A Lesson from My Closet

By Carol H Cox

Recently, my husband and I cleaned out a walk-in storage closet in our home. This is a closet that had been created when we remodeled our house about 20 years ago, upsizing to fit our growing family. We have been filling this closet with books, papers, electronic paraphernalia, bags and backpacks, office supplies, documents, records, CDs, DVDs, and so forth for the past two decades.

All manner of things went into this closet over time, but rarely did anything come out. So we were faced with a monstrous cleaning project. We took all the boxes, bags, and piles of stuff out of the closet and lined them up along the hallway. This overwhelming task of sorting through everything, deciding what to keep, and disposing of items took us three weeks.

May 14, 2018

Four Money Books to Match the New High School Grad

by Carol H Cox

young woman thinking

Perhaps reading a personal finance book is not the most exciting way to spend an afternoon for most people, but it can be a great way for teens and young adults to learn some important money management skills they’ll need once they’re on their own.

You may be a young adult wanting to educate yourself about personal finance or maybe you’re a parent or grandparent searching for a helpful money book for a graduating high school senior. Whatever the case, choosing a personal finance book with an approach that matches the reader’s personality will likely be the easiest to digest. Continue reading “Four Money Books to Match the New High School Grad”

May 5, 2017February 1, 2018

5 Favorite Personal Finance Podcasts

By Carol H Cox

Photo: Ryan McGuire

If you’re like me, there aren’t enough hours in the day to get all your reading done. Like many people, I use my cell phone as a way of consuming information, whether it’s reading books on my Kindle app, perusing favorite blogs, or reviewing Twitter feeds.

Lately, I’ve been turning to podcasts to find interesting and timely information about personal finance. I often listen while driving, walking my dog, or doing work around the house. Here are my five all-time favorites in no particular order:

HerMoney with Jean Chatzky

You may have seen Jean Chatzky on TV at the Today Show, Oprah, or the View. She’s a financial journalist who provides outside-the-box topics on money matters in her weekly podcast. Most shows average about 30 minutes (enough for a 1-plus mile walk) and feature a guest expert. Even though the podcast title is HERMoney, most of the subjects are relevant to both men and women. Such podcast titles as “I Am My Own Worst Enemy,” “Stop Being a Broke Millennial,” and “Eyes Wide Shut! Arianna Huffington Teaches Us How to Sleep Our Way to Success,” easily hooked me. And at the end of every show Jean tackles a few questions from listeners on pressing personal finance concerns.

Continue reading “5 Favorite Personal Finance Podcasts”