In Excess

By Michelle (Graceful, Faith in the Everyday)

My kids are hoarders. Rocks, shells, SillyBandz, Bendarooz, marbles, spare change -- you name it, if it comes in multiples, they horde it.

This, you should know, drives me insane. I hate clutter, of course. I hate piles of junk and stacks of papers and counters littered with debris. Clutter literally depletes my energy. I can't relax, I can't function, until everything is in its proper place...or in the trash. I am the Queen of the Toss-Out.

An experiment conducted by the confirmation class at my church, however, made me realize that perhaps I'm not immune to hoarding tendencies after all. My pastor suggested the confirmation kids film snippets of their lives that point to excess -- as an example, she filmed her tea collection: tea in the kitchen cupboards, in canisters on the counter, more boxes stashed in drawers. Passionate about tea, Pastor Sara has enough of it in her house to last months.

Click to read more ...

Works For Me Wednesday: Finding Affordable Prescriptions

By MAD21

I am all for finding easier ways to do things. And saving money is right up there on the list of things I want to do. I stumbled across a website called MedTipster that can give you a list of pharmacies in your area that carry the medications your family takes that may be more affordable.

All you have to do is enter the medication you take, the dosage and your zip code, and it puts together a list of all the pharmacies near you. There is also a lot of other good stuff on the site: a blog; store searches; clinic searches; and immunization/flu shot information.

Every Wednesday, fellow blogger Kristen at We are THAT Family posts clever ideas for getting things done. She calls it, "Works For Me Wednesday" or WFMW. Be sure to go visit her blog to read her post along with links to other blogs who are participating.

Is It Our Patriotic Duty To Live Beyond Our Means To Bring The US Economy Out Of Recession?

By Heather, CPA (Balance With Purpose)

My opinion? ABSOLUTELY NOT!!!

In a time of recession the federal government has attempted to stimulate the economy with the following:

1. Economic Stimulus Payment
2. Incentive for Americans to purchase autos, like the famous “Cash for Clunkers”
3. First-time home buyers rebate
4. Lower interest rates

If consumers were over-extended in the first place, is it a good thing to encourage the same consumers to spend any amount they receive from the Federal government? Possibly even encourage over-spending just to stimulate the economy?

Click to read more ...

The Recession Is Over? And Financial Principles To Live By

By Heather, CPA (Balance With Purpose)

We have all felt the down economy in one way or another, whether it’s through loss of a job, a pay freeze, drop in value of stock portfolios, or increased expenses.

According to a NY Times article dated October 16, 2009 titled, "By Some Reliable Measures, Recession is Over," the recession is in the past. Don’t you want to leap for joy at hearing that headline? No? Me neither. Why? Because I’m skeptical.

I actually heard the news of the recession being over while I rushed around the house one morning last week getting my family ready for the day and trying to get myself out the door for work. That very same day I learned that a dear friend of mine’s husband lost his job.

Click to read more ...

Will Having More Money Make You Happy?

By MAD21

I stumbled on an old article at MintLife called, "Why Rich People Aren't Really Happier." In this article, a few experts talked about why those who are 'rich' are really no happier than those living paycheck-to-paycheck. In fact, they are almost more stressed because of the desire to spend. The experts state:

"The ability to imagine — to try to predict our future state of mind — is what sets us apart from less-evolved species. It’s also the very thing that stunts our shot at true happiness.

We assume that a sportier car, a bigger house, a better-paying job, or that dress will bring us joy because, well, they did in the past, right?

Not really, says Daniel Gilbert, a Harvard psychology professor and the author of Stumbling on Happiness....

What’s so wrong with relishing and embellishing the good? It’s costly. Faulty emotional recall makes us do dumb things with our money, like buying cool new stuff that never quite satisfies.

In so many areas, we know when enough is enough. When we’re healthy, we don’t strive for extreme health. After a good meal, we’re sated — we don’t order another filet mignon to augment our satisfaction.

Yet our “pause” button shorts out when it comes to money. The brief pick-me-up that accompanies a raise or windfall (think of it like a caffeine buzz) drives us to want more. We get a raise, spend it, adapt to our improved circumstances, and seek more money, working up a sweat on what University of Southern California economist Richard Easterlin calls the hedonic treadmill."

We all have to realize that happiness truly lives in being thankful for what we already have, with where we are. That doesn't mean we don't strive to be in a better place, but we need to watch our motives. Wanting the bigger house, the more expensive car, or the latest toys are all things that helped cause our economic state today. People living above their means. Looking for happiness in some thing, instead just being happy with what they already have.

So the next time you find yourself wanting to by the next newest thing, stop for a moment and ask yourself, "Can I afford it?" "Do I really need it?" "Why do I want to buy it?" and "Will it still be important to have it in a few months?"