Personal Finance Advice

A friend of mine was lamenting her inability to gracefully bow out of events and outings that she can’t really afford. “When my friends invite me out to dinner at a pricey restaurant or out to the movies, I hate to say no, but things are so tight around here that I can’t really afford [...]

The big news in my neighborhood this year is that someone has planted a vegetable garden in their front yard. Gasp! More than a few of the neighbors are bent out of shape about it, saying that gardens belong only in the backyard. However, the neighbor in question has a problem with that. The way [...]

Nothing brings on financial stress like occasions where several people get together and do something that involves money. It may be buying a group gift for an office mate or family member, going on vacation with extended family or a group of friends, or throwing a party for a child or adult. Whatever the occasion, [...]

While money gifts aren’t the best financial gift you can give your kids, that doesn’t mean that they aren’t a good choice at times. Sometimes it’s hard to figure out what gift to get for a new college graduate. Do you want to get them something they’ll cherish forever? Something fun and entertaining? Something that [...]

It should go without saying that you should treat everyone you interact with during the day with respect and consideration even if there weren’t any benefit to doing so. It’s simply the nice (and right) thing to do. The fact is, however, that being considerate to others can often result in you saving money. Here [...]

Long before the financial gurus with their TV shows and persona finance books to sell were around, Benjamin Franklin was giving down-to-earth, sound money advice to anyone who would listen. The advice was so sound that it’s still relevant and applicable to this day. Here are ten money lessons from Ben Franklin that you would [...]

By Dr. Charles Richards Why is it that just when everything seems to be going well financially and you feel like you’re getting ahead, something seems to crop up that alters your plans? In my practice as a psychotherapist, I’ve seen this pattern play out in clients and others many times. If this has become [...]

Whether you’re a single parent or one of two that work to make ends meet, child care can take a big bite out of your paycheck. Study results vary widely, but in the US, it’s not unusual for wage earners to spend 10% to 25% of their income on childcare. Many working moms reported spending [...]

In the interest of protecting the innocent (and the guilty) in this piece, I’m calling the couple in this story Jake and Joan. They are people I know in real life, but I’m not going to say whether they’re friends, family, or acquaintances. All I’ll say is that I was closer to Jake than Joan [...]

Nothing is quite as exciting to a child as a birthday party. We may lose the desire to celebrate as we get older, but to a child, a birthday is a magical thing. As parents, we want to make those occasions special and sometimes that wish can lead to a big dent in our finances. [...]

Growing up, I was always told not to talk about religion, politics, or money. These three topics of conversation inevitably lead to hurt feelings, jealousy and/or a defensive stance that’s nearly impossible to overcome. My parents always told me that if I had to discuss these things, to stick to generalities. That way, no one [...]

You may have seen the recent studies that indicate that people who are friends with overweight people tend to be overweight themselves. This is often because you do what your friends do. If your friends eat a lot of fast food and do nothing but sedentary activities, chances are that is what you will do, [...]

A woman that I know casually from church recently lost her husband. He died after a long illness at the young age of forty-two. Any way you look at it, it’s a tragedy. However, there is one bright spot. The husband had a large life insurance policy in place and, since the couple was frugal [...]

There’s a lot of talk about how parents can prepare their kids for financial independence, but it’s just as important to point out ways that parents can unknowingly hurt their children’s financial success. If you haven’t started teaching your kids about how to be financially responsible, now is the time to begin. It’s never too [...]

The movie, “Pretty Woman” came out when I was in college and it remains one of my favorites to this day. On the surface, the movie is about a prostitute (Vivian, played by Julia Roberts)) who finds the man of her dreams (Edward, played by Richard Gere) on one of her “dates” and they live [...]

I hate Valentine’s Day. It’s not because I’m not a romantic. I am (but don’t tell anyone). I hate it because it’s a holiday that makes a lot of people feel badly about themselves because of what they may not have on a particular day of the year. It’s worse than trying to keep up [...]

One of the most important life lessons that we can all learn is to seriously listen to and consider the advice from those who have more experience than we do. When it comes to the end of our life, most of us are going to have some regrets. A nurse, Bronnie Ware, who spent years [...]

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 [...]

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. [...]

Birthday parties can be a lot of fun. They can also be a source of great aggravation and angst, both for the party host and the celebrant. Some of this comes from the emotional aspect of birthdays, but some of the angst comes from the financial cost of the party. Sometimes it’s a combination of [...]