Budgets are Sexy

Really? That is pretty interesting....big fan of ...

2009-07-19T21:17:12.345-04:00

Really? That is pretty interesting....big fan of Frugal Dad myself ;) Hope you get more people signing up to your 12 steps!

I think the whole decision will depend on you. If ...

2009-07-19T03:10:18.089-04:00

I think the whole decision will depend on you. If you can keep your colleague just taking a cut of 10%, then its good. I will do it. But it will again depend on the field for many people. Taking a 10% job cut should not be a problem for employees, which I am not.

it would seem obvious...but for us budgeting babie...

2009-07-18T11:28:12.053-04:00

it would seem obvious...but for us budgeting babies...thanks for this reminder...i think we often hesitate to borrow from ourselves because we aren't disciplined enough to "pay ourselves back"....as i become better at managing my money, i have realized that i have less "emergencies"....thanks for the useful tip.

What kind of fool would borrow with an interest ra...

2009-07-18T00:21:00.299-04:00

What kind of fool would borrow with an interest rate rather than borrow from an EMERGENCY FUND. They need to be smacked with our national debt J.

I never borrow on interest(besides my car 4%)..I u...

2009-07-17T19:01:34.735-04:00

I never borrow on interest(besides my car 4%)..I usually just save up, but I like this idea, maybe even pay yourself some interest? I dont like borrowing from Emergency fund for wants, but if you have saving account I think its all good! I am actually in the process of looking for a new TV - might have to borrow from my saving with a 10% APR to pay myself back back from borrowing.

Once again brilliant J money!

Well my 97 mercury tracer is going strong my back ...

2009-07-17T18:23:17.351-04:00

Well my 97 mercury tracer is going strong my back window won't roll up but the wheels are still roooooollin!!

debt free coming soon!!!! Brad you rock!!!! I can't believe our cars are still pushin it!!! i thought for sure mine was ready to kick the bucket back in jan but we prayed and kept believing and me and my baby tracer done been to Chicago twice and back!!!

Yup, completely sleazy and 'not chic' to steal an ...

2009-07-17T15:57:40.763-04:00

Yup, completely sleazy and 'not chic' to steal an outfit, quasi-sweat it up, and return it...talk about trashy and low-class, no matter what kind of clothing or event...just dishonest and low...I won't read more by this woman...

I agree with what MK said... it's hard to pull mon...

2009-07-17T15:33:52.520-04:00

I agree with what MK said... it's hard to pull money out of your EF. It makes me sad to watch those numbers drop. But sometimes it's necessary.

Usually what I'll do if I find myself in a bind is put the emergency on a rewards credit card for the points, then when I get home, I transfer the money from my EF to my checking and then make a payment to my card right away.

But it still hurts to watch that balance drop, though! So I totally understand why people would rather put it on credit than take it out of the good ol' EF.

I think for some people it is more disheartening t...

2009-07-17T14:28:21.644-04:00

I think for some people it is more disheartening to see the big number from their EF that they worked so hard to build drop than it is to take on new debt. I had that problem a few months back, but jsut bit the bullet and took the money out rather than put it on a CC. It still hurts to see my number so small, but it's also nice to knwo I'm not paying interest on somehting I didn't have to!

I agree, borrow from one of your savings account, ...

2009-07-17T14:21:15.550-04:00

I agree, borrow from one of your savings account, especially if you know you can afford to remove money from there for the time being. I recently did this from my vacation fund when I need repairs on my car.

ug. i'm still learning this. had decided to charge...

2009-07-17T13:09:57.739-04:00

ug. i'm still learning this. had decided to charge my whacked-out cell phone bill (on my 0% card, but still) while i have more than enough sitting (and sort of forgotten) in my savings. but it does hurt! ouchie!

maybe i'll learn one of these days. hopefully.

Nice roundup J! Frugal Dad is a great blog! That...

2009-07-17T12:18:23.369-04:00

Nice roundup J! Frugal Dad is a great blog! That man can pump out some serious articles! Fun fact: He was the VERY FIRST blogger to link to EOD, in fact it was my VERY FIRST post.

Also thanks for posting the 12 Steps! Have a great weekend man!

I agree man! In leading Financial Peace Universit...

2009-07-17T12:13:45.582-04:00

I agree man! In leading Financial Peace University classes at my church, I have had many people almost skip using it when an emergency comes up. In most cases I am referring to though it was because they weren't used to even having one. In others, it was because they felt emotionally affected by the thought of taking from the fund they spent so much time to put in place.

I have to say it feels REALLY GREAT when life happens and you have an emergency fund set aside to cover it. It reduces stress people! :)

huh? you lost me. you mean you're borrowing money...

2009-07-17T10:42:30.429-04:00

huh? you lost me. you mean you're borrowing money from one place to invest in another at a higher rate or something? gives me the shivers either way ;)

this is a really nice post. i do the same only the...

2009-07-17T10:19:35.803-04:00

this is a really nice post. i do the same only the opposite. i want to get into debt!! i currently dont have any-none at all but i am dying to get into some. I as an entrepreneur i an currently reading many financial books and in one of them they are explaining on how to use debt to increase your income. i am using it and it works... but its for those with an entrepreneural spirit...like me :)

http://kenyantykoon.wordpress.com/

AWESOME!!!! That's quite a list my friend - I hope...

