Blog Posts by Laurie Pawlik-Kienlen

There's nothing worse than seeing a boyfriend or loved one struggle with debt, and there's nothing you can do to help.
Well, maybe it'd be worse to see a him struggle with an illness -- yes, that would be worse.
My sister spends till the cows come home, and leave again, and come back home again. She doesn't think twice about racking up the credit cards with $200 jeans, $150 haircuts, and $25,000 vehicles. And it's not like she has the money -- she's in debtor's hell.

I'm the cheapskate money saver in the family; my biggest luxury is getting my hair cut for $20 at Family Cuts. So when my sister needs to borrow money, I have it and I lend it...but only because she's paid me back every single time. We write down exactly how much she owes me and when she'll pay it back. It works.

Are you the sister who saves, or the sister who spends? Are you dealing with loved ones who are struggling financially? Maybe these tips will help...

1. Figure out if you're contributing to the problem.

Are debt, credit cards, or student loans controlling you, or are you controlling them? Are your finances a source of freedom or a cause of stress? These signs of a financially healthy woman will help you figure out if money is controlling you, or if you need to take control of your money.

"Women need to develop a healthy, honest relationship with our money," says financial guru Suze Orman. "And we have to see this relationship as a reflection of our relationship with ourselves."

In other words, our financial lives (mortgage payments, credit card debt, emergency savings fund, monthly budget, etc) are part of who we are as women. The serious debt or extreme wealth in our finances directly affects our emotional, physical, and spiritual lives.

Here are five signs of financially healthy women...

1. Financially healthy women are aware of their "money personalities"

Did your parents invest in real estate, a secure low-interest savings account, mutual funds - or did

Are rich people happier than poor people people? Yup. Research about money and psychology shows that money really does buy happiness.

However, these psychologists also say that psychological wealth matters more than financial wealth. But doesn't that take us back to square one: namely, that money doesn't buy happiness?

Here what the psychologists say, plus a definition of "psychological wealth."

Psychology Research on Money and Life Satisfaction

Ed Diener, PhD, of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and Robert Biswas-Diener, PhD, of the Centre for Applied Positive Psychology in Milwaukee, are two of the world's leading experts on happiness. They studied the effects of financial wealth on happiness, and presented their findings at the 117th Annual Convention of the American Psychological Association.

"People should avoid the trap of over-emphasizing financial matters and consider a complete portfolio of resources," said Diener. "This will help them

I didn't think reality TV had anything to teach me about reality -- much less paying off debt -- until Freedom Debt Relief (FDR) emailed me these tips!

They're too good to keep to myself, and FDR gave me "carte blanche" to spread them around...so here's how to get something valuable from all those hours in front of the TV...

For a decade or more, some of the most popular shows on television have been reality programming. These shows have a voyeuristic element, but they often can offer lessons on how to achieve goals and get a handle on difficult areas of life, according to Kevin Gallegos, vice president of (FDR).

Here are five lessons anyone can learn from reality TV - and Gallegos' suggestions for using them to pay off your debt.

1. Focus on one challenge at a time. Every episode of "Project Runway" has the designers focus on a specific challenge. The lesson: Setting goals, and then focusing on them, gets things done. Consumers can have success getting out of debt using a

Figuring out the best way to celebrate Valentine's Day - or the best way to say "I love you" on Valentine's Day - depends on you and your partner, your relationship, and even where you live!

Here are some ideas that will make Valentine's Day fun and romantic...

5 Best Ways to Celebrate Valentine's Day

1. Play the Jelly Belly game. A fun, romantic way to spend Valentine's Day is to play fun games in the bedroom -- or not in the bedroom! For example, you could blindfold him and feed him Jelly Bellys. If he guesses the flavor correctly, he gets a prize (a kiss? a foot massage?). If he guesses wrong, you get a prize (a back massage? a piece of rich dark chocolate?). To make it more interesting, combine jelly bean flavors (eg, rootbeer + ice cream = root beer float, coconut + pineapple = pina colada, chocolate + cherry = chocolate covered cherries, etc.). Or you could play the I've Never - The Game of Truth!

2. A romantic gift bag of messages and toys. For Valentine's Day

Are you a pushover, doormat, or people pleaser? Stop it -- it's not good for you or anyone around you! These tips for standing up for yourself at work or home will help you become more assertive.
The following suggestions are inspired by something that often happens in my writing career: editors and publishers ask me to write an article, but don't want to pay what I normally charge ($1 a word or $50 an hour).

How do I deal with it? By applying tips that help me stand up for myself, in any situation...

1. Ask questions about the issue. When I think I deserve more money for an article assignment, I say, "Fifty cents cents per word seems a little low to me. Can we raise it to a dollar a word?" It's a simple question, and my editors can say no if they want. If they say no, I often ask why. Even if I lose the article assignment, I'll gain self-respect. Asking for what you want clearly and honestly is a great way to stand up for yourself.

2. Be clear about why you're standing up for

What are the best ways to save money in 2011? It depends on your lifestyle and personality. For instance, How much debt are you in? What's your money personality? How many kids do you have? How much money do you make? What are your money goals for 2011?


These money saving tips work for most people most of the time. They're more psychological than the "same old same old" ways to save money -- and I've used every one of them to save $3,000 for a trip to Hawaii in a few weeks!

Relate your financial goals to your overall life purpose. What do you want to do with your life - where do you see yourself in 5 years, 10 years, 20 years? Your thoughts become things, so stay focused on what you want to achieve in your life. Relate your life goals to specific money goals. Say, for instance, your life goal is to live in a home with a view of the ocean. Cut a picture of your dream home out of a magazine, or sketch it yourself. Paste it your fridge, bathroom mirror, office wall. That vision will help

Attracting more money into your life isn't just about cutting coupons and brown bagging it to work! It's your mindset and attitude that can make a huge difference in cash flow...and that's what these tips are all about. Psychology.

Before you can change your life, you need to change your mind. Or make up your mind. Or revive your mind! However you look at it, the first step to attracting and enjoying more money is changing how you think.

Check these tips out...

1. Learn about your money personality. Do you feel like you're the worst at paying the bills, investing money, or saving money? Negative money beliefs like those will stop you from attracting more money. To be more mindful about your money, figure out your money personality - which often comes from your childhood. For example, women may spend too much money because of childhood experiences, and not even be aware of it. You can avoid the trap of shopping, consumerism, and emotional spending if you know something