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  • Don't be ashamed that you can't afford it

    Posted Jan 31 2008, 06:56 PM by Karen Datko
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    Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money

    Does shame sometimes compel us to spend money that we don't have? It's time to get beyond that type of thinking, writes paidtwice at I've Paid For This Twice Already. In a gem of a post, paidtwice explains that she came to that realization after her dentist said her wisdom teeth have to come out -- this just after paidtwice spent the family emergency fund and other reserves on a car engine replacement.

    So she's practicing what she'll say when she tells the dentist that the procedure will have to wait until she has saved money to pay for it.

    "I get so hung up on appearances, and the idea that money would cause me to put this off makes me feel like I can't keep up the appearance that we're doing just fine," she writes. But, she says, "I'd rather live in full awareness of reality and be a little embarrassed than in a fantasy world I create with available credit."   Read More...

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  • From one who knows: What to do if you're laid off

    Posted Jan 18 2008, 05:02 PM by Karen Datko
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    Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money

    Recent layoffs at a company Blubba once worked for prompted him to share the benefit of his experience with his readers. The host of Fat Man ... Skinny Wallet has been down that road. He says the first thing you need to do is get a handle on your emotions. "Losing your job is a lot like a breakup," he writes. "A lot of emotions are going on -- mine were shock, disappointment and bed-wetting terror at being able to make mortgage payments on my just-purchased home."   Read More...

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  • When all hope seems lost

    Posted Jan 04 2008, 05:32 AM by Karen Datko
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    Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money

    This post comes from Trent Hamm of partner blog The Simple Dollar.

    No matter how careful you are, there may come a time when enough bad events happen that you simply cannot afford your bills. While you can do certain things to protect yourself from being in that situation -- building an emergency fund, practicing frugal living -- they don't really help when you have no money and a pile of bills to pay.

    If you find yourself in this situation and don't know what to do, here are some practical steps you can take to get started on the road to recovery.

    Don't bury yourself in guilt and shame. Everyone makes mistakes in life, and you're certainly far from the first one or the only one. I was in a desperate situation once upon a time.

    Realize that there are solutions to your problems, no matter how bad the challenges are. Just because you don't immediately see the answers doesn't mean the answers aren't there. There are answers, and there is a path to a better situation.   Read More...

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