to have to worry about that. Thus, I won't have to worry about their poor customer service and big bank smugness.
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Monday, May 19, 2008
Save Big With the Entertainment Book
The opinions of guest writers are their own and not necessarily those of the owner of this blog.
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by Heather Johnson
One way to obtain a lot of discounts at local restaurants, stores and more is by purchasing the Entertainment Book. Couponers are all too familiar with this holy grail of savings. Each year, Entertainment Publications releases a new book that is filled with coupons, special offers and more. Each book is specific to a certain area, tailoring its offers to businesses and services that are readily available near you.
Many people use the Entertainment Book for traveling on a budget. Since the book pays for itself with
one or two coupons, it is well worth it to purchase an issue that is local to the town(s) you will be traveling through. In fact, each book contains at least $10,000 worth of travel discounts alone. Not bad for
something that costs $25 - $40 (depending on location).
If you enjoy going out but are on a budget, the Entertainment Book also includes $4,000 - $8,000
in local merchant coupons. This includes restaurants, movie theaters, sporting events, amusement parks, department stores and more. The books often sell out quickly in major metropolitan areas, so it is wise to
jump on the deal early in the year.
This post may read like an ad, but it is not. I use the Entertainment Book throughout the year.
In fact, I often buy at least two. The reason why I am writing about it now is because the book is on sale for only $9.99 until the end of May. This is over half off the normal price and the book definitely
pays for itself with one coupon if you buy it at this reduced value.
Heather Johnson is a regular
commentator on the subject of best credit cards. She welcomes your feedback and potential
job inquiries at heatherjohnson2323 at gmail dot com.
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The opinions of guest writers are their own and not necessarily those of the owner of this blog.
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Saturday, May 17, 2008
Spending: I think I can see some waste
One thing that is strongly encouraged in many personal finance classes, especially Christian
Financial Concepts (now Crown Financial Ministries), is to keep a spending diary. Keeping track of every thing that you spend through out the day, no mater how small. So, beginning today, I am going to be doing that on this blog. It should ensure, that there is at least one post every day. Of course, I hope to get back the regular financial posts that made this blog as popular as it has been over the last 2-years.
- Biscuits & Gravy (from the Eagles Nest at the Harley Davidson Shop) $2.15
- Pint of milk (from work) $1.17
- Bottle of pop (from work) $1.32
- Groceries $22.14
When I bought the groceries, I also received $10 back to use for gas, which I plan to purchase in the morning (Sunday).
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Friday, May 02, 2008
Financial Literacy and Children
I recently received an email, suggesting I talk about teaching children financial literacy. That is something I view as very important, the younger they learn the better off they will be, when they grow up. However, it boils down to being the parents responsibility. If the parents doesn't teach them, their inaction will speak louder then anything the kids learn in school. Let's face it, kids learn by watching what their parents do. I am a great example of that. I knew from school and church the right way to handle money, but seeing my parents bad habits spoke louder then the head knowledge I was given.
Everyone knows that young people are pros at spending money; millions of dollars are spent annually on advertising aggressively directed towards them. They know how to use ATM machines to take money out. But, in these uncertain economic times, do they know how to save it? And do they know how to think long-term – beyond the weekend – about their finances? What about credit card debt? Or investing for the future?
The National Council on Economic Education (NCEE), a nationwide organization that serves to promote financial literacy with students and their teachers, has this to say on its website: “NCEE surveys show that nearly half of our young people don't understand how to save and invest for retirement, nor how to handle credit cards, don't know the difference between inflation and recession, nor how government spending affects them. If we fail to act now to improve economic literacy in this country, our children will be at risk for crippling personal debt, costly decisions at work and at home, and lack competitive skills in a fast-paced global economy.”
- Education.com
Even Robert Duvall, PhD, President and CEO of NCEE, agrees. In the above article he says, “We know that the skills of managing your money well, are not skills that you’re born with. It’s learned behavior.”
So what can parents do?
- First and foremost, set a good example. Because kids, as I said above, watch everything their parents do. It doesn't matter what a parent tells their kids, it's what the kids see their parents doing.
