christianheadlines

A Home But Still a Boat

Wed, 30 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Jackson and his wife love the sea, and they want to buy a boat to live on. They have two options, and one of them they could pay cash for. If it's going to be their home, should they pay cash or take out a loan?

Blake and Sarah Are Debt-Free!

Wed, 30 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Blake and Sarah are debt-free! They paid off $48,000 in eight months.

Donald Sold His Motorcycle

Tue, 29 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Jessica and Donald are debt-free! They paid off $25,000 in 11 months.

Daniel and Maria Sacrificed Restaurants

Tue, 29 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Daniel and Maria are debt-free! They traveled from Indianapolis after paying off $23,000 in 18 months.

Dave Says - May 28, 2012

Mon, 28 May 2012 06:05:00 GMT

I bought a car a few years ago and purchased new wheels for $1,100 on credit ...

She Doesn't Feel Free

Mon, 28 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Dianna and her husband are debt-free except for their mortgage. She thought she'd be experiencing freedom at this point, but she isn't.

Todd and Robin Didn't Waver

Mon, 28 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Todd and Robin are debt-free! They traveled from West Virginia after paying off $87,000 in 29 months.

Is FSBO the Way to Go?

Sun, 27 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Kelly asks if Dave ever recommends an FSBO versus using a real estate agent to sell a home. Dave says no and explains why not.

Queen Of Free Is Debt-Free

Sat, 26 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Cherie and Brian are debt-free! They traveled from Indiana to celebrate paying off $127,000 in four years.

Jessie is Judgment Proof

Fri, 25 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Jessie has $90,000 in medical bills. He had no insurance and had his gall bladder removed. He's not working and is going to school. His mom is advising him to file bankruptcy.

Challenged By Family and Friends

Fri, 25 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Toni and Gerald are debt-free! They paid off $164,000 in three years. That includes the house!

paid off car instead of doing remodel to the house

Thu, 24 May 2012 13:00:00 GMT

because of dave, my wife and i decided to hold off on a house remodel and use the money to pay off our car. just paid the bank 14,000 to pay it off and now both our cars are owned free and clear! we feel much better about things and the house remodel can wait. thanks to dave we got our priorities straight and are a couple student loans away from being debt free!

Do the math first

Thu, 24 May 2012 07:22:00 GMT

As a young new single mother, I was given the opportunity to buy life insurance for my new baby at a mere $20 per month. The policy would provide $1000 upon her death. I did not do the math. Twenty years later the policy was paid in full. I did the math then and realized I had paid $5000 for the $1000 policy. Last year I cashed out the policy because she is married and did not want the policy. I received $250 on my #5000 policy.

Follow this faithfully

Wed, 23 May 2012 07:44:00 GMT

I would like to tell everyone that if you use this faithfully and are willing to sacrifice a fews things in life for a while it really does work. Back in 2010, I got married to my wonderful wife, Jennifer. We only had one income, newly married, and she was in college. We had trouble paying the bills at first because we didnt know what we where doing and used the credit cards a lot. We had around 6 credit cards that had some type of payment on them. We also had a car loan, student loans adding up, and regulars bills that we had to pay every month. I was in need of some help. I knew about finances and knew about keeping a checkbook and saving but I never had a firm grasp on what it truly meant. I asked people at church if they knew anyone that could help us, get us some guildlines. One of them mentioned Dave Ramsey. The first time I read about Dave I knew he had something that I needed. A blessing from heaven. I have read everything from the website, and listened to him on the radio a few times. All wonderful advice. Now 2 years later my wife and I have all of our credit cards paid off, cut up, and shreaded, completed babystep number 1, have traded in our fancy Jeep Patriot for an older Volkswagon Jetta with $100 off the payment each month lowered the payoff my 6 thousand dollars, and are going to be finish paying off the loan this time next year, May 2013, and are on a plan to get all her student loans paid off in 10 years. Life has been better, stress is less, and we are having a fun time. God is faithful. He has really helped us thru all this. We owe a lot of credit to Dave Ramsey, but we owe all of our credit to our Lord Jesus.

