Last year, I counseled a young mother of two small children who came into our community program distraught, nearly hysterical, and on the verge of divorce. What was the issue? Payday Loans. She and her husband were both working, but she came in for assistance because she had absolutely nothing in the cupboard to feed [...]
Money Stories
Avoiding the Payday Loan Trap
by Jamie Simmerman · 3 comments
7 Reasons Your Neighbors Have More Money Than You
by Vincent King · 24 comments
You look out the window of your home each night after dinner, staring across the street at your neighbors. You long for the cars they drive, their weekly manicured lawns, and even the vacations they seem to take several times a year. You’re not alone. I often look out my window, too, staring at the [...]
Dealing with Rising Gas Prices
by Emily Guy Birken · 8 comments
Filling the tank for a recent road trip to see my parents made me wince. I’ve certainly grown used to high gas prices, but as they steadily creep up, I can’t help but think about the prices we’ll face this summer — the season of road trips for our family. If recent predictions are to [...]
5 Options For Book Readers to Consider
by AJ Pettersen · 13 comments
With baseball season comes a number of long bus trips, reading books is a great way for me to fill this time in a meaningful way. Getting lost in a good novel or learning something in a self help book is a productive way to spend rides. Do you enjoy reading books? Where do you [...]
The Low-Down on Lottery Winnings
by Jamie Simmerman · 20 comments
Winning the lottery may not be all it’s cracked up to be. Statistics show 70% of lottery winners spend all of their fortune within a few years. Basically, if you didn’t know how to handle your money well before playing the lottery, you don’t magically get a visit from the Personal Finance Fairy who blesses [...]
Four Frugal Tips Picked Up from the Farm
by Jamie Simmerman · 7 comments
I grew up in the city, so living on a family farm was a big shock to me when I got married. Since everything was brand new to me, I took plenty of mental notes about the things I saw going on from day to day. Many things I noticed were quite practical, and always [...]

