Debt is one of those things that we are all trying to avoid. Unfortunately, some circumstances make it much easier to fall deeper into debt instead of climbing out of it. Separation and divorce can easily land you here. I can speak to how hard it is to get out of debt when you suddenly find yourself caring for children on your own without any financial assistance from your former spouse. It can be extremely daunting and, if you don't have a game … [Read more...] about How to Effectively Budget After Divorce
Home & Family
To Refinance or Not to Refinance? That is the Question!
We have 5 kids and live in a 3 bedroom/2 bathroom house. That may seem a bit tight to you and let me tell you that most days, it is! Therefore, we've been talking about our options to add another room onto the house, along with tearing down our carport and adding a 2-car garage. The biggest determining factor here is should we apply for a HELOC or refinance the current home loan? HELOC A HELOC is a Home Equity Line of Credit. I had one of these … [Read more...] about To Refinance or Not to Refinance? That is the Question!
Why NOW Is The Best Time To Think About Summer Camps
I realize that it is only January and that summer is a far off mirage. However, I have learned that if I don't start start thinking about summer camps for my kids now then we will likely be left out in the cold. Not only that, but if there are scant options left, they will be MUCH more expensive. Why Now? All summer camps begin their early registration period in February, which was a completely unknown to me until recently. Summer camps figure … [Read more...] about Why NOW Is The Best Time To Think About Summer Camps
Why Sometimes Leasing a New Car is the Way to Go
One of the cars we had been driving was a 1999 Toyota Camry. Not that it hadn't been a good car to us, because it had, but it had gotten to the point where it was no longer reliable and that was a huge concern to us. Especially when it came to driving kids to and from school everyday. The last thing that we wanted was for the car to break down on I-40 in the middle of rush hour traffic with the kids. It was stressing us out, but so was the idea … [Read more...] about Why Sometimes Leasing a New Car is the Way to Go
An Open Letter to My Wife and All Moms
I wanted to take a moment to share something that happened over the past few weeks. I think it's very important to hear and hopefully most agree with my stance here. Basically, this is an open letter to my wife (and all moms out there). If you don't know me, I'm a married father of two boys. We have a toddler and a three-month old. To say our house is crazy is an understatement, but I'm sure I'm not saying anything most families with young kids … [Read more...] about An Open Letter to My Wife and All Moms
How to Teach Your Children the Value of Money: Budgeting
Out of all of the things that I teach my children about money, this one is the most difficult one for me. The reason for this is because children are extremely impetuous creatures and want everything right away. Not only that, but they have a really difficult time seeing down the road into the future. Their idea of the future is what is for dessert that night, or maybe possibly what they are packing for lunch the next day. So how in the world do … [Read more...] about How to Teach Your Children the Value of Money: Budgeting