Lifestyle

Short Sighted Business Decisions

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We are all guilty of living for the here-and-now, at least some of the time. It is easy to get caught up in the moment, and forget that there is some sort of future in front of us. Call it a lack of planning, or a lack of experience, but it seems to effect everyone, … Read more

A Smarter Way to Use a Smartphone

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Have you seen that Geico commercial where a Humphrey Bogart wannabe asks the audience, “Can switching to Geico really save you 15 percent or more on car insurance?” He then asks the question, “Do people use smartphones to do dumb things?” Obviously the correct answer is, “Yes.” So the next scene shows three nerdy guys … Read more

PodCast: Money Pirates

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Download the Podcast Transcript of audio: Today on WealthArtisan.com: Money Pirates and the grief that we bring. But first, some current events. The London Rioters, the UN has made their stance on spankings well-known, but I bet they wish some of these rioters had a few more spankings in their past. Speaking of Spankings: how’s … Read more

Money Pirates Part 2

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Last time, we began this short series on Money Pirates. Money Pirates are unexpected, sudden events which cost a lot of money! They can throw your whole financial ship off course, and leave you begging for the plank. So far, we’ve covered: Job Losses Loss of Home and Medical Emergencies Those are 3 terrible pirates … Read more

Money Pirates Part 1

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Money pirates, they’re destructive, annoying, unexpected, and they ruin your plans. Money pirates can come in many flavors. Honestly, just about anything can be a money pirate, so in general, we’re talking about any large unexpected costs that come up. Most money pirates are terrible events in one’s life, and often times they can’t be … Read more

Dreams Are Just Dreams, Right?

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I’ve heard people say “Dreams are just dreams” or “dreams are just something to get you through your day.” I’ve even heard these sentiments echoed on the popular TV show The Office. But are these statements true? If dreams are just something to get you through your day, then why do we do the things … Read more

Should You Spend?

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Between keeping up with the Joneses and stores open 24/7, we’ve never had more reason, or opportunity to buy something (or anything) on a whim. I don’t have any firm numbers, but I’d be willing to bet that we have more shopaholics spending more money than ever before. Not only that, but so many people … Read more

Getting Your Spouse Into The Finances

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You’re married, you’re the financial coach of the relationship, and your spouse is more of the benchwarmer. Sure your spouse does a lot of other things, but they seem so terribly uninvolved and unmotivated to assist in the financial matters of your relationship. What do you do? Pitfall: Are you happy that your spouse doesn’t … Read more

Death and Money

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Max Lucado said the best quote I’ve ever heard on death and money: “You never see a U-Haul following a hearse.” Max Lucado strikes upon a very important matter in the world of finance: death and money. We may not like talking about death, but it’s important to understand the relationship if you want to … Read more

Stuff Maintenance

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Maintenance, that ugly thing that comes along with all of the other responsibilities of owning things. What are some things that we need to maintain? Home Maintenance Car Maintenance Health Maintenance Image Maintenance and Stuff Maintenance The last two are kind of different. What are image and stuff maintenance? Image maintenance is the ongoing cost … Read more

Are You Afraid of Looking Cheap?

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The following is a guest post from the Mayor of Humbleville. Nice car: check. Nice house: check. Nice suit: check. Sweet sunglasses: Oakley’s, double-check. You’ve got the look, you’ve got the persona, you’ve got the debt, and you’re terrified like no other. You’re afraid of what people think will think of you if they knew … Read more

Free Book Rental: To The Library!

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How often do you find yourself racking your brain for answers just to realize the answer is so clearly obvious? I’d like to say it never happens to me, but I’d be a liar in the order of Mark Whitacre. Just the other day, I was at a bookstore looking through all of the awesome new titles that are out.

I find bookstores to be terribly inspiring, but please laugh once I’m out of earshot. While browsing through, I added book after book to my mental checklist, wishing these were free books.

I would undoubtedly go home, scan over Amazon, Paper Back Swap and buy them for the best price possible. Sometimes though, now syndrome would overcome me because of my excitement and I would consider paying the insane price on the cover, but I abstained.

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Why Debt Relief Assistance May Be Worth It

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Ed O’Brien is a seasoned writer in personal finance, specializing in credit repair. You can find more of his articles located at CreditRepair.org. Struggling with overwhelming debt is a financial hardship that will not just go away if left unattended. Debt is certainly one scenario in our financial life that only grows worse over time. … Read more

You Look So Wealthy. You Must Be Broke!

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I see it every day, the young hot-shot that looks wealthy. We’re fed the image every day in magazines, online, or on TV. He has a sweet sports car, nice business suit, designer sunglasses, designer watch, and leather shoes so expensive that the cows are in line with hopes of being the next pair. Before … Read more

Plugging Financial Leaks

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Leaks are generally considered a bad thing. Ask any captain or homeowner what comes to mind when you say the word “leaks” and I doubt they see rainbows and unicorns. Consider these: Leaky faucet: annoying. Leaky roof: expensive and aggravating. Leaky boat: really bad! Leaky finances: often ignored. What are leaky finances? It’s a small … Read more

K.I.S.S. Your Financial Woes Goodbye

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Hedge funds, derivatives, calls, puts, options.  What are they?  For the average person, these terms are meaningless.  Understanding them as a concept is bad enough, but actually using them?  It is almost laughable.  Yet, everyday, people try to use these financial tools to their benefit, without knowing what they actually do. Quick note: Investing while … Read more