Game Time Budgeting

You don't have to be in debt to have a high credit score.

My Credit Karma account recently showed something that caught my attention:

0% credit card usage.

And my TransUnion credit score?

806.

Here's the financial wellness lesson.

Your credit utilization ratio is calculated as:

Credit balance ÷ credit limit × 100 = utilization ratio

For example, if you have a $5,000 credit limit and a $500 balance:

$500 ÷ $5,000 × 100 = 10% utilization

Credit utilization is one of the factors that can influence your credit score.

But here's what I find interesting about my situation:

I've been 100% debt-free since 2007, including my mortgage.

My wife and I paid off our house and have never carried a balance on a credit card.

We did establish a HELOC after paying off the mortgage. We've never drawn from it, but the available credit has appeared on our credit reports.

And here's another habit that helps me stay aware of my cash flow:

I pay my credit card bill every Friday.

Why?

Because I don't want to wait until the end of the month to discover how much I've spent.

A weekly payment gives me a simple, repeatable system for staying connected to my spending.

That's financial wellness.

It's not simply having a high credit score.

It's having systems that help you manage your money intentionally.

And perhaps the biggest misconception worth challenging:

You don't need to carry debt to build excellent credit.

Financial wellness isn't just about making more money.

It's about knowing how your money works and having a system that works for you.

What's one financial system you use that helps you stay in control of your money?

For more information, visit www.gametimebudgeting.com

🎾 The Cincinnati Open starts August 11, so it’s a perfect time to revisit this financial lesson from the tennis court.

In tennis, you don’t have to hit a winner on every shot. Sometimes, the goal is simply to avoid the unforced error.

The same is true with your money.

Overspending. Paying unnecessary fees. Carrying avoidable credit card debt. Making impulse purchases. Not having a plan for unexpected expenses.

These may not seem like major financial mistakes individually, but over time, they can add up to thousands of dollars.

Last year, I joined Cincy Lifestyle to talk about how to avoid unforced errors in personal finance.

🎾 You don’t have to make perfect financial decisions.

You just need to make fewer costly mistakes and become more intentional with the money you have.

As the pros take the court in Cincinnati, what’s one financial “unforced error” you’re working to eliminate from your game?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1HUPrJJmv8o

Avoiding financial unforced errors with Game Time Budgeting | Cincy Lifestyle Avoid costly financial mistakes by thinking like a pro. Al Riddick ...

Some of the best money lessons don’t come from a textbook.

They’re hiding in everyday decisions: how long it takes you to spend a gift card, whether you have a will, how you manage your money, and even who you trust to help you along the way.

Our August newsletter pulls out 5 money lessons hiding in everyday decisions.

You may recognize yourself in one of them.

👇 Take a look.

5 Money Lessons Hiding in Everyday Decisions Email from Game Time Budgeting, LLC From a $20 gift card to a $4 ATM fee, here's what everyday money choices can teach us. Gift Card Teaches Personal Finance Lesson A $20 Olive Garden gift card turned

Does going over budget mean you failed?

We finished July $640 over budget. At first glance, that might sound like a financial coach who isn't following his own advice.

But budgeting isn't about being perfect every month. It's about planning over time.

Because our household had accumulated a $1,184 surplus during the first six months of the year, we were able to pay for a planned landscaping project without touching our emergency fund or going into debt.

Question: Have you ever intentionally gone over budget because you had planned ahead?
https://gametimebudgeting.com

What can a $20 Olive Garden gift card teach us about personal finance?

More than you might think.

This gift card was activated in January. I didn't finish spending it until the end of July.

That's six months to spend $20.

Could I have used it the next day? Absolutely.

But having access to money doesn't mean you have to be in a hurry to spend it.

One of the biggest financial skills we can develop is intentionality. Every dollar represents a future choice. Once you spend it, that opportunity is gone forever...and forever is a very long time.

The same principle applies to investing.

Sometimes the smartest financial move isn't taking immediate action. It's giving your money time to work, grow, and serve a greater purpose later. Delayed gratification is often rewarded.

Whether it's a gift card, a paycheck, a bonus, or an investment account, the question isn't, "How quickly can I spend this?"

The better question is, "What's the best use of this money?"

Small decisions repeated over time often produce the biggest financial wins.
https://gametimebudgeting.com

The Cost of Convenience
I recently noticed that my leasing office changed its payment system.

