Sunday is my TV night. I watch 60 Minutes and Extreme Makeover Home Edition, and have now added Undercover Boss to my viewing roster. I've been watching 60 Minutes since I was a kid and it's an ingrained part of Sunday for me, a lot like reading the paper. I've been thinking a lot about the...

This year, I have gotten rid of a lot of junk. I look around my house now, and I see fewer things, but the things I see, I enjoy and value. I'm trying these days not to let anymore junk into my life. What's some of the junk that has left my life in 2009? Damp, empty boxes that had sat in my basement...

I just read an AP article in my local newspaper about "Transumers" -- people who are transient consumers. They don't purchase and consume things, they rent or lease consumer items that are then passed on to the next transumer. Sounds sort of green and sustainable, right? It was billed as...

It was in February of 2008 that I decided to change my relationship with money. I was sick of living week to week, always being scrambling to pay bills, being in debt and being generally stressed over money. I bartered with a life coach for a couple of sessions, but quickly realized I didn't need...

I've been slowly transitioning from store-bought to home-made for my personal and house cleaning needs. When one thing runs out (shampoo, laundry soap, etc.), I find a recipe and make it myself. I have pretty good supplies in store of most things, so it really is a slow process. I noticed a benefit...

As I was doing some baking for my annual New Year's Day brunch, I managed to finish up a jar of ground nutmeg. I have a tin of whole nutmegs, and I was glad to finish off the ground stuff so I could switch over to the less-processed variety. A friend of mine was hanging out in the kitchen with me...

It was 2002 when I first heard about the Dave Ramsey method, but it just confirmed what I knew to be true about money, debt, and freedom from my upbringing. Somehow along the way, though, I went astray and bought in to the whole consumer culture with quick credit and no savings. I had let myself believe...

There I was, watching the Antiques Roadshow on my 10+ year old televsion (tuned in through rabbit ears, as I cancelled cable this summer), and when some boring sports item came on, I flipped to one of the other three channels I get. And thre I saw two ads in a row for food items that were being marketed...

Like everyone, I've been following this whole financial meltdown in the news. A lot of us regular people have been saying "what does all this mean to me?" Well, I was listening to a call-in show on my commute yesterday and an economist was answering questions really clearly. He said, "What...

I started a new part-time gig today. I'll be tutoring a college student for four hours a week in 101 humanities courses. His mother is more interested in his success than he is, but I think it will be an interesting challenge to try to get him more involved in his schooling. Anyway, I'll be making...