I’ve always been the tax person for friends and family members who don’t want to wait to get an appointment with an actual tax professional. Oddly enough I enjoy filing simple tax returns and helping out where I can. And because I do a handful of tax returns for others every year I get to see a range of different income tax refunds. Some are

I recently witnessed a close friend break a bad habit he’s had for over fifteen years. He stopped smoking cigarettes. He had tried and tried before but he never could quit. He told himself he wanted to. He used every new “miracle” product that came out. But, he’d never make it for more than two days. Breaking bad habits that you’ve held for such a

A recent Bankrate survey shows that Americans’ are less focused on saving and more focused on staying current on bills and paying debt down. If you can’t keep up with your bills here are some things to try. Living within Your Means Often Means Making Tough Choices While there’s certainly a majority of people who’ve whittled away their expenses and made tough decisions, this is

Living a debt free life is a message that seems to be spreading and really resonating with America. The problem though, is that with an already tight budget it can be hard to throw extra money toward debt freedom. If you want to start your journey toward a debt free life but are wondering where to get the extra money from, here are some of

I’ve noticed a recurring pattern over the last few years of my life. When I’m happy I do well in almost every area of my life – I’m a better parent, better companion, more passionate about working, and also much better with money. When I’m stressed or feeling depressed it all flies out the window. I think this is one big piece of the picture

I think, depending on the child, at around age 4-5 kids start to understand that money doesn’t grow on trees and has to be earned. That makes this age a fantastic time to start teaching your children simple money lessons. Here are the best ways to teach your kids about money. Teaching Through Example I honestly feel that there is NOTHING more important than leading

I firmly believe that post people know that “how’s” or personal finance and just don’t have a strong enough “why.” However, with so much information available people can also get bogged down in the “how’s” looking to take too many paths. If you’re someone who is just starting from scratch these are the most basic things you should know about money. Once you learn these

There are plenty of different ways to budget and the method that your family chooses shouldn’t be set in stone. Getting on a budget is one of the single most important things you can do to make sure your family is reaching financial goals. If you have no idea how to get started here are three types of family budgets to consider. The Zero Based