Loaded – And Not In A Good Way

Have you ever noticed that money questions seem to always be loaded and that there’s never a good way to ask a question when it comes to money. Even the simplest question like “does this bill need to be paid now?”…

Don’t Blink

Okay, in spite of pledging to be a regular blogger again, I missed a week because I really didn’t want to weigh in on our government’s budgetary crisis. I hoped it would go away quickly so I could write about anything else.…

New Year’s Solutions

I think this year I’ll commit to a New Year’s Solution instead of a New Year’s Resolution.  Resolutions don’t seem to work for me.  Somehow resolving to make a change isn’t enough.  But, acting like I already have the answer feels like a better chance for success.…

Thanks for My Giving

With Thanksgiving fast approaching, our thoughts turn to thanks and gratitude. But, this morning, I began to think of it another way. We usually give thanks for what we have received—tangible or intangible. But knowing that receiving and giving are part of one continuous flow, shouldn’t we be just as thankful for what we give?…

Back to School Blues

We all hear about the high cost of education these days and this month I saw it first hand.  I helped my husband at the community college off-campus bookstore that we own on the first few days of the semester.  I don’t get too involved, but those early days we need all hands on deck.…

It’s their responsibility, or is it?

I was looking through some old blogs and came across “Eyes Wide Open”. Seems it’s something I could use a refresher on.  Whenever financial bogeymen raise their ugly head, it’s so easy to make someone or something else responsible rather than look at our piece of the puzzle.  …

Lessons from the County

Every July we spend some extended time DownEast.  It’s our special place and our special time. I wrote this blog a few years ago but love repeating it every summer.  Hope you don’t mind….   I’ve been on a two week vacation in Robbinston, Maine, a very tiny town with no town center and only 500 or so people in almost 34 square miles.  …

Sex and Money

Sex and money – what do they have in common? They’re the last two topics we don’t talk openly about in America. Or, at least most of us are taught that money is something to keep quiet about.   I remember back in elementary school when I was asked to fill out a questionnaire about family income.…

Worries Spring Eternal

What a glorious month of May (and all of spring for that matter). Here in Maine we’ve had unprecedented sunshine with days that emulated some of the best days of summers past. We were simply amazed when temperatures climbed to the 80’s and then stunned when 90’s brought out our summer wardrobes weeks earlier than usual.…

It’s the truth–honest it is!

Heading to the April 15th deadline, I just have to bring up taxes at least once. After all, it used to be my life! I was reading my Journal of Accountancy (good bedtime reading) and found some interesting results of a 2010 Taxpayer Attitude Survey done by the IRS Oversight board about reasons for taxpayer honesty.…