- Start saving – at any age. The earlier a person starts building their savings, the better off they will be financially in their future.
- Budget sense. The article suggests including the kids in on the budget discussions with you and your spouse. This way the kids get a better understanding of their families financial situation and how to handle money properly.
- Make it a long-term conversation.
Financial matters can get complex pretty quickly. But kids who learn basic principles of earning money and saving it, of what things cost and how to budget for their expenses, will be in a much better position as young adults to understand the more complex issues of mortgages, credit cards and interest rates. Parents who introduce their kids to solid financial principles early on are providing an important part of their children’s preparation for the "real world."
- Shop Together. This is the perfect time to talk finances. It allows the kids to see and understand the prices of things. Why does this item cost 50 cents more than the other one? What does that extra 50 cents buy you? Is it worth it?
April was Financial Youth Literacy Month, which means it's as good a time as any to start talking to kids about money. Lori Mackey, the "Money Mama" and author of "Money Mama & The Three Little Pigs," a read-aloud book that teaches the basics of sound money management, visited "Good Morning America" to explain how to teach kids about saving and spending.
In an article that ABC aired in 2007, Mackey discussed kids and money.
Mackey said it's never too early to start talking to kids about money.
"It's never too late, but if you can start early, you teach them to give, invest, spend and save wisely, they learn the habits of wealth," she said.
One of her first suggestions is to teach the kids the 10, 10, 10, 70 rule.
And their are money banks (aka piggy banks) that are designed to do this from various organizations. Off hand Crown Financial Ministries as such a bank that they sell. In addition, if memory serves me, Dave Ramsey does as well. Perhaps, one of his staff members (like Chris) that reads this blog can confirm this. I have also seen other organizations promotes such banks, but the names of those organizations escape me at this time.
Mackey also suggests playing such board games as Life or Monopoly as tools to teach kids about money. These games can helps kids learn about investing and stocks and even how money compounds and grows in a fun and entertaining way.
Photo courtesy of Shirleys-Preschool.com
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Monday, April 21, 2008
My Debt Albatross
I was going through my bills, and I found that I have been underpaying the electric bill. As a result, I have to come up with an additional $90 this week to bring it up to date. That results in me being about $40 over this weeks budget. Still though, I am trusting God and believe I will be able to pull it off. Although, I am in part counting on an annual dividend check, that I really don't know when it will come. The same check, I am expecting to use to nearly wipe out my AmeriFirst (home improvement) loan. I am still eager, and hopeful that I will be able to get rid of that loan by May 1, although this newest realization, may damper that a bit.
While, I am still struggling, it would seem that I can actually see the light. This debt will be gone soon, and I am so freaking eager to see it happen this month. Although, if it doesn't happen this month, it will happen next month. Then I can turn my focus on that annoying Fingerhut,which is the debt that is my albatross.
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Thursday, April 03, 2008
Taxes and budget
Well I got my taxes back from the tax preparer. I took some cash out of my emergency fund/insurance savings to pay his ($110) fee. Kurt is wonderful. He is a Dave Ramsey ELP (Endorsed Local Provider). He was able to get me a $531 Federal Refund, although I owe the state $74. That means that my IRS debt will see a substantial reduction this year. Especially considering the $600 stimulus tax credit coming in May. Altogether, I will see that particular debt decrease by $1100. Meaning, 1/3 of my tax debt will be gone this year.
