Life Lessons of a Military Wife

RSS Feed Homepage

Articles: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

Place Oxygen Mask Over Your Face Before Helping Children
2008-04-17 13:00:00
Remember your last flight? You know, when the flight attendant briefs you on putting the oxygen mask over your face before helping your children. Why is that? Because if you pass out for lack of oxygen, fiddling with trying to help your kids...neither of you will be helped. The same goes for kids and money. This post is especially for you folks with teens in the house. Before handing out your next chunk of change to your kid, remember this.Being overgenerous with your kids will actually backfire on your child. Your child will think money does not need to be earned and that it grows on trees. They will forever have a screwed up vision of money and managing their life.When you give your teen or adult child money, will it speed up or prolong their dependency? If you are constantly bailing them out and giving them a hand out, how will they learn to be independent? If you have a situation where you can give them money to get them to the next level, then by all means, do it. I j...
More About: Children , Face , Place , Mask , Oxygen

Question: How Does My Mom Get Her Part of the Retirement Check Sent to Her
2008-04-16 13:00:00
Today we have a reader question that I haven't addressed yet:My mother and father are in the middle of a divorce. My father was in the army and receives a pension check. My mom was giving her portion of the check to my dad when they were together to help out with bills. Now that they are apart, she has not been getting it. We are in the state of Pennsylvania . Who does she contact to get her portion of the pension check sent to her?Any retirement pay issues are handled through the Defense Finance and Accounting Service. These are the same guys who cut all our military paychecks in the system. Call the toll-free number below and explain your situation. Annuity/Annuity New Accounts Casualty/Retired/New Retired Accounts Correspondence/Mailing Address: Defense Finance and Accounting Service US ...
More About: Military , Retirement , Question , Finances , Check

Back from the Timeshare and My Final Thoughts - HGVC on International Drive
2008-04-15 13:00:00
We made it back in one piece and no worse for the wear! It really wasn't as bad as friends and family had predicted, and we ended up having a great time at a more upscale resort. Even my hubby admitted that much! In fact, I was so excited, I wanted to sign up right away at a competitor's program but caught myself. Hey, we're supposed to be getting ready to move...we've got a day trip to Disney to plan for my younger son's birthday and a wives coffee to host, all this upcoming weekend...what was I thinking? Anyway, let me tell you how it went should you decide to do the timeshare thing and get free Disney tickets, free cash, restaurant giftcards or whatever they are handing out at the time.We stayed four days at the Hilton Grand Vacation Club on International Drive in Orlando. It's one of the newer resorts, with a dozen buildings situated around a nice-sized lake with a fountain and a walkway crossing the lake, all in the Tuscanny style. They have two heated pools, fount...
More About: Travel , Thoughts , Back

Alert: If You've Got a Linens and Things Gift Card, Use It Before You Lose
2008-04-14 02:08:00
Just a quick post from my vacation. Yes, I just can't keep away from the newsfeeds. Thanks to the Consumerist for the possible bankruptcy heads up on Linens and Things ...darn, I shop there along with Bed, Bath and Beyond, especially when I need a wedding gift or housewarming gift. Anyway, since bankruptcy may be more than a rumor, according to this article, if you've got a giftcard, you'd better use it now while you still can. When a company gears towards bankruptcy, giftcards can be one of the first things to go. Along those same lines, be sure to continue watching the news for possible sales as well. I'll see everyone on Tuesday again (instead of Monday) to talk about my weekend at the Hilton Grand Vacation Club on International Drive in Orlando...of which I do have quite a few mouthfulls to share.
More About: Card , Gift , Alert

Did You Know (Weird Stuff Your Kids May Get a Kick Out Of)?
2008-04-11 17:00:00
Yesterday was a nice beach day for us. We went over to St Pete Beach and enjoyed the sun and surf. The Spring Break crowd had already left, so we had most of the place to ourselves. We happened to pass by the 1920s era Don Cesar Hotel...the gaudiest, strangest looking "pink wedding-cake-like" structure I've ever seen. The hotel, like many grand hotels, has a history of opulence and a time period where it was almost razed. Did you know it takes 12,000 gallons of pink paint to cover the entire structure? Your average home takes about 15. My 10 year old son happened to tell me that...how did he know that? Turns out, he has a treasure trove of other interesting facts he loves to throw at me, so I thought I'd share some of them today. Who knew?Did you know....?93-95% of greeting cards are bought by women.The Brooklyn accent saying words such as "dese, dem and dose" came from the original Dutch settlers. Who has a typical Brooklyn accent? Well, Bugs Bu...
More About: Weird , Kids , Stuff , Kick

