Family & Relationships Archives - Page 4 of 4

Divorce: Minimizing the Financial Impact

August 21, 2015 September 23, 2019

We all have the right to be happy, especially when it comes to marriage and family. Unfortunately, it just doesn’t always work out quite that way. Just because it hasn’t happened to you, don’t think that it can’t or that in some ways you may be different or immune. I personally have been through it, getting divorced in 1998 after 25 years of marriage, and I never imagined it would happen to me. I can tell you that from what I know and have experienced, that no matter whether the divorce was your idea or your spouse’s, there really are no winners in a divorce. In fact, the emotional stress as well as the financial stress can be a real wallop to each party, and can damage and impair both sides from the quick and successful recovery that each person truly seeks.

There are some ways to minimize those stresses, but first let me share with you what has changed about divorce recently.Continue reading“Divorce: Minimizing the Financial Impact”

Entertainment, Family & Relationships, Food

A Dozen Cheap Date Ideas

August 11, 2015 September 23, 2019

If you’re on a tight budget, or you’re trying to pay down debt or take care of some other financial goals, it can be a challenge to enjoy an active social life, particularly if you are single and looking to find a romantic partner. When most people think of a first date, dinner at a restaurant is probably the most common image that springs to mind. I remember after my divorce when I first got back into the dating game, I would take each new lady out for a nice evening meal and the costs added up quickly while the connections didn’t always last. Ouch!

There are ways to dine out affordably, but you might not want to pull your coupons out on a first date. Dating is filled with enough etiquette-related and emotional landmines without also having to worry that your date thinks you’re cheap. So how can you show a potential new love interest a good time without spending a fortune? Here are a dozen cheap date ideas that are still enjoyable, fun or romantic.Continue reading“A Dozen Cheap Date Ideas”

Credit, Family & Relationships, Food, Home, More, Personal Finance

How 10 Productive Minutes Can Change Your World

July 31, 2015 September 23, 2019

Ten minutes isn’t really a very long time. It’s less time than it takes to play a quarter in a pro football game. You can listen to 2½ songs on the radio in 10 minutes. It’s even less time than it takes you to read your daily e-mails. In other words, it’s just a few minutes, but oh how great it is to have such an opportunity to increase your productivity, save money, build relationships, and move forward in that brief time period.

If you try some of these ideas, I think you’ll agree that these 10 minutes could wind up being the most productive 10 minutes of the day, starting today!Continue reading“How 10 Productive Minutes Can Change Your World”

Family & Relationships, More

How to Teach Your Kids About Money

March 24, 2015 September 23, 2019

I often wonder if every family realizes the importance of teaching the kids about handling money. Money certainly is a topic that comes up every day, and when your kids reach a certain age, they should be included in the process that can teach them how it’s earned, spent, saved, and donated to help others and worthy causes.

Children are most likely to be receptive to this kind of education at an earlier age rather than later. Teenagers, for example, think they already know everything there is to know, have a competitive mindset when it comes to status with their peers, and certainly mom and dad can’t really teach them about much, can they? Young children are constantly absorbing and asking questions and being curious about everything. Money is no exception.Continue reading“How to Teach Your Kids About Money”

Family & Relationships, Health, More, Retirement

Why Saving Money is So Important to Me

December 2, 2014 September 23, 2019

Personal finance is about money, but more importantly, it’s personal. We each have our own financial history, motivations, values, goals, and circumstances. Today I’d like to tell you a bit about me personally, about why saving money is so important to me, and how that influences my finances as well as this blog.

I grew up in Philadelphia many long years ago. While my family didn’t have a lot, I was fortunate that we had enough. Both my parents worked, and with my mother as the shopper of the house, I learned that stretching your money as far as possible was important.Continue reading“Why Saving Money is So Important to Me”

Family & Relationships

Money and Relationships: Who, When, What, Where, How and Why?

November 4, 2014 September 23, 2019

In a culture where we learn to keep our finances private, money and relationships can be a difficult subject. While money is one of the topics a couple is most likely to fight about, 42% of couples in a recent survey by Country Financial did not discuss their finances before marriage. When you begin a relationship, you get to know someone and slowly (or perhaps immediately) decide that what you have together will lead to a shared future. Part of getting to know each other should be your goals and dreams, and by extension, how you plan to get there, that is, your financial personality. Here’s more on the who, when, what, where, how and why of discussing money in a relationship:

Continue reading“Money and Relationships: Who, When, What, Where, How and Why?”