In 8 short days I will make the biggest purchase I am ever likely to make, I will be purchasing a new house.  And the closer we come to closing, the harder it is for me to practice what I preach. Everywhere I look small “upgrades” are popping up that I know I can find cheaper ... Read the rest »

My wife and I have essentially been living as if we were making mortgage payments on our new house for the last 6 months, but instead of paying a mortgage (and taxes and insurance and Homeowners Association) it’s all been going into savings for our down payment. We admit that we are stretching ourselves to ... Read the rest »

As gas passes $3.50 per gallon and rapidly approaches $4.00 per gallon (or it’s already there…sorry CA), Mary and I can’t wait to move into our new house and cut our commute from 32 miles to 15. However in the meantime, we have taken measures to get the most out of our tanks of gas. ... Read the rest »

Tonight Mary and I had the chance to eat at a very wealthy person’s house in Dallas.  This house is AMAZING.  This house is probably 10,000 square feet, and they had a “mile of wood trim” throughout their game room.  It was very impressive, and it sits on one of the most visible places in ... Read the rest »

Note: At the suggestion of a reader I am splitting the post into two separate pieces.  Stay tuned for 10 Steps to Haggling! When I was younger I had very low self esteem, there was no reason for me to be shy and scared to talk to girls, but I was.  I was scared of ... Read the rest »

Note: I sincerely apologize for the lack of posts over the last week.  It has been a very hectic week for Mary, Myself, and My family. For the first time in my adult life I experienced positive peer pressure, and it made me glad to have the friends I have.  The other night I called one ... Read the rest »

When Did Frugality Cease Being a Virtue in Our Society?  Really no matter how far you look back in history Frugality has always been a virtue.  ”He who gathers money little by little makes it grow” - Proverbs 13:11 Here the bible calls upon us to save where we can, even a little bit helps, and ... Read the rest »