Mammogram Call Back Anxiety: Stories to Relieve Your Fears

Years ago, I wrote this post to help other women struggling with mammogram call back anxiety. Since then, more than one hundred women have provided mammogram call back stories of their own. If a mammogram call back has left you feeling anxious or afraid, I encourage you to read this post and the comments below. … Read more

Giving Back to the Community With These Easy Actions

Many of us want to give back to the community we live in. We dream of making the world a better place, but then fail to muster up the energy to follow through on our goals. Giving back seems like hard work, doesn’t it? Some of us feel exhausted just thinking about it. Big projects … Read more

Making Financial Decisions: Mixing Emotions with Math

I used to hate making financial decisions. I’d like to say it was just the big, scary financial decisions that frightened me, but in truth, even the teeny, tiny ones could stop me in my tracks. I blame my hesitancy on being a perfectionist. It wasn’t the bad choices that concerned me. I knew enough … Read more

Living With Less: How to Live Simply

I spend a few minutes searching for minimalist ideas and find thousands of pictures of clean, sparsely decorated homes with bright white walls and empty countertops. I’m irresistibly drawn to those stark images. I subscribe to minimalist lifestyle blogs and scour the Internet in search of advice about purging my possessions and living with less. … Read more

Know Your Worth: Value Yourself Beyond Money

Most of us don’t love our jobs, so why do we start every new conversation with the question, “What do you do?” Why do we place the focus of our first interaction on work and job titles? Is your job really the most important thing about you? American culture emphasizes work, but this can create … Read more

Money Lies and Financial Dishonesty

“The slickest way in the world to lie is to tell the right amount of truth at the right time-and then shut up.”― Robert A. Heinlein Detecting Lies and Half-Truths I have a knack for evaluating a person’s character quickly and accurately. A friend of mine calls it a unique sixth-sense; an uncommon ability to recognize … Read more

Financial Favoritism: Giving More Money to One Child

Do you think parents should provide financial assistance to their adult children? If so, do you think they should do so equally, or is it okay for parents to give more money to one child? Is providing an unequal inheritance or favoring one child financially ever fair? Is inequality always a sign of sibling favoritism? … Read more

How To Enjoy Life & Live to the Fullest Without Money

I sit on the floor, surrounded by a group of smiling first graders. “What do you want to be when you grow up,” I ask. Their hands shoot up high into the air as they enthusiastically call out their answers. “A doctor.” “A nurse.” “A basketball player.” “A builder.” “A teacher.” “A zookeeper.” They are … Read more

The Power of Human Connection (A FinCon 2019 Recap)

I began blogging about personal finance in 2006. Sometimes it feels like I’ve been writing since the beginning of time or at least since dinosaurs roamed the Earth. After all these years you would think I’m a FinCon pro, but nope, up until last weekend I had never attended the event. From day one I … Read more

fun money

What is FU Money? The True Power of an FU Fund

When we think about money, we typically think about monetary value. We ask questions like how much are my investments worth or what could I buy with the money I earned? Why don’t we talk more about the emotional benefits of saving all that dough? How does money make us feel, and what can it … Read more