Consequences of not listening to my spouse

Wed, 23 May 2012 07:15:00 GMT

Please read story - it's a series of life lessons better not learned the hard way. Not long ago, I graduated from physical therapy school and decided that "I'm making more money, I deserve a better/bigger house". I had convinced myself that the neighborhood we lived in was too loud, or that I always wanted a real garage and the house didn't have one. So I searched and found a beautiful house in the woods. The price was much more than our current house, but it was affordable. My wife didn't like the house and suggested it was a poor financial decision. Well, I felt I deserved this reward and I went so far as to tell my wife I would leave her if she didn't let me have it. I promised to renovate the house into something she would like. So we bought it, and I began renovations. I had some money set aside, but due to many unexpected cost, I ended up borrowing from the bank and both sets of our parents just to make it liveable. So now I owe family money - which has changed family dynamics, I have a $700+ per month bank loan, and I still don't have a garage as I closed it in during the renovation. Now we are in a position where we are trying to move to new town. Sure the house will sell, but we will still be paying everyone back 10s of thousands. I haven't had time or money to go or do anything for 4 year. I ended up taking a job I hated and couldn't leave because I needed more money. Due to (unnecessary) financial and job stress, I nearly destroyed my relationship with my wife. Had I listened to my wife I would have been debt free besides the home, and had all the time and money to travel. Perhaps I would have had the freedom to look at other investment opportunities - the one's that require cash. I hope this story can help at least one person out there. It's not worth buying the Cadillac house, the Cadillac car, or the Cadillac lifestyle if A) It effects your relationships, and B) it cost you your financial freedom. I would rather live in a card board box - ya its that important.

Dave Says - May 22, 2012

Tue, 22 May 2012 16:05:00 GMT

We're on Baby Step 1 of your plan, and we have $1,000 saved...

Persistence, priorities & modification

Mon, 21 May 2012 16:03:00 GMT

In spring of 2009 my daughter was laid off from her regular job. She exhausted her savings, made some dumb choices and in August of 2011 found herself headed down the path to foreclosure. I listen to your shown during my evening commute and it was through your continued counseling to other listeners that I found the strength to tell her I wasn't going to bail her out of this. (I am financially in a position where I could have "fixed" this.) It broke my heart to tell her that she may be faced with losing her house. We submitted documents for modification of her mortgage and were denied; however, in the meantime she dug in her heels, found two steady part-time jobs and, based on the change in her financials, we immediately submitted the modification documents for the second time. She continued working hard, we followed the recommendations including emphasizing to the bank her commitment to the home and the community and presenting a repayment plan (i.e., reduced interest rate to what is now current (3.5% less than the original) and a small extention of the term of the loan). We were please to be told last week that the modification had been approved and my daughter will have the opportunity to hold her head up, continue to dig her heels in, and stay in her home. We are truly blessed and have grown in the experience. God is truly good!

Twins!!

Mon, 21 May 2012 09:35:00 GMT

Here's a pic of my husband, Scott. I think he is taking his obsession with you a bit too far. Friends invited us to see you live in Dallas last year. We started the program in October 2011 and have paid off about $20K in debt. Before that we were 'living the American dream' - which was more like a nightmare because of all our debt. We are on the road to financial freedom and have YOU to thank for it. We took your financial peace class and have convinced family members to take it as well. I was totally a Dave fan, but my husband shaving his head...well, I love ya Dave, but not that much. Ha Ha. I have to tell you one more thing...your witness tape touched something in us. We were not church goers but visited several churches and found one that we like. It's made a difference in our lives. I just wanted you to know that. God Bless You and keep up the good work. You are helping people every day, in more ways than just financially. Love from your biggest fans, Laurie and Scott Reinhold Allen, Texas

Blessed to be DEBT FREE in 9 months!

