You buy furniture. You tell yourself, this is the last sofa I will ever need in my life. Buy the sofa, then for a couple years you’re satisfied that no matter what goes wrong, at least you’ve got your sofa issue handled. Then the right set of dishes. Then the perfect bed. The drapes....
Read more »

I’m an anxious man in an anxious world. Many things cause me anxiety.  Deadlines Gorgeous women Speaking in public Two more years of Mr. Obama My underfunded retirement account In early 2009 my anxiety reached the point of turning into an actual panic disorder. For those of you calm, cool, and collected souls out there,...
Read more »

“All hat and no cattle” Or to decipher this verbal riddle for those of you still scratching your head, this phrase is the somewhat more subtle equivalent of an individual that is not able to “walk the talk”. In The Millionaire Next Door, by Thomas J. Stanley and William D. Dankoit’s, “all hat and no...
Read more »

I’ve always been that guy when it comes to cell phones. And anybody reading this probably knows at least one guy like me – the guy that always goes with the free phone when signing up for a cell phone plan or extending a contract with a current provider.  You know this guy – he’s...
Read more »

In an economy that has seen heavy job losses, pay freezes, high unemployment, and a host of other economic stressors, I found it particularly strange to listen to my friend at lunch today proudly announce to the office lunch group assembled  that she only eats organic food and does all of her grocery shopping at Whole...
Read more »

Does it strike anybody else as strange that there is an unspoken assumption that parents ought to pay (in part or in full) for their children’s college education? And not only are parents expected to pay for this cost, they are apparently expected to start saving for it the day after conception! As parents...
Read more »

“Dear The Dollar Stretch … I recently read your post “Understanding your Credit Score” … great post. Anyways it got me motivated to request a copy of my credit report from Experian. I’m in my late 30′s and honestly can’t remember the last time I actually reviewed my own credit report …Long story short,...
Read more »

I was having coffee with a friend this weekend and at some point during our conversation she mentioned how frustrated she was with the interest rate she was paying on an existing credit card from Chase. Now Rebecca is aware of CatholicPF and knew I would not be able to resist digging a little...
Read more »

1. Raise your Insurance Deductible – call your car insurance company and ask to raise the deductible on your auto insurance policy. Your deductible is the amount of money that you will have to spend out of pocket before your insurance company’s coverage begins. Raising your deductible will save you money on your monthly...
Read more »

Like any tool, Credit Cards have a proper and an improper use. In the wrong hands, a useful tool can be a destructive force. But that same tool, in the hands of somebody that knows how to use it properly, can be wielded in a very positive way. And while there are experts out...
Read more »