One of my office mates recently got another house that was closer to his family’s activities. From the looks of mortgage rates now it seems like he could have gotten quite a deal, even now! Rates have stayed down for quite a while — quite a bit longer than I had thought they would, I … Read more
My wife, daughter, and mother-in-law have been traveling around Wyoming for a week. The stated purpose of the trip was to do some research for a sequel to her first historical fiction, but my daughter sure is learning a lot out there having a good time, too. They’ve been to Yellowstone National Park and a … Read more
By now you might have heard about the incredibly harsh email that British florist Carolyn Bourne sent to Heidi Withers, the fiancee of her stepson Freddie. This is the kind of dressing down that could make both Simon Cowell and Piers Morgan appear as encouraging as Mr. Rogers. It’s fortunate that Ms. Withers shared this … Read more
I was talking with my wife last night about getting a smartphone — yes, again — because, as I told my newsletter subscribers today, I may have found a reason that actually makes having a smartphone worth the money. As we were discussing the costs of said smartphones, our Y membership came up. We weren’t … Read more
Financial windfalls, planned or otherwise, are almost always welcome additions to the family budget. (No doubt they’re preferable to large unexpected expenses!) Whether those financial windfalls are spent or saved wisely, though, is an entirely different matter. Fortunately, it’s not that difficult to put these windfalls to effective use. Here are two simple but broad … Read more
This is a lighthearted response to JD Roth’s laundry agreement that he has with his wife. The sound-bite version of this fascinating agreement goes something like this: JD and his wife, Kris, have kept their finances separate throughout their marriage. JD despises doing laundry and would do it only if there were nothing clean left … Read more
One big advantage of tracking the categories of personal spending is that you can see where the weak spots are — categories that have grown a little too big for their britches and are ripe for cutting down to size. As I pile through a year’s worth of financial statements in time for taxes, in … Read more
Kimberly Palmer, senior editor for US News and World Report and author of Generation Earn (see my review) posted on the smart way to pay kids an allowance. (article is gone) She drew on statements from several experts who had researched the way children responded to different kinds of exposure to money from their parents. … Read more