Are You Prepared for a Sudden Windfall?

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unexpected money

Whether it is a tax refund, a lottery win or an inheritance, a sudden increase in funds can be both a blessing and a curse. If you have been in debt but have not taken the time to evaluate your habits, an unexpected increase in your checking account could cause a number of problems.  Surprise, you’ve won! What do you do first?  If you have a history of impulse spending, the first thing you need to do is put that money into your bank account and step away from the cash. Take the time to really think about the best […] Read more »

P90X Your Finances this Year

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Unless you have been living under a rock, chances are you have heard of the P90X workout system and its charismatic fitness guru, Tony Horton. On January 1, 2012 I started the P90X system and have embraced both the diet and exercise requirements, hoping to take my health and fitness to the next level. I don’t know about all of you but I need a regimented diet and exercise plan to have any chance of staying on track. In fact last year I completely fell off the wagon and gained 30 pounds!  I made 2 resolutions for 2012:  Get healthy […] Read more »

Changing My Money Mind in 2012

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It’s that time of year when we all vow to change our ways and resolve to go on a diet, quit smoking, or get out of debt. How many of us actually have a plan in place to make our resolutions a reality? Unfortunately most of us don’t and this is why we are doomed to fail before we even start. Yes, money is necessary to support our lifestyle, but do we let it determine how we live our lives? The fact is many of us do. We allow ourselves to live up to or above our means which often […] Read more »

Just Say No to Inflatable Santa’s

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“Mommy please can we get one of those inflatable Santa’s?” This is the plea I have heard from my eight year old son since we began to decorate (with our already purchased) holiday decorations the day after Thanksgiving. My answer remains constant, “Not right now buddy, we don’t need an inflatable Santa.”  Unfortunately millions of Americans apparently do feel they need inflatable Santa’s, two Christmas trees, and thousands of twinkle lights to adorn their homes so they can feel the magic of the holidays.  According to a Bloomberg report, “This year U.S. consumers will spend $6 billion on decorations, the […] Read more »

To Be or Not To Be…That is the Question

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Thankful that is…today is Thanksgiving a time to spend with loved ones and reflect on what you are thankful for. It has been a tough year for my family and some days I didn’t feel so thankful, but today I have a renewed attitude of thankfulness and realize just how lucky I am to have my health, my family, and the support of communities like this one. Unexpected Gifts of Thanks Sometimes we are dealt a bad hand and just need to make the best of less than perfect situations. Divorce.  On April 5th of this year my divorce was […] Read more »

The Dangers of Debt from a Financial Pro

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November is No Restaurant Month and if you embrace the concept fully it’s a month to avoid unnecessary expenses. I recently read an article in the New York Times in the “Your Money” section. That issue profiled one of my idols in the industry, Carl Richards; financial planner, blogger, and napkin illustrator. Carl has been in the industry since 1996 and has provided easy to understand illustrations exploring the relationship between people and their money. He refers to this as the “behavior gap”. In short, Carl is an experienced and knowledgeable financial professional. But, as you’ll see in the New […] Read more »

Stop Spending Money – It All Depends on Your Definition of STOP!

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stop spending money

I've touched on the idea that our words influence our beliefs which in turn influence our actions. In this post, I want to discuss the words and actions of two couples who had trouble understanding that the word "stop" meant something other than quit, cease, end, discontinue, terminate, or bring to a halt. It's funny in a way. Who doesn't know what "stop" means - really, come on, you have to be kidding. How might you explain to law enforcement that the meaning of "stop" on that large red sign back there just wasn't abundantly clear in your mind? Read more »

The Most Important Money Advice You Will Ever Receive

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You do not need to buy a bunch of books from Dave Ramsey, Suze Orman or David Bach to get this kind of advice. You don’t have to go to week long seminars to learn this powerful tool either. You don’t even have to leave your home. Look no further than this blog post and you will get the most valuable money advice you could ever need. The power of this strategy is amazing! It will teach your children a valuable lesson. It will save you thousands of dollars. It will help your marriage. It will even allow you to […] Read more »

2 Sure-Fire Ways to Lose Your Money…Guaranteed

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A few years ago, I bought my daughters a fun, entertaining, and great inspirational book. The title is, How to Be Totally Miserable: A Self-Hinder Book by John Bytheway (Clearly a pen name). I highly recommend it! Inspired by this book, I am writing a short book focused on money. Thousands, maybe hundreds of thousands of books have been written on making money. Few, if any, help you find fun, innovative, creative and entertaining ways to lose money. Soon, at least one book will address this very needed niche for those who have grown tired of the constant battle to […] Read more »

Are Your Actions Setting Up Your Children for a Lifetime of Debt?

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avoid giving in to a child be a positive role model

When my oldest son was little I was a frequent customer at places like Target, the mall, and Bed Bath & Beyond. Shopping for me meant a lot of things. It was therapeutic, especially when I was feeling depressed (oddly enough, depressed about my lack of money was often the case). It was in search of bargains, which in hindsight ended up not being much of a bargain by the time I left. And it was a social activity. My then-husband and I would go shopping whenever we were bored. We said it was just to look around but we […] Read more »

Is Blood Thicker than Inheritance Money?

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According to study by the AARP roughly 2/3 of baby boomers are expecting some sort of an inheritance and are spending it before they even have it. They dig deep holes of debt with inheritance money in the back of their mind; failing to understand using inheritance money to pay off debt is not a sound financial plan. In fact inheritances often don’t turn out the way those expecting them think they should. A Family Torn I have a friend who recently had a grandmother pass away. Her frugal lifestyle and previously deceased husband’s good business sense left her with […] Read more »

Should you “Occupy Wall Street”?

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You may be aware of a growing social protest movement that began on Wall Street a few weeks ago. According to their website: “Occupy Wall Street is leaderless resistance movement with people of many colors, genders and political persuasions. The one thing we all have in common is that We Are The 99% that will no longer tolerate the greed and corruption of the 1%. We are using the revolutionary Arab Spring tactic to achieve our ends and encourage the use of nonviolence to maximize the safety of all participants.” And now this protest is metastasizing and spreading to 25 […] Read more »

Help the Needy – Not so Fast! Let’s do Some Thinking

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help the needy

"Help the needy" is what we've learned since we were kids. But as Suzanne's recent post shows, sometimes our experiences as adults can cause us to rethink that well-worn expression. Who are the needy anyway? Sometimes it's hard to figure out. And, that's what can lead us to donate to a cause, lend money, forgive debts, and help others who have projected themselves to us as being in need. Read more »

Fool Me Once, Shame on You. Fool Me Twice, Shame on Me

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This past March I loaned money to a fellow single mom friend who was in financial crisis: She and her son were about to be evicted from their apartment. Anyone that knows me relatively well knows that I would do whatever I could for someone in need; a Good Samaritan. I learned this behavior from my father; when I was little he would help stranded roadside motorists and offer his services (he was a mechanic) for “free” or “in trade” for those who couldn’t afford it. While this type of behavior certainly didn’t make him rich financially, I truly believe […] Read more »