The Budget Doctor Diaries

The Budget Doctor^® shares his personal experiences in dealing with personal finance. Follow along and you're bound to find a situation you've come across.

The Budget Doctor^® doesn't make house calls, but he does answer email. Ask him your personal finance questions and see what he has prescribed for others at Ask The Budget Doctor.

To read the complete diary entries, click on the title.

The Budget Doctor Visits the Mall
The shopping mall is a unique American cultural experience. For many people shopping is a hobby and the mall is a place to meet friends and spend time. Unfortunately, most also shop. Malls seldom offer the best prices on goods and...

2nd Marriage
Susan and Charles were veterans. Susan had been married once for 18 years and Charles had been married twice for a total of 21 years. They had each been single for a number of years and decided, in Susan words, “to tempt fate together.”...

Entertainment
It was a beautiful day for golf and I was enjoying a free round at a country club courtesy of a client. The starter informed me that I would be playing with Rose and Dan, a very pleasant middle-aged couple. The golf was forgettable...

Credit
Shannon came to my office on her lunch hour. She had just graduated from high school and had her first job as an apprentice with a local construction company. She still stands out in my memory because she did not have a problem. In...

Wants vs. Needs
Susan fell into the chair across from my desk and demanded to know what she was doing wrong. Other than her apparent lack of social grace, I couldn’t see anything obvious and asked for clarification. It seems that Susan was a reasonably...

Buying Used Vehicles
I. Used Vehicles. Each year Americans buy more used vehicles (by a ratio of about 3 to 1) than new vehicles. Rising prices of new cars (now averaging from $20,000 to $35,000) have helped to spur the growth of the used vehicle market.II...

Retirement for a Widow
Eva entered my office clutching a piece of paper and shaking rather violently. I asked if she wanted some water, but she replied a bit dramatically that she needed cyanide. I was a bit shocked and asked her to explain.It seemed that...

Parenting
Doris and Raj made their annual visit with seven-year-old Andrea and five year old Ralph in tow. They reminded me that I had...

Decisions
Raul walked into my office on New Year’s Eve. It was cold and dark outside, much like Raul’s mood. He wasted no time in informing me that he had decided to move to...

Children
Phil and Ruth had become two of my favorite clients. Although Phil still blamed me for inspiring Ruth to get rid of his motorcycle, he admitted that he slept better now that they had a budget and emergency savings. He felt so good,...

Retirement
Andrea entered my office wearing a frown that led me to believe that she had just lost her best friend or was about to have a root canal. She got right to the point and informed me that after 42 years of teaching, she was now officially...

Goals
Raj and Doris invited me to a party to celebrate their third anniversary. I hadn’t seen either one since their wedding and looked...

Dreams
Raj had been my best friend in college and I was thrilled to serve as his best man when he married Doris. Raj was a nuclear engineer...

Housing
Tanya and Doug were committed to the American dream. They had a pick-up and an SUV. They entertained every weekend and recently delivered the first of what was certain to be 2.3 children. They vacationed every summer and bought nice...

Buying a Car
James entered my office at 4:41 PM. He had just received his first paycheck and was ready to buy a car, preferably before 5:00 PM. He had $193.22 and a driver’s license. Oh yes, he preferred a convertible with a manual transmission...