By Len Penzo on February 10, 2010
Does your current honey have their financial act together?
Yes, your current snuggle bunny may be putting on a show for you now, but can that person really maintain their current lifestyle when you finally decide to tie the knot? Are they the type that knows how to pull back on the financial throttle when they have to?
If you don’t know, you better find out.
After all, who wants to marry some one who is financially clueless?
Who wants to be doomed to a financial quagmire by somebody who refuses to live within their means?
So, Len, how can I find out if my significant other is a financial loser before its too late?
There are warning signs, you know.
For example, last month I reviewed an excellent book by Manisha Thakor and Sharon Kedar on how to foster a healthy financial relationship with your significant other. The book is called Get Financially Naked: How to
Continue reading Valentine’s Day Quiz: How to Tell If You’re Dating A Deadbeat (Yes, Really.)…
By Len Penzo on February 9, 2010
Last Fall, there was an article over at Free Money Finance entitled How Much Is A Good Commute Worth? that asked us to consider if we would take a $10,000 per year pay cut if it meant trading in a 45-minute one-way commute for a 10-minute one.
As many of you know, I live in Southern California; cars are king here.
Most of us who live in Los Angeles can’t even spell “public transportation.”
That’s why it was big news when I found out my employer was moving 21 miles down the road, effective last December. That move more than doubled my previously care-free 17-mile commute and I wasn’t too happy about that.
The public transportation system here is so fragmented and disjointed it is essentially useless for most of us Angelenos.
Los Angeles is a big city; it spans a distance of 44 miles at its longest point. Unfortunately our only subway line is
Continue reading Evaluating The Costs of a Longer Commute: When It’s Better to Just Suck It Up…
By Len Penzo on February 7, 2010
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Welcome to edition eleven of The Best of the Best in Money and Personal Finance, where every featured post is an Editor’s Pick!
This carnival is being posted on Super Bowl Sunday, which essentially is a de facto national holiday in the United States of America.
On Super Bowl Sunday, all over America, people host or go to parties and participate in football pools in a desperate attempt to make a little extra cash. (Note to those of you living outside of the US: Here in America, we play “football” with our hands and “soccer” with our feet. I know, but what can I do? We also drive on parkways and park on driveways.)
Personally, I could not care less about the Super
Continue reading The Best of the Best in Money and Personal Finance #11…
By Len Penzo on February 5, 2010
It’s time to sit back, relax and enjoy a little joe…
Blogs I’ve Been Following This Week
Welcome to another rousing edition of Black Coffee, your off-beat weekly round-up of what’s been going on in the world of money and personal finance. Here’s what caught my attention over the past week…
Being Frugal – Lynnae had a fun post about why the five second rule is a necessity at her house. As a public service I felt it was my duty to share this story with her about the time my grandfather dropped a piece of chicken on the floor.
It turns out he picked the chicken up and put it back in his mouth, but not before saying to me “5 second rule!”
God knows I tried to stop him. “Grandpa,” I said, “That was six seconds – not five!”
He just laughed at me. Then he chewed up that piece
Continue reading Black Coffee: My Favorite Blogs, Money News & Opinions #32…
By Len Penzo on February 4, 2010
The Honeybee and I are extrememly compatible in almost every way, right on down to when it comes to our philosophy on money and how we handle the household finances.
I understand though that, for upwards of 80 percent of couples, money can be a real source of strife in a relationship.
When it comes to money decisions, I think the biggest knock-down drag-out battle the Honeybee and I have had was whether or not to bundle cable and internet services with one provider or go a separate route with individual providers.
Not very juicy, I know.
Like I said, we really do see eye to eye on most everything.
Now we have had a lot of dumb arguments. Just not about money.
We’ve actually had knock-down drag out fights over whether we were going to go out to eat at a Mexican or Italian restaurant before.
I’ve slept on the couch because I refused to back
Continue reading Valentine’s Day Giveaway: What is the Biggest Money Argument You’ve Ever Had?…
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