So You Got A New Job! Should You Go Out And Buy A Bunch of New Crap? Personal by Joel Wagner - September 27, 2008July 1, 20102 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 tens of thousands of dollars of credit card and/or student loan debt as well as having car and mortgage payments that they simply cannot afford. This is a trap that all too many people fall into. Ask how much, not how much down Aim to not carry any debt. That may mean that it takes a bit longer for you to get something than you
Less Stress: Reduce Your Lifestyle Stress Reduction by Joel Wagner - October 19, 2007July 5, 20100 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 for many people. They are a major cause for bankruptcies in America and they are really a symptom of a much greater issue. The issue is dissatisfaction. In the last 17 months, I have paid off over $8,500 in debts. Through listening to Dave Ramsey and reading his book The Total Money Makeover and reading Trent's blog The Simple Dollar, I have come to realize