At the end of each pay cycle, right before I receive a paycheck, I’ll do a savings sweep.  I take a peak at my monthly budget, notice any categories where I might have “left over” money, and sweep that money from my checking account into my savings account.

Benefits of Today’s Tip -

• Savings account pays higher interest rate than does checking account.
• Money in savings account is harder to spend than money in checking account.
• This gives me one more chance to analyze and tweak my budget.
• I am motivated to live under-budget, so that my sweep amount can be maximized!

Bonus Tip -

If you are in debt, consider a payment sweep.  Instead of sweeping “left over” money into savings, consider making an additional payment to one of your creditors.

I always keep a small amount in my checking account.  This would be especially important for those living without free checking.

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The Savings Sweep - Today’s Quick Tip

It’s only three percent…

It’s only for six months…

It’s only - Is there a more powerful, desire-justifying phrase in the English language?  How many times have I blown my budget, because I fell into the It’s only-trap?  Seriously, even those of us who are trying to follow our budgets tend to spend more, in bits and pieces, when we convince ourselves that twenty bucks, spent here or there, is no big deal.  It’s only twenty bucks, right?

Only after we get home, and reconcile our checking accounts or take a look at our wallets, do we recognize the truth - All of those it’s only-purchases have used up our cash, depleted our checking account, and inflated our credit card balance.

Over the next few weeks, I’m going to write a series of articles about breaking bad financial habits - To be sure that you receive each of the articles in this series, sign up for my site feed, via RSS or daily email.

A few days ago, I talked about impulse purchases, those spur-of-the-moment purchases that break our budgets.  The first cousin of the impulse purchase - is the it’s only-purchase.  Remember, it takes just the briefest moment of weakness, the slightest mental hesitation, for a company to convince us to spend money on their products.  And, unfortunately, these companies are aided by our own internal weakness - the it’s only-gene, if you will.

Here’s how I’ve learned to deal with the it’s only-gene.  Think about these techniques, and see if they might work for you.  If you have other techniques or tips, feel free to share them in the comments section.

1.  Recognize that some it’s only-purchases are okay.  Seriously, once in a while, it’s cool to “waste” a little money.  I have three kids.  There are times, when we are at a restaurant or at the store, that’s it’s fun to give them each a dollar, and watch them purchase a bouncy ball or a fake tattoo from one of those little machines.  In our budget, we have a miscellaneous category.  Each month, we allow ourselves - and our kids - to be a little frivolous.  This keeps us sane.

2.  Admit that most it’s only-purchases should be eliminated.  Clearly, it’s cool to have a little fun, but let’s not get carried away.  If we are not careful, one dollar becomes five dollars, and five dollars becomes twenty dollars, and twenty dollars becomes one hundred dollars.  Create a specific amount for miscellaneous spending, and then honor that amount.

3.  Avoid situations that promote it’s only-purchases.  I’m married, with three little kids, and I know how little kids think.  They love to spend quarters on video games, toys, soda, and other assorted junk.  Knowing this, I tend to avoid situations where this assorted junk is available.  If I have a choice between restaurant A or restaurant B, I will tend to favor the restaurant without the massive wall of arcade games.  Depending on your age or station in life, you might need to avoid situations and places where you tend to overspend.  For some, that means skipping a visit or two to the mall.  For others, this might mean no more online shopping.

4.  Learn to substitute.  Instead of rewarding yourself (or you kids) with numerous, small, it’s only-purchases, reward yourself (or your kids) with really awesome free things!  Take your kids to the park.  Go to the library.  Pop some popcorn and watch a move at home.  Find free things to occupy your mind (and their minds).

5.  Do a little math.  If you are unmoved by any of the emotional reasons for avoiding it’s only-purchases, consider the mathematical reasons.  $10 per day, for one year, is $3,650.  If you continue to save, at $10 per day, for the next 50 years, and you get a modest return of 5%, you would have over $790,000.  Seriously.  Those it’s only-purchases really do add up!

Let’s leave the it’s only-purchases in the past.  Instead, let’s have a little fun, stick to our budgets, find alternatives to spending, and remember the long-term financial benefits.  In the end, we will not miss those unnecessary things, and we’ll be glad that we learned to be a bit more responsible.

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Breaking Bad Financial Habits - It’s Only

Where does it come from?  How can it be maintained?

