Work + Money
Just one week of financial mindfulness can help you stop spending and break bad money patterns. These three women tried it -- and came out focused, motivated, and (yes!) richer. By Kenrya Rankin Naasel, REDBOOK.
There's something super-appealing about starting January on a clean financial page, especially if last year's page was covered with red ink. Experts suggest that you begin 2013 with a spending cleanse: a short, intense exercise that clears your head, zeroes in on your goals, and kicks off better buying habits.
"If you're trying to change, short-term interventions are a good first step," says Arlen T. Olberding, a certified financial planner in Fort Collins, CO. "They can break old routines and help establish successful new ones."
We found three women raring for a reboot and had them each try a reinvigorating, belt-tightening one-week plan crafted by a financial advisor. To start off any money cleanse, you need to figure out exactly what you're spending, so all the women f...Read More »By Alyssa Goldman, Cheapism.com
Jean Chatzky, financial editor of the "Today Show" and author of seven personal finance books, strives to help baby boomers become and stay solvent. On her new RLTV series, "Money Matters with Jean Chatzky," Chatzky tackles issues that matter most to the 50-plus demographic, such as retirement and funding a child's college education. Viewers take to Skype, Twitter, Facebook, and email to get their questions answered.
Jean Chatzky, financial editor of the Today Show and author, has financial tips to sh …
Related: Top inexpensive ereaders
Below is a sample of her best tips.
Save, save, save. Have a goal in mind and save up for it; this will stop you from making impulse buys. Not sure if you should make that purchase? Chatzky suggests thinking it over for 24 hours. "Often you'll decide you didn't need it anyway," she says.
Automate your savings. Once you determine how much to save, direct that money to your savings account. "It's easier to make a good decision one time and have it happen automatically than to make the sa
...Read More »- Bringing new meaning to the phrase 'happy couple,' Chinese businessman Wu Duanbiao gave his daughter and her husband a dowry worth nearly $150 million in celebration of their wedding on Sunday, according to the South China Morning Post.
Miss Wu
Wu, who is the chairman of the ceramics firm Fujian Wanli Group, gave his daughter and her new husband four boxes of gold jewelry, millions of dollars deposited into their bank account, donations to local charities in their names, shares in the ceramics firm, two cars, and "an impressive property portfolio." A spokesman for Wu's firm confirmed the dowry.
Chinese wedding customs in Hong Kong
The groom's finances have vastly improved since his marriage on Sunday. He only makes about $24,000 a year, and "gets his bread from the government," according to the Daily Mail. The bride and groom have known each other since they were in kindergarten.
Reports of the Wu dowry and photographs of the bounty were published by the South China Morning Post on Monday. T...Read More » By Raechel Conover, Cheapism.com
Did you spend too much on Christmas presents? Are Christmas gift cards burning a hole in your pocket? Regardless which side of the fence you fall on, frugal shoppers will find plenty to buy in January. This is an excellent month to stock up on items like linens or to make big purchases like a name-brand HDTV.
Grab bargains at after Christmas sales.
Related: Best affordable laptops
Christmas/Holiday Items and Winter Apparel. Starting the day after Christmas, holiday items take a nose dive and continue to fall throughout January. By now you should be seeing prices at least as low as half off, but the selection is dwindling fast. Still, if you're deciding what to buy in January, consider stocking up on wrapping paper, ornaments, cards, and the like to stash away for next year.
Unlike leftover Christmas gear, winter apparel prices probably won't be at their lowest in January because demand remains relatively strong. That said, retailers begin marking down winter gear this month
...Read More »- Julie Keith was unpacking some of last year's Halloween decorations when she stumbled upon an upsetting letter wedged into the packaging.
This letter was found in Halloween decorations purchased from Kmart
Tucked in between two novelty headstones that she had purchased at Kmart, she found what appeared to be a letter from the Chinese laborer, who had made the decoration, pleading for help.
Samsung in hot seat over abusing Chinese workers
The letter reads: "Sir, if you occasionally buy this product, please kindly resend this letter to the World Human Right Organization. Thousands people here who are under the persecution of the Chinese Communist Party Government will thank and remember you forever."
"I was so frustrated that this letter had been sitting in storage for over a year, that this person had written this plea for help and nothing had come of it." Julie Keith told Yahoo! Shine. "Then I was shocked. This person had probably risked their life to get this letter in this package."