I expect to use some of the savings money to pay off some of these debts, replace the laundry machine that went out on me (with another used one), get the bathroom door repaired (estimate $50) and hopefully get the tree limbs off the roof of my neighbors and my homes and away from the power lines. Not sure, I will have enough funds to do it all, but I am going to prioritize and make a valiant effort. I am expecting to have Amerifirst paid off by May 1st. Item Budgeted Actual Owed GIVING Tithe/Charity $?? $??? subtotal $?? HOUSING Mortgage $80 $791.51 Insurance $0 Maintenance $0 Taxes $0 State Income Taxes $74 subtotal $154 $791.51 UTILITIES Electric $80 Gas $80 Water $30 Internet $35 Phone $0 Cell phone $50 Trash $15.50 subtotal $290.50 FOOD Grocery $50 subtotal $50 Transportation Auto Gas $70 Insurance $0 Maintenance $0 Tags & Taxes $0 Car Payment $400 $9,537 subtotal $470 $9,537 CLOTHING Sunday Best $0 Work $0 Everyday $0 subtotal $0 Prescriptions $0 Deductibles $0 Eye Doctor $0 Insurance $0 subtotal $0 RECREATION/Memberships Entertainment $0 Dating $0 Optimist Membership $40 Farm Bureau Membership $0 Subtotal $40 DEBTS Providian Credit Card $0 $0 Fingerhut $10 $1,000 Black Gold Insulation $0 $0 IRS $531 (tax refund) $3,795.52 Subtotal $10 $4,795.52 TOTAL $940 $15,124.03
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Wednesday, March 26, 2008
My Free TV is Ending
Back in 1996, I found a great satellite service. The service offered nothing but Christian programing back then. Since then they have offered some family friendly TV stations as well. Such stations as the Hallmark channel, the Hallmark Movie Channel and Fox News have joined the line up along with such stations as Cornerstone TV (from PA), the Liberty Channel (as in Liberty University in VA) and many other Christian TV stations from around the country not to mention all the Christian radio stations. Well because I was an early subscriber, I had the opportunity to be a lifetime subscriber. Something that has paid for itself many times over.
Now, I have learned that come March 31, 2008, they will be ending their satellite service and be moving towards a new technology that will provide television through my high speed Internet service. The service called Sky Angel IPTV will be able to offer additional programing over the current (and soon to be disbanded). Some of the new channels include FOX Business (something I certainly want), the weather channel, discovery channel and the Sportsman Channel, to name just a few. Of course they are expanding their Christian TV programing as well, but as you can see the family channels really is being increased. The problem is that, I will no longer be a lifetime subscriber once they end the satellite service.
Their prices are as follows:
Faith Package $14.99 a month, Family Package $19.99 a month, and both packages $24.99. They are offering a free box if you make an 18 month commitment to the service.
While, I would love to make the switch and continue with this great service, I just don't know how I am going to work it into my budget. Perhaps, it is another area of consumerism that I must learn to do without.
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Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Two Fantastic Years
On this day 2-years ago, I set down for the first time to write about personal finances. The idea was simple enough, John Cummuta's CD's suggested signing up for affiliate programs and create a website to place those links. However, in order to make affiliate programs work, I had to create a reason for people to actually visit and then return to the page. My idea, was that I would be the first to write about personal finance. Well guess what, I wasn't the first. However, I quickly joined a rank of 800+ other personal finance blogs, and to my surprise I quickly joined the top 100. A position I still hold, although my rank has slipped as the number of personal finance bloggers swelled to over 1000.
So how will I spend this mile mark? To start, I am attending a weekly community meeting, in which I am going to take the above pictured cake as a treat. I will then go to the store to pick up the turkey breast they were sold out of the other day. Then come home, to prepare a special, and budget busting dinner, of Turkey, cornbread stuffing, mashed potatoes, corn and cranberry sauce.
To end the day, I will attend the annual meeting of one of my credit unions, in which I will whole heartedly cast my vote for a great group of volunteer board of directors. In addition, through out the day, I hope to finish the Harrine Freeman book, "How to get out of debt." Once I finish that book, I can get my 2 reviews written and uploaded to their respective blogs.
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Wednesday, March 05, 2008
Cleaning supplies on the cheap
Yesterday, Kate, posted a comment on one of my posts, in which she asked if my budget included
cleaners and personal care items?
To answer simply, no, because I make many of my own cleaning supplies. The personal care items, like cologne and such, since I don't use them much, I have enough to last me for at least 3-years. Meaning, I really only need to purchase bath soap and shampoo.
Now, I said that I make my own cleaning supplies. Take a look at some of my recipes.
