Archives for “Finance”
I don’t know about you, but I know a lot of people who aren’t sure that focusing on attaining wealth is a good thing to do. This seems to be especially true of Christians and other people who are socially minded. Hopefully, we all at least agree that a budget is necessary, but how far [...]
In my recent quest for new financial knowledge, I have noticed a trend that just astounds me: There are a lot of people who claim that paying off your house is a bad financial move because you will lose the tax deduction from the interest you pay. Most recently, I have been reading “The Last Chance [...]
Do you ever find yourself wishing there were more hours in the day? Sometimes it seems like there is simply too much to do in the amount of time we are given. If your days look like mine, they can be filled with up to 19 hours of working. Yep, I said 19 hours. Those [...]
If you’re a regular reader, I like to make it clear to you that I enjoy reading and learning. The advantage to this blog is that I also have the opportunity to share with you what I learn while engaged in my reading. A few days ago, I finished a book entitled “Scratch Beginnings: Me, [...]
Marty, a regular reader of this blog and a blogger in his own right at Coffee With Marty, recently asked, So, in the past, I have tried to come up with a budget and always failed. Is there some kind of guidelines out there for a 20 year old college student? Well, my first thought when I [...]
To start of with, let me say that I really don’t like spending money I don’t have to. Call it an effect of my frugal, saving mindset, but even the smallest unnecessary expenditure has a way of eating away at me until I can find a way to rid myself of it. I have recently experienced [...]
I recently picked up a copy of “The Millionaire Next Door” by Thomas J. Stanley and William D. Danko from my local library. Ok, so I actually got the audio book so I could listen to it while driving. Have I mentioned that I love the library? There is nothing like finding a great book, [...]
ING Direct is an online bank offerings accounts in a category usually referred to as online, high yield savings accounts. I have personally had an account with ING Direct for almost 5 years now and have really enjoyed my experience with them. ING Direct is different than your average bank or credit union. It doesn’t have [...]
It seems like there is rarely a day that goes by that I don’t hear an ad on TV or the radio for ways to “save money” on your TV service by switching either to cable or satellite. Offers to switch to this bundle or that package abound. Ignoring the fact that it’s impossible for [...]
Something interesting happened to me the other day. I was sitting down to read my Bible the other day and noticed that my reading plan called for me to read 2 entire chapters… at once. Sure, I had read about 120 pages from a textbook the night before without a problem, but, for some reason, [...]
If you spend very much time around people who are trying to get out of debt, you are likely to encounter the topic of credit cards. A lot of people will tell you that going anywhere near these forms of “magic money” is a really bad idea, while others will say that, with a little [...]
This is a review of the Shoulders and Arms workout, part of the P90X program. To learn more about the program and see reviews of the other workouts in the program, click here. The Shoulders and Arms workout seems to be designed to appeal to more traditional weight-lifters. Unlike many of the other workouts in the [...]
If you spend very much time around people who are trying to get out of debt, you are likely to encounter the topic of credit cards. A lot of people will tell you that going anywhere near these forms of “magic money” is a really bad idea, while others will say that, with a little [...]
I’ve mentioned before that I am a very busy person. When I say this, please know that I am not complaining (most of the time). The fact of the matter is that I am busy because I choose to be. Part of this goes back to the fact that I’m a goal-oriented person: if I [...]
A lot of people try to avoid the idea of budgeting their money. They will tell you that it just takes too much work, or that having a budget is too restrictive. I understand these sentiments; setting up a good budget can be a lot of work, and I didn't spend my entire adolescence yearning for freedom just to be put back on an allowance (ok, I never actually received an allowance, but you get the idea). When you look at the facts, however, I think you'll see that budgeting, rather than being restrictive, really creates financial freedom.
I let you all know last week that I had the opportunity to attend a workshop hosted by the Rich Dad team. As promised, here is my review of the event! For those who aren't aware, about 10 years ago, Robert Kiyosaki wrote a book called Rich Dad, Poor Dad, detailing his experience growing up learning from his "Rich Dad" the principles of getting rich (I am currently reading this book). The book covers many topics, but has an emphasis on the process of acquiring assets to become rich. He has since created an organization named Rich Dad with the purpose of teaching people around the world the advanced principles of his theories and ideas. I recently attended a promotional workshop with the organization and have written a review of the experience for your enjoyment.
This is the third of three posts in a series on goal setting. I'll try to make each post present the information from a different point of view, but you may notice that some trends do occur. If you have any questions or find any of this information helpful to you, feel free to leave me a note in the comments section. Other posts in this series: Setting Goals I, Setting Goals II.
Well, if you’re a user of mint.com like I am, then you might be aware of yesterday’s announcement that the site will be purchased by Intuit, the maker of Quicken, QuickBooks, and TurboTax. As a user of the program since right after its inception, I have to admit that I have some mixed feelings about [...]
Of all the areas in my life, I am probably the most disciplined when it comes to finances. What can I say? I have a plan, and I stick with it.
Faith. Fitness. Finance. These three words seem so simple. That is, until you actually try to engage in anything involving any of them with any rate of success.
My name is Branden. I am a high school teacher, a track coach, and a fitness and finance junkie who happens to think that life is pretty rough without viewing it through a spiritual lens. On this site, I hope to help you explore how to get into peak physical and financial shape while serving others, growing spiritually, and giving both time and money.
