The Practical Stuff Like Money

[mfh]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/marlo-thomas/managing-your-money-tips-for-women_b_3055115.html?utm_source=Alert-blogger&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Email%2BNotifications#slide=more291230

This article is helpful to men AND women (in spite of its title). When our spouses died, we were left to figure out everything for ourselves including finances, fixes, and files. This piece contains some good ideas about what we might need to include in our planning for our futures...something I am working on (finally) right now. How much can I spend and on what? How much do I spend..and on what? Etc.

Mary

[kayc]

I think I don't want to know. I'm lucky that I'm pretty good at handling money (I've had to do it for bosses and myself for years) so even though there never seems to be enough to go around, I have the general concepts down.

Live by a budget. Don't forget to include the once in a while things that happen. Budget for your groceries, gas, etc. and stick to it. Put aside whatever you can. Think of ways to save $ and not to spend it. There WILL be a rainy day, count on it...and plan for it. If you want something special that isn't in your budget, think of a way to come up with the extra $ (sell something on eBay or Craigslist, sell something you make, etc.). There's always stuff laying around that we don't need or use...someone else might just want it. I make my food from scratch, that saves a lot at the grocery store plus it's healthier. When I was young, I used to trade babysitting so I could go out with my husband or GFs once in a while. Bartering is always something to explore!