By Shannon Christman
On a recent visit to the Yahoo! Answers website, I found a lot of questions that boiled down to the same thing: How can I make money (usually about $100) fast (usually by the end of the week)? Apparently this question is on many people’s minds. So here are a few […]

By Jennifer Derrick
It never fails: You encounter new people and the first question they ask is, “So, what do you do?” Occasionally you’ll encounter people that seem to ask this question out of a genuine interest in you and your life, but most of the time you can tell that it’s their way of quickly […]

By Shannon Christman
Several readers have commented recently that they would like to hear more about how to earn more and less about how to spend less. While earning more is a worthy goal — after all, you can never save more than you earn — I acknowledge that I am biased toward saving over earning […]

By S. Shugars
Dear Mr. Cheap,
You know exactly who you are so I don’t feel a need to name you. While I know that you think that you are being sly and saving yourself a lot of money, let me say that your true nature shows through loud and clear. This would not be an issue […]

By Shannon Christman
Anyone who is seriously considering stay-at-home parenting is likely to have done the math. Most potential stay-at-home parents know how much they will have to cut their expenses to live on less than two full salaries. They have considered the financial effects of forgoing several years of career experience, and they are […]

By Shannon Christman
Printing invitations, photos, shipping labels, and other paper items from a home computer is one do-it-yourself activity many people erroneously adopt in an effort to save money. While printing from home rather than buying in a store can save money in some cases, it may actually cost more in others. Those who […]

By Shannon Christman
Big companies pay big bucks for advertising because they know it works. If you have a small business — whether a hobby business that earns you a little mad money or a full-fledged company that employs several people — you know advertising works, too. But you might not have enough money […]

By Jennifer Derrick
I have always assumed that if your career/job pays you decent money that you should have no trouble getting ahead financially as long as you’re responsible with money. But recently an old friend who works in a high powered, high paying, high stress career made me rethink that assumption.
My friend works for […]

By Shannon Christman
Countless employees dream of leaving behind a demanding boss, working from home, and earning a limitless income. Self-employment, however, is not the same as a life of leisure. As was already pointed out a few months ago, much of the mythos surrounding self-employment is simply mythical. Businesses that promote work from […]

By Shannon Christman
Nearly half (45%) of college graduates are working in fields unrelated to their majors four years after graduation, according to a 1997 survey by the National Center for Education Statistics. That’s hard to imagine when reading the want ads, which often have high expectations for candidates with specific degrees and several years’ experience […]

By Jeffrey Strain
When it comes to personal finances, most people concentrate on saving and investing money. This can be a problem because issues that may not first appear to have much to do with personal finances can often have a dramatic affect on them. Productivity is just one of these.
The more productive you are, the […]

By Jennifer Derrick
Both online and in the real world, I’m seeing more and more people desperate to work from home these days. I hear many reasons for this: The high price of gas is making commuting too expensive. Those already at home need to bring in extra income to make ends meet or pay for […]

By Ann Hartter
It’s time for Secret Santas all across the country. You’ll draw someone’s name, get them exactly what they ask for, and that someone will get someone else exactly what they ask for and you will eventually get what you asked for. So goes the long-lived tradition. This year, instead of the same old […]

By Marilyn Brodeur
The other day on the light rail I sat near a woman. Let’s call her Sally Jesse. Sally Jesse spun her head around every time we stopped, asked everyone around her what station we were at, and promptly swiveled around to stare at the roadmap. Then a full 3 stops before Sally […]

By Jennifer Derrick
With the rising costs of fuel, food, and everything else, I am seeing more and more people turning to “Get Paid To” (GPT) sites in order to earn some extra spending money. But can you really make money, and what are the risks?
For those not familiar with the lingo, a GPT site is […]

By David John Marotta
Putting all of your retirement eggs in one basket is easy to carry, but risky. Most workers are putting all their retirement assets in the basket of their employer’s retirement plan. They are depending on one employer and two dozen eggs (funds) to hatch and maintain their lifestyle, independence and dignity […]

By David and George Marotta
There are 946 billionaires in the world according to a recent survey. Half are in one country, the United States of America. The others are scattered throughout 53 other countries. Because of the surging world economy, 195 newcomers were added to the list last year and only 32 dropped out. […]

By David John Marotta
For those working in the arts, financial planning is artistic freedom. You can be an artist and also eat well if you don’t avoid the subject of financial planning all together. After you have your cash flow and career planning in place, you also need to address your insurance and legal concerns. […]

By J. Alan Maguire
Working in the web development industry, I get a chance to go to at least one conference, seminar, or training class every year. This way I can keep up with the latest technologies and our company benefits from my acquired knowledge. However, convincing the company my conference of choice is worthwhile […]

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 […]