By Shannon Christman
“You must follow the simple instructions exactly, and in less than three months, you will receive $800,000. GUARANTEED,” promise the two identical, unsigned letters I received in the past month. That statement alone should make anyone skeptical - not only the promise of a return far beyond what even Warren Buffet can […]

By Ann Hartter
At some point, we’ve all done it: during the middle of a move or the week of finals. Somehow, everything gets shuffled. Some of us make it a way of life. But something not very many people consider is how fiscally irresponsible it is to live surrounded by clutter.
The obvious sums spent […]

By Ann Hartter
What is jargon? It is a social term technically defined as the lexicon (set of words) used in an esoteric (specialized) field. It is what we’re talking about when we say “I don’t get all that medical mumbo-jumbo” or “The mechanic said something about the air injection and radio compressor having electrical issues.”
For […]

By Ann Hartter
We all have those little pet peeves about people and money. These are some of the things that put the flame to the fire when I see them happen:
Left receipts at the grocery store. This is a blatant indication that someone could easily be overcharged, that they don’t care where their pennies go, […]

By Shannon Christman
Romantics will tell you that fresh flowers are perfect objects of condolence because they symbolize the beauty and brevity of life; allergics will tell you that they would prefer their sniffles and tears at a funeral to be from grief. Whichever position you hold, I hope you’ll agree with me that fresh […]

By Meredith H. Kaiser
I’m cheap and proud of it, even when my friends tease me about it. Though, there are some things that even I have learned are not worth scrimping on. Here are four of them:
Therapy: I have several friends who know they need therapy and even say the want it, […]

By Shannon Christman
“You’re causing me social stress!” was a common complaint of my college roommate, who liked solitude. I, on the other hand, loved the social life of the dorms and the wide activities college offered. I knew what she meant by “social stress,” though, and I still occasionally experience it today, often due […]

By Meredith H. Kaiser
As a former insurance salesperson, I have attended countless classes on the subject of how to motivate clients to buy life and disability insurance. However, I remain sympathetic to the fact that many of you refuse to buy this coverage for several heartfelt reasons.
(Warning: Overly dramatic scare tactic ahead!) Unfortunately, […]

By Meredith H. Kaiser
The burning question I have is why do so many women neglect their financial lives? Is it fear? Is it lack of interest? Do you assume that someone else will handle this? If so, why do you believe that your financial life is someone else’s responsibility?
I believe that one of […]

By Shannon Christman
One definition of frugality is making the best use of the resources available. I have an abundance of junk mail, so I thought, How can I make junk mail useful? Here are some ideas from my brainstorming session:
1. Sign up for opt-out lists. (warning: if you do this, then you […]

By Meredith H. Kaiser
What makes some people spendthrifts and others tightwads? My undergraduate biology degree requires that I frame the question in terms of “Nature or Nurture?” I wonder about my grandmother who lived through the depression? Did a frugal nature simply allow her and others like her to survive it? Or did the […]

By J. Alan Maguire
We all want a job we enjoy and not dread going to each day. Are you just starting out and are not sure what you want to do? Or do you currently have a job, but long to be doing something else? To obtain your ideal career, you may […]

By Shannon Christman
I may have discovered the perfect crime. I can’t tell you who exactly is committing it, how exactly he’s doing, or who exactly it hurts, but I know someone, somewhere could be getting rich from it.
Last month, a charge for a hotel stay was $0.75 higher on our credit card bill […]

By Ann Hartter
Do you ever wander by an empty house for sale or rent and wonder what kinds of treasures it may hold? You might be surprised.
Once, I had my secrets about houses, but now that I’m a homeowner and won’t be house-hopping anymore, I’ll share them with you. People lose the strangest […]

By J. Alan Maguire
What scares you? What is holding you back and affecting your financial well-being? If you were not afraid, how different would your life be? I think fear is a major problem when it comes to finances. Do you have any of the following financial fears?
Budgeting. This is […]

I have been collecting the money confessions of people who give them to me anonymously over the past few months. I share some of the more interesting ones here. This is confession number 69 in the series:

“I keep most of my money at home. I don’t trust banks.”

Other confession already listed:

The First 25 Confessions
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By Meredith H. Kaiser
Instead of mumbling, “What a rip off” to yourself as you walk out of a place of business, tell the business owner or manager what has you steamed. Companies who deserve your business will listen. Here are three positive experiences, and one negative, I had.
Get an estimate in advance Recently, […]

For the last few months I have been collecting the money confessions of people that attend the talks I give. I share some of them here as part of an ongoing series. This is confession number 68 in the series:

“I have no idea why I buy some of the crap I do.”

Other confession already listed:

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