Back in the days before the Internet, it was rare to know what someone paid for a home, what their income was, what they paid in taxes, or how much they spent on their Christmas shopping. Finances were generally a private concern, discussed only amongst immediate family, if then. People who discussed money were considered [...]
With the nation’s still-struggling economy continuing to make headlines women need to know some facts about divorce. High unemployment rates, bank closures, skyrocketing foreclosures and other grim financial news are commonplace. It’s enough to make us all run screaming for the hills – or some idyllic paradise in which money isn’t a problem. (If you [...]
When it comes to financial problems, a lot of people tell you to, “Think positive.” Heck, if you read and believe, “The Secret,” all you have to do to be rich is to think positively. There’s some validity in this advice (although simply thinking about how much money you want will probably never make you [...]
Several ladies in my neighborhood have recently gotten involved with direct selling organizations like Pampered Chef, Tupperware, and Usborne Books. As a result, my mailbox overflows with invitations to all of their “parties.” While I’m happy that they’ve found something to bring in some extra money, these invitations are tricky because I’m just not interested [...]
In amongst the usual depressing crime and war stories, our local paper recently carried an article about a couple who has been married for seventy years. That’s such a rare feat that the U.S. Census doesn’t even track the number of couples that make it that far. The census stops counting at fifty years of [...]
When you and all of your friends or family are deeply in debt, you can all be miserable together. You can gripe about your finances, complain about how there’s never enough money for everything, and then go shopping anyway. You can egg each other into further debt by saying things like, “You’re only young once,” [...]
A friend of mine told me a sad story yesterday. Her parents are going to have to move in with her sister who lives in a different state. I assumed that the reason was because the parents had become frail or because they wanted to be nearer to their grandkids. But, no. The reason the [...]
Death is a fact of life, but I swear I’ve never seen it celebrated so much as when there is a lot of money on the line. Some relatives get downright ghoulish waiting for the wealthy one to pass. They just know that the money is coming their way and they are salivating over it. [...]
One of the best things you can do if you want to achieve financial success is to know yourself and be honest with yourself. Many people don’t know what they want, what their tendencies are, and how their behavior affects their finances. It reminds me of the movie, “Runaway Bride” where Julia Roberts’ character likes [...]
Clothing is expensive. When you’re buying clothes for two adults and a couple of kids, it becomes even more so. Enter the idea of sharing a wardrobe. Or at least parts of a wardrobe. While things like underwear should never be shared, it may be possible to share shirts and pants. How? Elastic and unisex [...]
