When you find someone special who you want to spend your life with, your first thought probably does not involve the state of that person’s finances. That’s perfectly fine — love shouldn’t be about money. But if you reach the point where you’re going to be combining finances (whether you’re getting married, jointly signing a lease or some other situation), it’s a good idea to sit down and have a heart-to-heart about both of your finances. Very few people have an absolutely clean financial track record and that’s okay, but neither you nor your partner want to deal with nasty surprises after the fact. Asking the right questions — and making sure both of you answer them fully — is the easiest way to avoid such situations. Here are five such questions to get you started on this conversation.
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Having friends and family visit from out of town is a joy, but the costs can add up quick. Between having more mouths to feed and the costs of visiting local attractions and taking time off work, you can find yourself going far beyond your normal budget.
But with a little advance planning, you can keep costs under control and enjoy your guests. Instead of worrying about your bank balance, you can use that time to figure out when you should invite everybody again. Here are a few suggestions on how you can do just that.
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You can spend a fortune on cologne/perfume if you aren’t careful, and frankly, it just isn’t worth it. People get very attached to a particular scent – and that’s fine – but that isn’t a good way to save. Having a few different scents in your palate will increase your chances of finding what you want without spending too much. In addition, looking off the beaten path can help too.
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Our very own Tracy recently said, in a Facebook status, “Just realized I am making more freelancing part time than I did at my last full time job. Kind of neat.”
I loved that status, because my own experience has been similar. Since starting my own business, I’ve been making more, and with far more flexibility and control. Another colleague/friend who took the plunge a couple of years ago, Kim, shares our experience. Her business is thriving, her expenses are kept to a minimum because she works from home, and she’s able to spend more time with her daughter.
Of course, working from home is not for everyone. If you’re a very social person who needs daily adult interaction, it will be tough on you. But to those who can manage the isolation, starting your own business and working from a home office offers plenty of advantages, including saving on commute and on work clothes, a low overhead (we don’t rent an office, don’t have employees to worry about) and – of course – plenty of flexibility.
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My husband just landed a new job. He hasn’t been out of work or anything like that — an opportunity dropped in his lap that led him to leave his old job and take a new one. But it’s lead me to the question of just how appropriate it is to go looking for a new job when you’ve already got one. I know my grandparents would likely have stuck with a job they already had as long as they could, but it’s now commonplace to be almost constantly looking for a new gig. What do you think?
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My family went on a three-week road trip during the summer between my sophomore and junior year of high school. The day before we left, an earthquake in California affected power — and bank networks — across Western states. Even though I lived in Idaho, my family went hours without power. And when we left for our trip the next day, we soon discovered that we couldn’t withdraw money from the ATM.
It wasn’t a few days later when we nearly got to the Mississippi before we could withdraw cash from our bank accounts. Luckily, my parents had cash already, and their credit cards worked the second day. If my parents hadn’t been willing to lend me money due to the emergency situation, though, I would have been out of luck for souvenir buying and clothing shopping.
The large-scale disasters populating the news in recent news have my thoughts once again returning to that trip — and wondering if my money would be prepared for an emergency in my local area.
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