Have You Written a Money Letter?

Dear Reader,

Did you know that writing a simple “money” letter to your children will have more of an impact on their spending habits than just telling them your thoughts and feelings about money?

This week, why not think back to your biggest money successes and failures (these are often most helpful), put pen to paper and send your child a note that can have a deep and lasting effect on their lives? If you’re lucky, they’ll listen to your advice and you might even find yourself featured in a book, like Gail Shearer did when her daughter Kimberly wrote the book, Smart Mom, Rich Mom, based on the money letter she received from her mother.

Need advice on just what to say? Check out this article from the New York Times, The Money Letter That Every Parent Should Write.

Overtime and Fair Pay

Ever sat at work on a weekend or late in the evening wondering why you didn’t qualify for overtime? Salary threshold rules have not been adjusted for inflation since 1975 and currently reflect a maximum amount of $23,660 per year. The new proposed changes to the law would raise this limit to $47,476 per year, allowing a larger segment of the salaried population to qualify for paid overtime. As this legislation is coming at the end of President Obama’s term, it remains to be seen how it will fare with a new administration, but for the moment this is one more step toward fair pay for a whole new set of employees.

Making Overtime Fair Again

Google Takes A Stand

Wednesday, Google announced they would ban all ads pertaining to payday loan businesses. Customers will still be able to find these companies through an organic search on the browser but the ads will not be featured. Google has seen fit to “edit” their ad content previously as noted by Christine Hauser for the New York Times in, Google to Ban All Payday Loan Ads.

Google has taken similar action against advertisements for other products or services that it deems harmful or dangerous, such as guns, fireworks and tobacco. Last year, Google disabled more than 780 million advertisements for reasons ranging from counterfeiting to phishing.

It’s quite refreshing to see such a well known, worldwide company taking a stand of this magnitude. Go Google!

Parents, Kids and Healthy Eating

Children tend to be picky eaters and for most of us this only means a little wasted food and some frustration at the dinner table. But what about the parents who cannot afford to throw away food? The working poor who must stretch to make ends meet often have the same nutrition goals for their children but lack the financial resources to introduce their children to new foods and flavors. Statistics show that children must be given a new food 8-15 times before it will be accepted. Imagine how much discarded food that amounts to in a week, a month. Caitlin Daniel reinforces the idea that many parents share the same health desires for their children in her article, A Hidden Cost to Giving Kids Their Vegetables and offers possible ways that schools and organizations may help support a healthy lifestyle for all.

Spend More Now, Save In The Future

Ever stood in the store comparing two items; the one you truly want and the one that is similar but much less money? Ever considered that if you buy the more expensive, higher-quality version you might have it for years to come and not need to invest more at a later date? Carl Richards, in his article, Spend the Money for the Good Boots, and Wear Them Forever for the New York Times, Your Money section gives a very compelling argument for this theory. Definitely worth consideration the next time your gut says, “spend the money.”

Join The Crowd

Ever seen the internet ad for ThingCharger? A current, large-scale crowd-funding campaign that promises a space saving, re-charge station for all kinds of electronic devices. These offers appear in your inbox and all over the internet, urging you to share your wealth for inventive ideas and charitable causes. On the opposite side of the spectrum from funds seeking venture capital, are sites such as YouCaring, an online compassionate crowd-funding community. Check it out today and see all the ways you can make a difference in the world!

Want to start your own crowd funding site? Try this article.
19 Psychological Tactics for Successful Crowdfunding Campaigns

How To Manage Your Money When Illness Strikes

No one wants to think about major healthcare crises, but there are ways to ease the financial impact that these unexpected events often cause. In the article, 4 Ways to Help Clients Plan for Unexpected Medical Expenses, an AICPA blogger offers insight into dealing with illness, Medicare, health savings accounts and proper planning for the surviving partner.

Summer Job 101

This article is good because it addresses a range of ages in the “newly employed” category. 5 Financial Tips for Newly-Employed Young People offers these ideas to best utilize money earned:

Save! Save! Save!
Learn to Budget
Get Creative
Avoid Debt
Ask For Help

Advice we should all heed, no matter where we are in our careers.

Money Matters

Ready for your European vacation? There are so many amazing places to visit and sights to see, but did you know that with these seven simple tips you can make your trip run more smoothly and even save money? Emma Miller on DailyFinance.com offers some great ideas in her article, Travel Checklist: 7 Money To-Dos to Tackle Before Your Trip. A must read before your vacation of a lifetime this summer!

Spending Plans to Achieve Your Dreams

In this 2013 article by Stacy Johnson, founder of Money Talks News, he shares ways to develop a spending plan for your life that will help drive you toward your goals. Stacy suggests thinking backward to specific, fulfilling experiences and creating your plan of action based on the happy moments in your life. Once you have a clear idea of what you want, the spending plan is no longer about deprivation but about achieving your dreams.

Category: Personal Finances