Earn, Save, and Live Joyfully.
So my husband and I decided to buy my grandmother’s car after all. Despite the fact that we don’t need the car just yet, we decided the deal was just to good to pass up. For $6300 we purchased a 1999 Toyota Camry with a little over 50,000 miles. In a comment, DM suggested we … Read more
I currently drive a 1994 Ninety-Eight Oldsmobile Regency. My husband and I bought the car for $900 in March of ’06. Unfortunately, since March the car has required a number of repairs adding up to over $2,800. That’s certainly more than my husband and I wanted to spend on an old clunker of a car … Read more
One of my most vivid memories of money came at the age of 11. I became friends with the new girl at school. The new girl and her family moved into a brand new neighborhood that had popped up about a mile from my home. I visited her one Saturday afternoon and was amazed at … Read more
I have been trying my best to avoid splurging on unnecessary purchases. In the last few weeks I have not purchased anything just for myself. In fact, it seems I’m armed with a list and coupons each and every time I head out to the store. I’m not a big impulse shopper but if I … Read more
I spent the last two hours updating user IDs and passwords on over 25 different online accounts. I cannot believe that my husband and I require the services of over 20 companies just to run our everyday lives. Included in the list were banks, brokerage firms, health insurance companies, life insurance companies, multiple phone companies, … Read more
When contemplating your future nest egg it seems a million dollars just isn’t enough anymore. Doug Short, the author of an article called, The Millionaire Delusion, notes that in 1999 the Consumer Price Index (CPI) averaged 166.6. In December 2006 the Consumer Price Index averaged 201.8. That means today, $1,000,000 has the purchasing power of … Read more
I love reading the ‘Millionaire in the Making’ stories on CNNMoney.com. This week’s story is about Daren Fike, a 38-year old widower raising his four year-old daughter Melody. It’s a heart warming story that speaks to the importance of making the most of your time on earth. Daren says, “I would gladly give every cent … Read more
Last night my husband and I watched An Inconvenient Truth, Al Gore’s documentary about global warming. I didn’t care for the cut-aways to Al Gore talking about his family, but otherwise I rather liked the film. What surprised me most was that the documentary didn’t discuss the actions an individual can take to reduce their … Read more
Over the past few weeks I have been much more diligent about clipping coupons, buying items on sale, and generally trying to save money. In an effort to reinforce good behavior, I’ve been spending 30 minutes each Sunday or Monday looking through the circulars of CVS, Rite-Aid, Giant, and Shoppers. I clip the coupons out … Read more
Always borrow money from a pessimist, he doesn’t expect to be paid back. — Anonymous My email is often filled with more spam than mail, but recently I signed up to receive inspirational quotes from a variety of sources. Usually, I receive quotes about living a better life, making the most of what you have, … Read more