One of the Sweetest Concepts in All of Money Management
Some words and phrases just feel good. Summer vacation. Sleeping in. Cubs win. Financially speaking, one of my all-time favorite words is margin. And it feels even better than it sounds. Think of it as financial breathing space, a wonderful gap between income and expenses. It reduces stress, provides the flexibility to give or save […]
Profitable Ideas: Making a Prime Membership Pay Off, You Need a ‘Near-Cation,’ and More
A weekly roundup of some of the best personal finance articles from around the web. Here’s how to get an $800 value out of your $119 Amazon Prime account (CBS Money Watch). We’ve been Prime holdouts, so I’d really like to know: Are you a Prime member? If so, what have you done to make sure […]
Just ask. They Might Say Yes.
I am constantly amazed at what you can get just by asking. At the beginning of last year, I wrote about an experience we had with our van. It needed a costly repair that seemed to be due to a manufacturing defect. Just by asking, I got not just the amount of the repair reimbursed; […]
Profitable Ideas: How to Turn Your Clutter Into Cash, A Simple Way to Contain Lifestyle Creep, and More
A weekly roundup of some of the best personal finance articles from around the web. 49 ways to sell your old stuff for the most money (Clark Howard). Whether you’ve caught the minimalism bug or are just doing some spring cleaning, here’s how to profit from what you no longer need or want. The 4 words […]
Inevitable Wealth: Getting Kids Started With Investing
While leading a couple of short workshops about money with a group of middle school students recently, I told them they have an asset that’s incredibly valuable. Understandably, they looked somewhat surprised. After all, most of them don’t have much money, and their income, if any, consists of an allowance or money they earn babysitting […]
Profitable Ideas: The Cost of ‘Ethical Clothing,’ How to ‘Frame’ Spending Choices, and More
A weekly roundup of some of the best personal finance articles from around the web. Here are 11 reasons we have an umbrella liability insurance policy (My Money Blog). It’s a lot of coverage for a relatively small cost. Do you have a policy? Is ethical clothing expensive? (Moral Fibres). Would you be willing to pay more […]
Rest for the Weary
“Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?” – Matthew 6:27 In December of 2006, as each week brought news of yet another publisher who had decided to take a pass on a book I had poured a year of my life and left a well-paying corporate job to write, […]
Profitable Ideas: How ID Thieves Target Kids, Radical Generosity, and More
A weekly roundup of some of the best personal finance articles from around the web. How thieves create fake identities with kids’ Social Security numbers (USA TODAY). We need to protect not just ourselves from ID theft, but our kids, too. The high cost of homeownership (Get Rich Slowly). It’s all too easy, especially for first-time homebuyers, […]
The Best Way to Teach Kids About Money – Part II
Recently, I wrote an article describing The Absolute Best Way to Teach Kids About Money. It centered on an idea I read about in Mary Hunt’s excellent book, Raising Financially Confident Kids, in which you give kids responsibility for managing financial categories you used to manage for them (like clothing). In this follow up, I […]
Profitable Ideas: 9 Signs You’re Money-Wise, The Scarcity Fallacy, and More
A weekly roundup of some of the best personal finance articles from around the web. 9 signs you’re good with money — even if you don’t think you are (Business Insider). Which ones are you getting right? 5 things to do now to prepare your home for summer (Wise Bread). Each season has its own unique set […]