by Jackie Beck

Do you know the most dangerous time for your money? The time when you’re most likely to make decisions that will literally cost you cold hard cash? It’s simple: whenever you’re emotional. Read the rest of this entry »

by Jackie Beck

Money fights can cause huge issues in a marriage — especially if they’re an ongoing thing. The fights come in many different forms: how much one person spends, what they buy, where the money is going to come from, employment status, and of course the biggie: debt. So if you’re tired of fighting about money, what do you do? Read the rest of this entry »

by Jackie Beck

I was at the Motor Vehicle Department recently and happened to use their restroom. That’s when I discovered that their toilet paper roll only (easily) dispensed two squares at a time.

That’s right, two squares.

I’d pull on the roll, it’d flip over, and two little squares would tear off. Now you can’t do much of anything with two squares of toilet paper, so of course I pulled on it again.

And again.

I ended up pulling on it a few more times just because it didn’t seem like much. Then I realized I actually had a lot more toilet paper than I would have if I’d been using a non-stingy roll. Read the rest of this entry »

by Jackie Beck

Are you going to get your spending under control, get out of debt, sign up for your 401k at work, or do just about anything else related to your finances?
Read the rest of this entry »

by Jackie Beck

Why do we buy? That seems like a simple question, but answering it for ourselves can provide insight that may help us reach our savings- and spending-related goals.

On the surface, we buy things for one of two reasons: either we need them, or we want them. The basic needs of life are food, water & shelter. Beyond that, it’s all about the wants. Or at least that’s what we tell ourselves.

In reality, it’s more complicated than that. Rarely do we buy something just because we need or want it. Read the rest of this entry »

by Jackie Beck

I’m rich, and you probably are too. I don’t know what it’s like to be poor, despite having spent years living on a below poverty-level income, and despite having lived at times in a fairly bad neighborhood without things like grocery stores and banks, and in some shoddy construction that caused me to spend a huge percentage of my income on utilities.
Read the rest of this entry »