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Prepping for the Winter Heating Season
I know fall is just beginning, but my mind is edging toward winter. Why? I’m reviewing our family savings and looking at how much we’ve saved to buy heating oil. (We still have an oil furnace). And I...
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When Your Kid Messes up With Money
My 11-year-old daughter recently went on quite a spending spree. She gets a very modest allowance—$6 a week. So when she got home from an outing with a friend and her nanny, I was surprised to see her...
View ArticleSlow but Steady Wins the Money Race
When you decide to work on improving your family’s financial picture, it’s easy to attempt too much, too fast. Maybe you want to pay off several debts, cut your monthly spending on non-essentials,...
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Paying Kids for Summer Chores and Goals
I’m over at Equifax today, blogging about kids and summer work. My kids have done some kind of summer earning since they were about 8. Both have had stints as dog-walkers, plant-waterers and...
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A Few Favorite Money Apps
Between my beloved Maps and Kindle reader apps (the ones I use most often!), I also have a few favorite money-related apps I tap regularly: 1Password. I seriously can’t live without this program and...
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Giving to Charity When Money is Tight
One of the first tips I gleaned from money expert Suze Orman wasn’t about saving or spending. It was about giving. Her words have stayed with me for more than a decade—probably from when I read the...
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I Really Want an iPhone—But I Don’t Need One
Who doesn’t? They’re hip, sleek and full of fun apps. And Apple has done a great job of convincing us that they’re better, easier, faster than most smartphones on the market. But truthfully, I don’t...
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Don’t Compare Your Family’s Finances to Others
It’s such an easy thing to do, especially when you’re feeling uncomfortable about your own money life. You look at a coworker who dresses snappily and talks about his second home and think: Why don’t...
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Let Go of Financial Goals That Stress You Out
One of the first things financial planners suggest we do with our money—once we’re beyond the basics of getting our regular bills paid–is set some solid goals. For instance, is one of your goals to...
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Wild About Warranties
Our household has had a lot of good luck lately getting warranties to pay off. You know, those little cards included with your electronics, household item, or appliance that say, “If this gizmo fails...
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When Someone Uses Your SSN to File Taxes
Two years at about this time, I got this dreaded call from my tax preparer: “Someone has already filed a fraudulent tax return using your Social Security number. I can’t e-file your return,” he told...
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