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In this post, there was a discussion of why it is so much harder to thrive in America today than it used to be.  A lot of the causes are legitimate, and it really and truly is more difficult to survive and thrive than it used to be, because of a number of different factors.  However, the fact does remain that we also require a lot more “luxuries” today then we ever did in the past, and we also have lost site of some of the basic principles of frugal living that used to exist.  While this tough economic situation has many people rediscovering frugality and reconsidering the spending that we used to take for granted, I sometimes whether the generation raised on easy conveniences will ever really understand frugality the way a generation of people raised during the Great Depression did.  Perhaps this tough economic climate will help bring those fundamental ideas back, but for now, it still seems up in the air as to whether the easy credit generation will return to our less-than-frugal ways once this economy turns around. (more…)

I mentioned in a previous post that my ex boyfriend is having some money management difficulties now that we have broken up. One thing he seems to be doing again, as he did years ago, is taking cash advances on his credit cards to cover expenses like rent and other credit card bills.  This is one of the worst possible things that you can do- the interest rates are extremely high and typically credit card companies apply payments to lower interest rate items first (although I believe this is changing with the new consumer protection laws), so it is especially problematic if you take cash advances on a credit card where you already owe a balance. (more…)

I had written on this blog in the past about how I was getting out of debt, and I also mentioned that the person who was my significant other at the time had a great deal of debt as well.  Now that he is no longer my significant other, I am still doing fairly well at getting out of debt.  I spend almost nothing, and I have increased my income a fair amount over the past two months in order to make larger debt payments.  My ex, on the other hand, is not doing well.  He had been very responsible when were together, but I saw him the other day and he was talking about buying expensive electronics, and even worse- he has started spending money on cigarettes and other mind-altering habits that provide little in the way of benefit and a lot in the way of cost.  He is in even more debt than I am, and he was doing so well at getting it paid off when we were together, that I honestly just don’t know what he is thinking.  The only possibilities that really come to mind are that he is either unable to stay motivated on his own, he doesn’t know how, or he is in complete denial of his situation (which is not a great one)… (more…)

This past few months, I have really been trying to develop my freelance writing career.  I have almost achieved the point now where I am making decent enough money to be satisfied- but I am definitely working a lot.  If I took a different sort of job- out of the house, doing something I find tedious and boring- I could make in 7 or 8 hours what I make in 10 or even 12 hours.  But, to me, I’d rather work a little longer than have to go to work at a job I don’t love and sit there all day doing tedious nonsense.   I don’t even mind working this extra hours, because my schedule is my own and I can be flexible about when I work them.  The tradeoff is an easy one to make.  I imagine it would be a little more of a question for those with youngs kids or other families that they don’t want to spend additional time away from- would the tradeoff still be worth it then, to spend twice as long working at something you love for the same money?

Earn $25+ from Lending Club to start investing when you sign up through this link (Please note- that link is my referral link).  Lending Club gives you a free $25, which you can lend on any one of the many available loans.  It only takes a second to sign up and pick a loan.  Then, the loan gets paid back w/ interest over time… so you will end up earning $25 plus interest but you just can’t get the money out right away, you have to wait until the loan is paid back.

It is a really gret deal- I earned a bonus when I signed up and invested it and I’ve already made $6 in interest for doing nothing!

Lately, I’ve been talking to someone long distance a lot.  Fortunately, right now, he is calling me- so I don’t have to worry about phone cards and long distance minutes and the like.  However, it did get me thinking… it seems like it can be expensive to find a significant other.  If you are living in the same city, of course there is the matter of dates and dinners out and valentines gifts and other such things that people tend to splurge on when courting.  If you are doing a long distance relationship, then it becomes even more expensive in many cases, considering the cost of plane tickets and phone calls and such.  Of course, it is all worth if it you find the person of your dreams and get married and live happily ever after (right?)  But what if you don’t? Is the money spent just another lost investment?  Certainly not one you can deduct from your income tax to offset capital gains, thats for sure.  So, that brings up the next question- how sure of a person should you be before you start investing huge sums of cash in the relationship (like, say for plane tickets)?