DISQUS

Fitness and finance issues are so similar.

You know you should spend less than you earn, but you don't.
You know you should exercise more, but you don't.
You know that you should start saving/investing for the future now, but you don't.
You know you should exercise now to stay healthy so that later in life you are healthy, but you don't.

I am the exact same way. When I finish my MBA program in August I am starting an exercise and proper diet (not dieting) lifestyle change.

(Sorry if this double posts, accidentally clicked away).

Wow ... not one employee... is stunning.

What's the statistic that runs around out there... like 90% of the economy is small businesses rather than mega corporations? It might even be 98%, I can't remember.

Very interesting.

Wow ... not one employee... is stunning.

What's the statistic that runs around out there... like 90% of the economy is small businesses rather than mega corporations? It might even be 98%, I can't remember.

Very interesting.

While theoretically true, in practice this proves to be false.

Let me explain.

Yes they do charge merchants 2.5-3% to accept the card. But there was a great discussion over on my blog (not trying to plug my site or anything, but you can see the info here http://www.nodebtplan.net/2009/03/08/reader-com...).

Plus you ignore the added benefit to businesses from accepting cards: higher number of transactions (more customers), and if the "surveys" are to be deemed true, then each transaction is larger on average than it would be otherwise. This would be good for the merchant.

Imagine if the companies dropped all of their fees and saved the businesses 2-3%. Do you think we would see a price drop? No, they would absorb the profit... just like us reward card members are happy to do.

This is an epic post... as you can tell by the comments.

Some can control their spending, others cannot. Debit, credit, cash, it doesn't matter.

Some say studies show you spend more with plastic. That's odd... I have a budget. How many of those people were living on a budget?

Being stupid is not an excuse for you to burn any company at the stake.

The soda company comparison is fantastic -- inspiring me to write something about it for tomorrow.

Good luck with the move. Not sure what route you are taking, but if you get close to Birmingham I'll be glad to buy you a beer. But not if you're driving. :)

Welcome back south. It's hot... but beautiful down here!

The photo really got me to read the whole post -- great job.

You make a good point. What if all of my dutiful saving goes up in smoke? I'll be pissed, no doubt. But if I can maintain the "it's only money" mentality... I think I might be able to cope.

Hopefully neither of us will have to worry about it.

I think it's a beautiful thing that they go together -- frugality and decluttering. This is something we have struggled with. The simple act of keeping our home decluttered is an act of Congress, and we don't even have kids. (This does not bode well for the future!)

Phew! No thanks for me either. All that risk pay is worthless if you end up disappearing...

I'm just getting caught up on your posts... totally awesome. Sharing this with my wife. (We don't have kids.)

Very true. In the past three weeks, I've earned $200+ blogging. Nice little bit of side income.

I like to call this "don't forget to live". It is simply impossible to cut everything at all times. Go for an ice cream cone. Enjoy life a bit. Just not too much. :)

Congratulations and best of luck.

Not on the same plane, but we got a puppy last Saturday and have been up in the middle of the night, too. Again not saying its the same, but it's a glimpse of what you'll be doing through.

Congrats... crazy stuff going on around the blogosphere!

I have to take 2-3 clients out to breakfast/lunch per week. So it looks like I spend a lot too -- on my AMEX Blue Cash. But I don't really have a choice... eating healthy with clients is hard, too.

Glad to read I'm not the only person who has had that experience with the United Way. It was like that at my old work. What a joke.

Being able to answer questions on a sponsored quiz is different from facing the "free money" of credit cards in college and/or the real world. The fact that our national savings rate is -2% or so, and that college students are graduating with credit card debt, proves the point that somewhere along the line the next generation isn't being educated on the facts of finance.

I'm guessing you work as a consultant... I'd be interested in learning how you decided and made the jump to consultant life. Sorry if you already covered it in the past, if so just link me to it.

There is something going on with Lending Club... not sure what. They are suspending the referral program and putting new loans on hold.

It's very similar to finances. Once you reach your goal, you can't go back to your old ways (at least not completely). Hitting the goal is awesome, maintaining that level of "exercise" for your finances can be difficult.

I've been meaning to start running for the past, I dunno, six years. Last night I came home and jogged in our neighborhood for all of nine minutes. (Honest, we have a really steep incline that I went up first and that pretty much finished me).

But it was a first step.

I hope to take more tonight.

Cheers!

A great example of how copy writing correctly can get you visitors. I clicked through from your RSS simply because of the title. Nice job.

The only problem is when the crowd runs off of a cliff (a la sub-prime, Bear Sterns, etc.).

Question: Where does being contrarian fit into this?

1. Getting Things Done
2. Your Money or Your Life
3. Zen to Done
4. The Greatest Salesman in the World
5. X Marks the Spot

Sweet!

Fantastic list. Not too late for some of us! (Came across this from FMF's March Madness.)