Debt Management Blog

How Much Money Are You Leaking Every Month?

Six Little Expenses That Chip Away at Your Finances You think of yourself as a careful spender.  You budget – or try to, anyway.  You don’t go on spending sprees.  You can’t remember the last time you ate at a restaurant.   You haven’t set foot inside a Starbucks since...

The Debt Guru’s Official Black Friday Survival Guide

Halloween is behind us, Thanksgiving is on the way – and the holiday shopping season is nearly upon us.  That’s right:  Now that November is here, those big holiday sales are right around the corner.  But are they worth it?  Where do you find the best Black Friday deals?...

How to Save Up $300 in time for the Holidays

I know, I know:  It’s October.  It’s not even Halloween yet, and I’m rolling out the holiday topics.  But the thing is, it’s almost November.  Pretty soon, malls will start putting up Christmas decorations.  Department stores will start offering crazy “early bird” sales that start at five a.m.  Your...

Hate Budgets? Try This One!

Budgets have kind of a bad rap.  If you’re like most people, “budgeting” is probably not on your list of favorite things to do. In fact, if you’re like most people, the very word “budgeting” probably makes you cringe just a little.  After all, unless you’re a serious financial...

Thou Shalt Live Within Your Means (for financial happiness)

  During a recent family vacation, I spotted a sign in front of a church parking lot that said: “Thou Shalt Not Park Here.”  That sign gave all of us a good laugh – and it also gave me the (divine) inspiration for this week’s topic.  Whether you’re looking...

Four Compelling Reasons For Getting Out of Debt

Nobody really wants to carry credit card debt – but it’s easy to rationalize debt as just one more unpleasant part of life.  For many people, credit card debt becomes an endless cycle – we pay it down, rack it up again, pay it down, rack it up again...

Six Good Reasons to (Responsibly!) Use Your Credit Card

For this month’s blog, I thought it would be fun to talk about something I almost never talk about: the benefits of credit card use. Yes, you read that right.  There are benefits to credit cards. I spend most of my time working with people who are struggling with...

Never be Late Again: Strategies to Stay on Top of Your Bills

If you’ve ever paid a bill late, you know how devastating a few days can be to your credit score — and your bank account.  Missing the payment deadline on any type of bill can cost a small fortune in late fees — and even if you’re usually prompt...

5 Rules for Back-to-School Shopping

  School’s almost in session again, and that means the inevitable back-to-school shopping trip.  Pencils, notebooks, art supplies, clothing, lunch totes – it all starts to add up pretty fast.  If you’re on a budget (and these days, who isn’t on a budget?), it’s a good idea to have...