Mon, 21 May 2012 08:37:00 GMT

My soon to be wife and I took the FPU class at our church January 2011...finished the class in April...got married in May. We paid for our entire wedding and honeymoon in cash! We spent the next 6 months clearing almost $18,000 dollars in credit card debt, high interest loans and other DUMB debt. We were fortunate to be able to facilitate the next FPU class at our church during the summer which further engrained DR's system into our brains! We became DEBT FREE in September 2011. We had started tithing properly after I got saved in September of 2010, and unexplainably (or so some would think) my income went up rather dramatically. After becoming debt free in September...I did the unthinkable. Yes I put us back in debt by buying a formerly loved van for $11000 and selling our current 160k miles van. However, with a plan to be able to pay it off completely within 6 months (yes I had to sell my motorcycle...uuugh.) Happily, 5 months is up and the van is PAID OFF! Thanks to the FPU class, we have been able to turn our financial position around by nearly $50,000 in just over 15 months (on a combined income of $120,000/yr.) We are now DEBT FREE and have (5) months in our EF! What a blessing it has been! We have a mixed family, she had two girls when we met 7 years ago...now we have another boy together and a girl on the way! SO we needed this in a huge way! We are both on the same page when it comes to money...yes I am the NERD...and she is my Free-spirit but together we are DEBT FREE and Lovin' it! Cant wait to see where this adventure will take us next! Family Info: My wife(35) and myself(40), 15yo girl, 7yo girl, 4yo boy, new little girl to arrive within 5 days, and my mom lives with us as well. Oh and I am supposed to mention our two cats, and ten chickens too. Thanks DR and Crew! The Cowles Family ~ Stony Point, NC.

Debt no longer holds us back

Fri, 18 May 2012 13:28:00 GMT

It wasn't until I landed my dream teaching job that I decided to heed the advice I had been hearing Dave give other listeners on the radio for over a year. I came to the realization that even with the income my husband and I had always dreamed of, we were still living paycheck to paycheck. Thanks to credit cards, a truck, a line of credit, and student loans, we had $40,000 in consumer debt. Unfortunately, aside from the monthly bills, we did not have much to show for it. It took a few months of me "being the change I wanted to see (in my family)" before my husband was convinced this sacrificial road was the right one. Together we committed to cutting our reckless spending. We prepared a monthly budget (and stuck to it!); we pretty much stopped going out to eat (unless it was in the budget!); I started planning meals and refused to grocery shop without a list; I started making my own laundry detergent and household cleaners; and my husband even started driving a car to work instead of his dearly beloved truck! I could not be more thankful for the changes we committed to, because 10 months ago, I received a lay-off notification from the very dream job that had prompted our new financial journey. What a blessing to have a baby emergency fund already in place; almost half of our consumer debt paid in full; and the frugal behaviors already in place that we needed in order to be successful on a reduced income. Our debt snowball slowed, but our gazelle intensity increased. I got more heavily involved in the MyTMMO community. I started posting questions and asking for advice when I had budget issues. We even participated in the Biggest Loser of Debt Challenge in the Money Tallks forum and exceeded our original goal by 10%! My kids (11 and 4) and I listened to your show nearly every day, while I prepared dinner. My husband was rewarded for his hard work with a promotion to the department of his dreams, and that promotion came with nearly unlimited overtime opportunities. So while I kept things moving forward on the homefront, he was "killing it" at work. Due to the support we received from Dave's radio wisdom, his books, the MyTMMO community, and God we successfully paid off all $40,000 of our consumer debt in 18 months! Plus, we are tithing more than we ever have. Now we can build our emergency fund and start really preparing for our future. We started out this journey thinking our debt wasn't so bad. We told ourselves we were in better shape than most people. Thanks Dave, for giving us the kick in the pants we needed to drop the debt that was holding us back! We are forever grateful.

What a difference a Dave made.

