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• Why should love have a price tag?

  Posted Jun 27 2008, 08:49 AM by Donna Freedman
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  Filed under: marriage, giving, Donna Freedman
  Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money

  A jewelry ad I've been hearing on the radio fills me with weary disgust. The announcer suggests that as we grow up, we lose the capacity to delight in simple joys like ice cream. That's why it's important to surprise a woman with jewelry, whether it's to commemorate a specific occasion like the birth of a child or "just a gift to say 'I love you.'"
  

  From ice cream to ice. I suppose that's a logical progression in a society that stresses acquisition as the symbol of true success.   Read More...

  Discuss ( 26 comments) 4,431 Views Digg this | Email this | Link to this

• My daughter got married without going broke

  Posted May 12 2008, 09:45 AM by Donna Freedman
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  Filed under: extreme savings, marriage, Donna Freedman
  Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money

  Yesterday my only child, Abby, wed her sweetheart, Tim. Today they are frolicking in Florida. They achieved both happy states without breaking the bank. I recount this to encourage other young couples who wonder if they can "afford" to get married.
  

  Well, of course you can afford it. Marriage licenses are cheap and so are civil ceremonies. If by "afford" you mean "can I go into debt to satisfy other people's expectations" -- well, that's a question that only you can answer.   Read More...

  Discuss ( 186 comments) 42,666 Views Digg this | Email this | Link to this

• Kill 'Zill

  Posted Oct 08 2007, 02:37 PM by Donna Freedman
  Rating:
  Filed under: spending, marriage, Donna Freedman
  Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money

  That’s Zill as in “Bridezilla.” My daughter, Abby, who’s getting married in May, was raging over a newspaper article about the costs a bridesmaid can reasonably expect.

  The thing is, some brides are no longer reasonable -- and they expect way too much.
  

  Veteran bridesmaid (eight times!) Arica Colley, profiled in the article, said a recent wedding cost her $1,300. Yep, thirteen hundred dollars.
  

  But here’s the scary part: “Experts” say that bridesmaids should expect to pony up $1,000 to $1,400 for the privilege of wearing the same dress as a bunch of other women.   Read More...

  Discuss ( 20 comments) 12,667 Views Digg this | Email this | Link to this