Sarah Winfrey's blog
Posted November 6, 2009 - 08:00 by Sarah Winfrey
Lifestyle
Even with the economy slowly exiting the spectacular nosedive it took last year, many people find themselves with a renewed interest in living simply. However, what that means for each person depends on their own individual priorities. Determining what this means for each of us sounds like it should be easy, but instead is something many of us struggle with more than we are at peace about it. There are some questions you can ask that dig right to the heart of this matter. They aren't always easy, but the answers will be more than satisfying.
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Posted October 30, 2009 - 06:00 by Sarah Winfrey
Lifestyle
Have you ever found yourself wasting time when you know there's something you could be doing that means a lot to you? I know I find myself there all the time. What we rarely do is examine why we ended up in this situation in the first place. This might actually be the most useful reaction we could have. It's one thing to push your way out of a bad place, but quite another to figure out how to stay out of that place in the future. And staying away from those places usually involves knowing how we got there.
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Posted October 23, 2009 - 06:00 by Sarah Winfrey
Lifestyle
There's something attractive about empty space, whether it's in our decorating, how we spend our time, or some wiggle-room in our budgets. Now that we have the financial motivation, it seems like a good time to figure out what we want, why we want it, and how we're going to get there.
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Posted October 16, 2009 - 06:00 by Sarah Winfrey
Personal Finance
Do you ever feel like there's just too much to track when it comes to your finances? You can simplify your financial life just like you can simplify any other aspect of your life: by removing clutter, imposing order, and consistently putting things back where they belong.
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Posted October 8, 2009 - 15:28 by Sarah Winfrey
Shopping
Are you having a baby or do you know someone who is? It's an expensive process, particularly when it comes to buying all the accessories that seem to come along with having children. But it's easy to save on all these things, if you know how. Here are some tips and tricks for getting all the baby stuff you need for less than you might think possible.
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Posted October 2, 2009 - 07:00 by Sarah Winfrey
Cars and Transportation
Auto insurance is one of those pesky, nagging things, almost like a tiny leech. It sucks money away and we're not even always aware of it, at least until we have to write another check. The bad news is, car insurance isn't avoidable. Most states have minimal amounts that you're required to carry in order to drive legally. But the good news is that there are some easy ways to save money on your car insurance.
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Posted September 25, 2009 - 08:00 by Sarah Winfrey
Health and Beauty, Consumer Affairs
Most of us will, at one time or another, have to struggle with our insurance company over payment approval, referral approval, or any one of a myriad of other common issues. Here are some tips to help get insurance issues resolved as quickly as possible with a minimal hassle.
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Posted September 17, 2009 - 14:05 by Sarah Winfrey
Food and Drink
If you're like me, reveling in the fresh produce of summer and saddened when it departs in the fall, despair isn't your only option. There are good ways to preserve fruits and vegetables that allow you to enjoy them through fall and winter without paying a price that's too high, either for your pocketbook or for the planet.
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Posted September 11, 2009 - 05:00 by Sarah Winfrey
Food and Drink
Over the last several years, many of us have developed convictions about eating less, eating local, and eating organic. But when our convictions about food clash with our convictions about money, who wins? Luckily, it doesn't have to be a knock-down, drag-out battle, because it's not a win-or-lose situation. In fact, it's quite possible to find the best quality food for yourself and your family without violating either set of mores.
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Posted August 11, 2009 - 12:00 by Sarah Winfrey
Personal Finance
Though some economists are tentative and a few disagree outright, the majority of people in the know believe that the worldwide recession has hit rock bottom and we are now, slowly but surely, climbing our way out of the financial doldrums and back into prosperity. Now we have to discover a way to walk a tightrope of a middle line—to actively embrace the recovery while still living with the present mess and acknowledging that fact that we might not erase its effects for quite a while.
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Posted June 30, 2009 - 10:30 by Sarah Winfrey
Shopping
Shopping for clothes doesn't have to be painful: not to your wallet, not to you schedule, and (most importantly) not to your poor, aching brain. Taking the simple step of deciding beforehand which sorts of items are worth the splurge and which ones you won't pay anything above rock-bottom for can take the aches and pains out of the most dreaded shopping trips. Click through for some basic guidelines and you'll be ready to attack that list.
