Living for today - Planning for Tomorrow
I can afford the payment. I responsibly only borrowed what I could truly afford. I’ve stayed debt free with no credit card debt, car loans or anything other than a mortgage. I save and invest regularly. I’m pretty much doing all I can to be a financially responsible citizen. Unfortunately our society doesn’t seem to reward good behavior. In my daughter’s kindergarten class there are
Sometimes I lay awake at night, worrying about all those people in Las Vegas that need our help. Without tourists, there won’t be rooms to clean, food to serve, maintenance to perform, security to manage and Craps tables to watch. It is with this concern that I have decided it is time to help. Okay, I’m not being completely honest here. While I do share
With the economy in the toilet we’ve been doing our part to make it worse by eating at home almost exclusively. We’ve actually noticed a reduction in our food spending and we’ve been eating some really good quality meals at the same time. It’s no secret that I LOVE Costco. The meat there is very good quality. I’ve never been disappointed with a cut of
You’d think that, with this economy, I’d be hunkered down in my bunker only spending money on beans, rice and other essential foods and drinks. I’m still not getting warm and fuzzy about the current economic downturn and the prospects for a turnaround. In light of that, you’d think I’d be having zero trouble keeping our spending in check. Well, in reality, I’m still struggling
There is an interesting article over at Fortune magazine called “A recession of biblical proportions“. It takes an interesting look at saving and spending trends during downturns and notes that this recession is different than others in that we are now saving during the downturn as opposed to using previously saved funds to get by. It notes that during the boom times that we have
Arrrgggghh. I have to remember that cars won’t just go forever without some drama. It seems like just yesterday that we put roughly $900+ in to our Honda for a new timing belt, water pump and seals. It was an easy decision to make because we fully intend to drive that car for as many miles as we can. It’s great not having a car
Okay, maybe that’s a little harsh but we have discovered we’ve pretty much quit eating out, other than an occasional fast food restaurant. After reading Madame X’s post about where she spent her food money last year, I can say I’m quite happy we have stopped eating out at places like Applebees, The Keg, Red Robin and other local “sit down” restaurants. I was shocked
Well, after a couple month hiatus, I’m dieting to shrink my waist line a bit. I’m not really subscribing to a strict diet but I have drastically reduced my food intake and am counting calories through the Weight Watcher’s method. To keep me honest I’m meeting my brother in law at his house to weigh in each Monday night. So far so good. If I
I’ve really been somewhat riveted by the current economic crisis. Each day seems to bring new twists and the numbers are getting worse by the month. Today they announced a 2.7% decrease in December retail sales. Isn’t December the month where everyone is supposed to go gangbusters and spend tons of money they don’t have? Apparently not last December. I’ve read more than a few
Amidst all the noises of garbage landing in the pile and large machines working away I heard the sound of my long time friend being crushed in to a thousand pieces. I suppose it had to happen sooner or later. The couch that has been my comfort every evening for 10 years finally had it’s last behind on it yesterday. At first I thought that