The letter describes the conditions at the factory: "People who ...Read More »
- So I'm going to be in the Wall Street Journal talking about how I'm a work-at-home mom and why I attend events like blog conferences. Cool.
mom blogging
I can get with that because I love all the "mommyblogger" events I attend each year, like the Mom 2.0 Summit and the BlogHer conference. I love them because they have made an enormous positive impact on my work, because I am able to network and develop new ideas, and because I get to spend time with my tribe.
I never had a tribe until I started working in social media. I can't begin to express how much it has enriched my life to know the fellow bloggers and entrepreneurs I now know just because I started a blog about postpartum depression nine years ago. I work in a quiet house all day between dropping the kids off and picking them up from the bus stop, but I'm never alone. A quick hop onto Twitter or Facebook and I'm conversing with some of the smartest, most clever, most funny people I know. I'm continually amazed at how much each has
...Read More » - Last week I went to Washington DC for four days to attend TEDMED, the health and medicine version of the very popular TED Conference. I arrived early in DC on Tuesday and headed to a comfy spot in a cafe before the conference started so I could get some work done, only to find that I had already lost an important component of my cell phone charger. You know the part that plugs into the wall? Yeah, that one. I had just made it into the first few hours of a long trip and I was already unable to charge my phone, which by noon was at 20% battery.
travel mom
No problem, I thought. I have a Mophie, so I'll be able to use that to keep my phone charged. Only it kept running out of juice as well. Okay, Katherine, let's try option C. Just use your USB plug and plug it into your computer while you sleep. Nope, that didn't work either. Moving on to option D, I decided I'd simply hang out by the conference's charging stations each day and use my USB plug there. Except so many people were using those stat
...Read More » - Today is Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day, a national event that was created to give our kids a peek into the working world. And while many companies plan a day of special events, parties, and long lunches for the kids-remember that today's really a day to show them what work is all about. So, if you're planning to bring your sons or daughters to work today, here are a few ways to make the most of it.
1. Teach Business Etiquette 101
Heading to the office is a great time to give kids a lesson in workplace etiquette. Now matter how old they are, spend some time teaching them how to give a handshake, make eye contact, introduce themselves, and greet someone properly. Once you get to the office, have them practice their handshakes and introductions as you take them around to meet the team. And don't let them wear their usual attire to the office! Make sure they pick out work-appropriate outfits, and use the opportunity to talk about your office dress code: why suits are require...Read More » 
Aries (March 21 - April 19)
Just before things get better, they get worse -- much, much worse. It's like that old saw, the darkest time is just before dawn. Don't get too upset by it, though, because your time of renewal is just around the corner.
Today's Aries Reading: Free Sample Celtic Love Tarot Reading
Taurus (April 20 - May 20)
Emotions run high today, especially when money comes up. Possessiveness and jealousy rear their ugly heads early and often. There is no way out of the fuss, either -- so hold onto your wallet and defend your position.
Today's Taurus Reading: Free Sample Destiny Reading
...Read More »
Gemini (May 21 - June 21)
Things are moving much slower than usual -- but the good news is that you can now see things that usually happen to fast to catch. It's like time-lapse phoHow much money you make isn't nearly as important as how you use it, according to Elizabeth Dunn and Michael Norton, authors of the new book Happy Money. In fact, they say, once you get to $75,000 a year, a bigger paycheck has no impact on day-to-day bliss. So smile, and follow their proven rules for how to be happy with less money. REDBOOK.
Shell out on friendships
Research shows that our best moods often come when we're spending time with family and friends. "Yet when many people are saving up for something major-a car, a computer, a TV, whatever-one of the first things they'll cut back on is socializing," says Dunn. "They'll say, 'I'd like to go out with you guys Friday night, but I'm saving up.' Putting money away is a very positive goal that correlates to happiness, but when your route limits time with friends, you need to think about whether that's a worthwhile trade-off."
Related: 25 Little Life Hacks to Make Life Simpler, Saner and More Fun
Splurge on experiences, not th...Read More »
MOST POPULAR
Today on Yahoo!
Follow Shine
PICK OF THE DAY
Shopping steals in Jan. Work + MoneyJanuary is an excellent month to take advantage of sales on Christmas decor, electronics, furniture and more.
More on Yahoo!
