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This article is by staff writer Holly Johnson.

It’s getting to be summertime, and the living should be easy. But if you’ve ever priced out a week-long vacation, you already know what a shocking experience it can be. Even when you’re frugal, the costs that come with domestic and international travel are inescapable and really add up quickly.

Not only are you on the hook for lodging at a hotel or resort typically, but you may also have to pay for airfare, a rental car, resort fees and travel-related taxes. And if you want to have any fun or eat, your expenses won’t stop there. Add in the cost of park tickets, excursions, shows, and meals and you’re ponying up a great deal of cash for your relaxing getaway.

This article is by staff writer Honey Smith.

Next week marks my two-month anniversary at my new job. Huzzah! In addition to celebrating my new, higher salary, I am also feeling simultaneously challenged and less stressed.

I feel challenged because my new job is in an entirely different industry than my former position. But I’m definitely less stressed because the performance expectations are reasonable and my colleagues are fun and friendly. I may even be celebrating a new coworker soon, since the friend who got me into SEO in the first place (and who was also one of my professional references for my current position) has applied for a job in my department.

This article is from returning staff writer Tim Sullivan.
I haven’t spent a Father’s Day with my dad for over a decade. Don’t get me wrong, my father is awesome. If I could jet-set at will, I’d be flying non-stop to make him Bloody Marys every third Sunday in June.

This year is different, though. A break in my schedule and a new nephew in the family means I am back in my hometown for a nice, long stretch this summer. My mother is looking forward to long dinners on the back deck with my wife and me, and my father is looking forward to having me do all the honey-do list items that his doctor says he shouldn’t tackle anymore.

This is a guest post by Lynnette Khalfani-Cox.

In a little less than 18 months, I lost three treasured family members. First, my husband’s 94-year-old grandmother, Nana, passed away in late 2013 and was laid to rest just before Thanksgiving.

At the end of December 2014, my sister Deborah died suddenly and completely unexpectedly. Debby was a 49-year-old healthy, vibrant person, the mother of an 11-year-old daughter, and the most caring individual I’ve ever known.

Five weeks after Debby’s death left my entire family reeling, our dear Uncle Otis, who was like a father to me, passed away from cancer at the age of 75.

Needless to say, the emotional pain of these losses has often felt unbearable. But for many individuals, unexpected financial expenses may arise that add to the grief they experience as well.