Holidays
A Love Letter Like No Other
Monday, February 14th, 2011
With the hype that surrounds each holiday, it’s easy to get jaded and miss all that’s good about the occasion. This year, what helped me focus on the best parts of Valentine’s Day was rereading one of the most powerful love letters I’ve ever come across. Union Army Major Sullivan Ballou wrote the letter to ... [Read more]
5 Comments » The Blessing Box
Tuesday, November 23rd, 2010
I love the fact that the holiday season begins with Thanksgiving. It’s so healthy to take some time to remember all that we’re grateful for. One of the best ideas for doing so was introduced to me by Bob and Jody. I met Bob many years ago during a video shoot for a personal finance ... [Read more]
Holiday Shoppers Planning to Leave Credit Cards at Home
Sunday, November 14th, 2010
The recession is prompting more people to pay cash for their holiday gifts this year. According to a study by the market research firm Morepace, 40 percent of people plan to avoid using credit cards for any of their holiday gifts this year – up from 35 percent last year. For those making less than ... [Read more]
Avoid These Holiday Shopping Traps
Monday, November 8th, 2010
As we move into the retail industry’s most important season of the year, Consumer Reports is out with some helpful guidance on what to watch out for. The biggest trap, according to the magazine, is purchasing an extended warranty. These are significant profit generators for the stores that sell them, but are rarely a good ... [Read more]
I Will Not Overspend, I Will Not Overspend…
Monday, November 8th, 2010
Navigating the many temptations of the holidays can be a challenge. It’s a time when a lot of people overspend, overeat, and miss out on all that makes this time of year so meaningful. When I teamed up with the Market Research firm Synovate a couple of years ago to conduct a Holiday Regrets survey ... [Read more]
Gift Card 411
Monday, November 8th, 2010
Gift cards are this year’s most requested holiday gift, topping the wish lists of nearly 60 percent of adults, according to the National Retail Federation. The good news, as reported by Walletpop, is that recent laws have made gift cards more user-friendly than ever. For example, all cards must now be valid for five years ... [Read more]
Now Trending on Twitter: Deals and More Deals
Monday, November 8th, 2010
As you search for the best bargains on holiday gifts this year, Mainstreet.com has compiled its picks for great deal sources to follow on Twitter, including: @TweetCheap is a Twitter deal aggregator, searching Twitter to find and tell you about the best coupon codes and other deals it finds. @HeyItsFree finds, you guessed it, stuff ... [Read more]
Spice Up Your Marriage With a… Budget!
Wednesday, February 10th, 2010
Okay, a budget may not exactly add romance to your marriage, but it may help reduce marital money fights. A new national survey I commissioned from the market research firm Synovate found that married people who use a budget experience fewer financial disagreements with their spouse than those who don’t use a budget (see the ... [Read more]
Keeping Cupid From Overspending
Monday, February 8th, 2010
With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, and since romance has a way of fogging our financial sensibilities, MSN is out with a helpful story about gift giving. According to researchers at Stanford University, gift recipients tend to appreciate inexpensive gifts as much as expensive gifts. Researchers explain that gift givers usually have a number ... [Read more]
A Peace That Transcends Understanding
Thursday, December 24th, 2009
Each Christmas season, the bedtime routine for our young children changes to include singing some traditional Christmas carols like Silent Night and O Holy Night. The songs make for a soothing transition from playtime to bedtime. Silent night, holy night. I find the songs soothing as well, a helpful antidote to the Constant Negative News ... [Read more]
