Something On My Mind

Interest rates have been extremely low for several years which most American’s have taken advantage of and they should.  The allure to make this move is that mortgage payment will be lower; however, you don’t want to refinance just to refinance.  If you do not stay in your home long enough you may actually lose money 

This personal finance tip is about switching from a traditional butane lighter to an arc lighter. They last longer and it reduces environmental waste.  

This personal finance tip is about the benefits of doing business with a credit union. Many people bank with major banks; however, credit unions can offer many advantages that banks do not. One is they may offer a more personalized customer service, lower fees and  higher interest rates on savings. Another benefit is competitive interest rates on loans.   

This personal finance tip is about Rubbermaid's FreshWorks food storage containers that increases the life of fruits and vegetables by 80%.

This personal finance topic provides six tips on how to save money on sports, music, plays and other entertainment. 

This personal finance tip is about the Blueland line of cleaning products. This includes mirrors, bathrooms, multi surface as well as dishwashing and laundry.  These products save you money over traditional cleaners and helps reduce waste specifically plastic, while reducing the environmental footprint.

This episode's main topic is about a listener question: is it advantageous incorporate a 13-payment plan with your mortgage lender? The answer is yes and possibly no.  We also take review listener feedback regarding recent personal finance tips of the week.  The roundtable the discussion is about our neighbor that continues to make other people's yard look worse.  We also tell story of woman that...

This personal finance tip is on the caveats of options trading. Options are very risky and truthfully it is gambling. It is important to make sure that you should not play with money that you cannot afford to lose. 

The tip of the week discusses how to roll in closing costs into a home purchase or refinance. This can reduce the upfront cost burden; however, it means more is money borrowed which accumulated additional interest over the life of the mortgage.    

This episode covers the current state of the student loan crisis that puts college graduates into debt when the enter the workforce. This is a hindrance that holds people back from achieving financial goals. The White House and Congress have been discussing the solutions to forgive debt; however, nothing has been accomplished and there is no resolution in the near future. In the roundtable the dis...

The tip of the week centers on why drinks at bars and restaurants are expensive. This centers on the actual cost of the alcohol and other ingredients along with the pour cost. This is why drinking is an expensive budgetary item.  

The financial topic discusses the rising inflation. What causes inflation and what are the types of inflation. How does it effect the stock market and the overall retirement next egg?  In the stories section they talk about the crazy and unusual things that people have been doing to hoard the gas due to the fuel shortage. They review funny tweets that have been posted.  Gas Hoarding Pictures https...

The tip of the week centers on saving money on gasoline in the budget with the GasBuddy App. This tool lets you filter on the type of gas that you need as well as the brand, location, and price. In addition, you can drill down to places that have car washes, restaurants and restrooms.   GasBuddy also alerts you with price hikes and daily deals and has a rewards card to save more money. 

In this episode: Is it more beneficial to lease or buy a car. Prices for automobiles are inflated due to the chip shortages in tandem with high demand from consumers.  So what is the most advantageous choice for the cost in the budget? Perhaps buying a used car. In the stories section they talk about Lou Ottens; the inventor of the cassette tape and they review inventors who regretted their invent...

The budget tip of the week centers on saving money on your Internet bill in the budget.   

This episode takes another look at the, FIRE movement which stands for Financial Independence Retire Early.  It incorporates many of the tools needed to retire; however, typically there is not enough money saved to handle the unforeseen costs with health insurance, raising children, saving for their college and paying into social security. It also prevents many investors from enjoying their favori...

The budget tip of the week centers on saving money when it comes to shaving.  The cost for razor blades are one of those items that quietly add up in the budget. We did some digging and found a product called the Razorpit that we have been using for years.  This is a product that extends the life of a razor blade exponentially for a small cost.  

This week's episode reviews the life after college. These are many of the questions that people are asking: Am I going home? Do I have to? Can I get a roommate and split rent? I need a job? My internship fell through during COVID. Do I have anybody that I can network with?  I need a budget. How do I budget? I need help! In the stories section David and Cindy discuss the unusual and crazy jobs peop...

The budget tip of the week explains why as of 4/28/21 this may be the worst time to buy a home.  Since April of 2020 lumber prices have jumped 200% and are adding approximately $24,000 to the price of a new home.  Prices for steel have risen 22% in the last three months. Since April of 2020 the price for copper has risen 191%. In December 2020, the median price for a single-family home increased 1...

This week's episode reviews the Life and Crimes of Bernie Madoff who passed away on 4/14/21.  How he designed and executed the most well-known Ponzi scheme in history; when did the scheme start, how his legitimate  businesses masked his client business? Who were his investors and how was restitution granted. In the roundtable Cindy review her top 10 observations while having COVID. In the stories...

The budget the tip of the week explains the value of not buying hanging baskets of flowers and opting to opting to purchase flats of flowers. The cost can be 50% less and this can be a nice impact to disposable income in the budget.  This also allows for more creativity in making baskets on your own. 

This episode reviews the College Admissions Scandal documentary on Netflix. Rick Singer the mastermind behind the "side door" method created a system to get students into prestigious schools through a "dummy" charitable orgninization.  With this set up, rich and well-known parents paid Rick Singer to where he took the money and bribed coaches, school administration officials and an SAT a ACT test...

The budget tip of the week, explains the value of knowing the break even point with budgeting.  At what point after buying a new product or service does it pay for itself over your current choice?  Once this is determined, then you will begin to see increased disposable income in the budget.   

Kyle (32) and Ashley (31) recently were married and have bought their first home. I discuss their choices around how much they decided to spend on their house and the wedding. They differ from many of the Millennial credos which are around passive income streams, side hustles (gigs) and the F.I.R.E movement. They are building their wealth and lifestyle around the standard corporate job structure. ...

The budget tip of the week explains the value of having organization with store purchase receipts.  What is the importance of understanding a retailer's return policy in order to get full credit, a store credit or if you may be outside of the return window where no money is received. Knowing this information can be beneficial to the budget.  You can help the environment by using less paper. One wa...