My personal goal is to make every reader of this website financially secure.  I want us all not to lay in bed at night and wonder how (or even if) we will pay our electric bill.  Money is not the most important thing in our lives, but when we don't have it...our worlds crumble. "Financially secure? Sure, if I made six-figures!"  The truth is that it does not matter how much we make, it is our margin that matters.  Basically, I am talking about living within our means.  Take fish for example.  For the most part, a fish will not grow...

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Christmas has always been associated with good food, gifts, and spending. But having a wonderful Christmas season doesn’t necessarily entail dipping into your savings. The holidays will not be as enjoyable as they should be if you’re thinking about the bills to be paid come January. •    Look into your financial obligations – while giving gifts is one of the most exciting parts of the season, it is important to remember that you will have other expenses for the holiday. These include family dinners, travel expenses, and giving to charity. Knowing about these financial expenses beforehand will help you avoid unplanned...

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What a crazy time in our history!  Our economy is in turmoil.  We have soldiers at war.  For the first time since 1776 a non-white man has been elected as president.  Gas is affordable.  Tiger Woods and GM end their endorsement partnership to pinch pennies. Many corporations are scrambling to find ways to keep the doors open.  One of the first reactions is to cut personnel.  Save on costs.  What is your gut reaction to weather this storm? Mine is to cut costs and not get involved in new ventures.  I scrubbed my household budget to examine where I can save some extra change. ...

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What if everything we thought had value was really worthless?  This is a question that my pastor asked this week in church.  Don't worry, I am not going to get religious on you.  I am going to explore this question and give you some practical applications to better your finances, though. Pastor Greg Surratt gave the example of a flat-panel plasma TV costing only a few dollars while a pack of underwear was $1,000.  We would buy the television that we did not need and ignore what we really needed.  This made me question if I ever have done this in my...

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A few years ago I was talking to my friend Matt Carman. Matt is a financial brain and has educated me and given me great tips since I have known him. As I was talking to him, a guy that can be best described as a cro-magnon commented on how dumb budgets were. This Masters degree-toting, knuckle-dragger went on to say, “Don’t spend more than you make.” His advice is actually the foundation of this posting. I figured if he could grasp the concept, any of us can.

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