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• Don't tell these women how to spend their money

  Posted Jul 16 2008, 12:44 PM by Karen Datko
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  Filed under: debt, housing, saving, Karen Datko
  Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money

  Catherine at Frugal Homemaker Plus and Crystal at Money Saving Mom have heard this comment from others: "You and your husband make good money. Why don't you spend more on a nicer home/car/vacation/TV?"

  Why? Because they have different -- and impressive -- priorities for their money, if you really must know. As Crystal said -- in response to a rude comment apparently questioning her sanity for repairing her old van rather than buying a new one -- "We're living like no one else so that someday we can live and give like no one else." (Yes, she is a fan of Dave Ramsey.)   Read More...

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• Sometimes it's lonely at the top

  Posted Dec 31 2007, 02:09 PM by Karen Datko
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  Filed under: debt, housing, spending, saving
  Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money

  Popular MSN Money and New York Times columnist MP Dunleavey got a heap of criticism after she and her husband bought a house that seemed more than they could readily afford. Dunleavey's recent explanation at MSN Money has not silenced all of her critics. This appears to be the price you pay when you live your financial life out in the open.   Read More...

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• Selling vs. renting: Try this calculator

  Posted Dec 07 2007, 07:12 AM by Karen Datko
  Rating:
  Filed under: investing, debt, housing, saving
  Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money

  Millionaire Mommy Next Door is the queen of the online calculators this week, presenting a substantial list to help you get a grip on your debt situation and your possible options. It includes several here at MSN Money, including the debt evaluation calculator and the Savvy Spending Quiz. Another interesting calculator can be found at another MMND post, and it's right up Mommy's alley. It indicates whether you'd be better off renting out your house or selling it if you had to move. (If you're a regular MMND reader, you know she's no fan of home ownership, is a millionaire and doesn't owe anyone a dime.)   Read More...

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• Did she buy too much house?

  Posted Dec 03 2007, 06:46 AM by Karen Datko
  Filed under: debt, housing, spending, saving
  Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money

  It takes courage to live your financial life in the open. That's why Boston Gal's Open Wallet likes MSN Money and New York Times columnist MP Dunleavey. What Boston Gal doesn't like is the decision by Dunleavey and her husband to buy their dream home at a much higher price than they had calculated they could afford. Dunleavey, leader of the Women in Red at MSN Money, wrote about her possible buyer's remorse in The New York Times. "You would think that someone who writes about money for a living would know how to draw a clear line between what’s affordable and what’s not. And I do," MP wrote. "The trouble is that I’m also capable of staring at that line for so long, in this light or that one, that the distinctions start to blur."   Read More...

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• Take a new mortgage for a test drive

  Posted Oct 29 2007, 01:44 PM by Karen Datko
  Filed under: debt, housing, family, saving
  Money Blog: Smart Spending Blog - MSN Money
  Can you really afford a bigger mortgage? There's a good way to find out. Melissa's very thoughtful post at A Penny Closer describes how to live with the cost of a higher mortgage for six months before actually taking the plunge . She had $600 a month automatically deposited in a high-interest savings account. That amount represents the difference between her current house payment (mortgage, taxes and insurance) and the monthly payment on a new home. "At first, not having that money in the budget was difficult, but we have worked through the aches and pains and are comfortable now," she wrote. The family also finessed its budget to accommodate other expenses it anticipated with a new home -- more spending for things like electricity, water and furniture -- without putting less into debt payment and savings. Now Melissa knows her family can afford a new house , and has a bunch of savings in the bank to make the transition easier.
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