Here's what it now costs to pay rent for my office online:
💳 Credit Card: 2.99% of the payment
💳 Debit Card: $9.99
🏦 e-Check: $2.49

My choice?

✉️ I pay $0.00.

My bank mails a paper check to my leasing office on my behalf at no cost to me.

This was a good reminder that convenience often comes with a price tag.

Sometimes the fee is worth it. Other times, taking an extra minute to explore your options can keep more money in your pocket.

Personal finance isn't just about earning more money. It's also about avoiding unnecessary expenses.

Before you click "Pay Now," ask yourself one simple question:

"Is the convenience worth the cost?"

What would you choose?
https://gametimebudgeting.com

Most people think financial uncertainty and financial stress are the same thing.

They're not.

Imagine two people hear their company may be laying off employees in three months.

One has an emergency fund, little debt, and a plan if the unexpected happens.

The other is living paycheck to paycheck with no savings.

Both are facing the exact same uncertainty.

But only one is likely to experience overwhelming financial stress.

That's because financial uncertainty is not knowing what might happen next.

Financial stress is the emotional and physical response that financial challenges or uncertainty can create.

The good news?

You can't eliminate uncertainty from life, but you can prepare for it.

Every dollar you save, every debt you pay down, and every smart financial decision you make builds resilience for whatever comes next.

Preparation doesn't eliminate uncertainty. It reduces financial stress.

Question: Have you ever gone through a financial challenge that taught you the importance of being prepared? I'd love to hear your story in the comments.

https://gametimebudgeting.com

I needed some cash while walking through the airport on Monday, so I stopped at an ATM. Someone had forgotten to take their receipt, and what I saw turned into an unexpected financial wellness lesson.

A $60 cash withdrawal.

A $4 ATM fee.

That means they paid 6.67% just to access their own money.

What surprised me even more was something I didn't notice until about 48 hours later: their available balance was $19,828.27.

Whether someone has $200 or nearly $20,000 in their account, paying unnecessary fees is one of the easiest ways to let money quietly slip away.

Think about it:

A $4 fee may not seem like much.
✅But if you paid that fee once a week, that's $208 a year.
✅That's money that could have been invested, added to an emergency fund, or used toward a financial goal instead.

Financial wellness isn't just about how much money you have. It's about developing habits that help you keep more of it.

Teachable moment: Before traveling, check whether your bank has fee-free ATMs where you're going, or consider getting cash before you leave home. Small decisions like these can have a big impact over time.

What's the most unnecessary bank fee you've ever paid?

I recently created my own Money Genogram. It's a visual family tree that traces the money messages, beliefs, and behaviors passed from one generation to the next. It made me realize something important: my relationship with money didn't begin with me. Many of the messages I heard were passed down by family members who were doing the best they could with what they knew.

The beliefs I grew up hearing, both positive and negative, still influence the way I think about money today. I imagine many of us can say the same.

Have you ever stopped to think about where your beliefs about money came from?

Long before we opened our first bank account or received our first paycheck, many of us were learning lessons about money by watching the adults around us.

Maybe you heard things like:
💬 "Money doesn't grow on trees."
💬 "Save for a rainy day."
💬 "We're just not good with money."
💬 "The man handles the finances."
💬 "If I earn it, I can spend it."

Those messages have a way of shaping how we save, spend, invest, give, and make financial decisions—even years later.

The encouraging news is this: you can honor your family's story without repeating every financial belief you've inherited.

Understanding where your money mindset comes from is often the first step toward building healthier financial habits and making more intentional decisions.

I'd love to hear from you. What's one money message you heard growing up that still influences you today? Share it in the comments. Your story might encourage someone else to reflect on their own relationship with money.

https://gametimebudgeting.com

A few weeks ago, I traveled to Minneapolis to visit several Black history sites. One of my stops was the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder, one of the longest continuously operated family-owned Black newspapers in the United States.

What started as a history lesson with publisher Tracey Williams-Dillard turned into a conversation about financial literacy, an introduction to editor Jasmine McBride, and an opportunity to connect them with Joel Carrasquillo.

I'm excited to see that conversation come full circle with Joel's interview in the newspaper's Youth Financial Education Series. It's a great reminder that you never know where a conversation or a new connection might lead.

Take a few minutes to read Joel's inspiring story:

Youth Financial Education Series Joel Carrasquillo Interview Joel Carrasquillo on building financial habits early, ahead of his new career with Vanguard.