Personal Finance Advice

Hubby has been down for the count lately. Sick. Miserable. Very not-like him. I didn't realize how very much I rely on him until he wasn't available. Sure there was the shopping trip, but it's the day to day stuff that went unnoticed, like... the fact he starts my car for me in the morning so it's toasty warm by the time I leave for work. Trust me, I realized it as I ran out in the cold [...]

Whenever I read or post an article that suggests that someone cut down spending on their kids, I'm always amused (and amazed) by the outraged comments. If you dare to suggest to someone that is struggling that they cut down on the sports or extra curricular activities, take the kids out of private school, cancel a vacation to an expensive destination, or sell/stop buying toys, people freak out [...]

Hubby came down with the flu yesterday. Normally, I pick up our son, and he stops at the grocery store if we are missing an item or two for dinner since shopping with a six month old is difficult. Last night, hubby requested brown rice water for dinner to calm his stomach, but was unable to get to the store from his ‘deathbed’ on the couch. Naturally, I’m all out of brown rice and natural [...]

Some of you may not even know what an image consultant is, but that's what I am. Basically, I'm a certified image professional who helps people with their wardrobes and closets. (Have you ever seen the TV show "What not to Wear?" I'm Stacey...just nicer.) My clients range from stay at home moms to very wealthy socialites, yet they all have the same goal. They want a fabulous wardrobe that will [...]

I enjoy paying bills. I know. Sick. But, I like reducing debt so much that I feel good watching numbers go down. It's a great feeling. Anyway, I'm old school. I write checks to pay bills. Yes, I know you can pay bills online. I'm a nerd who likes writing checks. I wrote a check to our utility company for about $60 and it hasn't been cashed yet. No biggie right? Except, I wrote th [...]

As a kid you probably grew up hearing Aesop's Fables. These little stories all have a moral designed to teach kids (and adults) to live better lives and to be better people. Many of these stories deal indirectly with financial topics. As an adult it's fun to go back and re-read some of these tales. Knowing what I know now, I see how spot on many of the author's observations were. If you ever w [...]

If you've lived in your house for any length of time, you may find yourself bored by your home. If you watch too many shows on HGTV your own home can start to look unappealing by contrast. Maybe you're tired of the carpet or paint colors, you hate the yard, or you're frustrated by the lack of storage. You give some thought to doing some improvements but decide that it would be far too expensiv [...]

Hubby is a plumber by trade but he's pretty good at everything - except HVAC work. Of course when our furnace broke last week, I went into a full fledged panic. Are we going to be able to pay off debt? Is this furnace going to break us? In between my cold sweats, hubby was on the phone. Turns out, his cousin is an HVAC installation guy and he owed him one for some plumbing work my husband d [...]

This Week's Money Tip: Visiting Las Vegas for a few days to see a friend made it readily apparent that hotels here have found a wonderful way to make their hotel prices seem much less expensive than they really are. Hidden fees come in all shapes in sizes. Most people are aware of the hidden fees that airlines charge, bank accounts and numerous other products that are used on a fairly regular [...]

After picking up my son, I arrived home tired from work last night. I schlepped off my formal work clothes and donned an oversized t-shirt, sweat pants, and fluffy pink slippers. Just thinking about making dinner was making me drag. Baby boy started fussing a little, hungry for his dinner. I looked at him, smiled, and started asking him if he was hungry. Asking him while singing in an o [...]