Thu, 17 May 2012 18:45:00 GMT

Dave--I read TMMO over 2 years ago and got really excited. Small problem--my husband did not get excited, and we kept moving on status quo. Fast forward 2 years, October of 2011. I found an FPU class and told my husband I was going wtih or without him. He joined me for the initial class and a handful of classes after. Because we came to the class in much better shape than many others as far as credit card debt, he just never committed fully to the idea of cash only and being debt free. He really had bought into the "credit culture"--you know debt is good, gotta have some debt so that you have a great credit score. He has been mighty proud of that score over the years. Anyway, I finished the class and last month paid off the last credit card, which was used to purchase a central air unit for a rental property and to take down some dead trees in on both our property and the rental. It felt really good to get that monkey off my back. Next to tackle are student loans, which will take awhile, but they will be paid off well before they are scheudled to be paid off, as I am no longer satisfied to have that debt over my head. My husband has also bought into the owning property gig--he cannot imagine selling our rental property--"it is building equity", "someone else is buying a house for us" We are far apart where this subject is concerned. Other things I have done to help pay down debt: 1.Bonus check and tax return both used to pay off debt..next year my tax return will be less as I have not been claiming enough dependents...I will be using that cash all year instead of Uncle Sam. 2. Hosting multi family garage sale with another FPU participant. (Dave--we are going to give you some FREE advertising--our signs are going to tell people it is a FPU garage sale and tell people to ask us about it.) This will also be free advertising for my church, as once I finished the class at another local church, I went to our family misinstry leader and said "we have to have this program here" We should be holding our first session this fall. 3. Take my lunch every day. 4. I shop in bulk with a friend to cut grocery costs. 5. My clothes and the kids clothes are all gently used. 6. I surrendered children's whole life insurance polocies and received the cash value of $910. I added my kids to my term insurance policy for $10 a month versus the $20/month I had been paying. 7. Stopped contributing to my 401K for now. This program has helped me change my financial future, and that of my children. I asked my husband to move out on Mother's Day. The financial part of our marriage was not the only thing that was broken. Many things that I have heard Dave say on the program and that I read on my desk calendar support my making this decision. My husband was not taking care of his family in more ways than one, so I had to make a difficult decision, but one that will be best for me and my kids in the long run. It may even be best for him too, as it may be a wake up call that he needs to be more responsible. I will check in again when I complete my debt snowball and begin working on my 3-6 months savings. Thanks for all you do Dave. LSR West Des Moines, IA

Thankful

Thu, 17 May 2012 16:48:00 GMT

We want to say thank you for your Financial Peace University class, and thank God for His amazing provision to our family. I have to admit, we were skeptics of the class before we tried it. We decided to give FPU a try, though, and we found that Dave's DVD's were funny, engaging, and most of all, extremely helpful. Thankfully, we did not have thousands of dollars racked up in credit card debt, but we did not have a good way to manage our money and had made some financial decisions that looking back could have caused financial ruin, had we not gotten out when we did. My husband was in seminary at the time that we took this class, and we dove head first into the envelope system and monthly budgeting. It was difficult at first, but the monthly budget soon became very easy, and my husband found that balancing the check book every month was much less time-consuming, since we were barely using our debit card for purchases. When my husband graduated from seminary in May 2010, we were blessed with the opportunity for him to work as a bi-vocational pastor, which he continues to do today. He works full time from home for his job that pays the bills, and part-time as a volunteer pastor. I have been working full time as well but have always wanted to stay home with our child(ren). We knew that eventually, Jon would likely enter full-time ministry, and with that would come smaller paychecks. We decided to follow Dave's advise and treat Baby Step #2 with gazelle intensity, using my salary to pay off our student loan debt. We have a car payment as well currently, but no other debt. We moved into a cooperative town home where we have a smaller space but also a much smaller monthly rent payment, and we earn a small amount of interest that we can later use as a down payment on a home. We are excited to say that today we made our final student loan payment to Sallie Mae and the U.S. Department of Education. In two years and three days, we have paid off $21,035 in student loans. We are also in the middle of adopting our second child, and because of the generosity of friends and family as well as a generous income, we have set an adoption budget that will allow us to pay in cash when we are matched with a birth parent. We are also happy to say that I have resigned from my position at work and will be able to focus on my other full-time job of being a mom in just a few short weeks. To prepare for that, we're preparing to cancel our cable service, and we invested in Ooma to allow us to still have a land line phone but avoid a monthly phone payment. We also plan to make our own baby food and use cloth diapers when our baby arrives to reduce the monthly cost of diapers. And since we don't have a water bill included in our housing expenses, we won't have to worry about an increase in our water costs! We are not completely debt-free, but our car payment is the last of the debt we currently have, and we will be able to make additional payments on that next. We are so thankful to have learned how to be better stewards of the money that God has given us, and we hope to continue learning more and to impart this knowledge on our children. FPU has changed our lives in a positive way and we are so thankful!

