Tag Archives: dna

How to Decrease Your Debt

If you find yourself drowning in expenses and don’t know how to get out of it, you aren’t alone. The average household owes $18,000 or more in credit card and other debt. If you have completed a budget and know that you are spending more than you are making, then you absolutely have to decrease your debt, no matter what. Here are some steps to take. First, stop using your credit cards. Cut them up, lock them away, give them to a trusted relative to hold, whatever it is that you need to do, but just stop. What if there … Continue reading →

How to Prevent Money Matters from Hurting Your Marriage

Money and financial issues are one of the leading causes of conflict leading to divorce in modern marriages. Differences of opinion on what to do with money, how to save and how to spend can make you feel as though you are constantly butting heads with your spouse. If you and your spouse agree on all money issues then congratulations. You are a rare pair. Most couples have different attitudes toward money as individuals. Even couples who are have similar values (savers, let’s say) can vary a bit within their attitudes (one likes to save a little bit more than … Continue reading →

How to Get Your Finances in Control

If you feel as though your finances are out of control then you will want to read this post. I’ll walk you through some steps that you can take to figure out exactly where your money is going and how to stop it from flowing out of your door without your conscious consent. Getting your financial situation under control will help you live a better life and avoid being left with nothing. The first thing that you need to do to get your finances under control is to create a budget. No one really likes to make a budget. Not … Continue reading →

How Much Are You Planning to Spend on Your Kids this Holiday Season?

Recession? What recession? Seriously, I often wonder how much the media has skewed our view on the nation’s economic situation. Every headline, every news ticker, every “top story” has to do with how poor our country’s financial situation is, and how things are only going to get worse before they get better. While news anchors are reading stories about record unemployment, mounting foreclosures, no money here, less money there, my friend’s 10-year-old daughter is heading to the spa. No kidding. Young Keera scored an invitation to yet another birthday party, this time at a local spa that caters to tweens. … Continue reading →

Three Fun Ways to Prepare Your Marriage to Survive an Economic Depression

Last night while I was watching Mad Money, Jim Cramer said something which helped to slightly ease my worries about another Great Depression. He said we’re likely not heading into one. However, the key word was “likely.” Even he’s not 100 percent sure where we’re headed yet. That’s why my mind was only slightly eased. But as Cramer offered money and investing advice, I got to thinking about a couple of things. One was the movie Life is Beautiful. I loved how the main character found a way to make a game out of living in a concentration camp. The … Continue reading →

Bracing My Marriage for a Depression

I hadn’t been too worried about all the economic doom and gloom swarming the news these days until a couple of weeks ago. My husband’s job is sort of dependent on investors being able to get credit to buy businesses. If people can’t get financing, that means there won’t be any deals and he’ll be out of work. Needless to say the number of banks going under, some of which have financed projects Wayne’s worked on in the past, alarmed me. But yesterday I grew even more concerned. Causes for Concern It started when Today interviewed Jim Cramer of Mad … Continue reading →

Are Your Core Values the Same?

How did you go with three words to describe you and your spouse? Did you find it hard to choose just three? I did. For my husband I could have also added, loving, creative, clever (especially at fixing things and doing things with his hands which I am not) friendly, (people always enjoy talking to him and he can talk to anyone), down to earth and realistic. (I’m emotional and I’m a worrier. He’s neither.) Since we are so different how does that work out in our marriage? Fine. As Courtney said we compliment or balance each other. He keeps … Continue reading →

Single Parents—Saving Up for Major Purchases

Budgeting is one of the least favorite topics of many single parents—maybe because it is so important to all of us. If the every day budgeting for groceries, clothes and living expenses is not challenging enough, there is the daunting task of saving up for major purchases—a car, house, or other big expensive item. While the nature of saving is the same, it can feel a bit tougher and more challenging to save up for major purchases for the average single parent. It may take more time for a single parent to save up for a major purchase, but I … Continue reading →

Selling Your Home Business, Part Three

In the first two parts of this series on “Selling Your Home Business” I wrote about how business structure and the type of home business you are operating can affect how you are able to sell it and I also wrote about how to find a buyer and how to determine the value of your business. Once you have sold your “baby” however, it comes time to make the transfer. The transition of your business to the new buyer can take time, tact and care… Definitely give your customers and/or clients plenty of warning that you are selling and have … Continue reading →

Selling Your Home Business, Part Two

Earlier today, I wrote in the first part of this topic on “Selling Your Home Business” about how the type of business structure and what your business does can affect your ability to sell it if you should decide you are ready to get out of the business for whatever reason. I want to also talk about how to figure out the value of your business and what to look for in a buyer. Setting a value on a home business can be tough. After all, most of us do not have property that is separate from our house and … Continue reading →