In this crazy busy world, every couple needs some time away from the kids, pets, mortgage, and boss to get reacquainted and focus on their relationship. We may see our spouse every day and spend time with them amongst the rigors of daily life, but that just isn’t enough. If you are like us, the time and cash aren’t available to pack up and take a romantic vacation to a far off island paradise. So what’s a cash-strapped married couple supposed to do? I’m sure you’ve read about the “staycation” trend; it entails staying close to or at home and taking time off from your usual routine. A romantic staycation is similar to that, but it’s just for the two of you sans the family. You’ll need to strictly focus on each other, so take a few days off work, send the kids to your mothers, and ask a friend to watch the pets. It’s time to get flirty and have some fun. Here are a few ideas to get you started. Use these or let them inspire you to come with some of your own:
Joanna CrainIdeas for a Romantic and Cheap Staycation
by Joanna Crain
Would You Marry for Money?
by Joanna Crain
“Looks and love are fleeting, but money can make up for the loss,” was a mantra I heard starting at a very young age from a close relative. She had successfully married a very wealthy man and seemed quite happy. Similarly, I have a close friend whose grandmother had always told her, “Marry for money, you can always learn to love.” She took her advice and in that case, it was a total disaster. I didn’t take the advice I’d been given, but apparently many women in our society do. Surprisingly, the practice is more common in our American culture than you might think. You might think this piece is headed in the direction of blasting anyone who values money in their signficant other. However, you’ll see I actually try to lend some legitimate support for this practice further down below.
How To Live Stylishly on a Tight Budget
by Joanna Crain
I initially titled this post “Live Stylishly Within Your Means,” but upon further investigation, I found that little phrase had no less than 267,000 search returns in Google. So I went with a title with fewer search results. You’re probably saying, “So?” Here’s my point, at first, I really didn’t see any difference in the titles and was using them interchangeably as do many other authors on the internet, but after pondering it a bit, I realized they meant two very different things. You can aspire to and succeed in “living stylishly within your means” even if you make $100,000 a year which means your budget can be pretty darn big. On the other hand, “living stylishly on a tight budget” implies that you are working with a severely restricted income and you’ll need every ounce of creativity and ingenuity you can muster to pull it off.
What I Wish I Had Taught My Daughter About Money
by Joanna Crain
My oldest daughter had many milestones this year. She got her drivers license, got her first car, got her first job and turned 18 just this week. Besides being a festive day full of the usual celebrations, we went to get her first bank account. Out of all the huge life-changing events she went through this year, I think the bank account had to be the one that gave me the most pause. I was tormented by the thought that she may be destined for the same financial crisis I put myself through when starting out. Of course, back then I had no clue about how to handle my money or to be a good steward of it. I was guilty of countless transgressions against my financial health. By the time I was 25, I was a complete financial disaster, with no apparent means by which to dig myself out.
Are You a Tightwad or Just Conservative?
by Joanna Crain
According to Merriam-Webster, the word “tightwad” means “a close or miserly person.” Let’s take that a step further: “miserly” means “of, relating to or characteristic of a miser; marked by grasping meanness and penuriousness.” On the other hand, the term “conservative” as applicable here means “marked by moderation or caution.” Wow, that is a big difference in meanings, but often conservative spenders and tightwads are considered one and the same. That seems like a bum rap to me now, but if you asked me a few years ago, I would have been guilty of using these terms interchangeably, and often choosing to go with tightwad.
Have The Money Talk When You Get Engaged
by Joanna Crain
Congratulations! Depending on your situation, you either popped the question or accepted a proposal, either way now you’re engaged. While this is very exciting and you surely have a bright future ahead, you may have forgotten to talk about one not-so-little issue: your finances. I don’t mean wedding-related finances, like how the heck you’re going to pay for the 50 extra guests you didn’t plan for or paying off the ring you were two grand over-budget on. Those are all valid concerns, but what about after the wedding, when things settle down and you realize your spouse is draining the bank or they are so tight with money you have to pry it out of their fist. What then? If only you had known before the “I dos,” you could have come up with a solution that worked for the both of you from the beginning or jumped ship. That’s harsh, yes, but it’s the hard truth.
Cheap Ways to Keep Your Kids Busy this Summer
by Joanna Crain
I predict the world as I know it will be rocked by two earthquakes producing a magnitude of 7.5 or more on Monday, May 31, 2010. How do I know this? That is the first day my highly active (yet well-behaved) 7 year old son and 8 year old daughter are officially on summer vacation at HOME. I write from home full-time. Get the picture? Since we made the decision to keep them home this summer (when they aren’t with grandmother, at camp, or with their friends), I have been wracking my brain to figure out ways to keep them busy and having fun so I can get my work done and not have to stay up all night. I know there are others like me out there so I wanted to share some ideas I came up with and have started implementing. The ideas revolve around 2 lists described below, the “I’m Bored List” and the “Opportunities List.”
