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Posted
Sep 23 2008, 02:21 PM
by
Karen Datko
Rating:
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
Here's a heart-wrenching question many pet owners have to face: How much would you spend to save the life of your pet? "Free Money Finance" asked his readers that question after reading a Wall Street Journal column about the issue. Like the pet owners mentioned in the column, some of FMF's readers set a (shocking to us) limit of $100 or so. Others said they would spend $10,000 or more -- if the treatment provided an acceptable quality of life.
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Posted
Sep 23 2008, 11:03 AM
by
Karen Datko
Rating:
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
Be a careful shopper and you'll save money on gifts. Be a considerate shopper and you'll save your recipient some money as well.
We can see lots of people pursuing this new goal in gifting as the holiday season speeds our way. (Did you notice how early Halloween stuff started to appear in stores? At this rate, we'll be inundated with Christmas promotions long before the last leaf has fallen from the tree. But we digress.)
Jennifer Derrick, one of our favorite PF writers, gives 28 examples of gifts that will enhance the giftee's frugality in a post at Personal Finance Advice. "Who can argue with a gift that saves them money," she says.
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Posted
Sep 16 2008, 03:09 PM
by
Karen Datko
Rating:
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
Car crashes are the No. 1 killer of U.S. teenagers. So why shouldn't we talk about raising the legal driving age? "BeThisWay" at Are You Going To Be This Way The Rest Of The Time I Know You? tackled the question head-on in a post called "Captain Obvious reports: 16-year-olds maybe shouldn't be licensed." Her conclusion may surprise you.
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Posted
Sep 11 2008, 03:44 PM
by
Karen Datko
Rating:
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
Hank's friend, a father of three, faces a difficult decision: He's been offered a job in Iraq that will pay $290,000 for a year's commitment. Like most big decisions, it's very complicated. But we'll tell you right now that most readers who commented on Hank's post said, "Don't do it."
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Posted
Sep 11 2008, 12:06 PM
by
Karen Datko
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
Now that the youngest of their four kids is 3 (and the oldest is 10), Nickel at Five Cent Nickel and his wife are rediscovering their social life. They're paying a teenager they know $10 an hour to baby-sit. He thinks that's a bit higher than the going rate where he lives, and he asked his readers for their thoughts. This post is particularly valuable because so many people chimed in.
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Posted
Sep 04 2008, 12:35 PM
by
Karen Datko
Rating:
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
A lot has been written lately about kids' extracurricular or so-called enrichment activities, but the story that takes the cake is this one told by "Mighty Bargain Hunter": Parents bought a Steinway grand piano for their child "and built an addition on to their house to display it properly." You guessed it. The kid quit piano lessons in two years. How do you provide your child with fulfilling structured time without going overboard on commitments and cost?
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Posted
Sep 02 2008, 05:00 PM
by
Karen Datko
Rating:
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
Raymond at Money Blue Book recognized a troubling behavior during a visit with his parents: They've become compulsive hoarders. Nothing in their home gets thrown away. "You can't walk into their apartment without immediately noticing the huge stacks of boxes and newspapers everywhere," Raymond writes. This behavior can be a problem on several levels, including financial well-being.
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Posted
Aug 29 2008, 01:10 PM
by
Karen Datko
Rating:
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
Imagine this scenario: "The Frugal Duchess" (aka Sharon Harvey Rosenberg) and her 10-year-old daughter kill time before a movie in a clothing store that caters to tween girls. A cute young salesclerk loads the daughter up with cute merchandise. They leave without buying because the movie is about to start, but the daughter promises to return. She at least wants to say bye to her new friend. Hold on a minute, Sharon says. "She's not really your friend. ... Sure, she likes you. But she also likes your business." Now Sharon wonders if she said the right thing. "Should I have continued to let her believe that the cool clerk was a friend?" she asks.
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Posted
Aug 27 2008, 10:30 AM
by
Karen Datko
Rating:
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
John Cain of Saving Advice found a lot more than candy and trinkets in the treat bags all kids have come to expect whenever they attend a birthday party. He discovered a metaphor for the culture of materialism he believes is contaminating our kids. Treat bags are just the tip of this iceberg. Why do we overload children with scheduled activities, entertainment and gadgetry -- including DVDs in the car and the ubiquitous cell phone? "We then complain that our children do not understand appropriate social behavior or that they are unable to converse intelligently with their parents," he writes.
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Posted
Aug 12 2008, 02:50 PM
by
Karen Datko
Rating:
Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
Some people blame the system or fate or bad luck for their inability to get ahead in life. Could they be right, or are there steps most people can take to improve their financial situations? In a post called "Victim mentality and personal finance" at Moolanomy, Pinyo wrote about a couple he knows who have spent 20 years in poverty and believe "that was the hand they were dealt." He begs to differ. He said that blaming seemingly uncontrollable circumstances is counterproductive, and that "victim mentality is detrimental for your financial health."
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