I – like I am sure all women who travel for business – am sometimes asked if I mind the time on the road. The subtext, of course, being: Don’t you miss your kids? Isn’t it tough being away from your husband?
“Sometimes it’s tough being away,” I acknowledge. “But I try to go for just a night or two at a time. And,” I admit, thinking specifically of the heavenly bed at the Westin, of having coffee and buttered toast delivered to the door, “having a night to myself in a nice hotel is pretty nice.”
At least it has been.
But, as Sarah Nassauer wrote in last week’s Wall Street Journal, my mini-vacations are in danger of obsolescence. “Hotels are offering room discounts or other rewards to guests to agree to make due with less housekeeping.” More…
I work full time and my husband is home raising the kids. It just ended up working out that way when he lost his job and then I got pregnant. I handle paying the bills – and I absolutely HATE it. I am also not great with it either and that frustrates him. When I tell him to take over, he won’t even consider it… and then when he sees some of the credit card bills come in, he jumps right on me. Help! - Kim, Maryland
Kim, thanks for writing. Your email brought back memories. When I was growing up, neither one of my parents liked paying the bills. So my mother would do it for as many months as she could stand it, then when she got really, really cranky my father would take over. And months later, when he had all he could take, she would once again take over for him. I think the difference between your approach and theirs is the difference between the words “ask” and “tell.” More…
According to the National Retail Federation, couples plan to spend, on average, $63.34 on their significant other this season – 6 percent less than what they expected to spend in 2009. But it can be tough to stick to that budget (we didn’t succeed at Christmas). So I’m helping you out. Here’s a look at some of the hottest Valentine’s Day gifts for 2010 — and some lower-cost alternatives that are sure to still be a hit. More…
HOW: After spending much of her life trying to lose weight just to gain it back again, Kim Bensen decided that enough was enough. It took two years, 212 pounds, 200 cholesterol points, and too many sizes to count, but in 2003, Bensen was able to reach her weight loss goal – only to be met by another challenge. Bensen’s husband, Mark, a life-long diabetic, had health concerns that took him out of the workforce overnight – leaving her family of six with no income.
Bensen had developed recipes over that two-year span that she had begun to share online. All of her recipes were a hit, but her bagels were the crowd favorite – and it took her family’s version of an economic meltdown for Bensen to see that her bagels could become their own business. A friend encouraged her to pursue the opportunity, so after meeting with a commercial baker, Bensen developed a plan to launch her bagel business. More…
Bill: You have to sign over what you’re making to the common pot.
Margene: It’s a little more complicated than that. I think we should talk about accountants, and money managers, and lawyers.
That’s how it went on a recent episode of “Big Love.” Yet another example of how far – in our earning power and our intention not to cede the managing of that money – women have come. A report in mid-January from the Pew Research Center, entitled “New Economics of Marriage: The Rise of Wives,” confirms it with data. Women have made big gains in both education and in income. But rather than wreaking havoc on happiness and leading to an increase in divorce, it did the opposite. The effects were largely positive.
On the whole – yes – but what about relationships where the balance of power changed over time? “That would be a good question,” acknowledged D’Vera Cohn, one of the study’s lead researchers. More…
This morning on NBC, the Money 911 panel tackled your money troubles, like paying bills when you’re on a tight budget, how debt counseling will impact your credit score, and more. Be sure to watch the video below, and submit your money questions to me here!
“My husband just had his pay cut in half with no warning. He also has a company car which they now want back. We have a small cushion to pay our bills for a few months but I’m going to have to help out financially until we get back on our feet. We have two cars and an 18 year old son who needs one of the cars for his job. So, I’m stuck at home. I searched the internet for work at home jobs and found a website. They pay you to fill out surveys and you can do as many or as few as you want. My question is: Is there any way to tell if this company is legit? There is a small membership fee of $39.95 which I didn’t think was too bad. Do you know anything about this?” - Debbie, Delaware
There has been a lot of news recently about work-at-home opportunities that have turned out to be scams — leaving people even more strapped for cash than they were to begin with. At times like these, when unemployment is up, scammers have a bigger pool of people to prey on.
So you’re wise to be careful. There are legitimate at-home jobs out there, but in your search, you need to keep your eyes wide open for some telltale warning signs. I asked Alison Southwick of the Better Business Bureau for her tips, as well as any red flags that should have you hitting the “back” button on your web browser right from the get go. More…
Women have — for generations — had the stigma of being bad with money. Lucy begged Ricky for her allowance. Carrie Bradshaw blew her retirement fund on shoes. Even now, many of us can name at least one girlfriend who splits a purchase between cash and credit so she doesn’t have to own up to the cost to her spouse.
Women are getting a bad wrap. These days, more and more of us are taking charge when it comes to our family’s money. At the end of last year, a study by FindLaw.com found that 37 percent of married women between the ages of 18 – 34 handle all of the household finances, compared to 30 percent of married men. In a 2006 study by Money magazine, 60 percent of women said they’re responsible for budgeting, bill paying, and day-to-day spending in their households. More…
I – like I am sure all women who travel for business – am sometimes asked if I mind the time on the road. The subtext, of course, being: Don’t you miss your kids? Isn’t it tough being away from your husband?
I work full time and my husband is home raising the kids. It just ended up working out that way when he lost his job and then I got pregnant. I handle paying the bills – and I absolutely HATE it. I am also not great with it either and that frustrates him. When I tell him to take over, he won’t even consider it… and then when he sees some of the credit card bills come in, he jumps right on me. Help!
According to the 
WHO: Kim Bensen
Bill: How much did you make last month?
“My husband just had his pay cut in half with no warning. He also has a company car which they now want back. We have a small cushion to pay our bills for a few months but I’m going to have to help out financially until we get back on our feet. We have two cars and an 18 year old son who needs one of the cars for his job. So, I’m stuck at home. I searched the internet for work at home jobs and found a website. They pay you to fill out surveys and you can do as many or as few as you want. My question is: Is there any way to tell if this company is legit? There is a small membership fee of $39.95 which I didn’t think was too bad. Do you know anything about this?”
