Issuers of credit cards have only one agenda: to keep you permanently in debt.  Their goal in life is to put out the bait (issuing the card), jerk the hook (offering you some miniscule rebate or gift on the first use) and reel you in.  The rest is a piece of cake.  They know that […]

Every time you buy on credit you are converting optional purchases into essential expenses.  Think about it.  Every meal you pay for with plastic, every contract you sign at a health spa, a book club, a record club, a private school, a furniture store, a jewelry store, etc., is adding to your essential expenses list.
— Mary […]

Stop wishing for more money and start managing the money you have. Write down how you will spend (or save) your next paycheck—every single dollar of it. Become a skillful manager so that when more money flows into your life, you’ll know where to put it for the greatest benefit.
— Mary Hunt, “Money Myths That […]

Money on its own is neither good nor bad. Our beliefs and attitudes about money are what make it such a powerful force in our lives. And with good reason. Money determines where we live, what we drive, and where our kids go to school. The trouble starts when our money beliefs are not based […]

All of us who are intimately familiar with over-spending know that it is very easy to five-and-ten-dollar ourselves into oblivion. The good news is that you can five-and-ten-dollar yourself right back to financial health, too.
— Mary Hunt, The Cheapskate Monthly Money Makeover

Perhaps it’s time for you to force a little financial maturity upon yourself.  It’s okay to have a balance in your checking account.  It will not burn a hole there; just keep your mitts off it and allow your plan to work.  Believe me, it will all come out right by the end of the […]

Your money behavior is a direct reflection of your money beliefs.  Your money beliefs, true or false, are the driving force behind your every financial act.  It doesn’t matter where those beliefs came from.  The way to be cured of your money ills is to uncover and eliminate false money beliefs and replace them with […]

Here’s what I want you to know and understand: reducing our spending was the catalyst that started the dramatic and permanent change in our lives.  And that change was not limited to our finances.  It was all-pervasive.  Learning the power of living below our means gave us the life we love.  It affected our relationship, […]

So what are you going to do about it?  Whine, complain, continue feeling sorry for yourself?  I have a better idea.  Get mad!  Decide once and for all that you will not sell your soul to the likes of MasterCard and Visa — not one more day, not one more purchase.  Get righteously indignant at […]

It cost me dearly to learn this very valuable lesson:  Accountability is the key to freedom.  This is a principle you must accept on faith.  It is true, believe me.  The absence of accountability in my life led to unbearable financial bondage.  I became hopelessly buried by a mountain of killer debt.  I couldn’t be […]

I love the concept of a plan.  With plans cities are built, battles are won, and chaos is turned to order.  You need a financial plan for today, tomorrow, a month from now, a year from now, right on through your retirement.  You must design a tailor-made plan that works for you.  It has to […]

Stupid debt doesn’t usually start out stupid. In the beginning, it is simply a matter of convenience. You pay the entire balance during the grace period. Then one month the balance is a little larger than can be easily paid, so you pay half and plan to pay the balance next month. But then something […]

Debt-proof living is a lifestyle where you spend less than you earn; you give, save, and invest confidently and consistently; your financial decisions are purposeful; you turn away from compulsive behavior; you shun unsecured debt; you borrow cautiously; you anticipate the unexpected; you scrutinize your purchases; and you reach for your goals by following a […]