We humans are interesting creatures; if we aren’t careful with what we put into our brains, we can really let our actions get out of hand (and this will be the subject of another post, because it’s powerful). As you have probably noticed, things are a little crazy right now–there are some things going on right now in society that are making the hair on the back of my neck stand up. And when a large percentage of mankind appears unstable, the stock market follows. According to Google, this is the definition of the adjective volatile: liable to change rapidly and unpredictably, especially for the worse. Those of us that have monies in the stock market might be a little freaked out right now, and understandably so. Emotions are definitely running high on many levels. So I’m going to remind you to take a deep breath and let things ride on this crazy amusement park ride. Like my friend, Dave Ramsey, says, the only ones who get hurt on a roller coaster are those who jump off in the mid...

When I blog, I try to title my posts with a word or phrase that conveys the meaning of what I’ve written about without too much repetition in the verse (see what I did there?). It turns out there is no other word that conveys the meaning of what I want to blog about today–nothing can substitute for patience. I have recently had some experiences that have made me a more patient person; I’ve had to be, otherwise I fear I would drive myself insane or be eaten up with worry. I KNOW that you can ALL relate to what I’m saying. After all, we want what we want and we want it now! This is true with weight loss, a new car, a vacation, and even revamping one’s finances. We want the debt GONE and our lives under CONTROL. I totally get it.  Please, be patient with yourselves. Making changes, even minor ones, is hard and involves a lot of work. And when you throw more than one person into the mix (and there are two people in EVERY couple), it can amplify everything. There is no rea...

I have had some changes in my life recently (not pandemic-related) and they are giving me the chance and the desire to try new things. One of the things I want to try is mountain biking; a friend introduced me and I’m a little hooked on the idea. Since I have a little extra time on my hands and the weather is getting nice, I’m looking for a used bike. Well, apparently, I am not the only one with this idea because I’m having a devil of a time finding one at a decent price. Many people have lots of time on their hands right now–the pandemic has large numbers of us working from home, and we’re probably getting bored. Why not use this time for a little makeover? Maybe now is the time to get rid of some extra junk in your life. Some experts think that there is a correlation between finances, the condition of your home, and the condition of your body. Peter Walsh is the author of a book with a title that cracks me up– Does This Clutter Make My Butt Look Fat? I believe there is somethi...

A few weeks ago we talked about pulling the trigger on a huge purchase–your “new” car. We discussed practicing making payments, and you are well on your way to saving a huge chunk of cash for this long-awaited, glorious event. Hold on, we aren’t quite done yet. Can you REALLY afford this car? The “payment” is not the only cost of the car. Different cars come with other different costs. Don’t forget to take a few more things into consideration: Depreciation occurs rapidly and not everybody can absorb that cost Taxes, licensing and other fees occur every year or every other year, depending on where you live Insurance differs widely from car to car and can also depend on the age and model of the car, your  driving record, and your age Cost of financing can really get you if you don’t pay cash Is it a gas guzzler? Maintenance and repairs–while some may require very little, others are quite expensive Just make sure you do your research about ALL th...