Personal Finance Advice

When my mother became ill a few years ago, I did what all adult children usually do: worry and think, “She has to be OK! She’s the parent.” Finances, however, didn’t enter my mind.
It was interesting to note that my parents – level-headed as always – remembered to consider the financial repercussions of Mom’s illness [...]

Editors Note: With the Mexican swine flu making headlines, a trip this weekend found my local drug store had nearly run out of surgical masks – if you haven’t already made preparations, it’s certainly the time to do it while supplies are still available. This is an article that was written toward preparing for the [...]

There’s no need to disclose exactly how old I am. Let’s just say I’m at the age where my hair is turning gray, wrinkles are appearing, and things are starting to soften a bit. My hairdresser asked me the other day, “Well, when are you going to start coloring your hair?” as if it was [...]

If you watch the news or read many magazines or newspapers, you’ve probably heard about “lifestyle diseases.” These are diseases and ailments that we get because our lifestyle and/or environment are unhealthy. Some examples:

Obesity
Alcoholism
Diseases associated with smoking such as lung cancer, asthma or emphysema
Drug abuse
Depression/anxiety
Some forms of cancer related [...]

The number one New Year’s resolution is to lose weight. The first few weeks of January are past and a lot of people are sticking to that resolution. I’m on a double diet. I’m trying to lose weight and control spending. It’s turning into a real challenge.
For many, dieting is synonymous with eating healthier and [...]

One of the truths of getting older is that it takes a lot more work to maintain one’s fitness as compared to when we were younger. Not only do you need to be serious about watching what you eat, but what you eat is more likely to stick to unwanted places. Thus, began my search [...]

I went for a drive today. I did not go very far – just the distance of two subdivisions so that I could drop my son off at a friend’s house. I must have seen at least ten or twelve kids riding bicycles, roller blading and skateboarding. It was a beautiful [...]

We all know that staying healthy saves us money. The healthier you are, the lower your insurance and medical expenses are likely to be. We are encouraged to eat right, exercise and sleep well in order to remain healthy. But one area that is often overlooked when we talk about the health/money relationship is keeping [...]

My husband is on the verge of a life-changing diagnosis: type 2 diabetes. I’m proud to say that he is looking this impending diagnosis in the face and calling its bluff.
Besides the symptoms is the sheer expense of diabetes: insulin, blood meters and co-pays for the doctors’ appointments, to name a few. In our quest [...]

In my house we’ve had a tough couple of months with deaths, health scares, and general work-related stress. We’ve been tired, sad, and angry. There’s been a definite need in this house to feel better. We’ve needed some cheering up and calming down. In our spendier days we would have gone out to eat, gone [...]

We talk a lot here at Saving Advice about the things you “should” do. Make a will and keep it updated, keep your financial affairs in order, plan for the succession/sale of any businesses you might own, get life insurance, arrange for your healthcare in the event you’re incapacitated, and generally plan for the future [...]

There are many modern conveniences which we may not truly need but which remain quite useful. I would be lost without my computer, or the internet, or my television or a host of other gadgets and services. I value each of these things and use them every day, even though they may add [...]

There have been many articles published which address ways to save money at the grocery store. For the most part, I believe that most of us already know how to save money at the grocery store.
There are even more articles and books published on our relationship with food. Whether you want to lose weight [...]

If you have kids, you have probably endured seasons of organized youth sports. Baseball, basketball, football, hockey, lacrosse, swimming, volleyball – the list of options for kids is seemingly endless and can keep them occupied from January to December. If your kid wants to play a lot of different sports, it can [...]

What do you usually have for a snack? Do you choose something healthy like fruit or veggies? Or is it more like a bag of chips or your favorite candy bar? How about dinner? Do you make dinner from scratch, or do you heat up something that is premade?
If [...]

My kids tell me I am an old man and my wife still thinks of me as a young man, so that can only mean that I have entered into middle age and there is no turning back. Middle age is not so bad. I can look back on the vast majority of [...]

We talk a lot about money: How to get it, how to spend it, where to spend it, and how to save it. For all the time we devote to talking about, worrying about, and dealing with money, you’d think it was the most important thing in the world. If the time spent obsessing about [...]

With the costs of health care rising dramatically every year, both companies and individuals are trying to find ways to lessen the financial pain. One option is a (HDHP) coupled with a Health Savings Account (HSA).
Many of you may already have this option, or your company is rolling this out in the near [...]

I would rather go to the dentist and get a root canal before going to the grocery store, but sometimes there are major emergencies, such as running low on beer, that necessitate a trip.
The other week I had one of these emergencies. The plan was to go in, grab the beer and get out [...]

Just recently my husband and I have decided to tighten up our spending a little more than we have been doing in the past. We currently have an amount budgeted for extra spending (entertainment, fun things, clothes, etc.) and in the past, this has been more of a guideline than a hard and fast [...]