money
A few months ago, my 12-year-old son and I stopped into the Dollar Tree after school to buy a birthday card.It was supposed to be a quick stop, but we started browsing. When we stumbled upon the grocery section, he said, “Mom, we should start getting our groceries here!”At first,…
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with John Goldstein, a 75-year-old retiree in Newark, New Jersey. The interview has been edited for length and clarity.Like the vast majority of retired people in our country, I live on a fixed income.I live with my partner, who is also retired…
I hear the question often: “Mom, can I have some money?” Whether it is for a trip to the mall or movies, my kids always seem to want more. I have four kids, two daughters and two sons. My older son, Zach, is 21; my older daughter, Cam, is 19;…
When I joined the airline industry, I thought I’d learn all kinds of secrets about flying.Although I don’t know everything, in my years of working as a flight attendant, I have learned a few solid tricks for spending less on flights and in airports.Here are some of the best tips…
You’ve been hearing about the K-shaped economy and the shrinking middle class, but what does it actually mean to be in the middle class at all in the US today?For many, the label can describe a suburban, non-excessive way of life, but the actual income it implies can span a…
Pump up the veggies, beans, and nuts, and pare down the meat, just a little bit.That appears to be the takeaway from a new study tracking how changes to the typical “Western” diet, subbing in more vegetables and lowering saturated fat content, might contribute to healthy aging.The study, conducted in…
My neighbor entered my house one afternoon, greeted by the laundry mound on the family room floor. As her three kids scurried off in different directions to find mine, she plopped down next to me in the epicenter of clothes and picked up a tea towel to fold.”You don’t have…
More than a year after being laid off as a software engineer, Jesse Jashinsky still couldn’t find work. He was supporting his family on a patchwork of unemployment and SNAP benefits, help from their church, and increasing amounts of credit card debt.Then their car broke down. Replacing the transmission was…
My daughter was four months into her freshman year of college when I realized she had never asked me for any money.I’d paid for Sarina’s housing, meal plan, and books, and put $100 on her account for laundry and incidentals at the beginning of the year. But that was it.It…
