Author Archives: John
5 Recession Cocktails
The recession is deepening; the economy is recovering. Wise people wouldn't hold their breath waiting for a clear answer. That would just eat up valuable drinking time. In all seriousness,…
Lessons from a hard year, and the year I learned to believe in my own ability
Let's say that you befriend the most generous, supportive and encouraging person who has ever lived, past, present or future. Sounds like it would be a very promising friendship. But…
Ask the Readers: Do you find marketing materials effective?
One day I came home from a long day of work and found a purple Chinese food menu flier attached to the front gate of my apartment building. I saw…
Playing Catch-up with Cold Turkey Finances
Last month I wrote about the trouble I have with staying at home because there are so many great places to eat and drink right outside my door. One reader…
The Essential Checklist Before Accepting a House Guest
We learn by our mistakes. There's one mistake I'll never make again, and it's accepting the house guest from Hell. It's surprising how many of us have these stories. Recently…
Ask the Readers: Borrow stuff more often to save money?
It just occurred to me: a friend lent me the book I'm currently reading. Another friend lent us her box sets of "Battlestar Galactica" which Zac and I recently got…
News Bites: A Week of Eye Openers
If you've been tuning out the financial press lately, well, who can blame you? You may have missed some good stuff at CNNMoney this week, however. Here are a few…
5 ways to save money with Yelp!
If you've been hiding in a cave for last few years and haven't heard of , think of it as one big comment card for every type of business in…
Vacation or bust: averting the bust part
Last week The New York Times tried to coin yet another gloomy term for our vernacular: vacation deficit disorder. As if "staycation" didn't spark enough scorn about leisure in current…
The City Dweller’s Dilemma: Fact or Fiction?
Last night Zac and I spent more time than necessary deciding on whether we should go out for dinner or stay in -- sometimes couples take forever just to make…