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Posted
Jul 17 2008, 06:05 PM
by
Karen Datko
Rating:
When Amanda of Value For Your Life was 12 year old, she begged and begged until her parents finally got her a dog. Enter Jasper. Eventually Shadow joined the clan. What Amanda didn't know was that when each dog moved in, her mother began automatically depositing $25 a month per dog into a do-it-yourself pet insurance fund. That money -- growing in a high-interest savings account -- came in handy over the years, and without the limitations often attached to pet insurance policies. It was there to help Shadow as he developed back problems and, eventually, terminal cancer. (Read her remarkable account of Shadow's passing. Amanda, a veterinarian, euthanized her beloved dog at home. Warning: You may shed tears. We did.)
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Posted
Jul 15 2008, 04:57 PM
by
Karen Datko
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You know what happens when you ask Grandma and Grandpa what they want for their birthday or Christmas. They say, "I have everything I need." "Chances are that's exactly what you heard, probably followed by 'so don't buy me anything.' And they mean it," Blunt Money reminds us in a wise and lovely post called "Everything you need (and want)." She adds that we can learn from their example: "The thing is, many of us probably do have everything we need, right now, without even realizing it."
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Posted
Jun 19 2008, 11:14 AM
by
Karen Datko
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Mike at Clever Dude has come up with a creative solution to a problem we've all probably encountered. His father-in-law made two trips from Pennsylvania to Mike's D.C.-area home to work on Mike and Stacie's floors and refuses any compensation. We have the same problem with a wonderful neighbor/friend who takes care of our dogs when we're gone, so we read Mike's post -- "Why we're donating our tax stimulus check" -- with great interest. Mike calls his method "guerilla gift-giving." We'll call it "stealth compensation."
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Posted
Jun 11 2008, 05:20 AM
by
Karen Datko
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This post comes from partner blog The Dough Roller. Recently, I took my son, Gavin, to the Coinstar machine to turn the random coins he's been getting into paper money. Added to the last two years of birthday money, his total was right around $150. As he stared at that money (and lamented the fact that now all he had was paper instead of a huge jar of coins), I realized that it was time to start teaching Gavin about money.
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Posted
Jun 10 2008, 03:50 PM
by
Karen Datko
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The worst commotion we've ever heard in a retail setting (other than the toddler who got his foot caught in a shopping cart) was a kid who started screaming "apple" in the produce section, and then continued for 10 minutes and was readily audible from every area of the store. (It was so bad, we almost bought the little man an apple.) Parental units, don't give in, says Ashley of Wide Open Wallet in a post called "Saying no to your kids." She has overindulged her little boy, and now she's trying to correct the problem.
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Posted
Jun 05 2008, 10:41 AM
by
Karen Datko
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"That One Caveman" has been driven to an extreme approach to deal with his mother-in-law's chronic overspending, particularly when it comes to the caveman's child. Given, her behavior is distressing. She's a shopaholic who is threatening her own financial future. For instance, her daughter's old bedroom is packed with stuff she's purchased but never even taken out of the shopping bags. Now, despite being asked not to, she is showering trinkets, clothes and potentially unsafe toys on her granddaughter, and even tried to foist a $20 bill into the 17-month-old cavegirl's hand.
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Posted
Jun 04 2008, 05:30 AM
by
Karen Datko
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This post comes from partner blog The Dough Roller. With Father's Day fast approaching, finding a memorable gift that doesn't break the bank can be a chore. To make things easy for you, what follows is a list of Father's Day gifts that range in cost from zero to about $25. And for those fathers reading this article, you'll be happy to know that a Father's Day tie is not on the list. Homemade greeting card. Kids love crafts, and making a card for Dad on Father's Day is a memorable time. I've kept every card my children have ever made for me, and they are worth far more than anything they could have bought for me. Here's a site with some great card ideas.
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Posted
May 21 2008, 06:24 AM
by
Karen Datko
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Want proof that stay-at-home moms would be earning a pretty good income if they were getting paid for their work? A report by Salary.com says the time SAHMs spend on 10 "mom job functions" -- including housekeeper and psychologist -- would bring $116,805 in the work world. Full-time moms work an incredible amount of overtime at their jobs -- 54.4 hours a week above and beyond the normal 40, the Web site says.
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Posted
Apr 29 2008, 02:34 PM
by
Karen Datko
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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).
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Posted
Apr 08 2008, 05:02 PM
by
Karen Datko
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If you're tired of taking the heat from your spendthrift (and obnoxious) friends who say you're cheap, Jennifer Derrick at Saving Advice has some ammunition for you -- "32 reasons to be frugal besides saving money." This post beautifully expresses what frugal people know in their hearts: Frugality is freedom from the many shackles of a consumer-based culture. Jennifer says she initially adopted a frugal lifestyle to save money, but now calls that "a nice side effect." Among the benefits of frugality: gratitude and contentment. "Frugal living makes you appreciate what you have and helps you to realize that you are blessed to have it, even if it's not the newest luxury what-not," she writes.
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