Black Friday Spenders: Wasting Away in Hamsterville

I ignored Black Friday – and shopping altogether – this year. Instead, I enjoyed time with family. Mr. ToughMoneyLove shopped on Black Friday once. My oldest son and I decided a few years ago to snap up some needed tech bargains at Best Buy. We arrived early (but not before hundreds of others looking to score bigger deals), bought a few things on our list, went home, and fell back asleep by 7:00 AM. I won’t be doing that again anytime soon, if ever. It’s rare these days that I would want or need to buy something that would be deeply discounted on Black Friday. Read more

Lifestyle Changes by Design

Tomorrow Mrs. ToughMoneyLove and I are joining two of our sons (and a wonderful significant other) in a 600 mile one-day car trip to a Thanksgiving get-together with extended family. Read more

Making Small Sacrifices Count

You hear and read a lot of debate about the value in making small sacrifices in your spending. Many habitual spenders resist the call to cut out their discretionary purchases of small items, e.g., that morning latte’ or lunchtime meal out. It’s part of their enjoyment of life, they say, and the costs are insignificant compared to their finances as a whole. To them, not having that daily treat is more than saving money – it’s sacrificing something of value. Read more

Troubled Homeowners Can’t Be Bothered with Helping Themselves

In February, the Obama administration announced its $75 billion dollar plan to rescue 4 million homeowners (and I use that term loosely) from probable foreclosure. The concept was that these troubled homeowners would negotiate with their lender for a revised payment plan, test the plan for a few months, then make it permanent for five years. Taxpayer funds would support all of it. So far, this program has been a dismal failure and another waste of our money. Read more

Holiday Spending Guide for a New Economy

If you are watching the stock market, listening to the politicians in charge, and reading the popular press, maybe you are starting to build some confidence in our economy. After all, there is nothing wrong with having some optimism during difficult times. The important question is what you do with that optimism. The politicians in charge and retailers want you to convert that optimism into spending. Mr. ToughMoneyLove has different ideas. Read more

Hard Truth Week in Review – Advent Conspiracy Edition

I’m back from my weekend visit in Atlanta with good friends from high school. It met and exceeded my expectations in all respects. You can’t put a price on an opportunity to spend quality time with guys you’ve known for 45 years (and can still put up with me!) Read more

Resisting Black Friday Temptation

My posting has been scaled back this week, as I am in Atlanta visiting with a couple of great friends from high school (Class of 1969, thank-you very much). I did want to briefly mention a consumer temptation phenomenon that seems to have accelerated this year. Read more

The Satellite Radio Service that Won’t Die

Three months ago I wrote about our ongoing efforts to eliminate unneeded recurring monthly expenses. One of those was the satellite radio service that I have had in my car for a few years. However, it seems that the monopoly now known as XM/Sirius doesn’t deal well with rejection. It has resisted my cancellation efforts to a degree that is as humorous as it is frustrating. Read more

Should You Invest in a Target Retirement Date Fund?

Target Date Funds were intended to be a “one-size fits all” retirement investment vehicle. Investors were encouraged to put most if not all of their retirement portfolio into a retirement date fund after selecting a target retirement date. Then, the theory went, they could sit back, relax, and watch as the fund grew over time while automatically adjusting the fund’s asset allocations as their target date approached. Read more

Does Las Vegas Deserve a Recovery?

I am in Las Vegas on business this week – attending some trade shows to help a couple of clients find competitive infringing products. Not fun but productive. With an entire industry jammed into a single convention center, finding knock-off targets is like shooting ducks in a pond. Read more

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