My primary motivation to get out debt was born out of a desire to have more control over my life.  To be frank, I was tired of living with the constant burden of interest payments.  Deciding to do something about my debt, I began to make major changes in my spending and saving habits.

I’ve come to the conclusion that there were forces, external and internal, that combined to push me towards my decision to get out of debt.  First, a few months before I began to get out of debt, I began to listen to Dave Ramsey.  Day after day, I would listen to his radio program, and week after week, I was encouraged by the stories of those folks who were getting out of debt.  Regardless of whether you agree with Dave’s techniques, you have to admit that he is a dynamic motivator.  Second, I began to think about my situation, and a great anger began to build, deep in my spirit.  I was angry - with myself - for working so hard, for so long, and having so little to show for it.  Third, I looked around, and realized that I was a father, with two kids, and a wife, and I needed to do a better job of preparing our family for the future.  These forces combined to, quite literally, create the motivation that I needed to get out of debt.

But what kept me going?   I had tried to get out of debt before, only to fail.  Why was this time different?

Looking back, the biggest difference was, that in the past, my only goal was to “get out of debt”.  There’s nothing wrong with this goal, except for the fact that it’s too vague.  This time, when getting out of debt, I broke my goal down into specific, manageable micro-goals.  So, instead of saying “I want to get out of debt” my next micro-goal became “I want to send $200 to American Honda Finance, this month”.

By focusing on these smaller, realistic micro-goals, I was able to stop thinking about my total debt balance, and really focus on the next creditor on my debt reduction plan.  Shoot, not only could I focus on the next creditor, I could focus on the very next payment.  In other words, I kept my nose to the grindstone, and tried not to look up until I had completed each of my micro-goals, and ultimately, my final goal.

After getting out of debt, I didn’t stop setting micro-goals.  Instead, I picked an amount that I wanted to save, set a date for saving it, and then broke that amount down into monthly (and eventually weekly) micro-goals.  I created a system that gave me almost instant feedback, making either payments or deposits, not on a monthly or quarterly basis, but on a weekly, or even daily, basis.  I never lost my motivation, because I was constantly creating, then achieving, micro-goal after micro-goal.

If you are struggling to stay in-the-game and remained focused, consider breaking your goals down, into smaller and smaller micro-goals, until you are forced to remain engaged.  I’ve written about the success I had making multiple monthly payments.  This technique not only reduces your average daily balance, but it keeps you focused on your debt reduction game-plan.

After getting out of debt, and saving up an emergency fund, things get a little trickier.  Why?  Well, the main goals - and thus the micro-goals - aren’t so clear.  Do I want to save for retirement?  Yes.  Do I want to save for kids’ college?  You bet.  How about saving for a new house, is that important?  Oh, yeah.

I have had to learn how to focus on more than one goal at a time.  This is a little more difficult for me, because I like the immediate impact of putting all extra available income towards one goal!  (In other words, it’s more fun to see $600 deposited into my saving account than it is to see $200 deposited into my Roth, $100 into my daughter’s ESA, $100 into my son’s ESA, and $200 into my wife’s Roth.)  Slowly funding these accounts, quite frankly, isn’t nearly as fun as rapidly building an emergency fund, but it’s something I’ve learned to do.

I think, when you first begin to focus on your finances, it’s important to be like a laser, and focus on the very next micro-goal on your list.  As you mature, it gets easier to spread your focus, just a bit, and focus on several micro-goals at once.  If, however, you’ve been doing this a while, and you feel like you are losing that focus, take a breather, block out all of the other goals, and go back to one, specific, manageable micro-goal.  I think that you will soon find that familiar motivation that got you started in the first place.

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Micro-Goals And Staying Motivated

First, it might do us some good to think about why we make impulse purchases.  I, for one, tend to make them when I’m bored.  Others, I’m sure, make them when they’re depressed.  You, on the other hand, might only make them when you are happy - or as a way to reward yourself.  Whatever the reason, it might be a good time to think of other ways to deal with your emotions, besides spending money.  When I get bored, for instance, I’ll head to the gym or go outside for a walk.

It’s also important to think about the situations where we are tempted to overspend.  I tend to spend more when I’m out with my family - especially if I’m at the grocery store, it’s getting late, and the kids are hungry.  Perhaps you spend more when out with certain friends, or away on vacation.  Some might be tempted to overspend when at the mall, or shopping online, or while watching late-night television.  As we think about impulse purchases, keep in mind the situations where / when you struggle, and apply the techniques we are going to talk about to those situations.