Drain Cleaner
1/2 cup baking soda
1/2 cup white vinegar
Boiling water
Pour baking soda down the drain. Add white vinegar and cover the drain, if possible. Let set for 5 minutes. Then pour a kettle of boiling water down the drain. (The vinegar and baking soda break down fatty acids into soap and glycerin, allowing the clog to wash down the drain.) Do not use this method if you have used a commercial drain opener and it may still be present in the drain.
or how about my favorite laundry soap recipe?
Your Own Laundry Detergent
* 1 bar of soap (whatever kind you like.)
* 1 cup of washing soda (look for it in the laundry detergent aisle at your local department store - it comes in an Arm & Hammer box and will contain enough for six batches of this stuff)
* 1/2 cup of borax (this is not necessary, but I’ve found it really kicks the cleaning up a notch - one box of borax will contain more than enough for tons of batches of this homemade detergent - if you decide to use this, be careful)
* A five gallon bucket with a lid (or a bucket that will hold more than 15 liters - ask around - these aren’t too tough to acquire)
* Three gallons of tap water
* A big spoon to stir the mixture with
* A measuring cup
* A knife
1. Put about four cups of water into a pan on your stove and turn the heat up on high until it’s almost boiling. While you’re waiting, whip out a knife and start shaving strips off of the bar of soap into the water, whittling it down. Keep the heat below a boil and keep shaving the soap. Eventually, you’ll shave up the whole bar, then stir the hot water until the soap is dissolved and you have some highly soapy water.
2. Put three gallons of hot water (11 liters or so) into the five gallon bucket - the easiest way is to fill up three gallon milk jugs worth of it. Then mix in the hot soapy water from step one, stir it for a while, then add a cup of the washing soda. Keep stirring it for another minute or two, then add a half cup of borax if you are using borax. Stir for another couple of minutes, then let the stuff sit overnight to cool. And you’re done. When you wake up in the morning, you’ll have a bucket of gelatinous slime that’s a paler shade of the soap that you used (in our case, it’s a very pale greenish blue). One measuring cup full of this slime will be roughly what you need to do a load of laundry - and the ingredients are basically the same as laundry detergent. Thus, out of three gallons, you’ll get about 48 loads of laundry.
One thing I found works well and makes the process easier is to use soap scraps. On top of that, I put 2 cups of in the pan and the other 2 cups in a blender with the soap scraps. After letting the soap sit in the blender overnight, I then liquefy this in the blender before pouring it into the pan with the other 2 cups. I then follow the directions as above.
My homemade Cleaning recipes
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Sunday, March 02, 2008
March 2008 Budget
It's a few days late, but here is a look at my March 2008 budget plan. I am still hopeful of getting my another debt knocked out this month, but as I write my plan and figure in the setbacks (that I failed to plan for), it doesn't look realistic.
I really need to start budgeting for the insurance, taxes and clothing that I know I will have to incur at some point every year. But the budget as it is currently planned is already $88 over budget. Perhaps I will squeak out a little overtime to make up the difference, between my take home pay and my expenses.
It is really beginning to look like a wise idea to get a $15,000 Prosper.com loan, to pay these debts off. My payments would be less then the current $400 car loan. However, I could still pay $400/month on it and not have to pay out the other $90 in debt payments, that I am currently paying. Thus improving my financial situation immensely. What do you all think?Item Budgeted Actual Owed GIVING Tithe/Charity $?? $??? subtotal $?? HOUSING Mortgage $80 $891.88 Insurance $0 Maintenance $0 Taxes $0 subtotal $80 $891.88 UTILITIES Electric $80 Gas $80 Water $30 Internet $35 Phone $0 Cell phone $50 Trash $15.50 subtotal $290.50 FOOD Grocery $50 subtotal $50 Transportation Auto Gas $70 Insurance $0 Maintenance $0 Tags & Taxes $0 Car Payment $400 $9,861.05 subtotal $470 $9,861.05 CLOTHING Sunday Best $0 Work $0 Everyday $0 subtotal $0 Prescriptions $0 Deductibles $0 Eye Doctor $0 Insurance $0 subtotal $0 RECREATION/Memberships Entertainment $0 Dating $0 Optimist Membership $40 Farm Bureau Membership $0 Subtotal $40 DEBTS Providian Credit Card $0 $0 Fingerhut $10 $1,000 Black Gold Insulation $0 $0 IRS $0 $3,795.52 Subtotal $10 $4,795.52 TOTAL $940 $15,548.45
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Friday, February 22, 2008
Went Shopping at the Communist Red Star Tonight
I went shopping tonight. Wasn't planning to buy anything or even shop at all. A friend and I were hanging at the mall. I used a coupon to get free nuggets at chick-fil-a and then we stopped in the store that I refer to as "The Communist Red Star," because of their logo.