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Posted April 1, 2009 - 09:34 by Sarah Winfrey
Frugal Living
We've all heard that less is more. If you're like me, you've also heard at least a million ways to apply that. But is the opposite ever true? Do we ever save in the long run by spending more in the moment?
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Posted March 3, 2009 - 12:32 by Sarah Winfrey
Food and Drink
Are you skipping dessert because it just costs too much, either in money, time, or calories? Skip no more! Read on for ideas to make dessert easy, affordable, and healthier than ever.
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Posted February 3, 2009 - 11:38 by Sarah Winfrey
Investment
Poker's not just about gambling anymore! Interested in investing? Have a lot of poker know-how but not much in the world of finances? Need an excuse to play some more? Read on for some thoughts about how playing poker can enhance your investing.
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Posted January 6, 2009 - 10:55 by Sarah Winfrey
General Tips
Whatever holidays you celebrate in November, December, and January, they're over now. We spend November and December gearing up, getting ready, anticipating days off from work, travel, good food, and good times with people we love. Then January hits, and that's all over. Not only that, but the bills for all that hope and anticipation start arriving and we go back to our normal daily routine. It's no wonder if we sometimes look up and ask if the holidays really meant anything after all.
Seasons of letdown are difficult for the human spirit. They just are. There's not any way around that. But there are ways to lessen the impact of a letdown, any letdown, has on you.
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Posted December 8, 2008 - 14:30 by Sarah Winfrey
Art and Leisure
When I was growing up, I looked forward to the mysterious day that would come anywhere from a month to a couple of weeks before Christmas, when my mom would call us and everyone in the family would drop everything and "make Christmas." That's what we called the putting up of decorations, the choosing of the Christmas tree, and its decorating. That day started a whole sub-season for us, where the house would be filled with the most amazing smells and there were always cookies and candy canes and enough hot apple cider for as many cold, snowy kids as walked through the front door.
Now that I'm the adult in my house, I'm finding that making Christmas is suddenly my job. And it's expensive. ARGH! Let me tell you, it's almost been enough to send me running down the street barefooted, calling for anyone available to please (PLEASE!) make Christmas for me.But I persevered (aren't you all relieved?) and here is some of what I learned.
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Posted November 10, 2008 - 08:42 by Sarah Winfrey
Entrepreneurship, Small Business Resource Center
Thinking about starting your own business but concerned about the economy? Feeling the pull of being your own boss but wondering if that could possibly be a good decision under the current circumstances? Then you'll be relieved to find out that 92% of existing entrepreneurs say they'd have started their business regardless of the economic climate. But how do you do it? What do you need to consider when you start a business during an economic crunch? I talked to some people who've started businesses within the last year, and this is what they have to say.
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Posted October 13, 2008 - 13:00 by Sarah Winfrey
General Tips
It's your time and your money. But if you don't choose how you're going to think about them, you might end up frustrated and unsatisfied with the life you live. Here are some common theories of time and money, and some ideas about determining what's important to you.
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Posted September 23, 2008 - 13:36 by Sarah Winfrey
Health and Beauty
Ladies, are any of you out there like me? I hate buying clothes for work, because I know that work is the only place I'll wear them. They aren't particularly comfortable, and they certainly aren't my style outside of the office. On top of that, work clothes tend to cost more than any other clothes I buy. In fact, sometimes I feel like I should get an extra stipend just because I have to buy an entirely separate wardrobe full of clothes I would never otherwise choose to wear so that I can be presentable at the office.
Over the years, I've learned how to stretch my money when it comes to buying work clothes, so I can spend more of it on something I really want. Here are some of my ideas...
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Posted September 19, 2008 - 14:07 by Sarah Winfrey
Personal Finance
In case you hadn't noticed, stock markets around the world have done some crazy things this week. At this point, I think we're all a little lightheaded, wondering if we should be worried and, if so, how worried. It's scary when people compare our current situation to The Great Depression and issue dire warnings about not withdrawing all of our money from the bank. It's even scarier when some of those predictions seem to come true. Panic seems the natural response, and yet we know that won't help the situation. So what do we do? What can we tell ourselves when doubts and insecurity start to creep in?
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