friend asks for a loan
It’s one of the most dreaded moments in a long term friendship. Your friend calls you up, tells you her sad tale of financial woe, and then asks “Is there any way I could borrow X dollars until Y date?”

No one likes being put on the spot like this — you feel like saying no will damage your relationship, but you know that money has a terrible habit of damaging relationships. So how do you handle such a request and still feel good about yourself and your friendship (and your own finances) afterwards?

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positive coronavirus

There’s so much doom and gloom nowadays, it can be difficult to see the light.

With everybody glued to their TVs watching the news cycle all day and worrying about their jobs, the health of people in our country, and our economy, it can be helpful to step back and look at some of the good news that’s happening all around us because of the coronavirus.

Here are a few I can think of right off the bat…

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how to downsize
Many of us look around and wonder how we ended up with so much stuff. Sometimes I wonder why I spend the money on things that don’t get used much. There is a lot to be said for a little more simplicity, as many people are discovering in this recession.

It is possible to spend less money, and still live a full life. And, of course, just because you can afford something doesn’t mean you have to buy it. If you are ready to downsize your lifestyle, you can do so, with a little thoughtful planning.
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creating wealth

I once wondered whether an investment property or a dividend yielding stock is better. The result was an unanimous vote for investing in stocks.

Since then, boy has the environment drastically changed. The financial crisis unfolded with a 50%+ decline in stocks, followed by stocks multiplying during the next decade only for a pandemic to trash stocks again in a span of just one month.

If I were to ask the same question again, would everyone still vote for stocks?
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side gigs

Since job security is almost as hard to find as well-rested new parents, we have to create our own financial stability by building multiple sources of incomes. That can mean taking on freelance work, starting up our own businesses, or pursuing a potentially lucrative hobby.

With the average worker now holding 10 different jobs before age 36, the only way to guarantee a little bit of continuity is to take matters into our own hands. Here are nine ways to get started:

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coronavirus stimulus checks

The promised stimulus payments are going to hit our bank accounts any minute now, but plenty of us are still wondering what’s going on.

I wanted to know exactly when they are planning to arrive, so I went digging into the specifics.

Here’s what I found out for those of you who have lingering questions on the coronavirus checks.

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