Well....let's see how this goes...

Greetings!

I have been interested in money saving ideas for many, many years.  Continuing my education and helping others manage their money wisely has been my career since my early college days.  While I'm not absolutely certain where I got this interest, I do have some theories.  Without boring you with too many details, I think my parents (inadvertently) ignited my interest.  I'm sure pieces of their inadvertent ignition will find its way into this blog over time, but suffice to say, I'm hooked. 

So, for a guy who is not linguistically gifted, hates to type, and has four children and a wife to occupy my "free" time, why would I take time to write about my interest?  I suppose there are a few reasons.  

1) The more people I've met with over the years, the more I realize that most people are severely undereducated about how to manage debt, money, and how to make wise financial decisions.  It's not necessarily their fault.  Managing finances is one of the few things you are never taught in school.  How are you supposed to learn?    

2) I love finding ways to get the best deal possible on, or in, everything I do.  I spend probably too much time analyzing every aspect of things to be sure I'm getting the best deal, or making the best decision. 

3) There are many decisions made simply because "that's what my parents did", or "that's what my friends did", or "that's what was recommended to me" which are simply bad decisions to make (think 30 yr fixed mortgage - which I'll write about sometime).

4) Finally, I hope I can help pass along these ideas and thoughts to use in your own lives,  But, most importantly, I hope you can share your own ideas and successes through this blog.

I suppose much of what will be shared here will be random thoughts and ideas, and if anyone chooses to read this, I'd be interested in theirs as well.  I'll try not to be too political (I hate politics) and pretty practical (though some of my ideas may challenge you).  By no means do I have a corner on any of the things I will write about, but after getting to know hundreds, if not thousands of clients over the years, maturing myself as an adult, being married with four kids, and doing a lot of study, I feel I've learned alot!

I'm starting to construct my first post and hope to have it up in a few days.  With the holiday season rapidly approaching, I thought I would explore some ways to save a few dollars doing many of the activities the holidays provide.  You may find some interesting, and you may think some are crazy, but either way, I hope they get you thinking.  I also hope you'll share your own in the comments area.

Until we meet again....