Finances - Humorous Homemaking

Relationships and Money: Charitable Giving When We Don’t Agree

Since last week’s post about his money and her money was so popular (and controversial!), I thought I’d tackle another sensitive subject this week – relationships and tithing/charitable giving. I’ve gotten several questions regarding the tithe and how it applies to us as Christians today. Even though Stacy wrote on what the Bible teaches about tithing a while back, one thing I would like to address is the issue of what to do when your spouse disagrees about a course of action when it comes to giving.

First off, if couples agreed about everything when it came to how to spend their money, it would be SCARY. So let me start by saying it is perfectly okay to disagree about money. In fact, I would encourage you and your spouse to have some disagreements about things every now and then. It will help make sure you actually communicate with each other about what matters to you, and that is always a good thing! [Read more…]

Marriage and Money: His Money and Her Money

It is common practice among married couples to keep separate checking/savings accounts and then separate out the bills in some agreed-upon manner and operate the household finances that way. They’ll divide things up where he pays the mortgage and his car payment, while she pays her car payment, the electricity and the groceries…or something like that. This concept has never made sense to me, but people will fight and argue until they’re blue in the face that this is the right way to operate a household budget. I believe it is a dangerous way to manage your household finances for many reasons. I wanted to use this post to talk about four reasons separate accounts are a bad idea: [Read more…]

How to Love December 26th

Happy Sunday everyone! I have enjoyed this past week thoroughly and I hope you have as well. Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday of all because it is about food, family, and remembering the reasons you have for being thankful. Period. No gifts, no funky costumes (unless you count your fat pants as a costume). I usually take off the week of Thanksgiving to try to do some deer hunting and this year was no exception. I’m a bit odd when it comes to my hunting style, though. While I am always on the lookout for a nice deer for the freezer, I’m equally interested in the quiet as an opportunity to think and reflect on things that the busyness of life have just kept me from considering. It is a time I cherish each year. [Read more…]

Country Music Song Survival (Emergency Fund Planning)

I always try to approach my financial and credit counseling from a behavior standpoint, often using materials I wrote a while back called, “It’s Not About Money”. A credit counselor similar to ones at debtconsolidation.com credit counseling can help you find the right solution to your financial problems and support you until you are debt-free. Why did I give it that title? Simply put, personal finance has very little to do with money or math – it is about what you do with the gray stuff between your ears (your brain, for those of you who didn’t have to do the gross dissections in high school biology). With that in mind, people always want to know how it is possible to survive without debt, even if there is an “emergency”. The answer is one you’ve heard me proclaim before – an emergency fund. [Read more…]

Staying OUT of Trouble with the IRS

Ever wonder how long you should keep around all that paperwork about the washer and dryer you bought in 1978 and the car repair you had done on the car you sold 16 years ago? The IRS has its opinion and since I’m sure you completely trust the government to tell you exactly how to run your life, I guess this can be a short post. What?! You don’t trust them for that either? Hmmm…well, I guess we should discuss this idea briefly, then. What I’ve found works for me may not be what works for you, but it will give you an idea of some things you might try. I have a pretty simple system that follows these rules:

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Powdered Butt Syndrome

There is a disease from which virtually every parent suffers. It is called “Powdered Butt Syndrome.” Simply put, Powdered Butt Syndrome is when your parents have the concept that since they powdered your butt, they don’t want your unsolicited advice about money. I know this is true for two reasons: 1) I have parents and I’ve tried it and 2) I’ve heard about it and seen it before from others. Very scientific of me coming to that conclusion, wasn’t it? I’m commonly asked what you can do if you see your parents misbehaving with money. You’ve probably tried to talk to them about money and offer your advice, and they roll their eyes or glaze over with the look that says, “I’m not listening to you; I still smell the baby powder I put on your butt 35 years ago.” Maybe it’s because you’re totally broke and just think you have all the answers. Or maybe…just maybe…you really do have the answers for your parents’ financial woes! This week, let’s talk about how to handle money with your parents. [Read more…]