Dear Christine, I am mortified. My husband, son and I have to move in with my parents. My husband was out of work for a few months and it set us back with all of the bills pilling up. He is working again but for nearly half of what he made before. My parents are being really nice about the whole thing and I think they want us back. But it is really embarrassing. Plus my son has to switch schools. My husband is not taking it well at all. Can you offer any advice about this? “Homeward bound” … [Read more...]
What does a 401K have in common with a cherry tree?
An article by BudgetQueen What is stopping you from investing in your 401K? Is it possible that you are contributing too much to your 401K? Is a 401K always the best investment for you? Well let’s sit down and talk… A lot of people have fears about investing in today’s economy. Or perhaps you had a 401K once and you cashed it in, or lost a lot of money on it so you quit investing. Or if you have a 401K believe it or not, you may be even contributing too much to it! Regardless, a 401K is an … [Read more...]
Help! My sibling is a mooch!
Dear Christine, My brother is 41 and he has been using people his whole life – and he gets away with it. He often gets my dad to pay his rent. He gets his girlfriend to buy him plane tickets. He even once charged my mom to plant flowers in her yard when she injured her back on Mother’s Day! I know that you are going to tell me that it is none of my business – most people do. But my parents are spending so much money on him when they can’t really afford it. I am also worried that he will never … [Read more...]
Do I need life insurance?
An article by BudgetQueen My dad purchased a whole life insurance policy for me when I was very young. As I grew up the cash money that accumulated added to cover all of the expenses for my Bachelors Degree at the state university. My dad is also doing the same for my children. Am I grateful? Absolutely. Is it still a good idea to use whole life insurance to save up for college? Well let’s talk about some of the savings benefits of life insurance, and the other things that life insurance can do … [Read more...]
Start your financial resolutions on June 1st!
Do you want to know why New Year’s resolutions don’t work? Because the New Year starts in January -- when it is cold and you are broke. January is a time when you need to keep your spirits high and you are trying to pay off bills -- going on a diet or budget is just setting yourself up to fail.I like to start my resolutions on June 1st. All of the holidays are over. You are done blowing your diet or paycheck on a super bowl party, an enormous heart-shaped box of candy, green beer, or creamy … [Read more...]