Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s blow by in a hurried hustle. Even outside of the holidays, kids, teens, husbands, and wives are constantly on the go, on the phone, and operating frantically on the fly. While it’s ideal to slow down and savor the moment in the midst of holiday preparations, for some it’s just […]
WoWW: Penny Pinchin’ Christmas Edition!
Thanksgiving is next week! and the day after (or the night of for some retailers) starts the biggest shopping boom of the year. Christmas is crazy busy with travel prep, food prep, present prep, and even prepping prep. Here are a few tips to breathe easy, protect your wallet and peace of mind this Christmas. […]
The Dave Ramsey Approach – Good for Any-Sized Family
Crisis Magazine published an article on Friday entitled “Of Dave Ramsey, Babies, and Birth Control” in which contributor Richard Becker asserts that the Dave Ramsey approach to finances “is not for childbearing Catholic couples who take the teaching of the Church seriously.” Basically Becker’s argument, based on a citation from The Dave Ramsey [Radio] Show, […]
The Mission of Money and the Single-Income Marriage
“Who can find a good wife? She is far more precious than jewels. The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain. She does him good, and not harm” (Proverbs 31:10-12a). Back in August I dug up my old Dave Ramsey CDs for some monetary motivation; and immediately […]
The Return of Frugal February & God’s Advice on Money
And we’re back!! It’s that special time of year when the shock of Christmas spending and January’s financial frivolousness hit like a ton of bricks. Andrew and I are “celebrating” our 2nd Annual Frugal February, the designated month for sticking to a no-frills budget in an effort to kick the newborn habit of extra spending. While […]
Paychecks Decrease 2%: What Happened to My Money?
Bonus post from Dave Ramsey just in time for the twice-a-month pay day: The new year arrived, goals were set, and financial aspirations were locked as you set out to take advantage of your greatest wealth-building tool: your income. That is, until you heard the news. Your salary just got cut by 2%. When you […]
Finances & Marriage: Don’t Do It Like I Did
Before we tied the knot, Andrew and I were advised that though both spouses should be privy to their joint financial status, one spouse should be the designated money manager. I was the first to call “NOT IT!” I didn’t know anything about money, how to manage it, how to work with a bank, setting […]
Words of Wisdom Wednesday: The Penny Pinchin’ Edition
I can’t believe that November is in a WEEK. And you know what that means – Thanksgiving, traveling, parties, and Christmas are all just a few calendar blocks away. In our corner of the world, we’re a single-income family which means that things are tight year-round and most especially during the holidays. I’ve talked to […]
YARD SALE: Making money under the mission
Every six months or so I declare my Semi-Annual PURGE WEEK. I attack every corner and closet over five days, ridding our home of excess and clutter, my mind of unnecessary sentimentality, and I produce an admirable pile of STUFF. We usually donate everything, but this year we had enough to hold our own yard sale with […]
Don’t $pend a Penny: 4 Principles for Stretching Your Buck
Andrew and I are in the middle of a rousing game of Don’t $pend a Penny. He got a raise a couple of months ago and since then we’ve been on a [minor] spree, giddy with false financial freedom – false because A) the raise doesn’t actually take effect until August and B) we have […]
