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The Best Ways to Get Out of Debt and Increase Your Credit Score

April 4, 2022

Whether you are trying to get out of debt, increase your score, or both, it can feel like you don’t know where to start. This is by design. If you don’t know how to get out of debt or increase your credit score when you don’t have a borrowing history,… Read more

Seven Unexpected Ways Budget

Seven Unexpected Ways Budgeting Can Make Your Life Better

December 14, 2021

There’s more to life than having money, but it doesn’t negate the fact that a person’s financial status is essential to their quality of life. Someone with excellent credit, a high salary, manageable debt, and considerable savings will ultimately be able to afford more and experience fewer life challenges than… Read more

Do you have a plan to pay off your debt? While it can be a daunting task, check out these six tips for climbing out of debt.

Six Key Tips For Climbing Out of Debt Quicker

December 7, 2021

Statistics show that the average American household has $135,065 of debt. How much debt does your household currently have? How long will it take you to become debt-free? Do you have a plan to pay off your debt in the near future? While it can be a daunting task, many… Read more

Having a good credit score is important even if you do not care about acquiring the latest card. Check out this article to learn more.

Why Your Credit Score Is Important

November 26, 2021

In spite of all the credit cards that are out there, many people believe that a person will be happier if they live a credit-free life and only buy the things that they can afford. They may have no credit cards or one credit card that they use for emergencies.… Read more

Unfortunately for many, it means lots of debt. Here are some tips for tackling holiday debt.

Tips for Tackling Holiday Debt

November 13, 2021

The holiday season is an exciting time of year for many people. It’s a time to spend quality time with family and friends, enjoy delicious food, drink eggnog by the fire, and exchange presents with loved ones! But it can also be a stressful period for some people because they… Read more

Some people who live a wonderful quality of life making a meager income while others struggle no matter the income. Learn more here.

Money Matters: How to Go From Debt to Wealth

August 27, 2021

There are people who live a wonderful quality of life making five figures and those who struggle with a six-figure income. The difference is the way they handle their money. If you are careless with money, you will live a stressful life caused by outstanding debt. Thankfully, you can change… Read more

Eliminate These Things From Your Wallet for Healthier Finances

August 3, 2021

Samuel L. Jackson and company never seem to tire of interrogating you about what’s in your wallet. They do this while pressing you to add a product that almost certainly shouldn’t be there. It is not just to cure your hopeless case of Costanza wallet. It is to help you… Read more

5 Tips for Staying Out of Debt This Christmas

November 12, 2020

You see advice everywhere for getting out of debt after you’ve overspent during the holiday season. In reality, it would be better if you could get advice on how to stay out of debt before the Christmas season. If you are still paying off last Christmas, consider an online installment… Read more

How to Change Your Debt Mindset

August 14, 2020

When it comes to being in debt, we all have a lot of preconceived notions surrounding the situation. After all, nobody wants to be in debt. But, in today’s society, it is very common to start out adulthood in debt right out of the gate. And even if you get… Read more

Wondering how to get a hold on your finances together? Click here to read more about managing your money as a couple, and how to get proactive about debt.

Marriage and Money: How to Handle Debt Together

August 13, 2020

It may not be the most romantic aspect of sharing your life together, but understanding how to manage your debts as a couple is vital to keeping your marriage as healthy and happy as possible. It can be easy to delay these conversations, however, or to resign yourselves to making… Read more

Getting Out of Debt After Overspending at Christmas – How is it Possible?

November 13, 2019

‘Tis the season to be…in debt? Fa-la-la-la-la-la… Doesn’t quite have the same ring to it as jolly, right? Unfortunately, however, this is the harsh reality for so many families all over the world when the festive season comes to an abrupt end. January comes around straight after the new years’… Read more

Get Organized, Then Get Out of Debt for Good

September 24, 2019

The only thing more challenging than getting rid of debt is trying to do so without a plan. Paying down your debts depends on knowing how much you owe, to whom, and what your options are for doing so. So, let’s turn that cluttered desktop full of receipts, bills, and… Read more

4 Strategies for Dealing with Significant Debt

June 27, 2019

Living in a wealthy nation carries several benefits, but temptation to live beyond average means might be a common relative weakness. Approximately 80 percent of Americans carry some form of debt among student loans, mortgages, vehicle loans, medical bills and credit cards. However, it’s the last category that’s by far… Read more

Debt Repayment Graphic

How Have We Adapted Our Lifestyle to Get Rid of Debt?

