Financial Hack

Every few weeks, I take cash out of the bank for our budget. We pay cash for as much as possible because it’s a great way to visualize our spending habits.
I pull out $300 for our food, gas, laundry, misc. budget and place it in envelopes at home. I try to go directly [...]

It actually happened. I ran out of money in my food budget. Usually I can scrape together a $5 meal and eat it for two days but…I didn’t have $5.
Old me? Pull money out of next month’s budget.
New me? Find something – ANYTHING – to eat. I found a [...]

My husband and I have spent the last two years of homeownership cleaning, fixing-up, and repairing the inside of our home.
OK… my HUSBAND has been working on the inside of the house for two years. I, um, shopped for drapes?
We are finally moving our focus to the exterior (since the neighbors ‘tease’ us relentlessly [...]

It’s Friday! I felt like a happy Friday so I used my software to calculate my new debt number. Sometimes it’s surprising that looking at my debt number is a good thing. It’s nice to see it heading south.
Total paid since October?
9,585.91
Total remaining:
$28,909.95
I can’t wait to cross the $10,000 mark next month!!
My [...]

I’ve been told about the importance of good hair products for women. I’ve always been on the fence about them.
Does my long hair really need $40 shampoo?
I buy my hair products from the same place I buy my milk and my garden supplies… Target. I clip coupons from the paper for Infusium brand [...]

It seems as though the harder I work to unbury my finances, the more is heaped.
Our higher mortgage payment is depressing. I struggle to not scream in frustration every time I transfer the extra $150 a month to our mortgage account. Perhaps if I was paying more on my principle I’d be fine [...]

‘How are you at shaking hands and kissing babies?’ my manager asked.
‘Germaphobic and allergic to baby powder?’ I wanted to respond.
Instead, I enthusiastically replied, ‘Great! What can I do for you?’
‘We’d like you to represent us at a meet and great between government agencies and private agencies’ he said.
‘So what you’re saying is… I [...]

As shocking as this is…
I’m used to public transportation. I actually… kinda like it. I like not driving. I like not sitting in traffic. I like not paying for gas. I like playing solitaire while listening to books on tape while my car sits peacefully in my driveway.
My friends don’t [...]

Friends are free right?
I have fabulous friends. Friends who understand phases like, ‘Sorry, no Christmas gift this year. Bank of America got it’ and ‘Can we please have our girl’s night out at Taco Bell? All I have in my ash tray is 76 cents.’
My friends are forgiving, understanding, loving, [...]

Over the last year, I heard the newspapers and magazines warning consumers about changes to credit card interest rates. Often times, the rates were hiked even on consumers with no late payments and relatively low balances.
As my friends and family complained of the letters they received in the mail six or more months ago, [...]