Payed off House Today!!!!

Wed, 16 May 2012 11:41:00 GMT

It took us six years to say the words Im debt free!! I payed the house off today!!! We started with 101,040.85 in debt the day I started. I can't say my husband was on board at first it took several years of making small strides we payed off the visa, citibank,American Express, Sears, Slumberland,Truck and Car and 2 girls in braces at the same time. We just kept going even when there was times It just seemed like I was spinning my wheels,we would get ahead just to have the air go out when it was over a hundred degrees out side the price was going to be over 3000.00 to fix it my husband asked if there was any other way and found out there was and old unit we could have for 700.00 cash its been working fine for 3 years now. Going through this has taught me to look at things a different way Cash is KING!!! About 3 years ago I was still struggling to stay on budget with food and nessasity with prices going up all of the time. Thats when I found The Krazy coupon Ladys and started to using coupons a different way to be able to feed my family and build a stockpile for less than I had been and I was getting name brand things my family needed for pennies on the dollar. Everything takes time weather its to line off the debt or waiting to use coupons to get something for free,that I used to pay for. My husband and kids used to joke I was cheap, But I told them I'm Just the Face of Thrifty!! I still have the nice things I like but I just find a new way to have it, I have to wait till I save up or catch a great deal. I can't thank you enough!!! If you just keep filling out the budget every month you will get there!!!!!

Reddi-Wip, PAM, Banquet, Orville Redenbacher + Printables!

no_email@example.com (Midwest Coupon Chick) — Tue, 15 May 2012 15:05:00 GMT

Here is a GREAT list of new printables! Grab them while you can! $1/1 Reddi-Wip 13 oz or larger $1/1 PAM No-Stick Cooking Spray $1/4 Banquet Fruit Pies $1/2 Marie Callender’s Small Cream or Fruit Pies $1/3 Hunt’s Snack Pack Pudding 4-packs $1/4 Chef Boyardee 15 oz or larger $1/2 Orville Redenbacher’s Popcorn 5 oz [...]

In State Tuition

Tue, 15 May 2012 10:11:00 GMT

Four years ago, my daughter entered Ole Miss at 18 years of age and faced out of state tuition. 356.00 an hour vs. approximately 100.00 per semester hour. Being the smart dad, I purchased a home in Oxford and waited for the second semester to begin. I proudly met with the school bursar to explain her residency and all the money I was going to save. He began to laugh when he looked at me and stated, lots of people have tried this sir, by state law, your daughter cannot establish residency until their 22nd birthday. Stupid tax, on top of tuition, mortgage and expenses for four years, requirement to live in sorority house one year (house sits vancant) and loss of her ability of first time home buyer benefits. Those were very expensive visits for football weekends. Anybody want to buy a home in Oxford Mississippi?

Dave Says - May 14, 2012

Mon, 14 May 2012 17:05:00 GMT

I'm a single dad with two teenagers at home ...

BURNED the Mortgage!

Sat, 12 May 2012 16:23:00 GMT

We did it! My wife, son, and I set fire to a highlighter-soaked amortization schedule this morning. Watching the once colorful document blend into charcoal ashes was like showering after a long hike – what a sense of relief. Here are some of the techniques we used to terminate a 20 year loan in less than half the time: 1. Amortization Schedule: Print this out and place it where you’ll think (and talk) about it daily. Our eight year old son had the task of crossing out lines each month as a teaching point. He frequently tells our extended family about how we’re “paying off the mortgage.” 2. Automatic Principal Payments: Start with $100 and add the majority of every raise you get – you won’t miss it if you act quickly each rating season. 3. Tax Withholding: Add the remainder of your raises to income tax withholdings. While reducing your interest payments is highly beneficial, you will have a sizeable tax surprise the next spring unless you plan for the impact of smaller interest deductions. 4. Windfalls: Every bonus, tax break, and inheritance should go into your mortgage – immediately. Electronically transfer such monies the day they land your checking accounts. 5. Health and Safety First: Be extremely focused on this step, but if you cars need repairs, fix them. 6. Last Payment: Expect your mortgage company to make this unnecessarily complicated. It took several phone calls to our bank and mortgage company, coupled with multiple transactions (and reversals), to officially take the balance to zero. In a couple of weeks, we’ll really celebrate by renting a limo and introducing our son to the top restaurant in our state. Then we’ll splurge on several “wants” that we’ve put off for years before increasing savings by year-end. G, K, and L

