Archive for the ‘Money’ Category
Dress for success on a budget
January 25th, 2011
Great fantasy novels and films tap into something called “suspension of disbelief.” It means audiences put logic on hold and allow themselves to believe for a while that Klingons exist and animals can speak with human voices.
Sometimes we also use the device to convince ourselves of things we want to believe in the nonfiction world—for instance, that you can’t judge a book by its cover. The adage may be true in principle, but it doesn’t mean employers won’t make superficial judgments when evaluating prospective hires. And when you’re out of work or transitioning from school into a career, you probably don’t have the financial resources to spend a lot on your power wardrobe.
The trouble with tweaking time
October 29th, 2010
We’re about to go dark.
That means Daylight Savings Time is ending for most of the United States. And you must be thrilled with the money you saved this summer … after all, that’s what DST is all about: saving money. Did you save enough on your energy bills to pay for your holiday shopping? No? A week’s worth of groceries? A tank of gas? Lunch at McDonald’s?
A gumball?
What’s that? You didn’t save any money on your electric bills by having that extra hour of daylight? Well, at least you broke even and the kids had an extra hour to play outside …
Say again? You didn’t break even? Your power bill increased? No, that can’t be right!
Protect your address
September 3rd, 2010
As much as we depend on the Internet, most of us still rely on snail mail for a few things. We ship packages, send greeting cards, pay a few bills or our income taxes—and of course, receive junk solicitations—the old-fashioned way.
And a little mail can be a dangerous thing.
TAGS: id theft, identity theft, mail, motivation, safety tips, Self-Improvement, snail mail, tips | 
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Changing the world
March 10th, 2010
It’s what we all want to do, in our own way, isn’t it? Whether it’s by achieving some sort of fame, becoming successful in business, saving lives, saving souls, serving our country, or raising the next generation, we want to leave some imprint of ourselves on the world.
But how? How do we make a difference?
Cheap ways to wise up
January 26th, 2010
When I was a little girl, my mom had an antique typewriter—the one pictured on the About Me page of this site. If she needed to type something and didn’t have access to the more modern machines she used at the office, she’d pull out that big, clunky Remington and start pounding the stiff, old keys.
When I was 12, I wanted to type like Mom. So I asked to borrow old Model Seventeen, carefully covered the keys with black electrical tape, and started training myself in the Qwerty keyboard. It didn’t take long before I was fast enough to make the long, silver keys crush together in a big clump, too.
Since then, I’ve earned a degree in journalism and picked up a lot of additional training. But none of the formal education I’ve received has been as essential to my everyday work as the hours I spent practicing on that antique typewriter.
Unpredictable outcomes
December 26th, 2009
Financially speaking, this has been a difficult year for many people around the world. Some of us keep hearing recovery is imminent–and things may be looking up for our friends–but our ship is still anchored in the distance, a long way from shore.
Although we understand the world’s economic woes have nothing to do with us, we can’t help feeling like we’ve screwed up somehow. If we’d only had the good sense to turn left instead of right, we wouldn’t be struggling so much. But we need to accept that, even when we make reasonable decisions, circumstances may conspire put mountains in our path. It’s a lesson Andre-Francois Raffray learned all too well.
Cheap options to exchanging gifts
December 14th, 2009
When my brother and I were kids—in the pre-Internet days—our mom used to hand us a catalog from some department store, turn to the toy section, and ask us to show her what we hoped Santa would bring. It’s a tradition we continue as adults. My brother, sister-in-law, and I create Internet wish lists
That’s the nice thing about gift-giving among family members. We can be honest about our likes and dislikes. I’m not embarrassed to e-mail my sister-in-law and say, “Do not get me any pink football jerseys.” Ewww. But we can’t be quite so blunt with friends—which is why regifting
How to cut holiday spending
December 10th, 2009
In the classic 1906 O. Henry
short story, “The Gift of the Magi,” Jim and his wife Della have fallen on hard economic times but are anxious to give each other meaningful Christmas gifts despite their limited means. Della wants to give her beloved husband a chain for the treasured pocket watch given to him by his father. Jim wants to give his dear wife a set of jeweled tortoiseshell combs for her lovely knee-length hair.
Since each is without funds, Jim secretly decides to sell his watch to pay for the combs. And Della decides to cut and sell her hair to pay for the watch chain.
6 fun money-saving tips
November 5th, 2009
Several years ago I worked for a company that was downsizing and my job was unexpectedly eliminated. It wasn’t a big deal because the economy was good, work was plentiful, my financial responsibilities were few, and that job was just something to do until I found what I really wanted. So the first thing I did after being laid off was head for the mall to do some shopping and celebrate being temporarily freed from my alarm clock
. But at least I bought something “useful”: a cool pair of sunglasses.
These days I have a different perspective. I have many more financial responsibilities—and that means a lot more worries. As a freelancer, I’m vulnerable to the whims of a struggling economy. I’m trying to avoid spending money on anything nonessential. And that’s making me a little grumpy
Don’t be afraid of your money
October 17th, 2009
You know you’re one of the recognized experts in your field when a) you’re being booked by everyone from the morning news shows to CNN’s Larry King
to Oprah, and b) you’re being lampooned on Saturday Night Live. Financial whiz Suze Orman is definitely one of the leading experts in her field.
But if you think Orman was born with a gift for understanding and overcoming financial chaos, think again. Orman’s earliest relationship with money wasn’t built on know-how, but on fear.
