Wow. The condominium that we are staying at is amazing. The weather has been wonderful, the pool is kid friendly, and we are having a great time. Tonight, we went to the local marina and watched several boats go by. My son was fascinated!

One day, I’d love to retire and live at the beach. To that end, this week’s Stroll Through My Blogroll is all about retirement, investing, and saving money -

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As part of this month’s Money Blog Network project, J.D. from Get Rich Slowly asked each of us to write an article about our lives, from 10 years ago.

Marriage and Career -

I’ve been married for 11 years, so 10 years ago, my wife and I had just celebrated our first wedding anniversary. We still live in the same house and I still have the same job. 10 years ago, she was student teaching, looking for a full-time teaching position. She would find one a few months later.

Finances -

We were happy - but we were broke. I can’t remember a time, from early in our marriage, when we didn’t have credit card and automobile debt. We didn’t have an emergency fund and I remember, if I’m thinking correctly, that we were foolishly paying 9 dollars a month just for the privilege of having a checking account. Like most young couples, we spent a large portion of our income furnishing our home, taking vacations, and buying clothes. I can’t say that we did anything especially ’stupid’ - but we certainly didn’t do anything especially ’smart’.

Kids -

I now have three kids. 10 years ago, I didn’t have any. Man, that feels strange to type. Honestly, it’s hard to remember a time when we didn’t have kids, especially our oldest daughter. What did we think/worry/talk about back then?!?

Credit Cards -

We used them. We used them for almost everything. We promised ourselves that we would pay them off - in full - at the end of each month. We never did.

It’s fun to look back, but it’s even more fun to look forward. 10 years ago, we were young, in love, happy, and broke. Now, we are a little older, still in love, even happier, and now we have a little financial security. It’s amazing how much changes in a decade - and it’s amazing how quickly ten years can just ‘happen’. Wow.

What I Would Tell Myself If I Could Travel Back In Time -

1. Stop borrowing money, start saving money.

2. Not everyone who pats you on your back is your friend. A real friend is someone who will look you in the eye and tell you the truth.

3. Open a Roth IRA and fully-fund it. Also, read a book or two about mutual funds and retirement accounts.

4. Start a personal finance blog. It’ll be the first of its kind and you’ll make mad cash!

So, what about you. What was your life like, 10 years ago?

Here are articles from other Money Blog Network members about this same topic -

• Wise Bread: Money management lessons: Not quite 10 years to life
• Mighty Bargain Hunter: My finances ten years back
• Five Cent Nickel: Stepping back in time: Our life ten years ago
• Free Money Finance: My finances 10 years ago and now
• All Financial Matters: Then and now: What our finances looked like 10 years ago compared to now
• Consumerism Commentary: Looking back: The difference 9 years makes
• Get Rich Slowly: Now and Then: How My Current Financial Situation Compares With A Decade Ago

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With all of the talk about high gasoline prices, I thought that it might be interesting to track how much gasoline we will use while on vacation.

To The Condo Estimates: Distance And Speeds

Distance between our house and the condo (one way) = 287 miles

Travel speeds between our house and the condo (average) = 60-80 mph

Most of the trip (276 miles of it) will be spent driving on the interstate. 11 miles of the trip will be on standard highways and roads. For calculations sake, I’ll assume an average speed of 70 mph.

To The Condo Estimates: Travel Time

Time between our house and the condo (one way) = 287 miles / 70 mph = 4 hours and 6 minutes

Time spent stopping to eat lunch and take breaks for the kids = 1 hour

Total estimated travel time = 5 hours and 6 minutes

To The Estimates Estimates: Gasoline Usage

Average miles per gallon of gasoline = 21 mpg

Our van has a digital gauge which measures, among other things, miles per gallon and miles left until tank is empty. Tomorrow, I’ll fill up and make a note of how much I put into the 20 gallon tank. Over the past two weeks, the van has averaged 21.4 mpg. During the trip, our family of five, plus all of our luggage and stuff for the new baby will be packed into the van, so I’m assuming that the average miles per gallon will decrease, at least a little.

