I run an online retail business. It’s not big, but it’s mine. I’ve been doing this for a long time–over 17 years. Being in this line of work also allows me to do something that most women (and occasionally a brother-in-law) love to do, and that’s spend money. For me, shopping is all about getting a great deal. I buy something and sell it online, and the less I pay for it the better return I get on my investment. It’s pretty simple math. And it’s kind of fun. Every once in a while, I find something that I really like, and I buy it from my business to use personally. Sometimes once I get it home, I change my mind (ever done that?) and take it back to the store. Sometimes I wear it once or twice and never again. Occasionally there is an item hanging in my closet with the tags still attached. Sound familiar? I’m sure you have a few things lying around that have a similar story to those flip flops I bought on clearance last fall. Why is it that we let stuff sit around and take up not on...

I used to work in a school lunch program (yes, I was a “lunch lady” at a high school, and I loved it!). During my 11 years there our district program got a new director. I once had the opportunity to chat with him about his new position and he told me something interesting. When he first got hired, he reached out to other program directors in the area and asked them their opinion on the best way to learn his new job. Their answer? Teach it to someone else. We already know that we are responsible for teaching our children. And we are also aware of the fact that if we don’t teach them something the way we want them to learn it the “world” will teach it to them, and that might not be the best thing. The same thing applies to handling money. Do you want your children to succeed with their own finances? Then you’re going to have to teach them. First of all, you have to watch the words you use when you do teach them. Make what you say is positive. “We are choosing not to buy that,” inste...

If you haven’t guessed by now, I get really excited about all positive things financial: getting a good deal; budgeting and planning; never carrying a balance on my one-and-only credit card; saving; investing, especially long-term; paying off debt; and helping others achieve financial independence. I even like balancing my checkbook. Yes, believe it or not, I find joy in that mundane task. I know, it sounds like something your grandpa used to do. Well, you should try it. You just might find a small crack leaking a little bit (or a lot) of cash every month. Modern technology is great (when it works like it’s supposed to, right?). You can do a lot of “set it and forget it” types of activities, including paying bills. No more late fees! While that is helpful, it can also create a potential hole in your budget where your hard-earned money can slip through. That gym membership? You might be able to discontinue that–besides, the weather perfect right now for outside walking, jogging, bik...

I cannot believe that in all my months of blogging that I have not used–I checked–one of my most favorite quotes of all time. Benjamin Franklin once said, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” The gist of it is that it’s easier and cheaper to fix something small than it is once it grows too large. It sounds like Franklin’s original intent might have been health-related (think cancer), but it can be applied to anything that needs maintenance (think car problems). Your house is no different. Side note; if you are renting, you can thank your lucky stars at this point. Renters are not responsible for regular home maintenance. However, this is also one thing that potential home-owners don’t usually think about when they are getting “house-hungry” and “throwing their money away on rent.” If you have too much debt when you try to buy a home, you are probably asking for more financial trouble. Now, let us return to the subject at hand. Why this time of year? You ask? Well, t...