household expenses

Understanding the many tax deductions can be nothing short of a minefield, and many taxpayers are unaware of the many deductions that can be used to legally reduce your tax bill. This article highlights just a few of the tax deductions that you can claim if your circumstances lend themselves.

Standard Deductions
A standard deduction varies depending [...]

The other day I was helping a friend prepare for a personal finance presentation to a group. I suggested that she break up her presentation with a group activity so that the session is more interactive. I don’t know if she will use my suggestion or not. However, I want to share the idea with [...]

If I have heard one resounding theme over any others among friends and family it’s that the possibility of a vacation is out for this year. In some cases, people I know have not taken a vacation in years! The number one reason: they can’t afford it. Well, at least they think they can’t afford [...]

On occasions when I discuss interest rates or investments expenses, I get comments saying that rate chasing is not worth it. To show you that rate chasing is worth it, I am going to show you some math. One percent may not seems like much, but given enough time, 1% is much bigger than you [...]

“When should I take Social Security?” is the first question everyone faces when contemplating retirement. More than 50% of all men and women start taking benefits at 62. By age 66, well over 90% of all men and women are taking benefits according to the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College.
The Break Even Approach
The [...]

Following up on my how to create a budget article, I want to share with you a budgeting method called the cash envelope budgeting system. The envelope system of budgeting has been around for long time (it’s believed to have started during the Great Depression). However, it became more popular when Dave Ramsey preached it [...]

I am down right bad when it comes to budgeting. I’ve gotten used to a save first and automatic payments lifestyle that budgeting has become a foreign language to me. However, a recent unfortunate event may put this lifestyle to an end and force us to take budgeting seriously. I have been refreshing myself on [...]

Here’s a good video podcast by Dave Ramsey. In just 5 minutes, you can improve your chance of financial success — how can you say no to that? In this video, you’ll learn what Dave Ramsey is all about and what he teaches. I thought the segment on Baby Steps and Debt Snowball was particularly [...]

Dave Ramsey’s Baby Steps is a financial plan designed to help you get your finances in order, get out of debt, and achieve financial freedom. Dave Ramsey has taught these Baby Steps to millions via radio, The Total Money Makeover, Financial Peace University, and on DaveRamsey.com. In this article, I’d like to walk you through [...]

Last Friday, I received a question from one of my readers. He asked that I respond publicly so that others may pitch in with their opinions. However, I took it a step further and passed his question to a few blogger friends and I’ve included their answers here as well.
I am an avid reader of [...]