Gallons of gas used = 287 miles / 21 mpg = 13.66 gallons of gasoline

Cost of a gallon of gasoline = $3.80

Estimated gasoline cost to go to the condominiums = 13.66 gallons = $51.91

I’m a pretty average driver. I like to hit the interstate, set my cruise control on about 75 and just ride. Today, I changed the oil in the van, checked the tires, and changed the air filter. The back of the van will be loaded down with our suit cases and a small cargo bag will ride on top of the van. Once we arrive and get settled, I’ll let you know if I did a good job of estimating our travel time, the amount of gasoline we used, and the cost of gas.

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I recently purchased a new driver - Cleveland Hibore XL Driver - and I really, really like it. I am surprised by how easy it is to hit. I’m hitting the ball twenty yards further than I did with my old driver - and my shots are much ‘purer’ off of the club face.

The new driver is completely different from my old driver. My old driver had 9 degrees of loft, the new driver has 10.5 degrees. The old driver has a stiff flex, the new driver has a regular flex. The old driver has an offset, the new driver sits square.

The thing is - I’ve never really liked my old driver. It never really ‘fit’ my game. But, round after round, it stayed in my bag. And, round after round, I’d adjust my stance and adjust my grip and adjust my rhythm - but I never once played an an entire round and felt ‘good’ about my driver. In fact, I actually played several rounds and never took the driver out of my bag.

But now - I like my driver. I like the way it fits my hand and I like the way that it sets up to the golf ball. When I swing it, it feels like every other club in my bag. I can take my normal stance - right foot back just a bit and left foot flared - and swing. And, the golf ball just - goes!

Shopping for the new driver - and finding one that I really liked - taught me several lessons.

1. It pays to consult an expert. I went to a golf supply store and had my swing tested. I learned about lie angles, swing speeds, launch angles. It took some time - and I had to admit my own ignorance - but it was more than worth it.

2. Spending a little more now will save a lot later. Golf clubs are expensive. And, I paid a pretty penny for my new club. But, when I’m hitting the ball straight - instead of duck-hooking it into the woods - I’ll be glad I shelled out a few extra bucks on a driver that I can actually hit.

3. If it’s in the budget, enjoy the purchase. I hate to spend money. Even more than that, I hate to spend money on myself. For more than two year - yes, two years - I’ve had money allocated for the purchase of a new driver. Even after purchasing a new set of irons last year, I hesitated to spend the money and buy the new driver. But, last week, after yet another disappointing round, I decided to go ahead, spend the money, and get something that I liked. And, man, I’m glad that I did.

4. Priorities come first, and then ’stuff’. I’m debt free. I have three paid for cars. I have a fully-funded emergency fund. I’m working to fund five retirement accounts and three education savings account. Still, I find it hard to justify the purchase of the driver. But, I really, really like to play golf. So, in this case, I decided to reward myself.

5. It really rocks to have a cool spouse. Check this out - My wife and I were shopping when I decided to go to the pro shop to buy the golf club. My wife, who is awesome, not only ‘let’ me go, she encouraged me to do so. In fact, she sat in a chair and held the baby while I tried out various clubs. How awesome is that? And, to return the favor, I held the baby while she tried on outfits for vacation. And, instead of complaining about ‘how much the other spent’ - we just had a good time hanging out and shopping together. Imagine that.

6. If it’s the wrong club, it’s the wrong club. Move on. I thought that I wanted a Callaway X460. I like how the Callaway looks. I like how it feels in my hand. But, when I hit it, I ‘pull hooked’ every single shot. Thank goodness I tested several clubs before making my purchase. Whew.

A few more days and we are off for our vacation. I’ve called a couple of public courses near where we are staying, and I found one where I can play and let my oldest daughter and my son ride along with me. Hopefully, four or five times during the round, one of them will say, “Wow, Daddy, you crushed it!”.

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I received an email from a reader, asking if I planned to to pay for our condo rental with cash (or check).  Of course!

Here’s how I did it.  First, I found the condominium that I wanted to rent.  I emailed the property management company and asked if I could pay with a check.  They assured me that I could, but that I would need to reserve the room with a credit card - just in case there were any damages.  So, I reserved the room with a credit card, e-signed my contract, and dropped a check in the mail.

(As a side note, I did not cancel my credit cards for situations exactly like this one.  As an alternative to my credit card, I could have reserved the room with my debit card.)

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