This week, MikedUp Blog is attempting to answer the question, “What are personal finance bloggers collectively wrong about?” My contribution posted Tuesday, while Dan from Pennies and Dollars has provided his take below. Here’s a link to the intro post (from Monday) if you’re looking for more details. And as always, thanks for reading!   -Mike   The personal finance community is obsessed with budgets. And for good reason.   Budgets are the roadmap for our finances, and most people tend to go astray without a budget in place.   However, there’s a tendency in the personal finance community to deliver budget ultimatums. To be clear, not everyone is guilty. Some personal finance writers take a balanced and measured tone to budgeting. But I’m certainly guilty of budgeting ultimatums! I’ve stated in no uncertain terms that everyone needs a budget. And I know I’m not alone. The kind host of this blog […]

This week, MikedUp Blog is attempting to answer the question, “What are personal finance bloggers collectively wrong about?” My contribution is below, while Dan from Pennies and Dollars will provide his take on Thursday. Here’s a link to the intro post (from Monday) if you’re looking for more details. And as always, thanks for reading!   -Mike     Dave Ramsey recently tweeted, “The credit card is the cigarette of the financial world. When we look back in the years to come we will shake our heads at the stupidity.” Additionally, some PF (personal finance) bloggers have written recently, echoing the “cut up the cards” sentiment.   You should also know that the current interest rate for credit cards is 15.07% – and that’s if you have good credit. The bad credit rate: 22.73%.   As an example, if you buy a $1,000 couch using a store credit card via payments for 60 […]

  First off – Happy Tax Day, 2017!!   The tax year was 2015 and we had been through some changes financially. Up to this point, we had been a 1-income family for years, no kids, at least 1 of us (sometimes 2) in grad/dental school, apartment living, … You get the idea. But in 2015 we decided to gradually dip our toes into the water of life (this is a complete and total use of sarcasm).   Here were some of our family’s changes in 2015:   Went from 1 income to 2 We quit taking out loans to fund dental school (I hear you – cash flowing college die-hards, but to come out of dental school if your parent isn’t a dentist with less than $200k is considered a huge victory… stuff’s expensive) We had our daughter (technically Monica had our daughter) We bought our first house The 2nd income […]

    I wrote an article back in spring 2016 about a young couple that paid off $89,000 in 15 months. The article was very well received, as most applauded the couple’s tenacity and hard work. I’d be lying to say the article didn’t help me out, too. It was the 2nd most popular post I’ve published (to date) and has helped introduce me to a few credit counseling clients that I currently work with (more on that below).   As is typical, though, not all reviews were roses and sugarplums.   Many conceded the hard work and the fact that Jon and Heather sacrificed a great deal in the short term to get out of debt, but many have commented that because the couple ended their debt free journey earning $110k/year, their situation doesn’t extrapolate to the majority of regular folks.   I see the argument that big numbers like […]

Hi, Team! Today, we’re fortunate to have Jon (yes, this Jon) here to blow your mind about those crazy prices some of us pay for wireless service. What are Jon’s qualifications? Well, he and his wife paid off close to $89,000 in student loans in about 16 months. These two are living examples of what good, worthwhile goals can lead to. Consistent readers are probably familiar with the story, if that’s not you, feel free to check out the link above. Either way, thanks for being here! -Mike   When it came time for me to finally get off my parents’ cell phone plan and get my own, Heather and I were pinching every penny I made to get her through school without adding to our mountain of student loan debt.  Money was tight, and I was the only one working, which gave me the motivation I needed to venture […]

Alarm bells and red flags were sounding (and going up) in my brain. I sensed all wasn’t well and that some rectifying needed to be done in the near future. This was going to be one of those conversations where the selective hearing would not be an option. My FULL attention would be required.   Monica and I had just gotten home from work and the gym when the daily question presented itself… again. “What are you thinking for dinner?” It was a simple and straightforward question but even as I asked it I sensed the repetition starting to nag at both of us.   Monica vocalized our collective thoughts. “I’m sick of making decisions all day, then coming home only to decide what’s for dinner. This stops now.” She wasn’t mad at me, just frustrated with the situation we’ve fostered. And frankly, her frustration was warranted.   Whether it’s Monica’s […]