Speaking of those techniques, here we go -

1.  Make a commitment to yourself and agree that you will be more responsible with your finances.  Four years ago, I promised myself that I would get out of debt.  That commitment required me to make lots of sacrifices.  Each time I would think about frivolous spending - I would remember my commitment.  It sounds simple, but it really does work.

2.  Learn to love your budget.  Seriously, get over your fear of “the big bad budget”.  We love our budget, because it not only guides us through the month, putting limits on our spending, but it also allows us to plan for little “splurges”.  We use the You Need A Budget software to manage our finances.  YNAB is a long-time sponsor of No Credit Needed and I’m proud to promote their product.  Whatever method you use to plan your spending, honor your plan!

3.  Consider an accountability partner.  You might want to think about sharing your goal - your new commitment - with a close friend, or group of friends.  It really does help to have someone with whom you can talk.

4.  Cultivate friends who respect your financial decisions.  This one can be tough, but I think it’s very important.  If you struggle with overspending, especially overspending as it relates to group outings or activities, you might want to make a few new friends.  This doesn’t mean that you have to rid yourself of your old friends, but it might mean that you need to change the nature of your relationships.

5.  Think about implementing my $100-a-day-rule for preventing impulse buying.  Click to read the post, but here are the details.  If I want to make a major purchase, I have to wait 1 day for every $100 that I want to spend.  A $400 television requires 4 days of waiting - and researching.  This simple, even silly, rule really has helped me.

6.  Never make a purchase that you ordinarily would not have made, simply because someone is offering you special financing / special rebates / or special discounts.  In other words, never walk into a store, intending to spend $50 on paint, and then walk out with a $800 table saw, simply because the saw was “on sale”.  Sales will come and go.  If you haven’t planned for it - which means budgeted for it - don’t buy it.  (This might mean, that once in a while, you will miss a great deal.  On the whole, however, it will also mean that you have remained under-budget and that you’ve avoided foolish purchases.)

7.  If you are married, talk to your spouse about ways that you can help one another avoid impulse purchases.  It’s funny.  A wife can plan to be frugal - and a husband can plan to be frugal - but then the two of them, when shopping together, can tend to be non-frugal.  It’s like going on a diet.  You might be willing to stick to your plan, but if your wife is having a piece of cake, you might be talked into having a piece of cake.  Instead of working against your family goals, agree to be frugal, together.   Be on the same team.

8.  Make a big deal out of reaching financial goals.  We are emotional creatures.  If we struggle with making impulse purchases, it’s probably because we like the immediate emotional response we get from buying something.  Let’s shift that response away from purchases, and let’s celebrate savings.  Stay connected to the process, and you’ll be less likely to spend money on things you don’t really need.

I hope some of these techniques help, or at least get you to thinking.  If you have any suggestions, for how we can overcome our tendency to make impulse purchases, I’d love to read them.  You can leave a comment, here on the site, and you can also connect with me via Twitter.  Simply follow me, and then shoot me a tweet.

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Breaking Bad Financial Habits - Impulse Purchases

Our income has been down, just a bit, as compared to this time last year - and expenses have been up.  We now have three kids, and our youngest is still in diapers.  As a family, we are trying to eat at home more often, and we are focusing on fresher, healthier (and therefore more expensive) foods.  I also used some of the money in our cash reserves to purchase some additional (and un-budgeted-for) disability insurance.  We also purchased a new computer - a MacBook that I love - and a new lawn mower - which I also love.  Adding it up, we’ve spent more this year than in previous years, and now it’s time to reign in the spending and rebuild our reserves.

One interesting thing that I noticed over the course of the last few months, is how strange it feels to buy things, even things we can afford.  In the past when I used a credit for most “major” purchases, I would focus on monthly payments, barely giving a thought to the real cost of each item.  Now, as I move through life paying cash, it “hurts” to spend money, because every dollar, every single dollar, comes straight out of our bank account, right up front.  Buying a $1500 computer requires - surprise, surprise - $1500.

The season-of-splurging (if buying a laptop, insurance, and a lawn mower can be considered splurging) has come to an end.  We are going to focus on rapidly rebuilding our cash reserves.  Here’s our quick-and-easy plan for piling up the cash.