I'm Off to a Timeshare Presentation, aka "the cheap vacation"
2008-04-11 13:00:00
Well, I've finally broken down and decided to attend one of those timeshare briefings. My husband is a Hilton Hotel rewards member and was peddled a timeshare weekend getaway if we attend this two hour briefing this Saturday. Since we're paying only a hundred bucks for a four day weekend, and we've never been to one, we said why not? He just got back from being gone for three months, so this can be a nice little break for the two of us, plus we're supposed to get two Disney tickets out of it.I know, I know, I've heard horror stories about how you are pressured at these things, have to go through a slew of salespeople and supervisors to try to get convinced and then are treated persona non grata after your final refusal, but I did go to Trip Advisor and read reviews from others who did the same thing at that very same resort. They all said this particular resort in Orlando is just beautiful and the sales presentation is not as pushy as most.I know these folks have had years ...
More About: Travel , Vacation , Cheap , Presentation , Timeshare

The Very Best of the Podcasts - Stuck in Traffic Timebusters
2008-04-10 02:26:00
I think I am now officially addicted to podcasting. It was bad enough when I first got my Zune and realized I could listen to ALL my music on one device. Can you tell, up until recently, I was an mp3 virgin? If that wasn't bad enough, then I discovered podcasting! I am a big fan of talk radio and also a few TV shows. My kids love blooper videos and generally funny stuff and quickly realized they could watch this stuff on their Zune. Imagine my surprise once I figured out the Zune could download the daily and weekly podcasts I subscribed to. Instead of being bored out of my gourd shopping for groceries, waiting at the doctor's office or in the school car line, I could keep my mind and my sense of humor occupied...two of my favorite past times. If you plan to listen in your car, please don't use headphones....too dangerous. If your car doesn't have an mp3 jack (most don't), just spend a few dollars on a personal mp3 speaker or mini mp3 speaker...google it or check eBay. ...
More About: Podcasts , Traffic

How to Pick a Doctor to Remove My "X"
2008-04-08 13:00:00
I know many of us have insurance through the military. Many of us get our healthcare on post. There are some of us though who choose to get our care on the outside, through a civilian doctor. Of course, if we want Tricare to pay for it, we have to go through a Tricare provider, plus if we see a specialist, we need a referral from our regular doctor, aka primary care manager. I recently had a procedure done and found out I did have a choice in who to pick. I stared at a list of doctors in my area, not knowing which one I should choose and why. So, I followed these steps.I googled them. I googled them one by one. Wow, one had done something I consider a bit risque (yes, it was him...I saw his photo) and another was on the State Medical Board of Health , a position that not everyone is even considered for. He was selected by the governor to sit on that board. How impressive.I checked which ones were board certified at American Board of Medical Specialties. If they weren't, I...
More About: Pick , Doctor

Those Little Lifetips That Just Make Life Easier
2008-04-07 13:00:00
There are certain things that you wish you just knew. How did you learn those little tidbits of life? Did you learn them from your mom or did you read some and think, hey, that's a better way of doing things, so I'm going to do it that way. One of my very first blog posts was tips that I had learned from my grandmother. She was a wise woman, and she seemed to have so many neat ideas that just made life easier. I racked my brain to think of a few more that have helped me along in life. Here they are.Need to measure something gooey or sticky in the kitchen? Spray the inside of the measuring cup with cooking spray, and it'll slide right out.Don't shave your legs before going to a pedicure. You'll open up tiny imperfections that could cause bacteria to enter. It's better to shave a few days before your appointment.Take your shoes off at the front door and have a doormat and wet wipes by the door. You'd be amazed at what dirt you bring into the house on your shoes! If ...
More About: Life , Make

Why I'm Not Going to Freeze My Credit and What I Will Do Instead
2008-04-04 13:00:00
Do you know you can put an almost indefinite freeze or fraud alert on your credit record if you are in the military? In most states, you have to be a victim of fraud, and show proof or pay $10 to freeze and unfreeze your credit. Many credit freezes are only authorized for 90 days and then automatically unfreeze. Why would you want to freeze your credit? Because you are afraid of identity theft and don't want others to open up credit accounts in your name. It happens all the time, and many don't notice there is anything wrong until they themselves try to get credit or a mortgage or other financial product. At first, I thought, let's do it. It'll be peace of mind, right? No one would be able to open an account in my name, so I wouldn't have to worry about any unauthorized cards or illegal activity in my name. I've come to find out it would be more of a hassle and not only because I'd have to unfreeze our accounts if we wanted to refinance one of our mortgages or open a...
More About: Credit , Finances , Freeze