March 15, 2019

Almost 3 years ago now, we became a blended family of 7. This was a huge lifestyle change for all of us, but one we are glad we decided to make. However, with this blended household, came some blended debt. We had to sit down and take a really hard… Read more

April Budget

What in the World Happened With Our April Budget?

May 14, 2018

This year we vowed to track our budget and post everything here so that we are being held even more accountable. I wasn’t sure how this month was going to go, primarily because of taxes. So now it is time to check out how we ultimately did with our April… Read more

Change Our Budget

How We Decided to Change Our Budget This Year

January 15, 2018

With the beginning of the New Year, comes the standard desire for change. At least for the majority of us. Well, we happen to be no different in that we know that we can do better. Therefore, when we had our end of the year budget meeting to go over… Read more

Worried About Reaching Your Financial Goals This Year? Try This

January 3, 2018

The New Year brings excitement for some, and dread for others as they despair over another potential year of failed goals. I can’t tell you how many years Rick and I spent making a New Year’s resolution to be better with money, and then proceeded to have ZERO success. It… Read more

Save Money and Pay Off Debt Faster with a Personal Loan

December 8, 2017

Are you having a hard time paying your bills every month? Does it feel like you will never get yourself out of debt? If you answered yes to these questions you are not alone in your plight. Having too much debt is a common problem many people face. Whether it… Read more

7 Ways to Give Your Financial Situation a Jump Start for the New Year

November 1, 2017

It’s November now, and the end of the year always gets me thinking about MONEY. Not just because of holiday spending (which by the way will likely average over $1200 for Americans according to this report) but because the New Year brings a new opportunity to give your money situation… Read more

How to Break the Paycheck to Paycheck Cycle (and Start Building Wealth Too)

October 4, 2017

Recent studies show that as many as 76% of families live paycheck to paycheck, meaning there is absolutely no money leftover at the end of the month. Having lived this way for several decades, I can attest to the fact that it’s no fun being in a money situation where… Read more

What’s the Real Problem Behind the Student Loan Crisis?

August 22, 2017

I found an interesting article yesterday on Forbes that claimed that the real problem behind the burgeoning student loan crisis is not the trillions of dollars in outstanding loan debt.  Related posts: How to Save Money By Paying Attention to Student Debt Reasons Why 46% of Millennial Borrowers Will Keep… Read more

Buck Up and Dream

August 7, 2017

At a large-ish gathering this weekend, I came to the realization that much of our society has been brainwashed into believing certain things about life that simply aren’t true. I’m still in shock over the lack of education in many of these areas. I know I don’t often write snarky… Read more

Is it Easier to Pay off Debt or to Diet?

July 27, 2017

Greetings, friends! Today we have a guest post for you from fellow blogger, Sara Williams. Sara started the Debt Camel blog a few years ago where she chats about everything to do with debt in Britain, from mortgages and credit ratings to payday loans and bankruptcy. Enjoy! Losing weight and… Read more

7 Steps to Success That Most People Aren’t Willing to Learn or Utilize

July 24, 2017

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6 Money Beliefs That Might Be Keeping You Poor

June 26, 2017

Today’s post is a guest post from Jon over at Money Smart Guides. Enjoy! You think you know your way around money, huh? Then how come you still have credit card debt, or how come you don’t have an emergency fund and a $10,000 car note? There are some very… Read more

Paying off Debt: How to Recover From a Blown Budget Month

June 14, 2017

I originally published this post four years ago, but thought it was worth repeating. If you’re on a debt payoff or wealth building journey, and have spent the last month (or more) totally screwing up your budget – or if you read my post from Monday and are ready to… Read more

How Bad Do You Want It?

