Climbing Out One Family’s Adventure in Becoming Debt-free

Some days getting out of debt is exciting! Some days it’s mundane. And some days it sucks.

Prepare for a rant.

I’m warning you right now that this post is going to hurt you as much as it hurts me. In fact, it is my goal to share my pain here.

Okay, to be honest, I think I just want to completely transfer my pain to you so that I can move on. …continue reading

There is an FPU class on negotiating. I should take it again.

I’m not very good at negotiating, getting the deal or walking away. That last one you would think would be easier for me. If you don’t have the money then walk away. The problem is I don’t use the power of walking away when the monetary difference seems manageable.

Today I signed the kids up for gymnastics class. I told the Dad that the classes would be $70 a month. When I went to sign the papers, I was surprised by the $35 per child registration fee! That was double what I expected to pay. That was double what we had budgeted for. Eek!

I should not have written the check, but I did. …continue reading

Money never seemed to be much of an issue growing up even though we didn’t have much of it. My mother was a single parent and we were on welfare for a while, but I never knew about it. I have no memories of going without or being poor.

What I do remember are the empowering things she taught me. One of her favorite sayings is “Do you know how to eat an elephant? One bite at a time.”

The youngest memory I have that proved to be most life-changing is from the day I wanted a chocolate chip cookie …continue reading

Green flowery things, cute little animals, crisp fresh air; I love all of these things. Really I do. So my question today comes down to one of economics and I am interested in your feedback.

Our city, like many across the country, offers a waste recycling program with separate bins for waste (aka Lets-just-bury-this-in-the-ground-and-cover-it-with-dirt-like-it-never-happened) and glass & plastic.

Over the weekend I packed the kids into the car with our latest experiment in frugality: doing our own recycling. …continue reading

The Millennium Falcon for Christmas in 1982, visiting Scotland, being debt-free… From an early age I’ve always easily gotten my heart set on things. You’d think I’d learn to manage my own expectations better.

I am preparing our six-month update for this journey and am excited to see we  are  were paying off another debt with August’s snowball payment. …continue reading

One of my favorite teachers in college was a creative genius. He taught us to shift our thinking, to “get out of the box” and be original. But he wasn’t the most pragmatic person when it came to the nuts and bolts of life.

This was a man who traded his car in and bought a new one because the headlight went out. I am not kidding.

Over the years The Wife and I have become a fairly competent man and woman. We do not balk at things like garbage disposals, international airport travel, or Los Angeles freeways. Table saws, sergers, and home electrical systems are old hat. …continue reading