Amortization schedules can be extremely helpful in understanding how your loans work. They break out each payment one by one and list how much interest you pay each month. Amortization schedules can be a useful tool in analyzing your debt so you can get rid of it. I have developed an excel amortization schedule with …
What You Should Ask For This Christmas
With the end of the year popping up everyone will soon be making new year’s resolutions and most likely desire to finally get control of their finances. Stories about being generous givers will turn into stories about how to save money in your budget. Often there can be a lot of regret in how much …
Do You Really Want To Be Debt Free?
Everyone says they want to be debt free but do you really want to be debt free? Now, there are two ways to interpret this question. The first way, and the more provocative way, is to make it sound as though being debt free is some burden or that it isn’t all that it is …
Free Debt Thermometer Template
A simple, yet effective way for us to track our debt payoff was to keep a debt thermometer. This free debt thermometer template is easy to use and customize in seconds. It is amazing how something so simple can really impact and provide motivation to achieve your goals. The debt thermometer printable is free and …
The Exhuastion of Optimization
I love to analyze things and enjoy looking at the math behind different concepts. While I find it interesting I also find it exhausting and I also find the idea that everything needs to be optimized exhausting. This is in response to the endless arguments in personal finance. These arguments include budgets and whether they …
How to Calculate Interest on Long Term Debt
This is probably super boring for most of you but if you are reading this you must have some interest, no pun intended (OK maybe), in understanding how the interest you are being charged is calculated. When we started paying down our debt it was important for me to understand the effect of our interest …
Learn to Draw the Line
One of the critical mindsets that one develops when making strides in their personal finances is the ability to draw the line and not go past it. This ability to just say no is where your written plan/budget becomes real and is reflected by your personal behavior. When you draw the line and stick to …
US Credit Card Debt and You
Americans now have the highest amount of revolving credit card debt in US history. This is horrible news for our present and future. While consumer spending helps keep the economy moving this amount of credit card debt takes a toll on each person who is stuck in its grips. Credit card debt has a high …
Automate Your Debt Payoff and Saving
When paying off a ton a debt aggressively you need to maximize your savings as much as possible. In fact, I’d say, whatever your goal is that you need to maximize your savings so that you can let time take care of the rest. The best way to maximize your savings is to automate it …
Let Time Work for You and Not Against You
Time is one of your most valuable resources when it comes to your finances but it can easily work against you. If you are going to be successful with turning around your financial life then you need to let time work for you and not against you. HOW IT WORKS AGAINST YOU If you are …