June 12, 2017

It’s been a tough few months financially here in the Frugal Farmer household. The first part of the year was smooth sailing. We were doing really well on debt reduction. Then came April. Related posts: Worried About Reaching Your Financial Goals This Year? Try This How to Break the Paycheck… Read more

True Financial Restoration Has to Come from the Inside Out

June 2, 2017

When I was in my early twenties (I’ll be 50 this summer) my BFF Judie and I were workout queens. Gym rats. Gym nerds. Muscle heads. Whatever you want to call it. We were amateur body builders who lifted weights three times a week in training from our body builder… Read more

3 Ways to Avoid Discouragement During Debt Payoff

May 30, 2017

If you’re like we were, you might find after making the decision to get out of debt that you may have bit off more than you could chew.  I know that many of you are in way over your heads right now.  You’re facing a mountain that – let’s face… Read more

What Happened When One Family Set a Goal to be Mortgage Free in Seven Years

May 22, 2017

Today we’re sharing the story of Owen and his family. Find out what happened when they bought their house in the midst of tough economic times.  When we bought our first home it was in the middle of the financial crisis. Our purchase came with a $240,000 mortgage. It was… Read more

5 Reasons You Should Get Your Financial Act Together NOW

May 11, 2017

When we look at our list of “whys” for being debt free and financially independent, we’ve got all sorts of fluffy, encouraging stuff on there, such as wanting to do it for our kids and being more able to help others. But if those fluffy reasons aren’t working for you,… Read more

Beware of Monsters

May 8, 2017

When we first began our debt free journey, we had a LOT of emotional issues that were bubbling beneath the surface. We didn’t know it at the time, but a lot of the reason for our debt problem was that we were spending to quell hidden fears and sadness. We… Read more

The Importance of Finding the Leak in Your Financial Ship

May 2, 2017

  One day soon after we began our “getting out of debt” journey I decided, for motivational sake, to go back and track how much we spent on eating out in 2012. It was in December of 2012 that we had our financial wake-up call and realized we had to… Read more

What You Need to Know: Crucial Tools for Winning Your War Against Debt

May 1, 2017

  Paying off debt is hard.  Really hard.   Anyone who’s ever tried it, even those who’ve succeeded, would likely tell you that it would’ve been easier to stay in debt.  In the battle for debt freedom you are battling old habits, old mindsets, and often you’re battling at least a… Read more

How and Why You Should Pay off Your Debt Fast

April 13, 2017

This blog post is part of the Pay Down My Debt (PDMD) blog tour, sponsored by US Equity Advantage. PDMD is a solution that accelerates debt payoff and helps consumers monitor their credit and make smarter purchasing decisions. If you’re looking to pay off debt find out how they can… Read more

Deep in Debt? Here’s How to Get Out

April 11, 2017

When we first started our “getting out of debt” journey, we didn’t tell a soul anything about it, mostly because we knew that most people would tell us we couldn’t make it happen and we’d be better off filing bankruptcy. We were deep, deep in debt, facing a 65% debt-to-income… Read more

Getting Out of Debt:  Here’s How to Start

April 10, 2017

Hey, frugal friends! Today’s post is from Mrs. Daisy, who blogs about debt, family and farm life over at Dirt Road Daisy. Enjoy!  When my husband and I stopped ignoring the fact that we were in six figures of debt and decided to do something about it, we jumped right… Read more

How Debt Destroys Your Chances for Financial Freedom

April 5, 2017

Happy Wednesday, friends! Today’s guest post is from Josh, who blogs over at Money Buffalo. Enjoy! Let’s face it, you are most likely part of the 80% of the American population that is currently making a monthly loan payment. Between student loans, a home mortgage, car loans, and the exercise… Read more

Your Money Situation Won’t Change Until You Start Taking Responsibility for Your Actions

March 21, 2017

I realize that this post might get me in hot water with some, but I recently read another article about the dire money situation of Americans and how it’s not their fault. Being an American who for many years took little responsibility for my own money situation (along with my… Read more

Alternative Options When in Debt

March 8, 2017

What do you do if you’re in debt but need to fund a big purchase? Sometimes life throws up something out of the blue that proves costly – a home repair or car breakdown, say – that cannot be avoided. Such purchases are often beyond the spending power of most… Read more

How to Avoid Student Loan Debt While Earning Your Degree

March 6, 2017

Being we have four kids, the subject of college and how to avoid student loan debt is near and dear to my bank account, er, I mean heart. As entrepreneurs and big believers in self sufficiency, two of the main things we’re working to teach our kids about money is… Read more

Who Benefits From My Debt?