1.  I will temporarily reduce contributions to my 403(b) account.  By temporarily, I’m thinking six months, or less.  Reducing my contributions will increase our taxable income, but we are willing to “take this hit” in order to rapidly build our cash cushion.

2.  I will automatically deposit a set amount, at the first of each month, into my online savings account.

3.  At the end of each month, any extra money that I might have earned from blogging or eBay sales will be deposited into the savings account.

4.  We will fine-tune our budget, cut out the fat, and go back to our more-frugal ways.

For the first half of 2009, I’ll freely admit, I’ve been a bit more “relaxed” than I could have been.  I needed these six months, to focus on my family, my commitments at work, and my health.  Now, however, it really is time to “get back into the game” and get serious again.  It felt good to spend a little money, and it will feel just as good to rebuild our savings.

Side-Note:  I consider “cash reserves” to be any money not allocated to retirement or education savings accounts, and above our standard six months’ of expenses “emergency fund”.  Also, even with the reduction in retirement account contributions, we will still be contributing more than 15% of our gross household income to retirement savings.

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Rebuilding Cash Reserves

Way back, more than four years ago now, when I started this site, I had one goal.  I wanted to be debt free.  Well, it “only” took me ten months to get out of debt - and then I was faced with a (pleasant) dilemma.  What do you do with a debt reduction blog, after you have achieved your debt reduction goal?  Do you keep blogging?  Do you stop blogging?  Do you change the name?  Do you change the focus?  Remember, when I started this site, I knew next-to-nothing about blogging, blog promotion, social media, Internet marketing, online advertising, etc.  I was (and in many ways still am) just a guy with a computer and a goal of financial security.

So, instead of just celebrating my debt-free status, I continued to blog.  Over time, No Credit Needed became (I hope for some) more than just a debt reduction blog.  I connected with a lot of other bloggers, authors, writers, and readers.  In fact, No Credit Needed opened up a world of new friends, new contacts, and new ideas.

Throughout the history of the site, I’ve written (primarily) about my own financial ups and downs.  Included in our plan for financial prosperity, I’ve written several articles about how we live without using credit cards.  For us, this is a personal decision, simply because my wife and I really don’t like the hassle associated with credit card use.  Somehow, those articles about how we live without credit cards really caught on - and that idea - of not using credit cards - became a (the?) focal point of No Credit Needed.

Here’s the rub.  While I don’t use credit cards, I never intended for that to be the primary focus of this site.  The reality is, however, that much of the media attention that No Credit Needed has received has come from media outlets interested in how we live without credit cards.  Of course, as people asked questions about our lives without credit cards, and as those articles gained popularity, I was motivated to write even more articles about our lives without credit cards.  And, at first, I had absolutely no problem with this, because we really have thrived without them.

When I started No Credit Needed, one of my goals was to break my reliance on credit cards.  For me, I was able to achieve this by simply putting my credit cards in my wallet, and refraining from using them.  When I first started, I needed to break my credit card dependence.  However, I have come to realize that this lifestyle choice may or may not be the best for everyone.  I have no desire to try to convince others to abandon (permanently) their credit cards.  Instead, I’d love to encourage folks to get out of debt, manage their finances wisely, and refrain from useless borrowing.

The time has come, and I feel that I must stop focusing on this specific topic.  While we will continue to live without credit cards, writing about this topic is keeping me from writing about a broader range of financial topics.  I feel boxed-in, unable to write about “how to manage credit card payments” or “how to use a credit card an remain debt free” for fear of alienating my current readers or coming off as hypocritical.

I take this site very, very seriously.  Writing here has radically changed my life, both financially and personally.  I love the personal finance blogging community, and I plan to continue to support my fellow bloggers.  At this time, in an effort to broaden the reach of No Credit Needed, and in an effort to broaden its subject matter, I feel the need to shift the focus away from articles about life without credit cards and towards articles about life without debt.

I have a few ideas about the types of responses this article will receive.  I hope that most will understand my motives, and forgive me for giving up the “credit cards are evil, and here’s why” battle-cry.  I fear that some may stop visiting the site.  Hopefully, after noting that it’s been almost two weeks since I last wrote an article, you can see that this “step” has been weighing heavy on my mind.  I simply do not want to waste valuable time and energy defending our decision not to use a credit card. Instead, I want to write about the power of a sound budget, the importance of planning for the future, and the goals one can achieve with solid planning.

