Cheap is good, but free is better. If you are one of the millions of Americans suffering during these tough economic times, Christmas can seem more like a curse than a gift, especially if you don’t have enough money to buy presents for all of your family members and friends. As we enter the last few hours leading up to the big day, don’t allow yourself to be sucked into the abyss of commercialism that overshadows the true meaning of Christmas. Who says holiday presents have to be shiny and expensive? Often, the most treasured gifts are the ones that … Continue reading →

Over the last month, I’ve been talking to financial advisors who have given me reasons to keep money in a 401(k) fund and not to pull it out even when chaos breaks loose in the economy. About two weeks ago, though, I read the book “Safe Money Millionaire” by Brett Kitchen and Ethan Kap, and heard a different side to the story. Kitchen and Kap are both in the field of insurance – but not just any insurance. They market cash value insurance plans, and that is the message they deliver in their book – if you put your money … Continue reading →

Sometimes, the books that contain very important information are not always the latest best-sellers. Recently, I learned about a personal finance book called “Your Money or Your Life” that has been around for quite some time. The book is still regarded as a very important piece of personal finance literature, so I decided to find out why. “Your Money or Your Life” is based upon the life experiences of its two authors, Vicki Robin and Joe Dominguez. The book contains a nine-step approach that is designed to help readers achieve financial independence. The nine steps to financial independence involve a … Continue reading →

I recently had the opportunity to read “Lucky Change,” a fun novel by author Susan Law Corpany. Our main character is Karen Donaldson, a woman who raised her two young children completely without the aid of their deadbeat father. They are grown now, but their lives aren’t going in positive directions, and Karen wishes that her salary as a grocery store checker had been enough to give them a better start in life. In a moment of weakness, Karen buys a lottery ticket, and ends up winning over two hundred million dollars. Her lawyer advises her to set up a … Continue reading →

Once children hit the teen years, the decision to continue an allowance may not be easy. The rule we have made in our home is that until they get their first job, we will continue with allowance. The reason for this is so that they can learn the value of a dollar and how to save. They will still be expected to do those chores even after they get their first job, however. After all, I don’t get to quit helping out around the house just because I have a job. So the need to pitch in as a family … Continue reading →

What is the strangest thing that you have ever done to make money? I have a number of candidates, and one of my favorite ones occurred at an event this past week. It was early November, and I was procrastinating. Deadline loomed: many deadlines, and I wanted to avoid them if at all possible. It was rainy, I was tired, and look! What was that on the library’s web site? A Vogon Poetry Contest. Why of course I would enter it. For those of you who are not aware, Vogon poetry is the third-worst in the universe. The Vogons were … Continue reading →

I love to buy things used. Recently I made a list of books on different areas of child rearing that I wanted, but I didn’t want to pay full price for them. I went to Half Price Books armed with my list and walked away happy. I found most of the books I wanted and some not on my list. I didn’t pay a lot and was very pleased with my transaction. I went home and collected books that I no longer wanted so I could take them with me next time to trade-in for credit toward my purchases. I … Continue reading →