Thought we would republish this post from early 2013 as some of the information is still helpful and we’re always wanting to avoid those fees! This past month, when I went to pay my mortgage, I noticed that they were charging me an extra $7.99 fee for paying my balance due. I thought this was …
Category: Money
6 Weird Ways to Earn or Save Money
I came to a conclusion while being shamelessly dressed liked a cow to get a free meal at Chick-Fil-A recently: sometimes you have to be creative to make or save a buck. Am I right? I began reflecting on the interesting, weird and bizarre things I have done all in the name of earning or …
Can Kids Invest in Stocks or Mutual Funds?
At 13 years old I asked my parents if I could start investing money in the stock market through a mutual fund. I’d saved about $1500 from starting my own hog selling business, and through working in the fields during the summer. My small nest egg was the result of 4-5 years of hard work, …
Meet Mark: A 60-Something FI Retiree
From time to time, we interview folks who are financially independent (FI) and owning their money. Today is an interview I did with my brother, who retired at 50 and is financially independent. A 60-something retired conservation officer, Mark lives with his wife in a quaint Wisconsin town surrounded by lakes, wildlife and forest. He …
10 Principles for Handling Money in Marriage
Some alarming statistics I came across recently got me thinking about how handling finances well within a marriage is so important. For example, according to Dr.Phil.com, money is the number one problem in marriages and the number one cause of divorce. Jeffrey Dew’s paper titled Bank on it: Thrifty Couples are the Happiest, claims that …
How to Start an Online Business on a Shoestring Budget
It was December 2000 and I was a pharmaceutical rep in a hotel room 300 miles from home. I was doing some Christmas shopping online when I saw it. The little box titled “Enter Coupon Code” that would change my career path forever. I had never heard of a coupon code before, and after some …
Money Management Tips for College Freshmen
The following article is a guest post from my college freshman brother, Ryan. He provides some great insight into how to manage your money on your own during your college years. When I was ready to start my freshman year of college this year, there were so many things that I was worried about. Where …
Mister Rogers and Money
One of my favorite tv shows growing up was Mr. Rogers. I remember watching the program after getting home from kindergarten and chomping on the peanut butter and jelly sandwich my mom had just made. There was something about his gentle demeanor and way with others that endeared him to so many – including myself. …
Six Benefits of Rolling Over Your 401k
This month I had on my list of monthly goals to rollover my 401k from an employer I left in 2011 to Vanguard. Last Friday I pulled the trigger after running into a number of hurdles that were preventing me from getting my 401k. These hurdles were: Spousal Consent Form – notarized letter with my …
What’s Your Biggest Financial Regret?
I had just gotten a new job and my car broke down. I felt like I needed to replace it quickly and was running out of options. I knew a fella from the golf course I frequented who worked at a car dealership. I ended up visiting him there – and quickly fell in love …