As I looked around at the expensive khaki's, knowing I needed some to replace the ones that have holes in them for work, I found a clearance rack. This clearance rack had khaki's marked down to $19.94. The 2 I bought were regularly priced at $50 or $55 each. It was something I needed, but certainly wasn't in my budget.
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Thursday, February 14, 2008
33 Ideas for Dating Frugally
Since today is Valentines Day, I thought I would post an entry about dating frugally. Love doesn't mean that you have to go into debt, trying to impress that special someone. Instead, if comes from the heart, it may not cost anything at all. These work great for singles as well as the married couples, going on those romantic dates to.
Lets set the mood by quoting Dating on a tight budget By Leah Gliniewicz of Bankrate.com, as well as some other ideas gathered from readers like you.
- Test drive a sports car together.
- Browse a ritzy museum gift shop or art gallery.
- Find a dark, romantic bistro with great coffees and desserts, or an independent bookstore that encourages browsing.
- Spend the whole evening dressed and acting as characters from a play, movie or book that you both enjoyed.
- Do some star gazing at a local college observatory. It's open to the public during the school year and free.
- Have a picnic and explore a state or national park. You'd be surprised what you learn when you're closer to nature. Admission to these parks is usually under $10 or free.
- See a music laser show at a planetarium for around $6. Watch the colors fly through the air to some popular music.
- Check out a poetry reading or other events at a bookstore. Sometimes snacks or beverages are provided. Some bookstores have a calendar listing for all of their events.
- Create a food theme night (like Mexican, Mediterranean or Italian), and cook each other a dinner and appetizer at home.
- Rent a canoe or kayak and go out on a river or lake for an afternoon -- under $40.
- See a radio station music festival. It often features a day of bands, and tickets usually cost under $20. Or, check out a concert at a college; tickets may also be cheap.
- Look into local arts festivals, craft fairs, flea markets or antiques fairs. Admission is under $15, the browsing is free, but you may want to watch the cost of the food.
- See an IMAX movie for under $10. These films use a large film frame, a six-story movie screen and digital surround sound. These are cool because you feel like you're in the movie.
- Attend a wine or beer tasting. At less than $10 each, you get more bang for the buzz.
- Volunteer together. You'll be able to spend quality time together for a quality cause for free.
- Swing is back. Take a dance lesson and tear up the dance floor with the hottest moves. Sometimes the first lesson is free.
- Attend a student art show. Often the shows are free and refreshments are served.
- Rent your favorite movies that your date hasn't seen and watch them together. Keep your date in suspense, and don't leak out the good parts or the ending.
- Rent a Movie - You can duplicate the cinema experience by renting a favorite movie, making popcorn, and dimming the lights. Your date might even appreciate the extra leg room and ability to pause the flick for a restroom break.
- Sip Mocha Lattes - Starbucks can be your best friend when it comes to lounging with your date, shooting the breeze, and sipping your favorite coffee beverage. You might even take your relationship to a deeper level thanks to the coffee talk.
- Share a Sundae on Sunday - Take a trip to your local ice cream store and build a sundae together. You'll flirt over the toppings and sit close together as you spoon your way to sugar heaven.
- Walk in the Park - Combine exercise and fitness with romance.
- Natural Surroundings - The beauty of nature is all around us and it doesn't cost a dime. Whether it's a trip to the beach, a walk in the forest or a search into a cave, it can be done together for practically nothing. Take the time to find the natural scenic spots in your area and utilize them for your dates.
