Browse by Tags
-
Posted
May 14 2008, 08:19 PM
by
Karen Datko
Rating:
Wouldn't we all love to have this dilemma? Inspired by a letter to the editor at Money magazine, "Flexo" at Consumerism Commentary wonders when it's appropriate to tell your boyfriend/girlfriend that you're wealthy. The letter writer apparently had been burned by some guy looking for a sugar momma. Flexo says, "It's probably not appropriate if you're on the first few dates, but if you're starting to pick out rings or talk about living together, I don't see how these decisions can be made without full financial disclosure."
Read More...
-
Posted
Apr 29 2008, 02:34 PM
by
Karen Datko
Rating:
We think cash is a great gift, particularly for newly married couples and for babies. But how much is too much or too little? "FrugalTrader" at Million Dollar Journey asked his readers this very question. "This is a tricky question and probably something that not a lot of people talk about," he wrote. Like many good posts, a lot of value can be found in the comments (although some readers were sidetracked by a heated debate over how much to spend on one's own wedding).
Read More...
-
Posted
Apr 15 2008, 11:43 AM
by
Karen Datko
Rating:
Just because you've received invitations to eight spring and summer weddings doesn't mean you have to go to all of them. And you aren't obligated to spend as much as those couples did for your wedding. Aryn of Sound Money Matters offers 10 tips for choosing how to honor the bride and groom without overextending your budget. Her advice is very practical and also holds true to the sentiment that these events shouldn't be just about the money. Wear the same outfit to every wedding. Honestly, no one will care. Shop the registry early before the lower-cost gifts disappear. Combine a few simple registry gifts into one gift rather than veering from the list. "Trust me, if they didn't register for the $50 10-glass set, they don't want it," Aryn writes.
Read More...
-
Posted
Apr 09 2008, 05:13 PM
by
Karen Datko
Rating:
When we read about Amy's plans for her wedding at My Daily Dollars, we wanted to be invited. This excellent post explains how you can celebrate in an incredible setting with fabulous food for less than $5,000. First of all, decide what your wedding means to you. "When I imagined my wedding day, what always got me the most excited was the fact that it will be one of the few times in my life that many of the people I love will be in one place at the same time," Amy writes. "Once I had that in mind, other things started to fall into place." Base the theme on the location, not the other way around. It takes a lot of money to transform a boring social hall into a special place. Her wedding and a "scrumptious picnic reception" will be at a lodge in the state park where she and her fiance had one of their first dates. She adds, "I'm planning for a hike down to the river in my wedding dress."
Read More...
-
Posted
Apr 09 2008, 05:29 AM
by
Karen Datko
Rating:
This post comes from partner blog The Dough Roller. Fear of change can be a powerful, all-consuming force in our lives. It can keep us from pursuing our dreams. It can keep us in a destructive relationship. And fear of change can cause us to make some really bad investing choices. I had to confront my own fear of change six years ago. At that time I was partner at a very large firm. I had worked eight hard years to make partner and had enjoyed the fruits of my labor for two years as a partner. And then I quit. I quit because I was tired of choosing my career over my family. So I took a six-figure pay cut and accepted a job that wasn't nearly as prestigious. It was one of the most frightening things I've ever done. I kept asking myself -- am I nuts for doing this? I went from a corner office to a windowless office literally the size of a broom closet. I went from being the boss to being an absolute nobody. And it was the best career choice I ever made. The decision taught me a lot about confronting my fear of change. From that experience, I learned five steps that can help anybody overcome a debilitating fear of change.
Read More...
-
Posted
Mar 19 2008, 05:10 PM
by
Karen Datko
Rating:
Mrs. Micah clearly touched a nerve when she opened a discussion about how to save money to leave -- and ultimately divorce -- an abusive spouse. She and her readers -- including social workers, and former victims and their children -- provided lots of ideas to consider, as well as personal stories of successfully leaving or being found out. We'll summarize some of their suggestions here, but we recommend you read the entire series. Set up a P.O. box and get a bank account and safe deposit box using that address. Do not check your bank statements on your home computer. Readers left stories about tech-savvy abusers who installed programs to track their spouse's keystrokes. Stash a bag of clothing, cash and copies of important documents at the home of a trusted friend. Be extremely careful about sharing your plans; word can leak out. The daughter of an abused woman offered another perspective: Don't wait until you've saved money.
Read More...
-
Posted
Dec 26 2007, 05:35 AM
by
Karen Datko
Rating:
This post comes from partner blog The Dough Roller. It's been said that money is the No. 1 cause of divorce. Or to say it another way: Marriage is about love, divorce is about money. To that we may add that money is the No. 1 cause of turmoil in a marriage. Strife over money can last years in a marriage if not properly addressed and, short of divorce, can drive a wedge between a husband and wife . This doesn't have to be, and so here are eight tips on fighting with your spouse over money. Honestly examine your own attitudes about money. We all have different views and attitudes about money -- how it should be spent, saved, given and so on. Before raising a difficult money issue with your spouse, honestly re-examine your approach and feelings about the issue. You may just find that you need to change as much as or more than your spouse. And if not, it will better prepare you for an open-minded discussion when you do raise the issue.
Read More...
-
Posted
Nov 08 2007, 10:29 AM
by
Karen Datko
Noting that fights over money can damage a marriage, Lazy Man and Money suggests reducing the human element and putting a budget in charge of the finances . This is a simple and brilliant idea. Lazy Man says he and his wife haven't argued about money since they came up with a budget and began reviewing it together every week. Together is the operative word. This won't work unless both parties agree . Lazy Man offers detailed instructions about how to reach a budget agreement, and suggests you formally acknowledge it with a handshake or signatures on the dotted line. He and his wife use a pinky shake. He writes, "When I’m over at our local electronics or book store and I see something I really want, before I just go and buy it, a mental picture of that pinky shake always appears in my head reminding me of the commitment I made." If it's not in the budget, he leaves without it.
-
Posted
Oct 09 2007, 02:55 PM
by
Karen Datko
Rating:
Getting hitched to Mrs. Dough 19 years ago was the best money move The Dough Roller ever made, he reports in " My best and worst financial decisions ." Why? In the early days, she kept a lid on spending when Dough, a graduate student, was using the ATM "like it was a slot machine." Then, when it was his turn to work and hers to go back to school, she put him in charge of their finances and he learned the value of a buck.
|
