Look around you. How many unrealized plans do you see? How much unfinished business do you have sitting on your desk at work waiting for you in the morning? What about ungraded papers, unread emails, un-thrown-away junk mail? Maybe paperwork isn’t your problem. Maybe it’s a half-finished basement, a bathroom renovation gone sour, a fence … Read more
Over the last decade, I have read a handful of great books that forced me to think and consider a lot of things about the way I was living. I’ve mentioned some of these books before on the blog, but this week I read another one of those kinds of books and thought I would … Read more
This is a video of Dave Ramsey presenting his 7 Baby Steps. Following the summary video are 10 more videos with more specific details. If you haven’t heard Dave Ramsey before, you need to subscribe to his podcast. Now. The Baby Steps Intro Budgeting Baby Steps Debt Snowball The Emergency Fund Retirement Investment College Savings … Read more
Yesterday, I picked up a copy of Malcolm Gladwell‘s book Blink (purchase on Amazon). Dave Ramsey has been recommending his latest book Outliers (purchase on Amazon) on his radio show lately but when I got to Barnes & Noble, I realized Blink was available in paperback and so was therefore quite a bit less expensive. I’ve … Read more
Salvation by grace alone, through faith (Ephesians 2:8) Heaven Opportunities to preach Playing music Writing music Creating music My pastor My church Having the best job in the world My students My students’ parents My hearing My intellect Air conditioning Heaters Running water Health Health insurance Life insurance Paychecks Freedom from discrimination Freedom from starvation … Read more
Just because you have a new job doesn’t mean that you need to spend everything you make. Just because you got your first paycheck doesn’t mean you need to spend it all. The temptation is there. Don’t do it! Listening to Dave Ramsey, I frequently hear him take calls from listeners who have racked up … Read more
Debt will kill you. The fastest way to waste your income is to pay interest. The fastest way to maximize your income is to earn interest. As long as you have debt (like most of us who graduate from college do), then every penny you spend is borrowed money. Avoid debt at all costs. If … Read more
Summer is a great time to read and catch up on reading. I have a bookshelf full of books, but very few that I have read really jump out and grab me as being amongst the greatest. But a handful do. These books have, in one way or another, changed the course of my life. … Read more
Freedom from oppression Doing what I love and making money for it Freedom of faith The Bible Hymns My family My friends My dogs My home My blog Clarinet Learning The opportunity to learn Dave Ramsey My iPod My laptop Summer “break” Spring break Christmas break Trumpet My students Making music Mariachi Text messages My … Read more
As I mentioned yesterday, westerners generally have too much stuff. That is the result of an extravagant lifestyle that television and popular media promote. The idea is that we shouldn’t be satisfied with what we have. That’s the whole underlying motivation behind much of the advertising industry. Credit cards are a big source of woe … Read more