- Public Exhibits/Museums - Think about the museums and galleries around you, all filled with collections of interesting items for you to chat about. Most are reasonable in price and usually offer discount days, so keep you eye out for those.
- Special Events - On any given weekend, you can be guaranteed that some special event is going on nearby. Fairs, craft shows, festivals and exhibitions are usually free or for a nominal cost. It gets you and your date out and in an environment where you can both explore your surroundings while getting to know each other.
- Sporting Ideas - If you and your date are both athletic, sport activities together can be a great way to spend your time. Play a set of tennis, jog in the park, toss a Frisbee about, play catch with a baseball or football or shoot some baskets. Whichever you choose, you can spend quality time at minimal cost and get some exercise in, too.
- Video Games - Gaming has come a long way since Donkey Kong & Pac Man. It’s glorified board games for adults, basically. You can find a whole slew of trivia and game-show type games available at your local rental store. Five bucks for an hour or two of one-on-one friendly competition never hurt anyone and most realize that games aren’t just for kids.
- Second run movie theaters - we used to call these dollar movies, because the theater only charged a dollar for them. Now however, with movie price going up, these theater charge about $3-$4. Still a bargain when you would pay $8-$11 to see the new releases at the regular theater.
- Picnic - Picnics are great for dates because they can be taken along wherever you plan to go for the day and they cost a fraction of going out for a meal. They also can be made as casual or as romantic as you want. Take a casual picnic meal, add some cheese & wine along with a red rose and the picnic instantly takes on a romantic feel.
- Memory Album - Take your camera or purchase an inexpensive disposable camera and make a day of taking photos together. Make a theme for the day if you want or just take any crazy photo that comes to mind. Once finished, get the photos 1 hour processed and create a memory album together for the day that will live on forever.
- Historic Places & Buildings - It seems the only time people go looking at the historic landmarks near where they live is when visitors come from out of town. Many of these historic or culturally significant spots have no or small entrance fees and make a great place to go on a date. You also get to learn more about the area you live.
Meal/Evening At Home - Cook up a meal at home and spend the evening watching movies or some other activity such as a board game. The meal most likely will be better than at a restaurant and the evening will cost a fraction of what going out to dinner and a movie would cost. Cook the meal together to spend even more time together, or do it yourself as a special surprise.- Exercise together - Skating (Ice or Roller),
Scenic Bike Ride, a walk in the park are all great ways to exercise and yet have fun as well.
I am sure there are other ideas and would love to hear them. If you have any other ideas, comment to this post and let me know. I want to hear all of the ideas you have. I am sure there is 101 ideas out there, I just need to find them. Even if they won't work for me, they will for somebody. For example, I don't eat Italian, Mexican or Chinese food, so #9 wouldn't work as well for me. At least without some tinkering.
So what do you all think? Can you think of anything I missed?
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go ahead share your thoughts with me now.
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Paying Debts, Productivity and Organization
How you pay your debts can be viewed in your productivity and organizational skills. Part of that is panning ahead for the unexpected. That is the focus of the Money Monk, who wrote about saving and paying your debts recently.
That has been the topic in someway of a number of bloggers recently. Saving Advice, recently posted 44 ways to improve your productivity. Below is part of Jeff's list and my comments on them.
Another blogger, known online as Money Monk, wrote Paying off all debts before saving is foolery.
The monks opinion is that saving is boring, but necessary. He suggests that it is foolery (Dave Ramsey would agree) to pay off your debts first. For me, I am so eager to get rid of my debts, I have focused more on the debt repayment, then I have my emergency fund.
What would happen, if my car were to break down? Or my water heater were to blow up right now? Answer, I would be in a world of hurt, because I haven't been proactive of building my savings. That is the danger of not saving. We can make all the excuses in the world that we want to, but that's what they are, excuses.
I have to be better about saving. I have to be prepared for the unexpected. Which really isn't unexpected, because we know that eventually they will happen. I do like to see my debts getting smaller, but I also need to get excited about seeing my savings grow as well.
