Get $20 Free by Shoppin...

Just in time for Cyber Monday!!!! Want an easy $20 for doing something you’d do anyway? Me too. That’s why I signed up for the MasterCard Here’s to Mom holiday promotion . The details: 1. Enroll with your MasterCard. 2. Shop with your card online between November 15 and...

Box of Books #18...

The box of books giveaways through my giveaway newslette r have been very popular, so below I’m detailing another set of them that will be up for grabs this month (if you want a chance to win, be sure to sign up for my newsletter here .) For now, here are the books I’ve...

Cruise Update...

As many of you know, we have been thinking of taking a cruise to the Caribbean. It’s been awhile since I’ve talked about it, so I thought I’d give you an update. Here’s what has transpired since I last talked about it in July : The summer happened, we got busy,...

Help a Reader: Pre-Marr...

Here’s an email I recently received from a reader: I own two homes.  I was engaged on 5/2011 and am postured to be married November 2011.    My fiance did not put any money down on any of the homes.  We moved in together one month ago.  I purchased the second home for us to...

The 11 Laws of Likabili...

We’ve talked a bit about how you need to be likable to get ahead in your career and even listed characteristics that some “experts” think make people more likable . Well now a new book weighs in with its thoughts. In fact, the whole book is about being likable and the...

The Real Reasons Why Co...

Running a business is very risky. In fact, an estimated 49% of businesses fail within their first five years and approximately 30% of businesses don’t even make it through the first two years. Some industries are particularly risky and have even higher failure rates. For example,...

Still Great Customer Se...

A couple months ago I went in for an eye exam. My doctor said my prescription needed to be adjusted slightly (I should have told her the old one was fine in retrospect — I could see completely well with it) and gave me a new one. Over the next month I shopped all around looking for...

Financial Appearances a...

Here’s a piece from US News that talks about avoiding money envy . The key? Realize that the extravagant lifestyles (or even “nice” lifestyles) most people have are funded with debt on a financial house of cards. They note: What we don’t realize is the amount of...

A Fortune May Be in You...

One of the fun things about watching Pawn Stars is the stories of how people discovered their “treasures.” Sellers come in telling of how they found this or that in their grandma’s basement, in their attic, in a house they had purchased at foreclosure, and on and on....

Help a Reader: What to ...

Here’s an email I recently received from a reader and it seemed especially appropriate to post it on a Sunday: I recently decided to go off on my own full time as a self-employed individual. This started last week. Up until then, I’ve been a W2 employee with withholding. So I...