Tag Archives: finances

6 Financial Decisions From My 20s That I Regret

Jessica WakemanJuly 29, 2011 //

I’m not even going to sugarcoat it: I’m basically the poster child for the white girl from the suburbs whose dad just took care of all the bills growing up and never taught me anything about finances. They were traditional that way: Dad handled money stuff and Mom handled childrearing stuff. My parents never gave me spending money and I always babysat and worked after school jobs. However, other than generally teaching me that I had to earn my own money, neither of them talked me to at all about saving, investing, 401ks, interest rates, or any of that other its-like-speaking-another-language stuff. I had to read blogs and buy books to myself about money (Nice Girls Don’t Get Rich by Lois P. Frankel is a good one). Still, I wish I’d made some financial decisions differently. (Luckily, I’m only 27, so it’s not too late to start!) Keep reading »

Dear Wendy Updates: “Lucky In Love But Not In Money” Responds

Wendy AtterberryNovember 12, 2010 //

It’s time again for “Dear Wendy Updates,” a feature where people I’ve given advice to in the past let us know whether they followed the advice and how they’re doing today. After the jump, we hear from “Lucky in Love But Not In Money” who was saving for a house and felt resentful that her friends only invited her to participate in pricey activities even after they skipped out on throwing her a bridal shower and bachelorette party for her recent marriage and didn’t spend enough on her for her wedding. After the jump, she shares a few words … Keep reading »

Money 101: 10 Financial Etiquette Questions Answered!

Colleen MeeksSeptember 13, 2010 //

Around the same time I started raking in the big bucks (courtesy of the Tooth Fairy), my father started enforcing the rule that the topic of money was off-limits in polite conversation. There was no, “Hey, how much was your incisor worth?” in my house. And the one time I asked my dad the amount of the bill at a restaurant, he handed it to me since he assumed I was offering to pay. I never asked again. Keep reading »

Money 101: How To Start Saving To Buy Your First Home

Heather TeilhetJuly 7, 2010 //

There it is again. That once-a-month unsettling feeling. It’s not your ovulation cycle. It’s your monthly financial cycle making you nauseous. It’s that nagging feeling that accompanies the deadline for your rent check. Who’s getting rich off your rent? Are you wasting money when you should be building equity? And what the heck IS equity, anyway?

However noble and responsible those questions are, if you’re anything like I was before I got hitched and bought a house, you quickly file them away in the “I’ll think about that next month” drawer. Besides, the pizza deliveryman is on the way, and “Sex and the City” re-runs are on demand. Renter’s paradise, right?

But if you’re lingering over the neighborhood home guide, you might as well educate yourself on how to save for your first home. We interviewed consultant and women’s financial expert Deana Arnett for tips on when you’re ready for your own home and how in the heck to get the process started. (First, turn off Carrie Bradshaw. She’s a bad influence. Her shoes and handbags alone would cover half a dozen mortgage payments.) Keep reading »

Cash & Coupling: Why Marrying For Money Isn’t A Totally Bad Idea

Jessica WakemanJune 25, 2010 //

Out in paperback now: the book Smart Girls Marry Money: How Women Have Been Duped Into the Romantic Dream—And How They’re Paying For It, by Elizabeth Ford and Daniela Drake. Forget for a moment that they annoyingly refer to grown women as “girls” in their title and check out their thesis: because, for a variety of reasons, men earn more money than women, it’s a wise move to marry someone who can provide for you and your family. Keep reading »

Reader Feedback: Let’s Talk About Money, Honey!

Amelia McDonell-ParryJune 21, 2010 //

Hey all! As I’m sure you’ve noticed, for the last few months, we’ve been running a series of columns (Money 101, Cash & Coupling, and My Two Cents) and posts related to finances, all filed under our Money section. This content, for the most part, is sponsored by Free Credit Score, but the opinions expressed in the articles are all our own. With that in mind, I wanted to ask Frisky readers what money-related topics they’d like to see us cover going forward. Are you interested in reading about, say, traveling on the cheap? A basic guide to what you need to know about your 401K? How to throw a wedding or other event on a budget? Let us know in the comments what topics you’d like to see us cover in our Money section — the sky is the limit! — and we’ll do our best to make it happen! Keep reading »

Cash & Coupling: Guys Are Intimidated By The Fact That I Do Their Taxes

Meg G.April 20, 2010 //

Men are insecure when it comes to a woman running their finances. Trust me — I know. As a tax accountant, I have seen more grown men cry over their tax situations than at a funeral home. Perhaps it’s that they don’t take care throughout the year to monitor their tax situations. Then again, maybe it’s that they don’t like the idea of a woman having better financial ideology than they do. Although there are likely many reasons why men are intimidated, I have some theories of my own.
Keep reading »

My Two Cents: How I Got Out Of Debt

Susannah BreslinApril 14, 2010 //

In certain ways, I think of my life in two parts. There was before, when I was more carefree, more irresponsible, and carried debt. And there’s after, where I’m a bit more serious, way more self-controlled, and have no debt at all. But how did I get here? Well, I didn’t read a book, I didn’t watch Suze Orman, and I didn’t write down every single thing that I spent. It wasn’t easy. And it sure didn’t happen over night. But, eventually, I went from debt-heavy to debt-free, and I would like to report from personal experience that while the road there isn’t exactly paved with fun and frivolity, the payoff is pretty awesome. Keep reading »

Money 101: What You Need To Do Before Buying Your First Home

Chelsea KaplanApril 5, 2010 //

Whether it’s because you can’t stand another day with a sloppy roommate, one more night of smelling the Indian food your neighbors are making for dinner or living in 300 square feet of space (honestly, don’t animals at the zoo have grander quarters?), there comes a time in every girl’s — or couple’s — life when she begins seriously considering purchasing a home of her own. Before taking the steps to make your fantasy a reality, however, it’s important to make like a Girl Scout and be prepared. After the jump, Manisha Thakor, personal finance expert for women, weighs in on all of the things you should “be” before you buy your first home. Keep reading »

Girl Talk: Dating Shouldn’t Have To Be Expensive

Ami AngelowiczMarch 4, 2010 //

I was sitting at brunch last weekend eating greasy eggs with one of my guy friends. “So, how’s the love life?” I asked.

“Eh,” Tom replied shrugging his shoulders.

“What? You’re not hunting and fishing?” I asked, doing my best Patti Stanger impression.

“Nah, it’s not that,” he said. “It’s just that dating is so … so expensive.” Expensive? That’s a new one. And sadly I’ve been hearing a lot of guys say it lately. What’s up with that? It shouldn’t be too expensive to date. Keep reading »

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