Are Apples Becoming Extinct?
2008-04-03 17:00:00
Did you know there are less than 1000 varieties of apples here in the US? That doesn't seem like a problem, does it? How about if I tell you, in the 1800s, here in America, there were over 7,000 different varieties of apples, which leaves us with about an 85% extinction rate! I was listening to a 60 Minutes podcast two weeks ago. Yes, this is the audio version of the show. Feel free to download it and take a listen. Why should I care that there are less than 1000 varieties of apples left? What if I told you that the cure to cancer, the cure to some obscure disease that could wipe out the world's wheat supply, the cure to some unknown disease, could lie in the genes of just one of those apple varieties? Now you know why this is so important and what one man is doing about it.When I first started listening to this podcast, frankly, I thought...who cares? Animals and plants get extinct every day...and I'm not talking about the ones humans are pushing to extinction but the m...
More About: Apples , Extinct

Clean Your Bathroom in Under 5 Minutes
2008-04-02 13:00:00
Cleaning your bathroom does not have to be a real chore. The key here is maintenance and frequency with an overhaul every now and then. There are some things you can easily do, to limit your time in the bathroom for other than the necessary human tasks we all must do as contributing members of society. Here goes...Each bathroom needs its own set of cleaning supplies that you don't have to cart around the house. I like to keep my supplies organized in one of those trays with a handle. Here's what you will need:Lysol-like wet wipesPapertowelsAlka-Seltzer tabletsToilet brush (get a cheap one and not in an enclosed stand unless you want to farm bacteria)a used toothbrushWindex or other glass cleanerLysol disinfectant sprayToilet bowl cleanerDo these tasks once a weekPut an Alka-Seltzer in the toilet and let it fizzSpray Lysol disinfectant on doorknobs, faucet handles, toilet handles and lightswitchWith Wet Wipe #1, wipe rim of tub and base of toiletWith Wet Wipe #2, wipe toilet s...
More About: Bathroom , Organization , Clean , Minutes

Make It From Scratch #58 - April Fool's!
2008-04-01 13:05:00
With it being the 1st of April , you'd think I'd have some kind of April Fool's prank to play on you all. Well, I'm not going to do it. I was going to tell you that all these items can be bought somewhere, but that would defeat the point of making things from scratch. I don't know where you folks get your creativity, but there are some real gems here...all made from scratch! Enjoy!At the Craft Table SeaBird presents Exhibition: Artist Trading Cards, Series 2 posted at SeaBird Chronicles.Cindy presents A VCR Tape and Ribbon Sling Bag posted at My Recycled Bags.Joanie presents Holiday quiz and new kid craft favourites posted at Nini Make s.Alex presents How to Make Your Own Free Printable Birthday Cards posted at Home Life Weekly.In the BathroomEric Cech presents Creating Your Own Perfect Aromatherapy Skin Care Formula posted at Synergy Essential Oils, Aromatherapy for Professionals and Enthusiasts.Around the HouseKelsey presents Linen Closet Organization Ideas/Tips posted at V...
More About: Scratch

Life Lessons of a Military Wife Carnival #8
2008-04-01 13:00:00
Welcome to the 8th Edition of Life Lessons of a Military Wife Carnival ! We'll celebrate with a big party, everyone's invited and all the food and entertainment is on me! I wish...April Fool's!...wouldn't it be so nice to have an excuse for a party? Ah well...not this time around. Instead, let me present some of the great articles that were sent in. Thanks to all for taking the time to share your thoughts and opinions this month.Daily Life I know exactly what this mom is talking about. It is kind of a limbo situation.Patricia presents Daddy?s Finally Gone posted at Stay at Home Mom & Military Wife. Financial Those sneaky retailers. Here they go yet again!Wenchypoo presents Inflation?Here We Go Again posted at Wisdom From Wenchypoo's Mental Wastebasket. General Okay, so this blog is supposed to be for military spouses, so what do you need this next entry for? I'm including it because it gives some interesting insight on using compliments. I would say yo...
More About: Life Lessons

