4
Aug
Posted by the Dad in Climbing Out. 10 Comments
“Perhaps I’m just feeling surprised and beat up as line-item after line-item shows up for this thing like a mechanic calling throughout the day to tell you he found another thing wrong with the car.”
The Wife has taken dance classes since she was two and danced professionally into her twenties. I, on the other hand, had almost no paid hobbies growing up. With those differences, it should probably be no surprise that we need an Emergency Budget Meeting about the kids’ upcoming dance recital.
To The Wife it is expected that we budget for costumes and recital tickets and, hey, I’m cool with that. My kids rocking a stage? Awesome. It’s all the other things that are starting to freak me out; maybe I need some perspective from other parents. …continue reading
21
Jul
Posted by the Dad in Climbing Out. 4 Comments
I should start by stating something obvious; no one wants us to be out of debt more than us. In fact I NEVER WANT TO SEE A CREDIT CARD AGAIN.
I believe our perceptions of money, debt and even contentment (i.e.: happiness) have become so healthy as The Wife and I sear the lessons of becoming debt-free into our psyches.
All of our family and friends support our goal and some have even dug in and are applying the same principles that bring us such peace. But a recent offer from very kind, loving family members highlights one of the red flags we have come to watch for. …continue reading
16
Jul
Posted by The Wife in Climbing Out. 4 Comments
Being on a budget and working with cash has made things easier for me at the register.
Daughter A is finally agreeing to wear some other clothes besides the “zoo shirt” she’s been living in and fleecey pants. It could be the 100F+ temperatures we’ve been having, but whatever! It’s so nice to see her legs.
A Surprise Shopping Trip
So, the other day I got a $10 off coupon from Kohl’s, a local big-box department store. I decided that I would pitch in a couple of bucks and take the girls shopping and get a couple items of clothing as a treat. Something Summer-y. We spent over half an hour trying on different clothes: pajamas, dresses, shorts… I only pulled things from the clearance rack to stay in the budget I had set for myself. We finally narrowed it down to four items that would only ask about $6 from my pocket.
As we stood at the register …continue reading
22
Feb
Posted by the Dad in Climbing Out. 11 Comments
DOMAIN RENEWAL NOTIFICATION: Your domain Climbingout.net is going to expire!
Wow — already?!
I can hardly believe it has been a year since we started on the road to financial peace. First, a thank you to all of you who follow our journey and offer encouragement. To those of you doing it with us, HIGH FIVE!
So how are we doing? It’s been 12 months since we started this journey and this blog.
For 12 months we have …continue reading
14
Jan
Posted by the Dad in Climbing Out. 22 Comments
Several months ago we hit that frustratingly expensive time in a man’s hygenic cycle: it was time to buy razor blades. Ugh.
I’ve been using Gillette Fusion blades since they came out and the Mach 3s before that. Why? Because they sent me a free handle, unsolicited, when they first produced the dang things.
I think they came with one or two cartridges too. However, at $25 per refill package they had become a painful slice of the weekly budget. I was done. …continue reading
31
Dec
Posted by the Dad in Climbing Out. 10 Comments
What were you like 10 years ago?
Isn’t it interesting how we attach significance to some numbers? Turning 40 is over the hill. $99 is a much better deal than $100. 5 miles over the speed limit is okay.
As this decade ends today I find myself weighed down with the importance of looking back ten years at where I was, what I did and, maybe more importantly, what I didn’t know.
Certainly nothing makes this ten year span more important than any other, but what the heck. …continue reading