Shot myself in the foot

Sat, 12 May 2012 09:44:00 GMT

I have sold a ton of stuff since first hearing about Financal Peace in September. Really, I've sold every major item I can sell except two things. I came to Dave's site hoping to figure out if I should sell a couple fire arms at a loss. I paid retail price for both and have quickly learned that they are worth less than retail when I try to sell them. I still have a small vehicle loan and a huge student loan to pay off. I wish I had known Dave a long time ago - before I used my money to buy toys that didn't hold their value instead of paying down my debt. It seems, as I read these stupid tax stories, that I have one of my own. And now that yard sale season is here, the non-major items will be sold soon.

CVS: FREE Full Size Body Wash!

no_email@example.com (Midwest Coupon Chick) — Thu, 10 May 2012 13:01:00 GMT

Hurry over to the CVS Minute Clinic Facebook page where you can enter your info to get a coupon for a Free Full Size Moisturizing Body Wash! Coupon will be emailed to you and is good through May 2oth.

Walgreens: FREE 8×10 Photo Print!

no_email@example.com (Midwest Coupon Chick) — Thu, 10 May 2012 12:59:00 GMT

Head over to Walgreens.com and you can get a free 8×10 photo print. Use coupon code: FREE4ME at checkout and select in store pick up to make it completely free! Valid through May 12th.

Door prize disaster

Tue, 08 May 2012 14:30:00 GMT

I had just gotten my first apartment and knew nothing about money or gimmicks. I graduated top of my college class without any money smarts. A local shopping warehouse was offering a free set of steak knives for attending an informational meeting. Mind you I had a one bedroom apartment and was making $5.32 an hour. I went to the seminar, got the knives, and bought a membership for $500! I couldn't afford to buy anything, anywhere, after that. And the knives didn't even cut all that well. Learned my lesson-paid the stupid tax!

Lost the amp, the ring, and the girl

Tue, 08 May 2012 08:46:00 GMT

Too many of us musicians and artist-types have used a credit card to buy a guitar. Or an amp. Or groceries. And too many of us have been burned. Case in point: I was once foolish enough to buy a guitar amp with a credit card. (I get extra bonus stupid points for doing this at a pawn shop.) Of course I couldn’t afford to buy the amp. (Roland Jazz Chorus 77. Mint.) I was a starving college student. I was also 19 or 20 years old, and I’d recently received five or six credit card applications in the mail. I thought this was FREE MONEY! Being young and ignorant, I responded accordingly, applying for every card I could get my hands on. And every card I received felt like a blessing. How wrong can a guy possibly be? Anyway, back to the amp… after taking it home, playing it for a few months, and using it to earn a grand total of exactly $0.00, I decided I was in love with a woman. I took the amp back to the same pawn shop and hocked it for a diamond ring. Two months later, when the relationship ended and I took the ring back to the same pawn shop, they were happy to buy it back from me. For 50% of what I’d paid for it. They still had the amp, and I wanted it back. But I didn’t have the full amount. And guess what… they only would accept the minimum $15 payment OR the full amount. After a few months of minimum payments, I realized I would never get the amp back. So, in conclusion, I lost the amp. I lost the ring. I lost the girl. But I got to KEEP all of the credit card debt! That’s how this game works. So here’s my rant. Using credit cards = being in debt. For life. It means sending part of every paycheck to a credit card company. It means living life in debt. In contrast, being DEBT FREE = walking down the street with a smile. It means not worrying about how the bills are going to get paid. It means abundance, wealth, joy, and the ability to GIVE. I lived all of my adult life (from age 19 to age 41) in debt. Then I woke up, paid off all of my debt, CUT UP ALL OF MY CREDIT CARDS and closed every credit card account, built up an EMERGENCY FUND of six months worth of expenses, and now my wife and I are saving for a house. (Say it with me: We won’t even THINK about signing a contract until we have at least 20% down, and the terms will be a 15 year fixed mortgage with monthly payments that equal no more than 25% of total income. Until then, we wait, we work, we save, we stay in GRATITUDE for all of the abundance in our lives.) (NOTE: My wife and I both work for non-profit agencies. It took us almost two years of constant effort to get ‘debt free’. It was NOT the overnight cure that I’d hoped for. Much to my surprise, I’m finding that nothing worthwhile in my life IS a quick fix.) What’s happening today? When I get my paycheck each month, I don’t worry about “minimum payments” or “late payments” or “missed payments” to any credit card company. I laugh all the way to the bank. When I want to rent a car or buy an airline ticket, I use my DEBIT CARD. (If a company doesn’t accept my debit card, I don’t USE that company.) I like to pay CASH for things. I don’t owe anyone ANYTHING. Especially not a credit card company. And with all of the energy and passion that is freed up by releasing debt-related fears and worries, I have more energy for my music, for communing with nature, for connecting with my colleagues, family, friends, and loved ones. My life is simply fuller, richer, and more delicious than ever before!

