Lifestyle blogger – cruises, organizing, managing money, and parenting.
America has a huge love affair with magazines. There are thousands of magazines created every month for everything from knitting to golf and every other hobby or interest imaginable. Most people have at least 5 to 7 magazine subscriptions every month. Makes me crazy because it’s such a waste. Probably millions of pages of print, […] Read more…
One thing I love about digital scrapbooking is that you aren’t necessarily married to a page size. I typically like to design my pages in 12 X 12, but I don’t necessarily like storing the 12 X 12 albums. They take up a LOT of space and are kind of awkward to store because they […] Read more…
I’m going to clue you in on the biggest mistake many women make in their financial lives. They depend on other people – typically their husbands or partners, but sometimes their parents also, to keep them financially safe. We can’t help it – we are trusting people, and we like the thought that someone else […] Read more…
A debt snowball is an incredibly powerful way to pay off debt quickly and easily. They are fairly easy to set up and use, and they are very powerful. They can literally save you thousands in interest over the life of a loan and help you get out of debt years earlier. I will even […] Read more…
I LOVE books. I mean, I really LOVE books. Before I discovered the interwebs and all the temptations therein, I used to read 3 or more books per week. These days, I don’t read as much, but I still squeeze it in as often as I can. Because I’m thrifty (or cheap – that […] Read more…
I am just about the only woman I know who does not have a membership at Costco or Sam’s or any other of the big box stores. It’s hard sometimes when I hear my friends singing the praises of the latest tasty item they’ve found there, or I see what terrific deals they find. I’d […] Read more…
I found a post on one of my social media sites that really got me thinking. This lady was declaring a 90-day spending moratorium because she realized she had created some real debt issues for her family. It wasn’t the fact that she was sharing this that got me thinking. It was the response to […] Read more…
I’m writing this on my bill paying day, so it got me thinking. Paying bills is an important part of our financial lives, maybe one of the most important parts, so I’m wondering what is your bill paying strategy? – Do you pay your bills right when they hit your mailbox? – Do you have […] Read more…
As the owner of four cats and a dog, I have paid out my share of vet bills. Maybe even more than my share. Last year, our St. Bernard – Joe got out of the yard, got hit by a car, and ended up with a broken leg that cost us about $800. It really […] Read more…
Overspending is one of the things that can really mess up a debt management plan. I know it trips me up again and again. Here’s a clever idea that might help. What if you were really serious about getting your spending under control? You could set it up so that your husband gets […] Read more…
Every New Year’s Eve, what is the absolute number one resolution? Hands down, it is always to lose weight. It’s like the Holy Grail of resolutions! Because of that, the diet and exercise industry is one of the richest in the world. People spend thousands of dollars each year with hopes of losing weight – […] Read more…
Adult kids don’t always have the best judgement. Plus after a couple of decades of depending on the bank of Mom and Dad, it’s a hard habit to break. But part of good parenting is to gently ease them out of the nest to allow them the responsibility for their financial lives. I have two […] Read more…
We are quickly heading into the time of year when everyone is desperate to shed their holiday pounds. This can translate into big bucks for the local gyms and fitness clubs. I looked it up. The figure is about $21 MILLION dollars a year spent on gym memberships just here in the US. Sadly […] Read more…
I don’t normally share specific details about my finances. It’s just not a great idea on the Internet, but I think I need to share a bit more than usual to illustrate this point about the power you can generate from residual income. Residual income can be many things – it can be interest income […] Read more…
Credit card debt can be a significant drain on your budget. Even if you’ve gotten smart and put the cards away (or cut them up!), you still need to find a way to rid yourselves of those pesky balances. One trap that many debt-ridden consumers get into is just paying the minimum payments. Here’s why […] Read more…