How many times have you made a purchase because you thought, I deserve it? If you have, speak up so I know Im not the only one!
Lately, I have noticed that I slip into this pattern far more often that is productive. Its good to treat myself if I can afford it, and its fine to reward myself for a job well done, but I deserve it shouldnt be an excuse to spend, spend, and spend. Unfortuantely, somehow, I have gotten into the habit of using I deserve it as a crutch, and excuse, to spend above what is prudent. I had a hard week at work, so I deserve it. I worked extra hours to earn some freelance income, so I deserve it.
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If you are interested in helping your children grow up to be financially independent and responsible adults, you need to start now to teach them important concepts. Here are some great posts from around the PF blogosphere about kids and money:
Financial Literacy: What to Teach Younger Children
You dont have to wait until your kids are older to teach them about money. Parenting Family Money offers insights into how you can promote financial literacy from a young age.
Games that Teach Your Kids About Money
Over at Kidworth, I write about different games that can teach your kids about money. Your kids can have a good time and learn a valuable skill that will help them throughout adulthood.
Money Management Skills to Teach Your Teens
As you get ready to send your teens off into the wide, wide world, you want them to have a good handle on things.
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This Week’s Money Tip: Visiting Las Vegas for a few days to see a friend made it readily apparent that hotels here have found a wonderful way to make their hotel prices seem much less expensive than they really are. Hidden fees come in all shapes in sizes. Most people are aware of the hidden fees that airlines charge, bank accounts and numerous other products that are used on a fairly regular basis. One hidden fee that people may not be so familiar with are hotel resort fees. When traveling to destinations such as Las Vegas, hotels often will have a “resort fee” that is charged on a per night basis in addition to what your hotel room cost. The fee supposedly covers some of the hotel ammenities, but in many cases those ammenities are what you would assume would be part of your hotel room cost anyway. Basic
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Is there anything in the world that’s better than rich, indulgent chocolate? (OK, maybe, but not many…).
That’s why I’m so excited to be working with Ghirardelli on a giveaway to promote their new Gourmet Milk line of “upgraded milk chocolate.” Two lucky winners will receive a gift pack includes 4 bars of each of the following flavors: Gourmet Milk Creamy Devotion with rich and creamy 32% cacao milk chocolate, Gourmet Milk Sea Salt Escape with sea salt and roasted almonds and Gourmet Milk Coconut Rendezvous which features toasted coconut flakes. That’s 12 bars in a gift pack!
One of my favorite things to do is to kick back at the end of the day with a good book, a cup of tea, and a bar of chocolate or a few pieces of truffles – purchased with my chooclate budget, of course. It makes me feel positi
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Unfortunately, many people today meet a lot of problems they never thought they would have to deal with because of the financial recession during the last few years. With credit card bills growing steadily, many people found themselves looking into the various debt relief options they may have. Not be ready to close the accounts of credit cards and take hits on negative credit scores, many consumers choose not to proceed with the typical debt relief options like debt settlement or debt consolidation. An option that is not considered by these Americans is the credit card balance transfer.
If you have many credit card debts, how can another credit card account help? Full Article…
Are you ready to give Christmas and Hanukkah gifts? Tis the season! There are a number of gift ideas to consider this time of year, including financial gifts. Before we get into this weeks posts, I do want to let you know that next weeks Dollar Matters will be a big roundup of best posts of the year. Think about your favorite post, from your blog, from the whole year. Then email me with it.
And now, here are some of the holiday gift ideas to consider, courtesy of different bloggers:
Holiday Gift Guide: Etsy Hannukah Gift Ideas
Huffington Post has a few ideas for Hannukah gifts. You can find them on Etsy, or even make some of them yourself.
Last Minute Holiday Gifts for Kids
Over at the Adaptu blog, Kelly Whalen shares some ideas for last minute gift ideas for kids. If youre looking for stocking stuffers, this is the place to be.
Charity as a Holiday Present
THE Canadian Personal Finance Blog takes a look at charity as a gift.
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If you’ve ever read the book by John Grisham or seen the movie, “The Firm,” then you are familiar with the tale of corporate and personal greed that leads one man to almost lose his life and all of the things he values. In the movie/book, Mitchell McDeree takes a job at a law firm that is the legal representative for a mob family. When he finds out and tries to get out of the firm, he’s hunted and nearly killed until he finds a way to get out with both his life and his law license intact.
It’s an entertaining movie/book full of chases and tension, but at its core it’s an education in the ways money changes people and can, ultimately, ruin their lives. Here are a few of the lessons you can learn from watching the movie or reading the book.
If it’s too good to be true, it probably is
In the movie, Mitchell McDeere is offered a fabulous job at a law firm in Memphis. He gets a hou
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