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• What will your children inherit? 10 questions to ask yourself

  Posted Jul 21 2008, 05:16 AM by Karen Datko
  Filed under: Spending, Family, Saving, Marriage
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  This guest post comes from Ron Haynes at The Wisdom Journal.

  I think few people would disagree that children learn many of their life skills from their parents. From parenting to work ethic, to spousal relationships, to personal finance, the most important things in life that children learn are those taught by the example of their parents. That isn't just a broad opening statement, it's truth borne out of years of investigation by researchers -- and from parents and grandparents who witness it every day.

  I've been thinking lately about what my children are learning from me because, as a parent, I am a model for my kids. But it's my choice whether to model good behavior or bad, and my example, much more than my words, will leave a lasting inheritance with my children.   Read More...

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• A fabulous wedding for under $5,000

  Posted Apr 09 2008, 05:13 PM by Karen Datko
  Filed under: Family, Saving, Marriage, Karen Datko
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  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...

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• Saving money to escape an abusive spouse

  Posted Mar 19 2008, 05:10 PM by Karen Datko
  Filed under: Banking, Family, Saving, Marriage, Karen Datko
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  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...

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• Ending the family feud over money

  Posted Nov 08 2007, 10:29 AM by Karen Datko
  Filed under: Spending, Family, Saving, Marriage
  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.
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