As far as financial planning I have only been specific about what lies ahead during the next year. And seeing as I made this plan when I was working two jobs, it is in serious need of an updating. As far as planning 5-10 years in advance, I have loosely laid out my goals, but I have yet to get specific. Pros of Planning Ten Years in Advance It’s nice to have a piece of paper that c ...
Frugal Vacations: Where Do You Go?
Vacation has been on mind a lot lately. This is probably due to the fact that I am due a one week vacation at work and my boss wants me to take it before August. I am ready for a break anyway, so this suits me just fine. So on June 17th I will officially have a one week break! I wrote about taking vacations on the cheap on the Fat Wallet blog a few weeks ago, but since my “less” is ...
Budgets Gone Right
I am regaining some momentum to keep up with my budget. There for a little while I was just in a funk. I felt like I wasn't going to get ahead and I think I even felt sorry for myself for a few minutes! (ugh, I hate when that happens!) BUT, I have jumped back on the bandwagon. I created 3 budget sheets for myself. One, for my fixed expenses, another for my variable expenses, and ...
I Don’t Have Cable TV (And Yes, I’m Still Alive)
I used to be addicted to reality TV. I wouldn’t dare to miss an episode of Jerseylicious, Big Rich Texas, or Keeping up With the Kardashians. If I wasn’t going to be home when one of these shows aired I would simply DVR it and catch up after I put the kids to bed. When I moved out of my Dad’s house and into my trailer I had every intention of getting cable (well technically, satellite TV) insta ...
Why I Disagree with This One Piece of Advice from Dave Ramsey
In general, I think that Dave Ramsey lays out a solid financial plan that everyone can implement. Most of the information is pretty basic. Spend less money than you make, find your frugality, and avoid credit card debt and so on. While he does give good financial advice I have found that there are a few tidbits that I disagree with. In fact, one piece of advice he gives has cost me hundreds, ...
Two of the Most Creative Ways to Save Money
Today's post is from Joshua Rodriguez of CNA Finance. You work hard for every penny that you earn, there's no denying that! And, you're doing everything you can to save every penny you can... After all, raising a child on a single mom's income can be a bit tough. I started think about unconventional ways to save money a few years ago, as I was bearing the results of bad financial decisions ...