Happiness

My Husband’s Photos

For those of you who view my blog directly, (not through a rss feed reader), you may have noticed the new photo I added to the header of my blog. It was taken this winter by my husband on a cold and icy day on the Outer Banks. It combines two of my favorite loves: … Read more

Financial Lessons From the Fairy Tales

I found a print version of the following list of financial fairy tale lessons in an article called fairy-tale finance by Melissa Balmain. Be patient while your nest egg grows — and for goodness’ sake, forget about making a killing. —The Goose that Laid the Golden Egg Beware of shaky real-estate investments — The Three … Read more

Fighting Temptation

I am a huge fan of college basketball. Huge. Every March, I sit two feet away from the tiny flat screen TV in our living room, so I can watch the ACC and NCAA tournaments up close. While my husband is working I’m constantly screaming scores up the stairs and shouting for him to come … Read more

Will This Be Our Last Mortgage?

We purchased our first home for roughly $250,000 in 2001, just five days after my 24th birthday. Four years later we purchased our second home in North Carolina for roughly $600,000. Our current loan is a 30 year term at 6%. In all due honesty I thought we’d be strapped to pay for it each … Read more

Thinking Less and Less About Money

Lately I find myself thinking less and less about money. Once you hold down a steady job, pay for a life insurance policy, a disability policy, maintain an emergency fund, fund your 401(k) and IRA, minimize spending and shrink your mortgages from 30 years to 15, there just doesn’t seem to be much reason to … Read more

Refinance Savings

I know that a lot of people do not believe in paying off a mortgage early. I am not one of those people. Since the day we bought the house I have been dreaming of owning it outright. My father paid off his mortgage 7 years early. With his house paid off and a decent … Read more

Let the Refinancing Begin

Torn over the idea of refinancing your home? My husband and I have been debating the issue for days. Should we wait for rates to drop even further or lock in on a low interest rate right now? Today my husband and I turned to the trusty Internet to find our answer. First, using online … Read more

Thankful for Good Tidings

For the past few years I have been maintaining a list of gifts I purchase for friends and family throughout the year. Included in the list is a description of the gift, the store where it was purchased, the cost of the item, and at times extra notes like what the receiver said as he … Read more