I will continue to write about the debt free life.  I will also write about our goals, and how we plan to achieve them without borrowing money.  I will also write about debt reduction, how to pay of credit cards, and I will continue to celebrate the debt reduction success of other bloggers.  As for writing about credit cards, I may mention that we do not use them, but I will no longer focus on this aspect of our financial plan.

I have proven, to myself, that I can live without a credit card.  I have no current plans to use one, nor do I foresee a reason to use on in the future.  However, should I choose, at some point in the future, to pay my cell phone bill with a credit card, and then pay that bill off at the end of the month, I will let you all know.  And, for those who do use them - and those who don’t - I hope you will continue to read No Credit Needed.

A word about this blog’s title - No Credit Needed.  When I first started the site, I wanted something catchy, something that would be memorable.  I remember seeing a sign, at a local store, about how you could finance a purchase “no credit needed”.  I thought it would be awesome, if somehow, instead of that phrase being used to convince people to borrow money, it could be turned on it’s head, and represent a family that was living debt free, without borrowing money.  Only after a few articles did the name start to “mean” something.  It does not mean that I don’t think credit (or the ability to borrow) is important - it simply means that I don’t want to live a life where I am beholden to creditors.  Only later, after choosing the name, did I realize the impact of a credit-less life and that, perhaps, the site should have been named “No Debt Needed”.  Perhaps I should state it thus - I don’t mind having credit, I do mind needing credit.

I invite you to leave comments with questions or concerns.  In choosing to move away from this singular topic, I can now focus on an array of important topics.  Concerning myself with the defense of the “no credit cards lifestyle”, I really felt dragged-down and alienated from the original purposes of this site.  Now, I feel that I will be able to really focus on other things that are important, and move forward.

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No Longer Focusing On Credit Cards

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The Best Explanation I Have Heard For How The Credit Crisis Happened

Personally, I’m very busy.  So, when I’m offered a trial period, especially one that requires a phone call in order to cancel a service, I’m vary wary.  In most cases, I simply decline the service.  This is by far the easiest way to deal with most of these types of offers.

Once in a while, however, I’ll actually get an offer to try a service that I’m actually wanting to check out.  For instance, I recently switched satellite television providers, and enjoyed three months of free premium movie channels.  Just last night, I called my provider, just as the free trial period ran out, and canceled the channels.  It was fun to have the channels, but I really do not need them.

If, like me, you struggle to stay organized, but you still want to take advantage of these trial periods, consider setting up a reminder system.  Personally, I use the iCal program on my computer, and make a simple note, reminding myself of when to call and cancel a particular service.  I also know folks who use websites like FutureMe, a website that will allow you to schedule a reminder email, and send it to yourself at a specific time in the future.  Pretty rad.

Remember, before signing up for any free trial period, be sure that you know exactly how to cancel the service.  This is especially true for services offered by credit card companies and credit reporting services.  Taking the time once a month to take care of these pesky little phone calls can, in the long-term, save you a lot of money.

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Dealing With Trial Periods

The purpose for our Kids’ Fun Fund was pretty specific.  Our kids love to go to an arcade - a very specific arcade - located about fifteen minutes from where we go on vacation.  This arcade is really more than just an arcade, it’s more like a small-scale amusement park, complete with miniature golf course and go-carts.  My kids, for some reason, just really like to this particular arcade.

Last January, when we started to plan for our vacation, I asked my kids what they thought about creating a Fun Fund, so that they could save up a big pile of coins to use at the arcade.  They really took to the idea an the Kids’ Fun Fund was born.  You can click this link to read more details about the Kids’ Fun Fund.

The Kids’ Fun Fund really worked.  Our kids worked hard - and worked hard together - to earn money for the Fun Fund.  They were both so proud, when we were preparing for vacation, to pack their big jar of coins.  When we arrived at the arcade, we all stuffed our pockets with quarters, and headed inside.  The kids had a blast and it was great to see them enjoy the reward for their labors.

It’s cool to note that the kids could have spent every penny in their Fun Fund, but they chose not to do so.  In fact, they used just a small portion of the money that they had saved.  Now, they are in the process of deciding exactly what to do with the rest of the Fun Fund.  I’ll guide them as they make the decision, but I’ll leave the final choice up to them.  Whatever they do, I’m super-proud of my kids.  They set a goal, worked hard to achieve it, and then had a blast at the arcade.  Success!

