My grandmother passed away this past week. I’m hanging with my husband this weekend and just privately grieving. She was a kind and wonderful woman who was extremely generous. I lost my other grandmother a few years ago, so I feel especially sad not having any grandparents around. Grandparents are pretty special people – they see things in a [...]
My Grandmother Passed
October 31, 2010 by Laura P | No Comments
Buying a Home
September 12, 2009 by Laura P | No Comments
We’ve been busy this summer with a wedding in the family and house hunting. We decided to buy a little condo in our city. It has 3 bedrooms and 2 1/2 bathrooms. It’s conveniently located by the interstate, so I’m glad the commute won’t be too bad for work. We’re also going to take advantage of the [...]
Setting SMART Goals
May 3, 2009 by Laura P | No Comments
Have goals you want to achieve and set a deadline. A very productive way to write a goal is to use the SMART method. Specific: Choose a specific goal. Don’t say ’save more’, but instead choose ‘put aside 5% of my paycheck into a savings account.’ Measurable: How do you know when you reached your [...]
Organize Your Finances
April 30, 2009 by Laura P | No Comments
I think the biggest barrier for people trying to improve their finances is getting started. We may start and get halfway done on a budget only to then quit following it within the next two weeks. The key to coming up with a plan that works for many people is making it easy to do and even easier [...]
Job Hunts | How to Find a Job
March 20, 2009 by Laura P | No Comments
Many people are looking for jobs in many places. How do you know what job to apply for?What do you wear for a job interview? How do get read for a phone interview? What kind of questions should you expect? If you’re looking for job, here are some tips: Don’t rely on submitting resumes on the Internet. It’s [...]
Know exactly where you stand in your finances.
March 2, 2009 by Laura P | No Comments
It’s not impossible to handle your finances in this economy; it just takes some time. Getting your finances under control is completely doable if you take it step by step. You have to be able to answer these questions with specific numbers, not estimates. How much am I (or are we) in debt? How much income do [...]
Build a realistic budget.
February 25, 2009 by Laura P | No Comments
Track what you spend in two weeks. It’s hard to cut back if you don’t what your weak points are, so grab a little notepad and write everything you spend for 2 weeks. Withdraw from your bank’s ATM once a week. Take out money you need to eat, tolls, etc. If you run out of money, [...]