Dave Says - May 7, 2012

Mon, 07 May 2012 20:05:00 GMT

I have a problem with impulse spending ...

Garnier Coupons Stack At Target!

no_email@example.com (Midwest Coupon Chick) — Mon, 07 May 2012 19:40:00 GMT

Head over and grab a $2/1 Garnier Moisturizer product coupon under zip code 33712. Stack it with the $2/1 Target coupon valid on Garnier Skin Care to get a GREAT deal on Garnier at Target!!!

Facebook Coupons: Grape Nuts, Freshetta, Rally’s!

no_email@example.com (Midwest Coupon Chick) — Mon, 07 May 2012 18:16:00 GMT

Here are a few more Facebook coupons: $1/1 Grape Nuts $1 off any Freshetta Pizza 14oz or More Free Small Layered Sundae or Classic Shake with any Purchase at Checkers & Rally’s Restaurants

Plum District: $15 for $30 Worth of Flowers from Teleflora – Deliver for Mom this Mother’s Day!

no_email@example.com (Midwest Coupon Chick) — Mon, 07 May 2012 18:09:00 GMT

Have you used Plum District yet? I have SEVERAL times and I love the deals that I get there! It is similar to Groupon…but they seem to have better deals (at least in my opinion)! One of the current deals that is VERY TIMELY is $15 for $30 Worth of Flowers from Teleflora – Deliver [...]

Jamba Juice: Save $2!

no_email@example.com (Midwest Coupon Chick) — Mon, 07 May 2012 17:52:00 GMT

This is one of my favorite treats! Saving $2 on it will just make it taste better! Click HERE to get your coupon!

Kellogg’s Cereal Printables!

no_email@example.com (Midwest Coupon Chick) — Mon, 07 May 2012 17:42:00 GMT

Here are a couple of Kellogg’s Cereals coupons…These are not super high value, but they are becoming more rare. So, grab them and use them with a sale! $1 off any Three Special K Cereals Use zip code 84121 $1 off any Three Kellogg’s Cereals Use zip code 77429

SAVE $0.75 ONE (1) DOLE® Salad Blend, Salad Kit or Extra Veggie!

no_email@example.com (Midwest Coupon Chick) — Mon, 07 May 2012 17:37:00 GMT

This is one of my favorite coupons! It is redeemable ONLY at Meijer, but if you are a Meijer shopper you know that these bags go on sale quite a bit for $1.00! So, print these and hold on to it for the next sale! SAVE $0.75 DOLE® Salad on ONE (1) DOLE® Salad Blend, [...]

