The U.S. Department of Agriculture states that raising a child from birth to age 17 costs, for those in the middle-income groups, anywhere from $226,800 to $264,600. If you think that figure is large, consider the fact that those numbers do not take into account any damage (the physical kind, not emotional) the child can […]
Bloggy Thursdays: (Not) Raking in the Moolah
Welcome to this installment of Bloggy Thursdays, where I share with my fellow bloggers tips and tutorials to maximize and better your blog. While I do not consider myself an expert, I do like to think that after 10+ years of blogging — in addition to my technical knowledge — I know more than the average blogger […]
More Thoughts on Money, and Small Steps Forward
As stated in an earlier post, 2011 was not the best year — financially — for my family. This does not only apply to my parents. While J and I are by no means poor, we have been on a very tight budget. Yes, we were able to hire a part-time nanny for a few […]
Financial Hardships, and Being a Child of Immigrants
The media keeps telling us that the economy is getting better, that the unemployment rate is decreasing and that there are brighter days ahead. In my parents’ circle, this is not the case. Because from what I can see, 2011 has been the most difficult for small business owners, especially immigrant groups who rely on […]
The Big Red Bow Event
We’ve all seen the commercials. A doting spouse surprises his or her significant other with a brand new car for Christmas, complete with a big red bow on top. A screenshot from this year’s “A December to Remember Sales Event” commercial And if you’re anything like me, you’re probably thinking, “Does anyone actually do that?” […]