http://shine.yahoo.com/blog/shine_dorydevlinI'm the Shine Work+Money editor. Which makes me deliriously happy because I've spent lots of years writing about work, small business, technology and the quest for work-life balance as a newspaper reporter, columnist and freelance writer. I am also determined to manage our hard-earned money better. The reason: our three amazing kids who deserve an education and to explore the world beyond the friend-filled street they are growing up on, fast. Got a question or a suggestion for me? Please send me an email [Portrait Photography: Emily Nathan]Thu, 28 Aug 2008 11:58:45 -0700http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/money/women-don-t-lose-track-of-the-money-in-your-marriage-246229/No matter how uncomfortable talking about money and asking questions of each other is, we need to do it. If you don’t know exactly how much debt you have as a couple, how much money comes in and goes out each month, how many accounts you have and whose name they are in and how much is in them, make it a point to find out. Now.

I’ve seen smart, smart women suddenly realize they don’t know how much money is in investment accounts, and learn when it is too late that money has been moved around and spent by their “partners” without their knowledge. Others have no real clue what’s on their joint tax returns.]]>Thu, 28 Aug 2008 11:58:45 -0700nospam@example.com (Dory Devlin, Shine staff)http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/money/women-don-t-lose-track-of-the-money-in-your-marriage-246229/#commentshttp://shine.yahoo.com/channel/money/women-don-t-lose-track-of-the-money-in-your-marriage-246229/http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/money/how-to-find-a-fallback-job-243479/I wrote about the distracting effect the fear and/or threat of layoffs can have, but so much of that distraction comes from not having control over what will or will not happen in the workplace. One way to deal with uncertain times at work is to test the waters to see what other jobs may be available.]]>Mon, 25 Aug 2008 02:52:44 -0700nospam@example.com (Dory Devlin, Shine staff)http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/money/how-to-find-a-fallback-job-243479/#commentshttp://shine.yahoo.com/channel/money/how-to-find-a-fallback-job-243479/http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/money/tory-johnson-s-5-top-work-from-home-job-ideas-242850/Tory Johnson is one of the women tops on my list of women who truly help other women find good jobs. For more than 10 years, she has been running job fairs for women through her company, Women For Hire. More recently, she has become an expert on helping women find legitimate work-from-home work. And that's a real need amid the avalanche of questionable ads promising big salaries for work-at-home jobs that usually amount to scams.]]>Fri, 22 Aug 2008 15:52:32 -0700nospam@example.com (Dory Devlin, Shine staff)http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/money/tory-johnson-s-5-top-work-from-home-job-ideas-242850/#commentshttp://shine.yahoo.com/channel/money/tory-johnson-s-5-top-work-from-home-job-ideas-242850/http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/money/is-a-fear-of-layoffs-affecting-your-work-242246/Plain Jane writes about the upside of being unemployed with calm and wisdom in her post, which has sparked similar it-can-be-a-good-thing responses. I love her optimism because I think it's true. Once you let go of the fear of losing your job and the unknown, then you can put your energy into finding the next job, hopefully a better job.

But the reality is, the thought of losing a job is downright scary. It shakes the ground beneath us, and it shakes it extra hard during tough economic times. I came across a beautifully written post by a friend and former colleague at a newspaper where top management has just threatened to sell the paper if 200 of 750 full-time, non-union employees do not take buyouts by October. Kristen writes about coming home to her two kids, unable to focus well on the day she and her co-workers got the news. She is hit with this question from her 10-year-old after picking up snippets of a phone conversation between her mom and her traveling dad: "Are you going to be fired?" A tough question for a worried parent to answer without worrying her kids.]]>Thu, 21 Aug 2008 19:11:41 -0700nospam@example.com (Dory Devlin, Shine staff)http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/money/is-a-fear-of-layoffs-affecting-your-work-242246/#commentshttp://shine.yahoo.com/channel/money/is-a-fear-of-layoffs-affecting-your-work-242246/http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/money/work-poll-do-you-get-paid-if-you-take-a-sick-day-241628/Remember the last time you were sick? Were you able to take a day off from work to get better or would taking a sick day have meant losing a day's pay?