The Military Widow as a Cash Cow
2008-03-31 13:00:00
This is something I always have in the back of my mind. I hope and pray that it never happens to our family. We've been lucky at our current assignment, at least for the last two years. My husband's trips out of town consist of forays to Ft Bragg and DC and a few places in between. He stays gone maybe a few weeks to three months at most. We have been lulled into complacency. At his new assignment, it will be back to a combat unit, back to a unit that deploys, back to the heartache and sadness of visiting the spouses of fallen warriors, back to the worry and stress...it's not a matter of if but when. I am absolutely dreading it. For many of you, you are right there, right now. We always hear of the troubles spouses go through, trying to keep their financial house in order...to tell you the truth...I never thought of the flip-side, especially after some of the changes that have been put in place.I read an article on Friday from the New York Times, entitled - Military Kin C...
More About: Finances , Cash

An Army Career = Job Security in Today's Economy
2008-03-28 12:18:00
How depressing. I just read about a lady featured on CNN who made $70,000 a year, suddenly lost her job and now is struggling to put food on the table and keep her house with her $2,500 mortgage. She was also recently denied food stamps. When was the last time middle class America had such a rough time? Why do I feel safe that this won't happen to us?I am reminded about my neighbor. They were solid middle class too...til he lost his job. They are about to lose their home, and at this point, he is looking at just about any slew of jobs he can get, including delivering pizzas. The wife is out cleaning other peoples' houses. I also know someone in the airline industry who is waiting for the "other shoe to drop". Delta will not be the only one in trouble. There will be massive layoffs coming again in the airline industry this year. Our local newspaper has even shared a few stories of hardworking Americans who are struggling right now.There is a silver lining though for thos...
More About: Security , Economy , Military , Finances , Career

FREEBIE on CD: Family Records Organizer
2008-03-28 12:00:00
Moving around a lot with the military, we really need to have our records in order. Do you know where your marriage certificate is? Or your kids' shot records? More importantly, does your husband or anyone else in your family know where to look? Does your family know where to look for your personal and financial records should something happen to you or your husband? I've found a nifty little tool on CD, that is of course free, to help get all your paperwork stuff organized.It's called the Family Records Organizer and is available FREE from T. Rowe Price. T. Rowe is a mutual funds company and prides itself on all its financial tools, calculators and literature. I've done business with them for years via their mutual funds (which are some of the best rated BTW), and can vouch for their customer service.From their site:Wouldn?t it make life simpler if your important financial information and accounts were organized in one safe place? Most of us have what feels like dozens o...
More About: Finances

Thinking of Hosting a Foreign Exchange Student?
2008-03-27 12:00:00
Don't do it! Seriously though, many of you know we have hosted a German exchange student this past school year. We did not go into it with our eyes wide open, but instead, it seems with eyes sewn shut! We've had our ups and downs, things we would've done differently, but also nice surprises here and there of having a young teenager in the house. Honestly, it has been a positive experience and we have a cartload of stuff we can apply to our own kids when they get to be that age.Be sure to keep these thoughts in mind when choosing and hosting your exchange student:Pick a student with similar interests to your own. Don't pick a student who is heavy into outdoor sports, thinking your bookworm family will changes its ways...you won't and both of you will be unhappy in the end. Read the student letters and bios VERY carefully and look for clues of immaturity, dominance, chauvenism and possible (more noticeable and problematic) character flaws too. If there is something you abs...
More About: Hosting , Kids , Student , Exchange , Foreign Exchange

Ladies (not Men), Would You Recognize This as a Heart Attack?
2008-03-26 12:00:00
We've all seen a movie or two with some guy clutching his chest and keeling over from a heart attack. Most of us think a heart attack will hit us just like that, with a gripping pain in the chest, a quick chance for a grunt and a grimace and almost no time to react. Well, let me tell you about Alice. I always liked talking to Alice. Alice is a cashier at my local grocery store. Alice always has such a nice smile, friendly manner and voice, and even when I'm in a down mood, she always manages to leave me with a spring in my step when I leave her checkout counter. About a month ago, I noticed Alice was no longer in her familiar spot. Where was Alice?Sheltered in my own little world, I never had the gumption to ask where she was? I mean, I didn't want to ask if she was fired or something...or moved somewhere else...what if something bad had happened? I just didn't want to know that and assumed Alice was on vacation.Just as I was getting up my nerve to ask, I did find out w...
More About: Health , Heart , Ladies , Recognize , Heart Attack

