Money Tips Network

Does birth order impact overall intelligence? It's a question researchers have been asking for centuries and continue to investigate today. And while there are many factors that contribute to personality and smarts, studies do show that where you fall in your family tree may have some impact on the person you become and the I.Q. you achieve. (See also: Good and Bad Habits of Smart People)

Here's what we know.

Many people invest their hope for a happier life in future achievements. For you, this could be a higher salary, a family milestone, or a more relaxed lifestyle.

In reality, there will always be another achievement on the horizon. Happiness can only be enjoyed today, in the present moment. (See also: This Is Why You Settle (and How to Stop))

Accordingly, we find ourselves in this daily tension between pursuing more and enjoying what we have. Here are a few tips for being happier with what you have today.

When you're Angelina Jolie and have Brad Pitt by your side, you can make anything look good.

That's why Angelina spent a measly $26 on a velvet dress at a thrift shop for a major movie premiere. She is a good example of taking charge of your finances: while raking in the big bucks as the face of an American fashion brand, St John, she saved by dropping tags at the thrift shop. (See also: The Surprisingly Frugal Lifestyles of 12 Famous Superheroes)

Emergencies happen, and they can often be expensive — particularly crises like car accidents, unexpected dental or medical needs, high vet bills, or unexpected flooding in your apartment after a vicious storm. If you have not fully built up your emergency fund yet (or you are hit with back-to-back hardships that your emergency fund can't handle), then you can feel like you have no choice but to go into debt to pay for your emergency. (See also: Emergency Plan: Better Than an Emergency Fund)

Nothing could be further from the truth. There are much better ways to take care of emergencies without going into debt. Here are ten things you can do to pay for an emergency without debt:

Jen A. Miller

Although I’m a frugal person, I’ve never been a couponer. Cutting out and organizing paper coupons takes a lot of time. I saw my mom do this when I was a kid and it looked like an exhausting way to save a couple bucks. So beyond checking out the ValPak that comes in the mail [...]

Online coupons and discount codes can save lots of money, at lots of stores, on lots of stuff from personal finance blog Bargaineering.com.

This blog was posted by Jen A. Miller

In late June, my family went on a lengthy vacation through the south, including a long stop in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, a large chunk of a day in Savannah, Georgia, a visit to a relative in rural northern Florida, and eventually a trip to Walt Disney World with our children.

Sarah went to Disney World three times during her childhood and it was an experience that she was excited to share with our children. I’m not particularly a big fan of roller coasters and most amusement park rides, but I had my own reasons for getting excited for the trip – namely, traveling with my parents to a part of the country they had never seen. Yep, my parents went along, too. They had never seen an ocean before and, since my dad was a lifelong fisherman, we actually got to go saltwater fishing together, which was another major highlight of the trip.

I grew up in competition. It was a part of my life, all over the place. And sometimes competition moved me to push my self far, motivating me to be excellent, and in other cases, competition broke down my will to excel. An individual reacts to competition different depending on the psychological factors, the situation, and how past competitions have played out. Because competition is everywhere in the world, particularly in a career or a quest for financial independence — not to mention just meeting personal goals one might set for oneself — look for ways to make competition work towards a positive outcome.

Pretty much everyone who writes anything about personal finance will agree that the best way to get ahead financially is to increase the difference between what you earn and what you spend.

There are, of course, two major ways to make that happen. You can either earn more or you can spend less. No matter which you choose, you’re increasing that gap.

Each angle has particular advantages and disadvantages.

For starters, spending less can have immediate impact on your finances. You can simply stop spending money right now and that money will stay in your checking account, directly building up your net worth. In terms of immediate results, there is no method of “earning more” that can top it.

This article is by editor Linda Vergon.

I think 2012 was the last time we “checked in” with readers to ask “How can we improve Get Rich Slowly?” Last week, we asked the Facebook readers what they thought, and we got some great comments. Jenny Fox wrote that “The personal stories are always good to read and you have excellent, thought-provoking articles, so carry on with that!”

A few people would like to get rich quickly, but at least 15 people agreed with Jason Dotson’s suggestion:

If only.