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

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

Are You Financially Dependent on Your Husband or Wife?

Let’s begin with these questions: Do you depend on your partner for financial support? Could you pay all of your bills and maintain your current standard of living without help from anyone else? I recently wrote a post called Quitting My High-Paying Job. If you haven’t read it yet, take a gander and then pop back … Read more

buying a house in your twenties

Avoid These First-Time Homebuyer Mistakes

My husband and I bought our first house at the age of twenty-two. When we signed the loan papers the closing agent looked me straight in the eye and said, “You are the youngest couple to ever sit across the table from me. You should be very proud of this accomplishment.” I remember feeling a … Read more

Drug Store Frustrations

I drove to the drug store to pick up my prenatal vitamin refill on December 1st. I hoped to pick it up on November 30th, the last day before my health insurance renewed, but the idiotic pharmacy failed to fill it on time. They claimed this particular vitamin was out of stock when I called … Read more

Inundated by Unexpected Expenses

Every year it seems we have some ridiculous expense and more often than not when one major event comes our way it is quickly followed by at least one or two others. Last year we plunked $36,000 into a new vehicle. We bought the car below invoice, but that was definitely a hit to our … Read more

Four Speeding Tickets in A Month!

I’m a pretty good driver. I pay attention to the traffic in front of me. I check my mirrors and I always look before switching lanes. I don’t text while driving and I use bluetooth whenever I’m on the phone. In the twenty years since I started driving I have only been in one minor, … Read more

Would You Return to the Store to Save $10?

This morning on our way back from art class I decided to stop by Target. I bought a really great storage box for toys a few days ago and I was hoping to pick up another one. For the record I now know that I am better off buying items in advance and then returning … Read more

The Complaint Department is Now Open

Did you see the picture of the sandwich in this post? That’s the sad excuse for a sub that I received from a local restaurant in my area. For my son’s second birthday my husband and I decided to take the easy approach to party planning by ordering subs from a local sandwich shop. I think … Read more