My Neighbor's Character was Questioned Today
2008-03-25 12:00:00
I got a call this morning from one of my old neighbors. What a blast from the past! It seems our other neighbor's job and life in America was in jeopardy. Apparently, someone had alerted someone in the government, accusing our neighbor of anti-American and possible terrorist tendencies. Our neighbor being accused of this happened to work as a civilian on a military base, so I'm sure the authorities did not take this matter lightly. In fact, they took it so seriously, that he is to appear before a judge later in the week. I dutifully called our mutual neighbor, who grew up in Jerusalem, as a Palestinian. Yes, our former neighbor is Muslim.So, I sat and listened to Mohammed's heartbreaking story. I already knew about the torment and hatred his wife and four kids had to go through post 9/11. His wife wears traditional Muslim dress, and I remember sitting with her a full year after 9/11, trying not to get too upset, as she recounted being yelled at, spit at and shown obscene...
More About: Today , Character

Don't Do Another Military Move (or any Move) Without Reading This!
2008-03-24 11:21:00
"Here we go again...same old 'stuff' again...marching down the avenue".....yes, that's part of an Army cadence. It's Groundhog Day, ala Bill Murray, and we get to do it all over again...you all know the drill right? Wouldn't it be great though, if you had all your ducks in a row and there were no surprises and you could actually look forward to seeing and doing new things rather than drown in all the issues surrounding a big move? Well, it can be done. I am thrilled to have the expert advice of Jacki Hollywood Brown, a professional organizer help lead us through from start to finish on getting your family moved. Let's get it done and move on to the next thing!Your biggest challenge is going to be getting things packed up and gone and doing it with the least amount of hassle as possible. The Army does make it easy to get started on this quest with the ubiquitous transportation briefing. Your first milestone will be getting a copy of your husband's orders to his new duty...
More About: Reading , Military , Moving , Move

Blog Round Up - The Top of the Heap
2008-03-21 12:00:00
In case you don't read the same blogs I do, here are some of my favorites and most linkworthy to note this week!Filler Strategies for Amazon's Free Super Saver ShippingWhy I'm Not Getting a Refund Anticipation Loan or H&R Block Emerald CardCheaper Toys are Better for your KidsThat was Worth the Phonecall (I admit I did this once too by accident and the credit card company erased all charges, just because I had called them...I didn't even ask!)Giveaways Galore!In the Army Now (the thoughts behind people getting out?)What the Lamestream Media Taught Me About DeploymentWork Week MenusAmazing Black Beans Brownie Recipe (yes, you read it right...has to be one of the more bizarre dessert ingredients...so I just had to post it)Have you found any interesting blogs or posts this week?
More About: Blog , Round Up , Round

Every Soldier's Worst Nightmare
2008-03-20 13:00:00
I've never really talked to my husband about it in any kind of depth, but I know the thought must've at least crossed his mind. I'm talking about being so severely wounded that you can't function by yourself and would possibly have to call it quits with a career that has sustained you the last few years. With my husband's Type A personality and his love for all things Army, this would hit him especially hard. Read about this young Special Forces officer who was blinded and severely injured in Iraq. Find out what he is doing to try to get his life back on track and to plan for his future career and retirement. Why am I talking about such stuff? Because it's important, that's why...it is our duty to have a plan for the future, regardless of how we might get there.Please read this informative and thought provoking article and then send it to your spouse.A Soldier's Story: Financial Rehab
More About: Military , Finances , Nightmare

Is Camping at Disney's Ft Wilderness Really Camping?
2008-03-20 12:00:00
I can count this as the first time I had to set up a tent in a downpour. To make it more interesting, I had purchased a four person (which doesn't seem possible) backpacking tent from Wal-mart on a whim, and took it along without waterproofing it or even checking it out beforehand....took it fresh out of the box and started setting it up in the rain (one of my finer moments in life). So, there I was with an eight year old and a ten year old, getting soaked and hoping it wouldn't start thundering and lightening, but we were at Disney after all and magical things do happen here, don't they? And even though it was Disney, I was pleasantly surprised at how cheap it could be if you knew how to work it.Our Cub Scout pack planned this trip to Disney's Ft Wilderness about four months ago. That was when our deposit was due. This place is so popular, it's hard to get a foot in the door, so the earlier you can get a reservation, the better. I can't tell you how excited the kids wer...
More About: Travel , Camping

