Category: WMW 2013

Here are a few of the great articles about future planning and financial planning that were posted today: Are You Ready for Your Financial Future? This is an important subject for everyone — not just women. However, there are some aspects of planning for a financial future that seem to hit women especially hard. Here are some things to consider as you build your own future Read more at Planting Money Seeds. Prepare for the Future by Owning Your Past As an undergrad, I majored in History, so it should not be surprising that I am a firm believer in knowing where you have been. When it comes to personal finances, I think understanding your past is the key to planning a successful future. Read more at The Dog Ate…

Finding specific ways to take control of your financial future is what Women's Money Week 2013 has been all about. But more generally, what do you need to do to be happy now and at the same time plan for the future? Here are 4 steps to help you take control of your financial future. 1. Know Yourself and Your Limits Not everyone is a personal finance geek. And even personal finance geeks have limits. Some people know a lot about investing, some are on top of the best retirement strategies, some are coupon queens. Know which areas of finance you like which you shy away from. Being aware of your own limits is the best thing you can do for your future. 2. Learn the Basics (No Matter What)…

Today is International Women's Day and the last day of Women's Money Week 2013. (In the US this day often gets overlooked, but around the world it's actually a fairly major holiday). Take the time to celebrate by reading the articles from today about future planning and financial planning, as well as reading the rest of the articles from the week. On Women's Money Week: How to Take Control of Your Financial Future From Chicago on the Cheap: Planning for the future From Ideas for Women: Money, Finance, and Investing Blog: 6 Ways to Live for Today and Plan for the Future From Fat Wallet Blog: How to Not Get Hustled by Your Student Loans From Single Mom's Income: Making a Financial Plan for the Future (Here's Mine) From Monroe…

It's time to highlight some of the awesome articles about happiness, hobbies, & money that went live today: Can Money Buy You Happiness? Can money buy you happiness? Think about it - if in general you are an unhappy person, but tomorrow you won the LottoMax jackpot of $30 million dollars (tax free) would you suddenly become a happy person? Initially I think many people would. But it goes along the same lines as when a person that is heavy says “I will be happy when I lose 50 pounds” or whatever they want to lose. Again, you may feel happy the first few days, but how long will it last? Read more at Tackling Our Debt. 7 Lifelong Hobbies You Can Enjoy On a Budget When we first started…

Want to be happier or have more money to enjoy your hobbies? Check out the posts today: On Women's Money Week: How to Create a Plan to Maximize Your Happiness From Monroe on a Budget: My Barbie doll collection is not as expensive as one might think From NZ Muse: Happiness, hobbies and money - where I spend my dollars From Chicago on the Cheap: Productive hobbies From Money Crashers: 20 Simple Ways to Live a Healthy, Happy Life From Eboo Saves: Happiness, Hobbies and Money From One Frugal Girl: Why Are You Blogging? From Ideas for Women: 5 Steps to Transform Your Favorite Hobby into a Work at Home Job From Family, Money, Values: OMG Am I a Workaholic? From Tackling Our Debt: Can Money Buy You Happiness? From OCCA…

I've been on a kick this year reading what I like to call "personal improvement" books. They aren't "self help" books in the sense that there's a problem about my life that I'd like to solve. Rather, I'm just looking to grow and improve. A few examples of these books include: The Power of Habit, The Happiness Project, Happier at Home, All the Money in the World, and The Power of Full Engagement (a re-read). Based on my reading, reflection, and personal experience I've come up with a fairly simple plan to maximize your happiness. 1. Give Yourself Time and Space to Think You're not going to be able to create your happiness plan in bits and spurts of time. Ideally you would block off several hours or a half…

Here are a few of the many great posts about family and money that were posted today: Yearly Expenses for a Family of Five How much does it cost to support a family? Well it’s different for everyone! But to help you figure out what’s right for your family I thought I would share our yearly expenses for a family of five for the past 2 years. Read more at Money Master Mom. Don't Let High School Keepsakes Eat Your Budget The cost of high school keepsakes such as studio photos, class rings and varsity jackets usually results in sticker shock on behalf of parents, followed up by “Who needs all that stuff anyway?” I don’t think one should dismiss traditional high school keepsakes, even if you are surprised at…

Today's posts are all about family and money. Check them out below: On Women's Money Week: The Cost of a Baby Isn’t as High as You Think (But There are Surprises) From MoneyCrush: Tired of Fighting About Money? From Ideas For Women: Money, Finance, and Investing Blog:4 Tips to Balance Your Family’s Income and Time Needs From Payoff: 5 Ways to Teach Children to Be Smart With Their Money From NZ Muse: Family and money, obligation and guilt From OCCA Consumer Debt Relief: Dealing with Debt during a Divorce From New School of Finance: Stop Bikering About Money From Femme Frugality: The Cost of Children: Health From Chicago on the Cheap: Kids and money From Eboo Saves: Family and Money From Money Master Mom: Yearly Expenses for a Family of…

Before my son was born, I imagined that having a kid would be insanely expensive. The US Department of Agriculture publishes an annual report on the costs of raising a child, but the costs never seemed shockingly high. (Around $250,000 over a lifetime.) I thought our own costs would be higher than estimates, and so we planned accordingly. So we saved a large chunk of money for my son’s first year. But there were some surprises about baby costs. Here they are. Surprises about the Cost of a Baby 1. They Aren’t Expensive Babies really aren’t that expensive. In their first year the spend most of their time eating, sleeping, and going to the bathroom. Breastfeeding and cloth diapers dramatically cut these costs. Plus, you have a lot less time…

Here are a few of the great posts about time and boosting productivity that were posted today: How a Walking Desk and Crock Pot Made Me More Productive Since there is no way to slow down time or add more hours to the day–but boy wouldn’t that be an awesome option–I have had to learn how to use my time better to be more productive. And two of the tools that have helped me to do that are the walking desk that I made–also known as my treadmill desk–and my Crock Pot. Read more at Suddenly Frugal. Who Do You Want to Become Who would we see if we were to take a peek into your calendar? Most of our calendars reflect the life of an overwhelmed, overworked, person who…