March 2, 2017

“One way to grapple with debt is to ask yourself ‘who benefits from my debt?’” This is the question Mrs. Groovy suggested people ask themselves as they work toward paying off debt, and I thought that the profound statement deserved an entire post, so here it is. Related posts: Alternative… Read more

Household Debt is Rising Again and it’s Not Okay

February 20, 2017

Yes, you heard it right, my friends. Household debt is rising again, with total household debt reaching $12.58 trillion dollars at the end of 2016. Debt totals jumped by $460 billion this year alone, the highest jump in nearly ten years. Our previous “record” for household debt in America was… Read more

How to Pay Off Debt Without Living Under a Rock

February 13, 2017

*Note: This post may contain affiliate links. For some people, paying off their debt is pretty cut and dry. They make a plan, stop spending and get the job done. For us, it hasn’t been so cut and dry. We started with a boat load of debt. We realized that… Read more

The Power of Freedom: Andrew’s Story

February 6, 2017

Yes, it’s another powerful story of debt payoff to motivate us all to follow suit. Today, Andrew from Family Money Plan shares his amazing story.   How much debt did you start our with and what kind of debt was it?  When we topped out we were over $320,000 in mortgage… Read more

How to Pay off Debt : Beating the Broke Mindset

January 30, 2017

  As we began weaving through the process of figuring out how we got into debt and how to pay off debt, it occurred to me that we really had no control over our emotions during that time.  As I’ve mentioned before, our debt load didn’t come from big purchases – we… Read more

The Power of Freedom: MSM’s Story

January 23, 2017

Greetings, financially succeeding friends!!  Today we’ve got yet another story from someone who’s achieved debt freedom. Our friend Rob, who blogs over at www.mustardseedmoney.com, shares his powerful story of how he became totally debt free. Enjoy! How much debt did you start out with and what kind of debt was… Read more

The Power of Freedom: Jacob’s Story

January 9, 2017

Hey, friends! We have another debt freedom story for you today. Jacob shares a great story on how he and his wife (just out of college and with a new baby) dumped $16k in debt. Enjoy!  To read other debt freedom stories, click on our Road to Debt Free page. … Read more

What’s Your Dream and How Will You Get There?

January 2, 2017

Lately, more by chance than anything else, I’ve been stumbling on new-to-me bloggers sharing about their lives as early-retired or almost-early-retired people. The already early-retired people share stories about awesome days where they can go where they want without having to report in to a boss (other than their spouse… Read more

The Power of Debt Freedom: Ruth’s Story

December 12, 2016

I’m honored to be able to share another debt freedom story today; that of my friend and blogging co-hort, Ruth. Ruth is not only a friend, her and I co-own another site, Fruclassity. Ruth also blogs at her personal site, Prudence Debt Free. I know Ruth’s story will resonate with… Read more

If You Want What They Have, Do What They Do: 21 Traits of Millionaires

December 5, 2016

I once read that in order to have what someone else has, you need to do what they’ve done. In other words, success in a certain area is often achievable by copying others who have already obtained success in a certain area. Ever since I read that, I’ve been spending… Read more

The Power of Debt Freedom: Amanda’s Story

November 28, 2016

Happy Monday! I have another post in what may or my not be a series, The Power of Debt Freedom. Today we’re sharing the story of Amanda from Centsibly Rich. Amanda and her husband paid off $100,000 in debt and are now living life happily consumer debt free. My hope… Read more

The Power of Debt Freedom: Brian’s Story

November 14, 2016

Hey, friends! I’ve got a great treat for you today! My friend Brian from over at Debt Discipline has graciously agreed to share his personal story with Frugal Farmer readers. Brian and his family paid off over $109,000 in credit card debt in just over four years! As a token… Read more

5 Financial Truths You Need to Face Up to NOW

October 31, 2016

This post isn’t for all of you, but I’d be willing to bet that if it’s not for you, you know someone that it is for. If you’ve got your finances together but know someone who desperately needs to get theirs together, please consider sharing this post with them if… Read more

Want Something More? Then Do Something DIFFERENT!

October 24, 2016

Our financial life started to change when we got sick and tired of being sick and tired. When we finally figured out that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. For years and years we tried and tried to increase… Read more

A Motivational Story for Getting Your Financial Sh*t Together

October 5, 2016

It happened again yesterday, as it’s happened a couple of different times over our journey to get out of debt. I was talking with someone when they shared a story with me that firmly established in my heart why it’s so important we keep on our journey toward debt freedom.… Read more

Balance Transfers and Consolidation Loans: Yes or No?

March 28, 2016

Balance transfers and consolidation loans can be powerful tools to help people eliminate debt faster. They can also be a train wreck leading to the accumulation of more debt. How can you be sure that using one of these options to get debt under control is best for you? Personally,… Read more