Money Tips Network

If you can't resist the lure of big city living, but hate the impact it would have on your pocketbook, you might be wondering if there's any way you can actually afford such a move.

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This week's topic: Saving for Retirement!

A reader recently included a line in an email that I wanted to share with all of you.

“Failing at a big financial goal isn’t so bad. It’s kind of an uphill failure, because you’ve still got fewer debts and some money in the bank even if you don’t succeed at everything.”

This matches up wonderfully with what I’ve learned about failing at well-designed big goals: even in failure, you wind up in a better spot than where you started.

If you fail at a big financial goal, you likely have fewer debts and more money in the bank than you would otherwise.

If you fail at a big professional goal, you likely have a better resume and more professional contacts than you would otherwise.

If you fail at a big health goal, you’re likely in a better place health wise than when you started.

For most of us, our home is the biggest ticket item we'll ever buy. The amount of time, labor, and money this single transaction represents demands a clear head and clear motivations.

Placing a fraud alert on your credit report makes it harder for someone to steal your identity and open credit accounts in your name.

Hiring a contractor to waterproof your home's leaky basement, add that dream master bedroom, or renovate your kitchen is a big decision. These projects can cost thousands of dollars.

I’m kind of a cyclical person. I’ll go for a month or two where I just feel great and happy all the time, and then I’ll hit a rough spot where I’m frustrated and unhappy with myself. I find myself being far less productive, and I end up wasting a lot of time not doing anything of value at all.

When I’m in that kind of state, it isn’t fun. I’m not happy with myself. I often feel like I’m putting on a mask of happiness when interacting with people around me. I sleep more, and find I often get sick more, too. I often find myself overspending via online shopping, too.

There are several things that I do to shake myself out of this bad state, none of which involve spending any money. I usually find that a few days of filling my time with these things really helps and I’m back to my typical demeanor.

Benjamin Franklin once famously said, "In this world, nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes." You might assume that by no longer living in the U.S. you've defied the tax half of this statement.

We often exaggerate the phrase, "My worst nightmare," but when it comes to getting audited, it's true. Audits are many people's worst nightmare — but they don't automatically have to mean financial disaster.