In these uncertain economic times, we’re all looking to save a little money, especially if we can do it without changing our lifestyle. Here are ten ways you can do just that. Taken together and applied over even a few months, they could make a noticeable difference to your family’s budget. The “small stuff” pays off. Pennies and nickels...

The things that draw us together when dating and getting to know each other are often the very things that cause conflicts a few years into marriage.  How do we embrace our differences? How can we love each other through the strengths and weaknesses our differences create? In our twenty plus years of marriage, finances have been always been an...

What does the Christmas season promise you this year? We all have an expectation even if we rarely pull it out to look at it. For some it’s the expectation of a credit card bill that takes too long to pay. Others dream of just the perfect gift to buy. Some dread to go shopping. Some delight in family visits that are all too rare. Others...

A quick windfall sounds like the answer to so many problems. But for some pro athletes, hitting the big time can put them right into the poor house.  I’m the first to admit I’m not a sports fan.  I’ve probably shared in a few “look at the dumb jocks” comments in my time, but even I was surprised when a friend pointed out these stats in...

Brian Kim's article "5 Things Every College Grad Should Know" is the article I wish I'd read prior to graduating university. Here's a his main points (in bold) followed by my comments: 1) A degree does not entitle you to a job When I graduated, I somehow had the idea that I would graduate and be handed a job. This belief might have been partially...

"What's the price of happiness? For an average Briton, it's a home worth 500,000 pounds and an annual salary of 42,000 pounds, a new study has revealed." (rediff.com Business) For some perspective, the Global Rich List website tells us that a person earning £42,000 per year (approximately $62,500US) is in the top 1% richest people in the world. Elsewhere,...

What would you do if you won a million dollars? I’d buy a small house and then hop on the first flight to Australia to meet my nephew.  I’d travel, I’d give some away.  I would buy more books.  I would probably splurge on a really, really nice necklace. When we think about money we tend to dream or to worry.  Money seems like the root...