2009-07-17T09:53:48.085-04:00

AWESOME!!!! That's quite a list my friend - I hope you make every one of them :)

I would have to agree with you. Especially on the...

2009-07-17T09:40:21.795-04:00

I would have to agree with you. Especially on the budgeting part ;)

Thanks for sharing such great post, we are earning...

2009-07-17T03:09:12.300-04:00

Thanks for sharing such great post, we are earning without any of the future plans and spend it without any of the thought of tomorrow. According to me budgeting and minimize the use of credit card is the best way to save money.

I'll have to admit that I'm sometimes happy when I...

2009-07-16T22:15:49.457-04:00

I'll have to admit that I'm sometimes happy when I'm not invited to wedding showers. I don't ever have an issue with buying clothes (just throw on a lbd), just bridal shower, engagement shower, bachelorette party, etc. I can't imagine asking my friends to buy me gifts at all of these events!

It's good to have a game plan! Here's mine! Save ...

2009-07-16T18:19:12.568-04:00

It's good to have a game plan! Here's mine!

Save for wedding next year
Get married - Stick to the budget!
Max out Roth IRA
Pay off debts
Buy a house - 20% down payment (Minimum!)
Increase emergency fund
Get fiance's business going - provide financial support
Replace car?
Max out 401k
Achieve financial independence! Woohoo!

"Buying" a dress, wearing it to an event and then ...

2009-07-16T18:16:38.173-04:00

"Buying" a dress, wearing it to an event and then returning it to the store for a full refund is just not okay. If you don't realize it is stealing from the store you are deluding yourself.

There are places in large cities that rent formal wear for women. If that is what you want to do, fine - rent something. It is totally unethical to attempt to rent an outfit from a regular store. Sorry, I was just totally shocked by this advice!

I have maybe 4 or 6 nice, wedding guest appropriate, dresses in my closet that I have picked up when they are on sale and then on sale again, often after prom season. I have spent probably in the $20-$30 range for each dress, without stealing!

And in case anyone is worried, there is nothing rude about wearing the same outfit to more than one wedding!

haha, sure thing! it's nice to win every now and t...

2009-07-16T16:22:54.348-04:00

haha, sure thing! it's nice to win every now and then ;)

I can't believe I actually won this! Amazing!!! ...

2009-07-16T16:00:39.196-04:00

I can't believe I actually won this! Amazing!!! Thanks, Budgets are Sexy :)

I have to agree with the original poster here, b/c...

2009-07-16T15:43:37.811-04:00

I have to agree with the original poster here, b/c just about everyone I know does buy a new dress/outfit for a wedding. Maybe a lot of it has to do with age and where you live though. Personally, I tend to buy new dresses for weddings frequently, but only after I've "cycled" a certain dress through two or three different weddings/groups of friends. Because I'm at the age where most of my friends are getting married, there are a LOT of weddings to attend, and recycling one or two dresses throughout all of them just looks kinda tacky--not to mention, I get sick of them myself!

I agree that buying a dress on clearance is a great way to cut costs and still feel stylish. I don't think buying a dress with the intention of returning it is "gross" unless you soil the dress. If you just wear it for a few hours and then take it back, I don't see how that's much different from trying it on at home a few times--but other avenues are probably a better bet, especially if you plan on dancing (ie sweating). Buying a dress out of season is a good option too, especially if you know you will have multiple weddings in the coming year.

@Dawn - You're right, I couldn't tell you at all w...

2009-07-16T15:31:46.836-04:00

@Dawn - You're right, I couldn't tell you at all what other people were wearing...unless you allowed me to look at pictures first ;) I'll agree that it's an excuse for some people to go shopping for a new outfit, but I'm not entirely against that either if you're not picking them up every other week. Even though I'm a dude, I love getting a new outfit every now and then - makes you feel good, ya know>
@Daisy - I liked that line too ;) Glad you enjoyed it.
@Ashley - For sure! And somewhat random here, but be sure to bring a gift no matter how big or small! I don't say that to be a dick or anything, but it SUCKS when you're trying to do thank yous and you can't tell if that person brought you something :( Did it get lost? Did someone steal it (it's been known to happen), Did they just forget? I honestly don't care what it is, although I appreciate all gifts, but I can tell you right now that I still wonder about 8 of our friends & family....I still don't know what's up. (I kinda got sidetracked there! haha...)
@MK - I'll agree savings is high in that department.
@Anonymous - Well said! I totally agree with that. I see no problems with buying a new outfit if you're a) smart about it and b) really look forward to wearing it out.
@Danielle - Awesome, thanks! Welcome aboard my friend ;) Although I must warn you, I like credit cards a tiny bit more than Brad! haha... (I'll check out your site too here in a few)
@Anonymous - I was wondering if we'd hear from anyone about that. Creative idea, but I'll agree it walks a fine line. Thx for dropping by :)
@akeka - Another one! see above comment...
@dink2sink - Well they just keep flowing in, eh? Yeah, I like the sharing hotel room idea too - I do that for 90% of them :)