Target: Unadvertised Deals!

no_email@example.com (Midwest Coupon Chick) — Mon, 07 May 2012 17:31:00 GMT

Here are a few GREAT unadvertised Target deals! Glade Aerosol Spray, 9oz – $0.99 Unadvertised Deal; prices may vary by store $1/1 Glade Air Freshing Item Target printable Final price: FREE Reach Floss – $0.97 Unadvertised Deal; prices may vary by store $1/1 Reach Floss, exp. 5/31/12 (RP 03/04/12 R) Final price: FREE Comet Stainless [...]

Expensive bicycles

Thu, 03 May 2012 18:27:00 GMT

My wife and I decided it would be a good idea to buy a couple of bikes. Unfortunately, the first time I rode the bike, I found out that I didn't like it. A year later, the bikes have been sitting on our porch, unused. We managed to sell them for half of what we bought them for. I recommend test driving or renting something like this before purchasing. Could save you a few hundred dollars to figure out whether or not you like something!

Airfare lesson learned

Thu, 03 May 2012 08:30:00 GMT

I recently purchased airfare online for a quick trip from Nashville to Tampa. When I first started looking early in the week, I was happy to see the cost of only $149 each way. Waiting on others to make their final plans on when the trip would be, I didn't yet buy the tickets. As the week went on and I checked on the prices, the cost for each way had gone up by $15, so $30 more total. When I was ready to make my purchase on Sunday night, the cost for the way down had gone up another $70. Mistakenly, I thought increased prices meant tickets were selling out. I found out from a friend a couple of days later that many times the prices are inflated over weekend days. Sure enough, I got online again (on a Tuesday) and the prices were back down to only $149 each way. I can't believe I never knew this! So, this $100 lesson has taught me to buy airline tickets during the week!

Cashed Out 401k to be "Independent"

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 08:55:00 GMT

Got weary, restless, and really STUPID with well-paying job. Had $200k in 401k, so quit job and put 401k into IRA brokerage account. Stupidly thought I could trade my way to financial freedom and make enough to pay bills, including tax penalty of withdrawals from IRA. Long story short: Didn't make much, certainly not enough to pay bills, and had to draw down IRA account to survive. Now desperately trying to find a decent job before IRA runs out, and owe big bucks to IRS. Stupid!

Dave Says - April 24, 2012

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 15:04:00 GMT

I just lost my job due to company-wide layoffs ...

Diploma in Stupid Tax

Mon, 23 Apr 2012 10:36:00 GMT

I used a brand new credit card with an exceedingly unhealthy limit (and a 19% interest rate) to go to a "private career college" to pursue a 2-year diploma in alternative/complementary heath care. (Yes, dear readers, this is the part where you slap your forehead; wish someone had slapped mine.) As a matter of interest, I was already carrying some consumer debt and working only part-time to support my family. I graduated successfully after spending many thousands of dollars but as it turns out, my credentials aren't worth much here in my province. (As an alternative health care practitioner I'm in direct competition with our provincial health care system and I live in an economically depressed area.) I'm now many thousands of dollars in debt for an education I'm not even able to use and scrambling to stay on top of my payments while I work through Dave's program on a poverty-line income. To top it all off, I will be spending more money and time going back to an accredited school to start working on a degree I can actually use! You can bet your cut-up credit card I'm researching my next school AND the programs AND doing a preliminary job search with a fine toothed comb to make sure that: a) I'll be highly employable when I graduate b) I'll be qualified for a position with a good salary that will allow me to live AND pay down all that stupid tax from my last educational decision. Stupid, stupid, stupid tax.....

Dave Says - April 17, 2012

Tue, 17 Apr 2012 15:04:00 GMT

Does it matter whether it's the husband or the wife who keeps the checkbook ...

Dave Says - April 10, 2012

Tue, 10 Apr 2012 15:04:00 GMT

Is it ever a good idea to sell your home ...

Dave Says - April 3, 2012

Tue, 03 Apr 2012 16:04:00 GMT

My husband works two hours away from home. He gets up at 3 a.m. ...

Dave Says - March 27, 2012

Tue, 27 Mar 2012 06:03:00 GMT

I want to keep one of our credit cards open, and use the bill-pay option ...

Dave Says - March 20, 2012

Tue, 20 Mar 2012 16:03:00 GMT

Is there some way to put a block on a credit report ...