Back when I was a stay at home mom, my husband and I used to joke that he’s in charge of making money and I’m in charge of spending it. But I’m proud to say that over the last decade, I have proven myself to be a capable investor – and this was NOT an easy decade for investors as we all know!
So now we say that he’s in charge of making (most) of our money, while I’m in charge of investing it and growing it, and – well, I’m still pretty good at spending some of it too. 🙂
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We’ve had it drilled into our heads that the first thing we should do in any situation involving the law is to call a lawyer — and the truth is that the law is complex enough that having a lawyer in your court will certainly be useful. But it doesn’t mean that going to court is the best option at your disposal either. Any time that you go to court, it can be an incredibly expensive process. There may be some reward at the end of the tunnel, but it’s rare that the option of mediation won’t provide a faster and less expensive approach.
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Summer jobs are scarce for teens this year. According to the US Labor Department, the unemployment rate for teens age 16-19 is currently around 24%. This is bad news for young people who would like to earn cash to save for college or to move out of the family home or to make major purchases like cars and computers. A lack of work experience can also be a Catch-22 as you need experience to get a job, but you can’t get the experience without one.
Here are some suggestions for young people who are looking for ways to earn money and gain experience this summer:
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Dancing may just be one of the most fun ways you can spend your time. Whether you want to learn ballroom or line dancing, ballet, or hip hop, there are a variety of options. The key is to find a way to take your dance lessons without breaking the budget, which is where these suggestions that are valid for kids and adults come in.
Many establishments that cater to adults, in particular, offer drop-in classes and monthly memberships. If you intend to attend regularly, chances are that monthly memberships will pay off handsomely.
Until you get to the point where you are committed and driven to compete in dance. there is no reason to pay for competition-level classes. Costumes, traveling, shoes, and other equipment quickly add up.
Once you have mastered the needed skills, you may be able to attend competition-level classes without the fees even if you don’t intend to compete. Talk to the school owner and see if an arrangement can be made.
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It’s the start of wedding season! The scent of orange blossoms is in the air, best men are putting the finishing touches on their speeches, and brides and grooms are agreeing ahead of time what will happen to their assets in case of divorce…
Wait, what?
Admittedly, there is very little that is romantic about a prenuptial agreement. The very beginning of a marriage seems (in some ways) like a terrible time to spell out what will happen at the (possible) end of the relationship. However, there are some very sound financial and legal reasons for entering into a marriage with the protection of a prenuptial agreement. Here are some things to consider while you and your pookie are planning your wedding day.
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“I’d like to purchase a mobile phone,” I told the guy at the store. He had me fill an application, and after a few minutes, came back to me and said, “I’m sorry, we can’t give you a contract. You don’t have any credit history.”
I arrived at the US in 1999 with no credit history. I quickly learned that without established credit, your options are very limited. You can’t get a credit card, you can’t get a cell phone, and you certainly can’t get a car loan or a mortgage.
But if you can’t get a credit card, how can you start building a credit history? It’s a catch-22, for sure, but as I’ve learned from personal experience, there ARE ways to make it happen. My advice applies to anyone that arrives in the US from another country. It also applies to high school graduates embarking on their own lives as adults, and to anyone who needs to build or improve their credit.
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