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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Purchasing fabric for sewing, crafting, or any other use can be an expensive endeavor. Some upholstery materials can cost well over $75 a yard. This doesn’t mean you are consigned to the bargain bin each time you want to sew; it just means you have to be smart with your money. Here are a number of ways you can get as much fabric as you possibly need without spending a fortune.
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You’ve been eyeing it for months. You have finally saved enough money to take the plunge, and you couldn’t be more pleased with your purchase. But wait, can someone explain this extra charge? They didn’t mention it in the commercial!

This has happened to all of us. After researching and saving for whatever newest gizmo you are interested in, you find that there are “hidden” fees behind your purchase. Unfortunately, there’s not a great deal you can do to stop these fees, but it does pay to go into these purchases with eyes wide open. Here are some of the unexpected costs of some popular big-ticket items.
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When you think of your level of career satisfaction, it is likely about more than just money. A study, with results published in the Wall Street Journal, was recently released showing that $75,000 was the optimum salary for happiness. After that, monetary increases didn’t really contribute much to happiness. This has me thinking about what factors contribute to your level of career satisfaction.
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Saving money is great, but not if it is at the expense of your long term financial future and well being. As much as possible you have to consider the long term effects of your decisions on yourself and those around you. Otherwise, you might find yourself paying a hefty price for your “savings”. But what do I mean? Here are five of the worst ways to save money.
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