Budget

Common Budget Busters and How to Fix Them

May 15, 2014 by John Schmoll

Living within a budget can be difficult at times and there is always a challenge to stick to it. This is where the proverbial budget buster comes to life. You try your best to stick to your budget, but there is always something that trips you up each time you want to do your best.

In light of that, I thought it would be helpful to share some of the fixes we’ve implemented to kill our budget busters and allow us to have more of our money work for us. [Read more…] about Common Budget Busters and How to Fix Them

3 Areas Not to Overlook as You Financially Prepare for Next Year

November 7, 2013 by John Schmoll

Whether you believe it or not, we are just a short seven short weeks or so from ringing in 2014. If you’re like me, you may feel like this year has flown by and the prospect of a new year is a bit on the nutty side. While it is crazy, I like to be prepared and the impending new year is a great reminder that it’s a perfect opportunity to look at how we can financially prepare for the dawn of a new calendar year. [Read more…] about 3 Areas Not to Overlook as You Financially Prepare for Next Year

3 Great Ways to Celebrate the Fourth of July on the Cheap

July 3, 2013 by John Schmoll

I don’t know about you, but I have always been a fan of summer holidays especially when they allow for a long weekend. I remember growing up as a kid my family would always do something fun for the holidays, especially over the Fourth of July. It usually involved grilling of some sort, hanging out with friends and massive amounts of fireworks. If you’re looking for a way to celebrate the Fourth of July frugally, there are still some options available to you that will allow you to enjoy the festivities and not bust your budget.

How to Have an Unforgettable Summer Vacation and not Bust Your Budget

May 1, 2013 by John Schmoll

It’s the beginning of May which means that summer vacation season is just getting started. Growing up, I remember looking forward to our family vacation every summer as it usually meant going somewhere fun. Today, as a father of three, summer vacations are still fun but they are not all fun. Before the big trip (or sometimes not so big trip) I have to find a way to skimp on costs without sacrificing the fun. While vacations can vary greatly in price, I have found a few ways to have a memorable vacation without busting my budget.

Is Your Credit Card Debt Worth the Cost?

February 13, 2013 by John Schmoll

I remember the day like it was yesterday, I was looking at my four credit card statements and saw that I was just north of $20,000 in credit card debt. I asked myself, how did I get there? It did not help that I had just come back from the music store having purchased four or five CD’s that I had no business buying, yet I still did not see the issue. My problem was that I was using credit cards to fund a lifestyle that I wanted, and felt that I deserved but was doing it at the expense of my future. It would be one thing if the credit card debt was due to me losing a job or something like that, but sadly it was largely spent on junk that I did not need. One question kept running through my mind – was all that stuff worth the cost?

Making Travel a Reality

May 9, 2012 by Eric Rosenberg

In November, I spent 2 weeks in London, Paris, and Amsterdam. In January, I was in Costa Rica. In March, I made it to Fayetteville, Arkansas for a weekend. On Monday, I came home from New Orleans for three days before I drive to Omaha for a long weekend. Next weekend I am back in Arkansas, and by the end of the summer I will have been to Minneapolis and hopefully Spain.

This might be incredibly overwhelming, but you can really do it too. I promise.