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Posted
Jul 21 2008, 05:16 AM
by
Karen Datko
Rating:
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.
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Posted
Jun 12 2008, 05:11 PM
by
Karen Datko
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Flying ants swarmed at Jill's rehearsal dinner, the nearby military range tested its big guns during the wedding, and then cousin Taylor fainted and hit his head on the house, requiring a trip to the hospital. Then, during the reception, the town's power went out. What does this have to do with frugal wedding planning? Well, nothing, really (although Jill's post at Naturally Gluten Free does include some cost-cutting tips). But it's part of the fun reading in what we promise will be the last word on this subject. (OK, we're probably lying.) No fewer than 33 personal-finance bloggers and readers submitted entries to Pinyo's "Best wedding tips and stories giveaway" at Moolanomy.
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Posted
Mar 25 2008, 03:42 PM
by
Karen Datko
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A recent article at MSNBC about money and marriage prompted "FMF" at Free Money Finance to comment on his own marriage and society at large. The article reports on a survey of 74,000 people that indicates great progress on the equality front: The vast majority of men are OK with the idea of a wife earning more money than they do. (FMF comments: "Not sure what the 'big deal' is here. I'd love it if my wife made more than I do now. Besides, we view everything as belonging to both of us, so what's the difference who makes it?") Such willingness to share hasn't extended to household chores. The article said: "Although men appeared to happily cede the stress of being the primary breadwinner, they aren't yet always picking up as much slack on the home front. More than 40% of women say they do more than their share of housework -- and 29% of men agree." (On that topic, one thing that really chaps our shins is when men retire to the TV after a holiday dinner and leave the women to clean up the mess.)
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Posted
Feb 29 2008, 04:43 PM
by
Karen Datko
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A recent article at MSNBC about the high cost of dating contained this snippet: "Nearly 70% of women and 50% of men said they were interested in marrying for money, according to a Prince & Associates survey of 1,134 men and women earning $30,000 to $60,000 a year." They all said the object of their attention would have to have a net worth exceeding $1 million. Wow. Does that mean we're all a bunch of gold-digger wannabes or is something else at play here? We turned to blogger Free Money Finance for some perspective.
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Posted
Feb 09 2008, 04:00 PM
by
Karen Datko
Do women and men have different approaches to money? Maybe. Maybe not. But there are differences between the sexes, and two bloggers offer thoughtful observations about how to bridge that gap from a personal-finance point of view. Lynnae at Being Frugal presents seven things women wish men knew about money, and Ron at The Wisdom Journal gives readers seven from the opposite point of view. We particularly liked these observations by Lynnae: "Being there is more important than having money" and "Day-to-day actions speak louder than expensive gifts." At the end of her post, Lynnae says she realizes that many of her points fall under one theme: "Most of them have to do with letting a woman know that she is loved."
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Posted
Jan 16 2008, 06:49 AM
by
Karen Datko
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This post comes from Linsey Knerl at partner blog Wise Bread. Hot dates are often stereotyped as being expensive. Fine wines, fancy dinners, high-priced hotels and posh resorts top the list of ways we traditionally think of reconnecting with our significant other. Even though frugality generally isn't considered sexy, it can bring about intimacy in unexpected ways.
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Posted
Dec 26 2007, 05:38 AM
by
Karen Datko
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This post comes from Abby Freedman, a freelance writer and daughter of Smart Spending blogger Donna Freedman. An MSN article about portion sizes got me thinking about the economics of eating. Food is, arguably, one of the most expensive aspects of modern life, whether you make your meals at home or eat out. We order our days around meal breaks. We deny ourselves some foods and force others down our throats -- when was the last time someone willingly ate a rice cake? Finally, we pay tons of money to gyms so that we can work off all that food. I don't have diet foods or delivered meals worked into my spending plan. But I do have to fit into a wedding gown in 5½ months. So I decided to try a little experiment with portion size, and see if I couldn't make food a bit more affordable at the same time.
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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.
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