More than 46 million U.S. workers don't have paid sick days. As the AP reports, that translates to about 43 percent of people working for private companies, and most of them are low-paid employees at small businesses, according to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics. It's lousy going to work when you're sick, but having to push yourself into work because you can't afford to take the time off to get better is really lousy.]]>Wed, 20 Aug 2008 23:45:19 -0700nospam@example.com (Dory Devlin, Shine staff)http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/money/work-poll-do-you-get-paid-if-you-take-a-sick-day-241628/#commentshttp://shine.yahoo.com/channel/money/work-poll-do-you-get-paid-if-you-take-a-sick-day-241628/http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/money/some-answers-for-jennifer-here-s-what-the-heck-to-do-with-your-money-240820/Fashion & Beauty editor Jennifer Romolini asks a universal question in her post, "What the heck should I do with my money?" So many of us have been there. After getting by on small sums in college, after starting our first jobs that deliver lots of good experience but little in the way of pay, suddenly we look up to realize we're earning decent money, and actually have the ability to save some of it.

The irreverent and stylish Ms. Romolini has already done some very hard work when it comes to her money: She has paid off (mostly?) her credit card debt, which is really great. It's also the first thing anyone carrying credit card debt should do before considering ways to save because the amount you're paying at high interest to carry the debt wipes out any gains you could hope to make in a savings account. So, yay Jennifer.

Where does she go from here?]]>Wed, 20 Aug 2008 00:27:51 -0700nospam@example.com (Dory Devlin, Shine staff)http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/money/some-answers-for-jennifer-here-s-what-the-heck-to-do-with-your-money-240820/#commentshttp://shine.yahoo.com/channel/money/some-answers-for-jennifer-here-s-what-the-heck-to-do-with-your-money-240820/http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/money/all-students-loans-are-not-good-debt-239460/Laura Rowley makes this excellent point in her Yahoo! Finance column this week, and it bears close reading. As debt from student loans hits some all-time highs, not every student will earn a salary out of the gate that will make paying off monthly loan payments while paying rent, transportation and living costs an easy thing to do.

These are staggering facts: During the 1990s, average student loan debt doubled, Rowley writes. Two-thirds of grads now leave college with an average loan debt of $21,000 and 10 percent of grads from four-year, nonprofit schools have debt of $40,000 or more. A consult with FinAid's Mark Kantrowitz shows that grads with loans as high as $40,000 could be paying anywhere from $278 to $551 a month, with the lower payments leading to distressing amounts of interest that can double the amount of the original loan.

What's the answer? Good question.]]>Mon, 18 Aug 2008 17:58:48 -0700nospam@example.com (Dory Devlin, Shine staff)http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/money/all-students-loans-are-not-good-debt-239460/#commentshttp://shine.yahoo.com/channel/money/all-students-loans-are-not-good-debt-239460/http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/money/how-to-cut-your-back-to-school-shopping-bill-in-half-236041/It's back-to-school time, which can get expensive fast for parents. A friend of mine was helping compile her sons' teachers' supplies list for a Staples-PTA online fund-raising effort and discovered one fourth grade teacher's list alone added up to $85. One class, one child. And that's before you even hit the clothing stores.

So while gathering the kids in the car and heading out to buy pens and notebooks and new shoes is billed as a fun, American back-to-school ritual, it can lead to some pretty hefty bills sandwiched between summer vacations and holiday spending. We're all looking for ways to save this year, so with that in mind, here are some ideas to cut your back-to-school shopping bill in half. Please add your own savings ideas in the comments below!]]>Thu, 14 Aug 2008 18:37:56 -0700nospam@example.com (Dory Devlin, Shine staff)http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/money/how-to-cut-your-back-to-school-shopping-bill-in-half-236041/#commentshttp://shine.yahoo.com/channel/money/how-to-cut-your-back-to-school-shopping-bill-in-half-236041/http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/money/work-from-home-here-s-how-to-do-it-with-less-stress-235306/As someone who has worked from home for a decade, I love these 16 "mini ways to relax" from decor8's Holly Becker on RealSimple.com for those of us who work from home and know it's no picnic.

