I might have mentioned before that my wife and I don’t really keep a household budget. We used to be very, very diligent about it, but over the years we just stopped. I could tell you what we roughly spend each month, but not without actually adding it up. I only really know if we are spending too much by looking at our long-term net … Continue reading Budgets & Big Purchases
My wife and I first came to Florida on our honeymoon. It was only the second time either of us had travelled on a plane. I booked the trip through the travel agent at our favorite department store for about $800. That included airfare on Northwest Airlines, a Pontiac Sunfire rental car, and 7 nights stay at the beautiful Westwood Winfield Inn near Orlando. All … Continue reading Vacation Spending Without Limits
When I was in college, my girlfriend and I stopped into the bank one day on our way downtown. I explained to the future Mrs. FireStation that I needed to check my balance. She was puzzled by the fact that I often zipped into the bank every week or two. The bank teller was puzzled too. I had my checkbook in my hand, but didn’t … Continue reading Bank Registers & Budgets – I Don’t Waste My Time
There is probably no luxury that I have done more of an about-face on over the past 20 years than luxury automobiles. My DW and I started out very humbly in our 20s when we got married. We were very practical: she had a 11-year old Ford Fairmont (boring, but mostly reliable). I had managed to drive a few junkers into the ground through college … Continue reading Grown-Up Guilty Pleasure – Luxury Cars
I’m not sure when my wife and I started using the expression. I imagine we were shopping at the mall and trying to decide whether or not to splurge on something that might or not prove useful. It started pretty innocently I’m sure, but quickly became a trusted decision rule that has saved us thousands, if not tens of thousands of dollars over the years. … Continue reading Four Simple Words That Saved Us $$$ Thousands
When I first got married, my oldest brother gave me the advice to “over insure” yourself. It doesn’t cost that much and makes sure you have a good night’s sleep knowing that if you don’t wake up, no one has been left in a vulnerable place. Since I’m the key breadwinner in our family, I’ve always taken that advice seriously – but no longer. Two … Continue reading Thrifty Thursday – Life Insurance Independence
My son is a junior in high school and starting to look at colleges. He’s a smart, thoughtful kid who doesn’t seem to be stressing too much about where he goes off to school. At the same time, since my DW and I have been good savers in the 529 plan we set up for him when he was little, we’re not too stressed about … Continue reading The College Paradox
My son goes to a parochial high school and we recently got a notice to sign him up for the next school year. The website & billing service that the school uses has pages questions at the start of the year for us to fill out in addition to the basic student name, address, and grade level. The website also asks about billing preferences – … Continue reading Thrifty Thursday – Outrageous Fees
The old Diana Ross song asks “Do you know where you are going to?” and many Americans should be asking themselves the same question when it comes to achieving financial independence. You can’t reach a goal you haven’t adequately envisioned for yourself and reaching FIRE is a very big vision indeed. The best place to start is by understanding what you are spending today. If … Continue reading Do You Know Where You Are Going To?
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