I trembled as I walked into the payday loan store.  I had seen commercials for places like this.  I knew they were bad news, but out of funds and the next payday a week away, I couldn't think of any other solution.  I just couldn't admit to my wife the situation we were in.  I couldn't admit how big of a failure I was at handling our finances. 

Want to adopt healthy habits for yourself? Spread the love! Helping your kids to eat better, stay active, and practice good financial habits is a winner for everyone.

It seems that I've been in debt for so long. My thoughts used to be preoccupied with worries over how to deal with not only the debt itself, but all the things that accompany debt.

Communication can make or break relationships, both in family and business.

I felt frustrated because no one seemed to understand what I was going through. I was all stressed out trying to figure out how to pay the bills on my own each payday. It wasn't helping anyone because no one knew what I was upset about. I cried in private, and I wondered how I would ever get my debt under control.

When talking to parents, a big worry that they have is that changing their finances will impact their kids.

I look back over the last four and a half years on my debt management plan and think about the things that became significant that in my past were not:

Whether you want to become a neurosurgeon, get out of debt, run a marathon, or just lose 15 pounds, you need to exercise some willpower. It pays to know a bit about how the brain musters willpower, and how you can build up your own.

This experiment was quite an eye-opener.  The best way to keep our grocery costs down is not only to stick to a pre-made grocery shopping list, but to eat within the bounds of the food planned and purchased for the week. 

For many people, there is no more important form of that communication than what goes on within their own families and with their closest friends. Are you getting what you should from these relationships? And are you giving as much as you should to cultivate them?

What's the first thing you'll do once you've completed your debt relief plan?

He understands the value of a dollar. I think this is because we have employed a cost sharing system with him since he was little.

While the following 5 actions won't fix all your money problems immediately, taking action - and then sticking with it - will help you begin to improve your financial fitness:

I don't know about you, but I hear a lot about how much I'm supposed to get out and exercise, or exercises I can do to keep my mind nimble, or how I should really exercise some restraint before I open my big mouth. 

So that leads me to explain our latest "dilemma."  We have two cars that will both be paid off this year.  My car has been our more reliable "go to car."  My husband is a little tougher on his car, and therefore it is not really the vehicle that screams family day out. 

When used properly, they can help you organize your finances, stave off impulse spending, save money easily, and earn more money with your savings.

Home renovations can be costly, but giving your home an update doesn't have to break your budget. 

Our emergency fund had enough in it to cover the cost, but I was hesitant to do the repair immediately. We had just started building up our emergency fund recently, and spending $350 for brake pads would leave it dangerously short should we incur another unexpected expense. 

As a stay at home mom of three little ones ranging in age from 6 months to nearly five years old, I am constantly on the lookout for fun activities to get us out of the house and keep the kiddos entertained.

Now that I'm on the LONG road to being debt free, I'm becoming ever more aware of how I spend my money.  When I was using credit cards, it was all pretty easy; I just got what I wanted or needed when I thought I needed it.  Paying on credit didn't impact my checking account that much, so I lulled myself into thinking that I really wasn't' spending that much. 

The information presented in the blogs really got me thinking.  So, I decided to do some impromptu organization in and around our home. 

I have talked about how using my notebook, Quicken, and Excel is a juggling act each paycheck. I am afraid I will miss a bill, think I paid something that I did not, or forget that an automatic payment is coming through.

I wanted to make more than just one payment a month to my credit card. Not that I had any extra money, I'd already sent all I had, but waiting a whole month to see the balance go down again was painful. 　

We've all heard the hype; student debt is surpassing credit card debt and it is not just affecting recent college graduates anymore. Student debt is had by young and old alike.  Want a peek at just how high the number of outstanding student loan debt is? 

Paying off over $50,000 of debt is one thing, but for me, it is the fact that I paid my debt. That was really important to me. I wanted to take responsibility for my actions and pay off this money that I so eagerly spent.  And I did.