Blogging Away Debt

How do you save on international travel…

As I mentioned before, my family is heading to Ireland & Italy in six months. Thanks to my ‘frequent and annoying’ complaints about costs, I inherited the onus of planning where we stay when not staying with Italian relatives… and how we are going to get there… and what we are going to do.

Uh sure. Simple. Riiiiiight.

Especially since none of us have been there and no one but me has been out of the country.

No pressure.

I have left American soil precisely one time. I went to visit my sister living in Ireland. Planning that trip was easy. Book a flight, call sis, pack bags. This trip? Not so easy.

Would you do me a favor? Give me your best overseas traveling tip?

If there is a way to save, I’m going to find it!

In a Financial Rut? Find New Friends…

by Beks

I’ve been listening to Dave Ramsey on my way to work and lately and he has seemed to often quote, ‘Within 10 years, your salary will be within 10 percent of your 10 closest friends. Choose wisely.’

The statement was always a bit annoying to me. What am I supposed to do, befriend expensive lawyers and doctors while kicking my sweet but underpaid school teacher friends to the curb? Um. I don’t think so.

This weekend, I was reading an old copy of the ever mature, wise, grown-up magazine… Cosmopolitan… which added to Ramsey’s statement. Cosmo agreed that our salaries would match our closest friends but went on to say that our attitudes about our finances and about our lives will also mirror our closest friends.

Hey Dave, maybe you should focus on the attitude – not the salary.

My sisters and I started paying debt around the same time. Not only are my sisters dedicated to reducing debt, they are efficient – and often funny to watch – frugalistas. Shopping with my sisters is like going shopping with the worst version of Dave Ramsey.

‘Yeah the dress is cute but debt is ugly. Put it back on the hanger.’

No, my sisters don’t make a lot of money but their attitude toward reducing debt is contagious and in the end…

isn’t that what matters?