Three Easy Ways to Reduce College Debt

With college expenses on the rise, along with the interest rates on student loans, many individuals are looking for ways to reduce college debt. From personal experience, I have come up with three easy ways to reduce college debt: 1. Pay Quarterly Interest The availability of scholarships is declining; so many people are depending on […]

What are You Teaching Your Children this Christmas?

Being a self-employed single mom of two, I have no guarantee of a certain monthly income, especially during the holidays. After all, my clients are also feeling the budget crunch of Christmas, so they are less likely to require my services. Unfortunately for my children, it also means that Mama’s Christmas list has to be […]

Bah Humbug! Tis the Season for Income Tax

Do not shoot the messenger! Although I intellectually understand the necessity of paying my share of income tax, I too would rather not have the expense. As soon as the holidays are over, income tax information is deposited in my mailbox. Even though taxes are not due until April 15th, I know in advance if […]

Credit Cards: Friend or Foe?

Is your credit card your friend or foe? Is your mailbox inundated with tempting offers, from competing financial institutions, for additional credit? Are you tempted to check out the offer, or do you drop the envelop straight into the shredder? Have you noticed that the more credit card debt you experience, more offers flood the […]

Christmas – Play Now, Pay Later

Christmas is a wonderful time of year! You look forward to the lights, the Christmas carols, the food, and the chance to be with family as you celebrate the reason for the season. However, along with all the festivities, the bills usually stack up during the holidays. For many, gift giving results in dread and […]

Personal Finance Review – Shopping Online Edition

Holiday shopping is ZERO fun.  Although I wasn’t around for Black Friday, I did spend half an hour waiting in line this evening to make my first gift purchase of the season.  The longer I stood the more irritated I became with the situation and any holiday cheer I was feeling quickly evaporated.  I decided […]

How to Live Within Your Budget

What’s the most difficult time of the year to stick to your budget? How about the holiday season? Of course, it’s not just the holidays, it can be difficult to live within your means throughout the year. Below are some tips I’ve used to help me stay on track with my budget. Although they may […]

Beware Black Friday & the Holiday Shopping Craze

As you go through the checkout line this holiday season try the following experiment. Take all your full shopping bags directly to the Salvation Army. Keep one and give the remainder away. Repeat this every shopping trip. How long would it be before you dramatically decreased the amount you bought or just stopped shopping all […]

Giving Thanks for Low Stress Personal Finance

Personal finance can be very stressful. Here are five major areas that we feel fortunate about. Limited Debt The bad news is that we have a mortgage to pay. The good news is that we have no student loan, car loan, or credit card debt to worry about. The less you owe, the better you […]

You Can’t Pay for Parenting

Some of the best personal finance lessons I’ve learned did not come from books or interviews. Personal experience is often the best teacher. For example, as a single parent, I have learned you can’t pay for parenting. Oh, sure. You can hire a babysitter or nanny to be with the children in your absence, but […]

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