Carnival of Money Stories #51
2008-03-19 12:04:00
Ooops! April Fool's! But seriously, here's this week's edition of Money Stories , and a day late no less, because of my inability to track my "to do" list this week..but that's another story! Thank-you for sending in your personal money stories!Let's Party!Finance Girl presents Are Children's Birthday Parties Getting Out of Control? posted at Finance Gets Personal.Let's Go on a Trip!poetloverrebelspy presents Baring My Budget: Malta « Less Than a Shoestring posted at Less Than a Shoestring.Thomas D. Brownsword presents March 12, 2008: Writing posted at Business Action Steps.Let's Stay Home and Save Some Money!KC Lau presents Top 5 Regular Monthly Expenses We Don?t Need posted at KCLau's Money Tips.Ana presents Putting Teenage Son on a Budget posted at DebtFREE-Revolution.NtJS presents Have We Learned Nothing? posted at not the jet set.Cash Money Life presents Reader Question: ?What Should I Do With My Reenlistment Bonus?? posted at Military Finance Network.Let's Go Make ...
More About: Carnival

Free Summer Camp for Military Kids
2008-03-18 13:42:00
Before I forget, National Military Family Organization is a great resource for military wives. they have a special place in their hearts for kids. Be sure to check out their Operation Purple, which is a summer camp program for military kids...and it is free. Check at their site for locations near your area and apply now before all the spots are gone!
More About: Kids , Summer , Free , Camp

More Blogs of Military Wives
2008-03-18 12:43:00
A few months ago, I posted links to a variety of military spouse blogs. I wondered if there were any more good military spouse blogs out there I might've missed. Bingo...I've found some more for you to visit.More military spouse blogs:Tales of a Lonely Army Wife No More. Join Allie and her two little ones and of course her Army husband. Allie was prior service Army and she posts about daily life, now that she's reunited again with her husband who was deployed. Lots of nice photos of the young family and I gotta love her list of "things that annoy me" cause they annoy me too!Life as a Military Wife. This blog is by a military wife who loves all things French. Her husband is going through Physician's Assistant school and this blog has kept her sane. Read about her love of chocolates and all things Spring. She also has two little ones.My Crazy Amazing Military Life. Join eight Navy wives, at least I think they are all Navy, as they blog about daily life. Read about havin...
More About: Blogs , Wives

Money for the Long Haul
2008-03-17 12:00:00
I still hear people talking about pulling out of their mutual funds and dropping some of their investments...and then buying something else. I mean, we all know the market is bad right now. I used to be a Chicken Little myself, but I've come to realize it's the turtle that wins the race and not the hare. You don't have to play the lottery to win millions either....you have the simple formula right in front of you. You don't even have to do anything beyond the initial set-up. Retire a millionaire with these simple steps.Get in the right mindset. Making money should really be automatic. You need to let your money work for you. If you let it "do it's thing", it's going to work through the miracle of compound interest.Don't listen to the "sky is falling" doomsayers. I used to listen to them babble about "the Dow Jones average fell 20 points today", and I guess we were supposed to get all upset over it. Never more. Look back 10, 20, 30 years. Has the stock market ever ...
More About: Money , Finances , Long

Don't Get Audited
2008-03-14 12:28:00
While we are in tax season, I thought I would post a few quick tips that will lessen your chances of getting audited. I've never had the "pleasure" myself. Hey, these are the things you can control:If you are sending in a written return, be very neat and double check your math.If you have high expenses, send in documentation of why. Were you in a car accident and had a lot of medical bills? Did your house burn down? Show them the proof.Sign your return. Again, if you write it up by hand, don't forget to sign! Many returns that are audited are not signed.People typically give no more than 2% to charity. A figure of 10% is considered high. Do the math and see where you fall in. Go ahead and attach any documentation, especially if it's high. I know our church sends us a statement at the end of the year. If you didn't get one, go ask for one.Watch the home office deductions. Be very, very careful what you deduct, and read the IRS literature to make sure you aren't dedu...
More About: Finances

Google Alerts and Why You Need Them
2008-03-14 12:00:00
Dumb me. I didn't even know what a Google Alert was until last week. Not something you need to know about? That's what you think now. Find out why and how to make Google Alerts an integral part of your online experience.In one of my earlier articles, I lauded how it was important to Google yourself every once in awhile. I've googled both my husband and I. Of course all the college and a little of the military stuff shows up. But then we get things like my detailed birth story of my first-born (what was I thinking in posting that?), my husband's slow marathon time, a cheesy newspaper complaint letter, a military award that may ranckle the likes of Al Quaeda and specifics on every computer problem we've ever gone through, dumb genealogy questions and anything else that maybe we wanted to keep private. I know we are boring people, but if I can put together a picture of my family in two seconds like that...well, so can someone else..and frankly, I just don't like that! Al...