Remember our post on Less is More? Well, this week we’re discussing how Fewer is Better. Did you ever try to create a color wheel in art class? Mixing colors usually worked when there were only two primary colors. You know: yellow and blue make green, red and blue make purple — that sort of thing. But when you start … Read More
Less is More: Practical Ways to Embrace Your Inner Minimalist
When December began, so did the purging. All the toys, games, papers, and junk that traditionally lay on my children’s floors had to be addressed. There was no way Santa was bringing more stuff when they couldn’t even keep up with what they had. So, we began cleaning out everything. Every drawer, box, bin, and shelf. Each day we … Read More
Make Your Money Stretch Without Robbing Peter to Pay Paul
My dad was the best cash flow expert I knew. He would have money put into his retirement fund, get the company match, remove his contribution and make extra loan payments to get them paid early. There was not enough money at the end of the month, so this was how he made things work for our family of six. … Read More
Do Your Homework: Understanding How 401k Plans Work
When I first started working, my employer offered a 401(k) retirement plan. I didn’t know too much about it other than I could save for retirement, just as the name implied. So, I signed up. Although many workers have access to some type of retirement savings plan through their employer, like me when I started, few truly understand the inner … Read More
To Work, or Not To Work: An Argument for Following Your Passion
“Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.” -Confucius As we head into the Thanksgiving season, I looked back at the times in my life that things were going really well, and the other times when life was handing me lemons. I noticed that when I was working in jobs where … Read More
Happy Benefits Season
As we head into fall, we also run into a string of holiday delight. It begins with a ghoulish Halloween, then family Thanksgiving, the entire six week Christmas run, followed up by the New Year’s hangover and diet resolutions. Despite all the craziness and fun of the season, there’s another date that you should be looking forward to: the start … Read More
The Inverted Bell Curve
I remember when I was a child I thought my parents knew everything there was to know. Anything I asked, they had an answer. Now that I have children of my own, I see that same thing happen. To my kids, I am a wealth of knowledge on how things work in the world. When they ask a question and … Read More
Ch-ch-ch-ch-Changes
Although you can’t quite tell from the weather, fall is just around the corner! I’m sure you have noticed that it’s hurricane season – that one was obvious. School is back in session, the kids have traded summer camp for homework, leaves are beginning to turn and pumpkin spice you-name-it will soon be available from retailers everywhere. There’s something about … Read More
Could Staying Silent About Your Finances be Costing You a Fortune?
Growing up, I remember my Dad always being concerned about having enough money. My Mom, on the other hand, would buy stuff because it was on ‘sale’. I rarely remember them sitting down to discuss money as my Dad would get so frustrated. When they did discuss money, it never ended well. Granted, we always had food on the table … Read More
The Power and Beauty of a Maintenance Fund
Have you ever started a workout regimen after a few weeks, months, or even years (no judgement here…) of little-to-no physical activity? How did you feel? Tired, sore, and ready to give up, right? I know, because I’ve been there more times than I care to count! Funny thing, though. After a few weeks of getting back into a routine, I … Read More