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I was recently introduced to an online service that I wish I had known about in school.  It’s called Student of Fortune and it’s a web-based tutoring service for college students to get help with their homework.  Anyone can join the site as a tutor and then as you answer questions for the students you get paid.  Here’s the description from the company:

“If you’re a student, just post a question you’re struggling with. We’ll send your question to all of the tutors on Student of Fortune, and those expert in the subject will write custom tutorials to teach you how to answer your difficult homework assignment (and others like it). Pick a tutorial that looks good, buy it, follow up with questions until your aha! moment, learn the material, and ace all of your classes!  If you’re expert on a subject, write great tutorials to earn lots of money, even thousands of dollars… all for helping students to learn!” – StudentofFortune.com

This business model is very fascinating and (more…)

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My wife and I were recently smacked with a $3,000 dental bill.  We never saw it coming.  One routine dental check-up turned into a near catastrophe that could have completely wiped out our monthly budget and lifestyle.  Fortunately, we were blessed with a larger than normal tax refund this year and managed to cover the bill in full without too much hassle.  If it wasn’t for the tax refund, we may have faced some difficult decisions.  In the past we have faced similar experiences, some we overcame and others we’re still dealing with.

Last summer, just a short time before moving to Nashville from Boston, I quit my job under bad circumstances and found myself unemployed for the fourth time in two years.  Not a great track record, I know.  This time was different because I was only a few short months from getting married and I was responsible for more than myself.  I had debt from Boston I was still trying to pay, new bills from the new apartment, and a savings account that wouldn’t last me more than a couple weeks.  At that point, every bill seemed unwanted and unexpected, and I was unable to pay.  Needless to say, times were tight.  I managed to delay some payments by applying for a hardship deferral, my parents kicked in some, my wife’s parents kicked in some more, and I searched for jobs faster than ever.  Within six weeks I was working again and had narrowly escaped major financial turmoil. (more…)

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What you’re doing now isn’t working.  Presumably, you already have some sort of a financial plan in place, but something isn’t right.  Maybe you’ve overdrawn your checking account, or racked up a huge bill on your credit card, or you constantly find yourself needing to buy stuff, but you’re broke.  You don’t think there’s enough money coming in to cover the expenses that are going out.  But how do you know for sure?  Is it possible to live on a tiny income right out of school?  Can you afford to even make the minimum payments on your credit cards?

If you’re reading this article in search of a solution to actually survive on a low budget, you’ve come to the right place.  By following the action steps below, in order, you will be able to accurately calculate how much money you actually have and if you can afford to continue to live your current lifestyle.  Take these steps seriously and make a plan today to start on number 1.  Every step is important and all of them add up to a life of financial intelligence.  You’re going to need it.  If you’ve ever tried to pay your own taxes, start a business, or even understand what your insurance bill actually says, it’s complicated.  Start the learning process now to ensure a life filled with financial blessings, instead of annoying burdens that ruin your day.  Let’s get started! (more…)

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I’ll be as transparent as possible in this article and state my position right up front: I hate debt.  (I’m usually a very positive person so this is kind of difficult to be so negative – Please bear with me!)

I don’t like paying interest.  I don’t like borrowing money.  I don’t like the idea of creditors calling me asking for money.  I don’t like tailoring my spending habits to increase my credit score.  I don’t like pay-day check-cashing businesses.  I don’t like excessive credit cards offers in my mailbox.  I don’t like borrowing $100k to go to grad school . . . you get the idea.

So what’s the deal with debt?

To put it simply, debt is dumb.  You can thank Dave Ramsey for that statement.  Now, to back it up, I have 7 truths about debt that should shed some light on why I’m so passionate about this subject.  If you can’t tell already, this is one my hot buttons.  I don’t have many, but when it comes to talking about debt, I really can talk about this stuff for hours.  So let’s get started!

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