I always try to approach my financial counseling from a behavior standpoint, often using materials I wrote a while back called, “It’s Not About Money”.  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…]

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: [Read more…]