Are you and your love shopping for a puppy? Relocating to a new city, so you can finally be together? Apartment hunting for two? Expecting some permanent bling on your left hand soon? If the answer to any of these questions is yes, then grab your dude and two Venti lattes and get comfy on the nearest park bench. You two need to spend some time discussing the “m-word.” But tell him not to sweat it — we’re not talking marriage. First, it’s all about money. Keep reading »
If I’ve learned anything from watching “Celebrity Rehab With Dr. Drew,” it’s that the sole act of going to rehab doesn’t make for full-on rehabilitation. Well, that and that Tom Sizemore is all kinds of crazytown. If you need help kicking a drug, sex or alcohol problem, call the good folks at Betty Ford or Promises Malibu (Dr. Drew’s celeb rehab track record, not inspiring a whole lot of confidence). If a low credit rating’s your problem, call Manisha Thakor, personal finance expert and featured financial counselor in The Frisky’s “Therapy For Your Pocketbook” video series. She’ll help you get high (because in credit score land, “high” is a good thing) with these three simple steps, which drive a whopping 80 percent of your credit score. Keep reading »
You find a $100 in your pocket (OK, unlikely, but work with us here), so what do you do? Stock up on Havaianas for the summer or deposit it immediately? Maybe you take your man to a nice dinner or you pay off some credit card debt (like chipping an ice cube off an iceberg). To find out what your money-making persona is, take our personality quiz after the jump and share with your friends. Then check out our Money 101, Cash & Coupling, and My Two Cents columns to learn money tips, share your wisdom and fill your piggybank. I took the quiz and I’m “Greta Grownup” — wow, Mom will be so proud!
You’ve discovered your union is more Ben and J. Lo than Ben and J-Gar. Some things just weren’t meant to be. Luckily for you, making a few dumb decisions on love doesn’t mean you — or your finances — are doomed for all eternity. As long as you’re smart enough to avoid a major financial setback during your breakup (and, of course, avoid making “Gigli 2”), you’ll emerge a little heartbroken but with a bank account as strong as ever. Here’s how to cover your “ass-ets” when you’re breaking up. Keep reading »
There are all sorts of rules out there that were made to be broken. You can’t wear white after Labor Day; “beer before liquor, never sicker”; “just say no”; “don’t do it on the first date” … they don’t necessarily serve you best, you know? Financial “rules” are no different, says Manisha Thakor, a personal finance expert. So which ones are worth following and which ones should you ignore? She gives us the real deal, after the jump! Keep reading »
When my husband asked me to marry him, I didn’t hesitate before saying yes. But when he first suggested that we open a joint checking account, I froze. I was thrilled to give up my single status … but signing over my financial independence? That was a completely different proposal.
There are as many approaches to shared finances as there are individuals sharing them, so the process of deciding whether or not to open an account with your partner can be overwhelming. To help you make the right choice, I asked Dr. Terri Orbuch, Ph.D. and author of 5 Simple Steps to Take Your Marriage from Good to Great, and Stacy Johnson, author of Life of Debt 2010: A New Path to Financial Freedom, for advice. Here’s how they advise going about making the “To combine, or not to combine?” call. Keep reading »
Do you ever feel like you spend an inordinate amount of time standing in front of an ATM? I used to feel the exact same way. I’d take out cash in small increments, spend it on Lord knows what, run out, and then go back for more without thinking. I won’t lie—there were nights, especially when alcohol was involved, where I’d sometimes go for cash twice. Then I’d look at my statement online, and notice that $40 plus $40 plus $80 plus $40 kind of adds up to a lot. Very quickly, my paycheck began dwindling much faster than it should have been. Then I had a random conversation with my parents where they were telling me about The Good Old Days, when once the bank closed, if you didn’t have money—too bad, you just had to figure it out. You didn’t have constant access to your money. And what I think is a brilliant idea was born. What if I went to the ATM once—only once—a week and pretended at all other times that cash was not a four-digit pin code away. Keep reading »
I once saw an “Oprah” episode with a guy so hell-bent on reducing his monthly grocery bills that he had a practice of purchasing doubly-ply toilet paper, unrolling it and then re-rolling it into two separate rolls, thus turning 12 rolls into 24. Swear to God. Enter multiple scatological puns here. (What a cheap-ass! That’s a serious tight wad!)
Sure, attempting to slash your monthly bills is a good move — especially these days, when money ain’t exactly growing on trees. But doing so by re-rolling toilet paper? That’s only for serious whack jobs. In her book 99 Things to Save Money in Your Household Budget, Mary Hance, author of the Nashville Tennessean’s “Ms. Cheap” column, offers some real-life (as opposed to real lame) ideas on how to free up a little extra room in your budget. I found many of them really legit, not to mention simple. Some of my personal faves, after the jump! Keep reading »
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