Personal Finance Advice

People keep money secrets and I have been collecting some of these secrets from people who attend my presentations. This is confession number 60 in the series: “I have spent over $25,000 on cigarettes in my lifetime and I don’t even like them.” Other confession already listed: The First 25 Confessions Confessions #26 – #50 [...]

“Money is the root of all evil.” How many times have you heard that? I’ve heard it more times than I can count, and I’ve even spotted it hanging on the wall of the Monkees’ apartment on TV. It’s a popular thing to say, but it’s not true. Without getting into a theological debate about [...]

Leftovers used to make me gag. Unfortunately, I was too cheap to eat out frequently, and too lazy to cook a completely new meal every night. This caused internal conflicts. I had to find creative ways to enjoy eating at home more often. Here are some ideas I experimented with that finally convinced my taste [...]

There are money secrets that we all carry around with us. I have been collecting money confessions from people who come and see me talk over the last few months. This is confession number 59 in the series: “I have wasted far too much money putting extras on my car.” Other confession already listed: The [...]

I know you didn’t ask for my two cents, but I will tell you anyway that I find figures of speech fascinating. The things we say without thinking say a lot about what we think, and a lot of the most common idioms are about money. For instance, why do we stretch a dollar but [...]

In her book, If You Want to Write, Barbara Ueland states, “Families are great murderers of the creative impulse…” This statement is bold, but unfortunately true for many. Many have had family members shoot down great ideas as too good to be true, too difficult or maybe even stupid. Do you want to start a [...]

Most of us have a hidden money secret or two that we keep to ourselves. For the past few months, I have been asking people to anonymously tell me their money confessions. This is confession number 58 in the series: “I sometimes place quarters into parking meters that are about to run out as I [...]

17 Ways You Can Use Tennis Balls: If you have some tennis balls sitting in your closet doing nothing, here are some alternative uses for them. Recession Warning Signs: “The employment statistics and the bond market are combining to send out a warning that has been heard only rarely in the past two decades: A [...]

Babies draw. Toddlers draw. Kids draw. They color from the first time they get a crayon in their hand to the time they learn to write, as sketches and drawings are their best way of written communication and expression. As parents, we become extraordinarily fond of the smacked-on dots and lines when babies learn to [...]

By Al at Hop Talk Editors Note: I wrote a piece on how to save money on beer awhile back and Al chasized me for only considering how to save money and not about how to get true value. In response, he has put together this list of how to get the best value out [...]

When it comes to money, we all have some hidden secrets that we keep to ourselves. I have been asking people to anonymously give me their money confessions and I have been sharing some of the more interesting ones here. This is confession number 57 in the series: “I still chase after rainbows when I [...]

Remember in the movie, The Firm, after everything has gone horribly wrong, the wife (Jeanne Tripplehorn) reminds the husband (Tom Cruise) how happy they were back when they were broke and enjoyed take-out from a carton? I don’t believe that being broke equals marital happiness, but I believe that we must remember that the things [...]

As part of an ongoing project, I ask members of the talks I give to anonymously write down a money confession at the end. I share some of them here. This is confession number 56 in the series: “I spent over $10,000 on baby clothes to impress my friends.” Other confession already listed: The First [...]

It’s no news that some people are better at saving money than others. The reasons why some of our savings accounts multiply exponentially while others struggle to gain a dollar a day are varied. Personality type, habit, upbringing, discipline, and income are all factors in a person’s saving potential, but some money-saving ability also comes [...]

We all hold one money secret or another. This is part of a series of some of the anonymous money confessions that I have been collecting over the last few months. This is confession number 55 in the series: “I was the anonymous tipster that turned in my boss for cheating on the company’s taxes. [...]

I love books. I’m addicted to bindings, paper, and ink. I become intoxicated by the smell of an old edition. I melt at a beautiful children’s picture book. I truly breathe only when the printed word is being read across my tongue. My husband tolerates my addiction. I’m forever coming home with stacks and bags [...]

“I’m talking about liquid. Rich enough to have your own jet. Rich enough not to waste time. Fifty, a hundred million dollars, buddy. A player. Or nothing.” — Gordon Gekko, Wall Street. Watching Wall Street the other night, the above quote stuck in my head, specifically, “Rich enough not to waste time.” What did Gordon [...]

As part of an ongoing series, I have been collecting the money confessions of audience members that attend my talks and share some of the interesting ones here. This is confession number 54 in the series: “I used to steal money from my mother’s purse to go out with friends even though I knew we [...]

The growing problem of landfills is a bit too abstract and remote in my mind for it to keep me from throwing things away. And I’ve even climbed one, Mount Trashmore in Virginia Beach, now a city park. Far more effective at helping me keep down my personal waste is possibility of throwing away something [...]

Keeping track of what you spend your money on is a good habit to have. Why not expand your record keeping and begin a financial journal? The benefits of financial journaling You think clearer. People think clearer when they write out their thoughts which can help your success. This provides you with a better picture [...]