Just reading them makes me feel more relaxed. I think I like them mostly because they are the opposite of what I am currently doing day to day but what I envision myself doing one of these days. Maybe when the kids head back to school? Tips 1 through 3 are all about some "morning me time," and involve a healthy breakfast, hot tea and no rushing or list-making. Noted.]]>Wed, 13 Aug 2008 22:15:16 -0700nospam@example.com (Dory Devlin, Shine staff)http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/money/work-from-home-here-s-how-to-do-it-with-less-stress-235306/#commentshttp://shine.yahoo.com/channel/money/work-from-home-here-s-how-to-do-it-with-less-stress-235306/http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/money/what-would-you-want-to-see-in-a-credit-cardholders-bill-of-rights-232363/People are fed up with the shenanigans credit card companies employ to move up payment dates, increase interest rates and fees, and generally make it easier for consumers who are falling behind on credit card payments to fall further behind, faster. The good news is, frustrated borrowers are finally getting heard.]]>Mon, 11 Aug 2008 20:27:29 -0700nospam@example.com (Dory Devlin, Shine staff)http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/money/what-would-you-want-to-see-in-a-credit-cardholders-bill-of-rights-232363/#commentshttp://shine.yahoo.com/channel/money/what-would-you-want-to-see-in-a-credit-cardholders-bill-of-rights-232363/99874wisteriaI'm the Shine Work+Money editor. Which makes me deliriously happy because I've spent lots of years writing about work, small business, technology and the quest for work-life balance as a newspaper reporter, columnist and freelance writer. I am also determined to manage our hard-earned money better. The reason: our three amazing kids who deserve an education and to explore the world beyond the friend-filled street they are growing up on, fast. Got a question or a suggestion for me? Please send me an email [Portrait Photography: Emily Nathan]11 I'm the Shine Work+Money editor. Which makes me deliriously happy because I've spent lots of years writing about work, small business, technology and the quest for work-life balance as a newspaper reporter, columnist and freelance writer. I am also determined to manage our hard-earned money better. The reason: our three amazing kids who deserve an education and to explore the world beyond the friend-filled street they are growing up on, fast. Got a question or a suggestion for me? Please send me an email [Portrait Photography: Emily Nathan] 000.0000IDInfoshine_dorydevlin#ivshine_dorydevlinapTPJPczzcJE8Ac7.LIXnz4cd8a_ob9o5ncOoNk9AusDory Devlin, Shine staffnhttp://us.i1.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/i/identity/nopic_96.gif9696http://us.i1.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/i/identity/nopic_244.gif2424http://us.i1.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/i/identity/nopic_48.gif4848http://us.i1.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/i/identity/nopic_32.gif3232http://f3.yahoofs.com/coreid/47e1a317i16d7zul3sp1/yaUzFFwic6.baCs_cmZ0BJEwKzRd.6BU/1/tn96.jpg?ciAg_6IBHTOgdwl09696http://f3.yahoofs.com/coreid/47e1a317i16d7zul3sp1/yaUzFFwic6.baCs_cmZ0BJEwKzRd.6BU/1/tn24.jpg?ciAg_6IBMrHcjvxn2424http://f3.yahoofs.com/coreid/47e1a317i16d7zul3sp1/yaUzFFwic6.baCs_cmZ0BJEwKzRd.6BU/1/tn48.jpg?ciAg_6IBySqXwA4z4848http://f3.yahoofs.com/coreid/47e1a317i16d7zul3sp1/yaUzFFwic6.baCs_cmZ0BJEwKzRd.6BU/1/tn32.jpg?ciAg_6IBW6V0s1Qk3232IDContextualInfoglobalYahoo!01http://profiles.yahoo.com/shine_dorydevlinIDContextualInfombYahoo! Message BoardsIDContextualInfowisteriawisteria1Error Reading Key for user shine_dorydevliniv#iv to UDB in UDBConnection