Finally, I and a number of my readers need to be better organized. A person who is organized (everything has its place) and has a clean abode and car, will also have an organized financial life. Not only that, but the savings and productivity will also fall into place because they are all part of being organized.
Larry Winget says that he can bet these people he sees on those "clean my home," type programs that their finances are also a wreck. Especially, those people whose homes can't be gotten through, except for the small path in the room.
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go ahead share your thoughts with me now.
Monday, January 21, 2008
Presidential Endorsement
I try to avoid politics as much as possible, when it comes to my personal finance blogs. However, there are some times when the two collide head on. Today's post is one of those times. Today, I am making my political endorsement for the next President.
You may be wondering, how that has anything to with personal finance. My answer is everything. The person we elect President, or any public office, will have a voice in our economy. We will give them power to raise or lower our taxes. The decisions they make could have a dramatic effect, one way or the other, on our personal finances.
Ever since Sam Brownback's early withdrawal from the Presidential campaign, I have been in a quandry as to who to vote for. If you have read my political/opinion blog (KevinsView.com) you know it has been between Ron Paul, Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee. As a personal finance blogger (DebtFree4ever.NET), I have received emails from other personal finance bloggers, who was endorsing Ron Paul.
I have to admit, I toyed with the idea. I liked some of his libertarian stances, especially those on the war and the abolishment of the IRS. At the same time, those were the views that scared me the most about him. Not to mention that he has had no administrative experience. Yes, he has more the 30 years combined in Congress, but that is far from administrative experience. He has virtually no foreign policy experience. Not to mention that financial expert, Bob Brinker, told a caller on his radio program, the other day that Paul knew the least (of all the candidates) about the economy.
I like the candidate who balanced his states budget 5 times, eliminated the capital gains tax for the sale of a home and indexed his states tax to inflation to keep people from being forced into higher tax brackets. Not to mention when he left the Governor's office, his state had a surplus of more then $800 million. That candidate is Mike Huckabee.
Huckabee has the best chance of winning, plus he is one of the most all around fiscal (as can be seen in the previous paragraph) conservatives running this year. He was Governor of Arkansas for 10 ½ years. One of the biggest changes he brought about in Arkansas was the quality of education. During his time as Governor, he took Arkansas that was ranked 45th in the nation to number 8 in the nation.
Under Huckabee’s direction, Arkansas has been recognized as having created one of the nation’s best school accountability programs. Huckabee pushed through reforms in Arkansas that have significantly increased the number of charter schools and established new approaches to workforce education.
Huckabee is recognized as a national leader, having been honored by several renowned publications and organizations for his numerous accomplishments. Governing Magazine named him as one of its ‘Public Officials of the Year’ for 2005, Time Magazine honored him as one of the five best governors in America, and later in the same year, Huckabee received the American Association of Retired Person’s Impact Award. In 2007, he was presented with the Music for Life Award by the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) for his commitment to music education.
Of course I wouldn't be a personal finance blogger, if I didn't take a closer look at the economic issues.
Huckabee is a proponent of the The Fair Tax. The Fair Tax plan is a comprehensive proposal that replaces all federal income and payroll based taxes with an integrated approach including:
. The Fair Tax plan is a comprehensive proposal that replaces all federal income and payroll based taxes with an integrated approach including:- A progressive national retail sales tax,
- A prebate to ensure no American pays federal taxes on spending up to the poverty level.
- Dollar-for-dollar federal revenue neutrality.
- Repeal of the 16th Amendment through companion legislation.
It is the belief of Huckabee (and mine) that our massive deficit is not due to Americans' being under-taxed, but to the government's over-spending. In fact, he favors the line-item veto, so that he can veto many of the pork and spending projects buried within many of our nations legitimate bills.
I'd like you to join me at the best "Going Out of Business" sale I can imagine - one held by the Internal Revenue Service. Am I running for president to shut down the federal government? Not exactly. But I am running to completely eliminate all federal income and payroll taxes. And I do mean all - personal federal, corporate federal, gift, estate, capital gains, alternative minimum, Social Security, Medicare, self-employment.