Let me guess, you’ve been watching all those house flipping shows on cable TV? I bet they’re like the ones I used to watch before I flipped houses. They make it look so easy to do, and they always make a profit. Do they? Now you’re curious if the reality of flipping a house […]
I started my first home-based business over 15 years ago. I was looking for an opportunity to try something new on my own. In addition to making some extra money, I also saw it as an opportunity to broaden my horizons a bit and test my skills at running my own business. What I […]
There are a number of ways to invest and make money in real estate. You could: Buy a home and rent it out as a vacation property. Purchase a house or apartment complex and rent it out for residential living. Acquire a foreclosure or fixer-upper, renovate it and flip it for a profit. All […]
Are you concerned about credit card fraud? Worried about someone making unauthorized charges to your debit or credit card. If you are, here is one simple method you can use to minimize your exposure to fraud and avoid fraudulent charges. This may be the most important credit card alert you ever use. […]
For many years I watched my dad spend hours in the evening after he got home from work preparing the taxes. I can still picture it. The dim light coming from the basement. The table, covered with IRS forms, instruction booklets, envelops and a stack of receipts. A calculator, paper clips and what looked […]
Wisconsin is a special place for Mother Nature. She provides us with four wonderful seasons throughout the year. Wisconsinites are fortunate to be able to experience the fresh new start of spring, the long warm days of summer, and beautiful colors of fall. Even winter has its own standard for beauty like freshly […]
I recently watched the HBO documentary Panic: The Untold Story of the 2008 Financial Crisis. The documentary discusses the events surrounding the cause of the 2008 crisis. And the sequence of events that the government took to prevent an economic collapse. It’s a great documentary that provides new information and sheds light on the […]
Throughout the year, but most often during tax season, the subject of contributing to an Individual Retirement Account (IRA) comes up. IRAs are in the news, advertised on T.V., in print and of course on the Internet. Banks, credit unions and brokerage firms promoting the tax benefits of opening a Traditional IRA account with […]
Every year after the holidays, millions of Americans complete their holiday festivities by traveling home, going back to work, returning unwanted gifts and enter the year with aspirations of sticking to their new year resolutions. Then about mid to late January, many will receive their first credit card statement or statements. Detailing just how […]
It’s been eight months since I cut the proverbial cable cord. That’s right, no more Fox News, no TNT, History channel or HBO. Actually, it was DirecTV, so I guess you could say I cut the satellite signal to eliminate premium TV services. (Cutting cable, cutting DirecTV to save money – same difference right?) […]
If you have visited my site before and read any of my personal finance articles or eBooks, you know that much of what I write about are my own experiences with successful money management. I enjoy providing a different perspective on personal finance topics – my own experiences of what works and what […]
Updated for 2019 As with most Americans, a new year brings new resolutions. One of the most common resolutions every year surrounds the topic of personal finance. Recent surveys suggest that 34% of the New Year resolutions made will be about the desire to spend less money and save more. Changing our spending habits […]
You’ve seen these offers advertised before? An Insane Credit Card Offering 0% Interest Transferring Your Balance to a 21-Month 0% APR is Ingenious Demolish Your Debt with this 18-Month 0% Credit Card Are you considering a 0% balance transfer offer to pay off debt? Or maybe consolidate your debt. These days […]
It’s that feeling of being restricted or confined, like sitting in the middle seat of a commercial airliner knowing you’re going to have to inconvenience someone when you have to use the bathroom. The perspective that you have to give something up. Like wanting to watch your favorite football game or that new episode of […]
Of all the areas associated with personal finance, my greatest weakness has always been around the subject of frugality. I don’t mean the task of budgeting – how much money I should or shouldn’t spend to manage my budget. Rather the perspective of saving money by clipping coupons or searching for 2-for-1 deals in the […]
I have always been interested in the subject of passive income, specifically how to create passive income opportunities – to some degree, you might say I‘m a bit obsessed. Why? because I believe it’s an important aspect of building wealth – kind of like having a 2nd job you don’t have to show up […]
My Opportunity in Pictures/Video – Spring 2018 Update It’s been a long winter with the last snowfall ending in late April. But things are now greening up and I am looking forward to a great summer on the hobby farm. Below are two short videos and one picture. The first video is of the valley […]
Most often the discussion surrounding consumer debt focuses on how to get out of debt, why debt is bad, and why saving money is good. In addition, debt is often a topic of interest for many personal finance books, blogs, and websites, including Filling The Pig. These perspectives are educational, relevant and important to the […]
The Snowball Method is one of the most talked about concepts for eliminating debt. For some it’s viewed as the only way to pay off debt (i.e. FTP), for others it’s viewed as an impractical approach because it doesn’t take into consideration the interest rate you’re paying on your debt. However, regardless of what […]
Actually, the real question might be – how many credit cards should you have based on what the credit card companies think? Ever since I started blogging about personal finance topics I have wanted to write an article focused on credit cards. Specifically the number of credit cards you should have. Because I believe […]