One Sunday a few weeks ago, I was balancing our checkbook and making sure that all of our expenses were recorded in our monthly budget spreadsheet. As I often do while balancing our checkbook, I looked up from the list of charges to our debit cards to ask Maria what she bought at … [Read more...]
Let’s Talk about Credit Scores and Mortgages
When we shared our blog post on Seven Extravagances We Live Without, we received so much great feedback from our readers. There were many helpful comments and great perspectives to consider, but the biggest discussion was about not having a credit card and building credit … [Read more...]
7 Extravagances We Live Without to Make Room in our Budget
Maria and I are blessed in so many ways. We live debt-free, we are able to afford the occasional weekend getaway, we live in a comfortable condo in a very nice town, and I think we can all agree that Maria stays pretty well dressed. But we didn't get here just by pulling out the … [Read more...]
The Time We Forgot to Balance our Checkbook
I know it seems like we have all our ducks in a row and this money stuff comes easy for us. The truth is that we make mistakes too. And last week, we made a pretty big error that was a first for both of us. As May approached, we sat down and prepared our budget like we always do. … [Read more...]
There’s Money Hiding in Your Closet
How did tax season treat you this year? Did your bank account take a big hit or were you one of the lucky ones that enjoyed a return from dear ol' Uncle Sam? We enjoyed a nice little return and we partially have our closets to thank! Everyone knows that money doesn't grow on … [Read more...]
I Was Broke, Too – A Look at my Early Finances
I know how crazy it is to look at Rob and my success at paying off our debt, to watch the video of our Debt Free Scream on the Dave Ramsey show, and to listen to us talk about how we paid off $250,000 worth of debt in 13 months time. I also know how easy it is to look at our … [Read more...]
How We Screamed Our Way through the Dave Ramsey Show
Monday was the day Maria and I have been waiting for. The day we got to go on the Dave Ramsey Show and do our Debt Free Scream! We practiced on our drive down to our long weekend in Nashville and again in the space of our rented bungalow in East Nashville (that time with Maria's … [Read more...]
Sinking Funds – Why You Need Them & Why We Love Them
In sharing our financial stories and advice, Maria and I get one question over and over again: “What are sinking funds?” We've talked about saving money before in a general way, but we haven't really discussed many of the specifics about sinking funds. Well, get out your pen and … [Read more...]
Lessons Learned at the Coinstar Machine
Maria and I have this coin jar that we put all of our change into (like many of you, I'm sure). We slowly fill it up with coins and when it finally reaches the top, we get to cash it in. The first time we filled the jar was a few months ago. Maria and I decided to take it to our … [Read more...]