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The Success Of The Kids’ Fun Fund

Thinking about debt reduction, I was reminded of the importance of the “team” concept.  I think it’s important to start with a solid defense, add in a powerful offense, and then compliment them both with some great special teams.  If we can find the proper balance between these three “units”, we can really dominate our debts - and soon be debt free.

Solid Defense -

Before I began repaying my debts, I established a small cash reserve - also known as an emergency fund - of about $2000.  Instead of relying on my credit cards for unplanned-for expenses, the small cash reserve provided a defensive cushion against life’s inevitable hiccups.  When I had to dip into my cash reserve, I would halt my aggressive debt repayments, rebuild the cash reserve, and then continue with my debt reduction plan.  Trying to reduce debt without an emergency fund is like playing football with only 7 men on defense.  You can do it, but it’s not very smart.

As I began to focus on reducing my debts, I always made sure to make minimum payments to all creditors - on time.  This helped me to avoid penalties (pun intended) like late fees and additional interest charges.  Even during the months when I could not make additional debt payments, I still made minimum payments.  One of the keys to debt reduction is to stop giving up ground (going deeper into debt) - and there’s nothing like making payments on time to reduce those dreaded fees and penalties.

I put my credit cards in my wallet - and then forgot that they were there.  Some will suggest cutting up credit cards or freezing them in a bowl of water.  For me, I wanted to learn a little discipline, so I simply put my cards in the wallet, and promised myself that I would not use them.  Four years later, this was one of the smartest decisions I’ve ever made.

Powerful Offense -

I created a debt reduction plan. I chose to make extra payments to the credit account with the lowest balance - others may choose to make extra payments to the account with the highest interest.  It doesn’t matter which plan you choose, but it does matter that you have a plan.  Some teams pass the ball, while others run.  Either style can win, but a team must be dedicated to its style of play.  The same is true about debt reduction.  Pick a strategy, stick with it, and stay focused.

I made multiple extra payments to a single account, each and every month.  Remember, as part of my defense, all minimum payments were made (on time or early).  After making those payments, I would spend the rest of the month feverishly working to make extra payments to the next account on my list.  A good offense is an intense offense.  This holds true for debt reduction, as well.  Honestly, if you are not a a little mad, and a little fed up, you might never get out of debt.  Making these multiple payments “kept my head in the game” and helped me maintain direction and focus.

Special Teams -

I made extra payments as early in the month as possible.  This reduced accrued interest, because it lowers the average daily balance.

I used unexpected income to boost my debt reduction payments.  I never considered using bonuses, gifts, or cash payments for anything other than debt reduction.  Remember, it’s important to maintain a laser-like focus.

I stopped waiting for the hail-Mary, and began to focus on the routine (and boring).  Instead of waiting for the next raise, or the next paycheck, or the next whatever, I decided to take the income that I was already making, and deal with my situation.  If I had continued to wait for things to “get better” - I’d still be in debt - and I’d still be waiting.

I decided that it was okay to be different.  Quick story - The other day I went to buy my wife a gift at a department store.  The customer service representative who sold me the gift asked me if I wanted to apply for a store-branded credit card.  I declined, even though the store was offering a 15% discount for signing up for the card.  The woman behind me in line could not believe that I would give up the “free money”.  I politely explained that my wife and I pay cash for the things we want.  The woman behind me said, “Yeah, that might work for your wife’s clothes, but I’ll bet you borrow money for things you want, like a new truck or a boat.”  (It felt a little odd to be having this conversation with a complete stranger.)  I said, again politely, “No, mam.  I pay cash for everything, including our last new automobile.”  She said, “Really?  Why?”  (At this point, I was almost tempted to give her the address for this site, but I refrained.)  I simply replied, “For 15 years, I lived paycheck to paycheck, and I borrowed money.  Now, I’m debt free, I pay cash, and I’m happier than I’ve ever been.  This is what works for us, and as long as it’s not broke, I’m not going to try to fix it.”  She then looked on, a bit stunned, as I pulled out my cash envelope, paid cash for a really nice gift for my wife, placed my receipt in the envelope, and headed on my way.  It’s fun to be different!

I want to thank those of you who have subscribed to No Credit Needed.  I’m back home from vacation and my family and I had a wonderful time.  Also, I noticed that several of you have followed me on Twitter.  Thank you so much, and feel free to drop me a tweet.  Regular posting will resume as of today!

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Debt Reduction Game Plan