The Pyramid Metaphor for Fiscal Fitness – Part 1
Financial planners use a pyramid as a metaphor for fiscal fitness much like nutritionists use the Food Pyramid. Fitness (or proper nutrition) is optimized when built upon a solid…
How to make the kitchen reno go smoothly (and cheaply!)
The kitchen arrived today! Last Saturday was spent at Ikea, Home Depot, and 4 plumbing stores. It was one of the most exhausting shopping days of my life! But here…
Womyn’s Lands face similar economic challenges as Catholic convents
Did anyone catch the article, My Sister's Keeper in the New York Times on Sunday? Newser gave a good summary that I'll repeat here: So-called 'œwomyn's lands' are quietly persisting…
“Free File” Your Taxes Through the IRS Website
If your adjusted gross income in 2008 was less than $56,000, you can use Free File at the IRS website to prepare and file your federal tax return. For those…
Creating Financial Systems that Work
Do you have financial systems in place in your business and personal life that work really well for you? If you don't now is the time to put them in…
Stretch Your Food Dollar: Pack Your Lunch, Part 2
Welcome to another edition of Stretch Your Food Dollar. Two weeks ago we talked about packing your lunch as a way of making your food budget go the extra mile.…
Pain Relief is Not a Luxury: Keeping Your Business Relevant in a Recession
Lisa wrote a post last week about lifestyle changes adopted by middle-class America in order to survive an economic slowdown. Among these changes she listed personal luxuries, such as getting…
My Financial Implosion: Foreclosure
'œPersons who have been homeless carry within them a certain philosophy of life which makes them apprehensive about ownership.' '“ Jerzy Kosinski By the fall of 1997, much of my…
More than free pizza: cheap entertainment for grad students
January is a rough month for me. Despite my attempts to budget more keenly each year, the effects of holiday spending always take their toll. The impossibility of…
Have 401(k) plans failed?
The stock market's dramatic dive over the past year has some people questioning the usefulness of 401(k) plans. A recent article on reports: "This is the biggest test that the…