5 Financial Goals Women Should Set in Their 20s
by Joanna Crain
Being financially illiterate isn’t cute or feminine. Many women in the past got away with passing all financial responsibilities on to their husbands, but in this day and age, with more of us not getting married until later, it is about time we started becoming financially responsible from the beginning.
That means starting early, preferably with a first job. Are you passed that and into your 20s or later? Then, now is the time to seize control of your financial destiny by setting solid financial goals:
Dress Like a Million Bucks without Breaking the Bank
by Joanna Crain
You see her every day, the woman at the office or on the street who’s dressed to the nines and looks fabulous. Appearances will lead you to believe she must spend a small fortune to look like that, but the reality is many chic dressers these days know how to dress like a million bucks without spending it. It’s more about being shopping savvy and knowing what you want, where to get it, and when to get it. The Internet is filled with independent “fashion” bloggers that tout the trend of dressing well without giving into whims and shop-a-holic overspending tendencies like blogger Serena of Fabulously Broke in the City and Style on a String.
Get Physically Fit without Killing Your Budget
by Joanna Crain
Gym memberships can cost over $1,000 a year. Add a personal trainer to that and you are spending thousands to get fit and stay that way. Granted, being physically fit is extremely important, but so is being financially fit. How do you balance the two? Consider some alternatives to the gym and personal trainer scene. Here are a few ideas to get you moving without overspending and also provide you with convenience of not having to travel to your gym if it’s a little far:
The Ultimate Guide to Finding College Scholarship Opportunities
by Joanna Crain
Paying for college is a top concern for many college-bound individuals. When thinking of obtaining money for college, resources that many people shy away from are scholarships. The application and essay process can be a big turnoff for many, but scholarships have completely paid for many winners’ educations, with some receiving as much as $200,000 over the course of their studies, proving that the initial time investment totally pays for itself. So this is definitely a money source you don’t want to turn your back on. New and returning students alike have access to billions of dollars of scholarships. Most scholarships can be found in the usual places online, in books or at your college of choice, while others can be a bit harder to find but are worth the extra research. Here are a few ideas of places to search for scholarships:
Five Steps to Creating a Unified Budget for Couples
by Joanna Crain
Budgeting for Couples
We bring into relationships beliefs about money developed from our childhood experiences and how we learned to handle our finances once we got out on our own in our 20s. It is very hard to meld two separate belief systems together into one, but it can be done with an ample amount of courage, patience and understanding. I’ve given you five steps to better understand each other’s money beliefs and create a budget that works for the both of you.
Shoo, Jimmy Choo! The Modern Girl’s Guide to Spending Less & Saving More
by Joanna Crain
“How did a cute, employed girl like yourself end up having to hock her skinny jeans on eBay just to pay the rent?” This is the perennial question in Catey Hill’s financial guide for women, Shoo, Jimmy Choo! The Modern Girl’s Guide to Spending Less & Saving More. Hill, a money editor for New York Daily News, a previous financial marketing manager for Forbes, and a self proclaimed “recovering shoe addict,” gives valuable insight into the female financial psyche and offers practical and specific steps to get our Jimmy Choo’s or Payless specials on the right path to financial freedom.
How to Fit “Giving” into Your Budget
by Joanna Crain
I ran across this story on the Chicago Tribune website filed under “Happy News,” and I couldn’t resist sharing it with you. According to the Tribune, Grace Groner lived frugally for years on a secretary’s salary and upon her death at age 100, she donated $7 million to her alma mater, Lake Forest College. In addition to this incredible donation, she also created a small scholarship program and gifted money to it consistently for years. What an amazing feat for a woman in her position! So how did she do it?
Personal Finance Round-Up: Have a Happy Valentine’s Day on a Budget
by Money Crashers
This year is a tough one for many, especially when it comes to the holidays, and Valentine’s Day is no different. Even though it gets a bad rap as one of “those commercial” holidays, you still can’t deny giving and receiving presents with your significant other is rather fun and often expected. Here are some great ideas for having an enjoyable, yet frugal Valentine’s Day from our personal finance blogging friends around the Web. Also, included is a PF blog post that gives you 100 Ways to Save $1000 in one day that should help you save quite a bit for next year’s Valentine!
