Ah, retirement. Could there be a bigger financial goal out there than this? We all talk about it, think about it, read about it, and plan for it. But how many of us do what it takes to get ourselves into a position to retire how we want when we want? How many of us […]
3 Ways To Trick Yourself Into Saving Money
I don’t know about you, but sometimes I have a difficult time saving money. If the cash is there, it ends up getting spent! For those of us who need new ways of saving money, here are some great tips on saving more money than we thought possible. It’s All About Habits Before we get […]
What Expenses Should I Expect When Having A Child?
As my wife and I prepare for our journey into parenthood, one thing we’ve slowly realized is just how expensive it can be to have children. There are a host of big and small baby expenses that you may not have even considered, and as time goes on they slowly add up to a pretty […]
How To Protest County Property Tax Appraisals
It may differ by county, but you more than likely have received your county property tax appraisal in the mail recently. The county assesses homes each year to determine property tax liability. County appraisers apply mass appraisal methods and techniques based upon individual characteristics that affect the market value of your home. As a homeowner […]
Living On Less Before You Need To: Getting By With One Income
Last week I read a post over at Debt Free Adventure about how it’s a good idea to start living on one income, whether or not you need to. If you’re married and have no kids, it can be a good exercise to see what it may be like if you end up having children […]
Doing A Zero Based Budget Will Lead To Found Money
Over the past couple of years the economy has been in a tailspin. With double digit unemployment, people are having a hard time finding jobs, and not many people (beyond government workers) have been seeing their incomes increase. Because times are tough most people are having to be more creative in looking for places to trim […]
How To Analyze Your Budget And Spending Decisions
I love helping people with their finances, it’s a passion of mine. You can see it in the One Money Design tagline – helping people achieve true financial freedom. Money Map coaching involves walking with people through a Biblical financial study and helping them use practical financial tools for their finances (such as setting up […]
6 Advantages Of Automatic Saving And Investing
What The Government Can Teach You About Personal Finances When it comes to the government and money there are a lot of diverse opinions. No matter what you think about the government’s fiscal responsibility, one thing is for certain. Many Americans could learn at least one lesson from the government that will transform their personal […]
How To Save Hundreds Of Dollars On Your Tax Bill By Challenging Your Property Taxes
After reading on some other blogs how the bloggers had successfully challenged their property tax assessments, saving them hundreds of dollars every year, I decided that it was time that I give it it a shot as well. Our assessed property value last year was almost $20,000 higher than we thought that it should be, […]
Start Saving Up For Infrequent Expenses And Christmas Savings Goals Using Automatic Accounts Like Smarty Pig
We’re quickly coming upon one of the busiest spending times of the year, the Christmas season. For too many years I would come up to Christmas and suddenly realize that I had woefully under-prepared for the coming holiday. I never saved up enough money to pay for gifts for my immediate family, friends and relatives. […]
How Do You Plan To Manage Your Million Dollars?
This post is about gaining perspective on money management and financial stewardship. I enjoy finding new ways to gain a wise financial steward’s perspective on money. I hope this particular one will encourage the new financial steward, perhaps be a wake up call for some and a reminder for the more seasoned stewards among us. […]
How Saving for Tomorrow Improves the Quality of Life Today
One of the common criticisms of saving money is that some folks think that saving for tomorrow completely defeats the purpose of money. These are the ones with a live for today philosophy. The live for today philosophy claims, you could save your money for tomorrow and then have a heart attack and die. What […]
Going To The Minnesota State Fair Is Expensive! How To Avoid Spending Too Much.
My wife and I, along with a group of our friends, went to the Minnesota State Fair this past weekend. For those who don’t know the Minnesota State Fair is the largest state fair in the United States in terms of average daily attendance. Daily attendance can average anywhere from 100,000 people all the way […]
How To Get A Deal And Save Money When You’re Buying Electronics Or Other High Ticket Items
My wife and I have always enjoyed watching movies and TV shows at home. You could say we’re movie buffs. We’ve got a nice finished basement in our home with a big sectional couch facing our home theater where we can lie in front of the TV and watch to our heart’s content. It’s one […]
