Ask for Preferential Treatment
"He who asks is a fool for five minutes, but he who does not ask remains a fool forever." -- Chinese Proverb Rich proclaims below, "Everything is negotiable!" This made…
Cancellation tips
It's all in the fine print: non-refundable tickets, auto-renewing subscriptions, opt-out charges. You really have to be on your toes these days as companies figure out ever more devious ways…
Of Speeding, Money and Time
I was reading PFadvice's post on whether it is possible to drive slowly. I recalled coming across another article that had some interesting thoughts on the benefits of driving fast…
Leisure Extensions at the End of Business Trips
"The World is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page." -- St. Augustine Michael Luongo at writes that gay business travelers should, "Pack the silk…
The High Cost of Materialism
Lao Zsu- Chase after the money and security And your heart will never unclench Care about people's approval And you will be their prisoner. Do your Work, then step back…
Ten Money Questions for Abigail Garner
For several years, Abigail Garner has been at the forefront of the Queerspawn movement. Queerspawn means that you are an adult child of one or more LGBT parent(s). Abigail is…
Splurge or Self-Sabotage?
Last weekend while I was taking a short vacation in Rehoboth Beach to enjoy the jazz festival, I started pondering a common spending conundrum. When we spend money on things…
A Picture is Worth A Thousand Words
Queercents housekeeping: We use a site/service called Gravatar which enables our pictures to show up on our respective posts. Unfortunately, they are upgrading the site, so Rich and Paula haven't…
Reverse-Engineer Your Life
"If the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail." -- Abraham Maslow Nate Nickerson, the former managing editor of FastCompany, wrote…
Making Peace with Plastic Grocery Bags
"Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not." -- Dr. Seuss in The Lorax I I'm not the most frugal person.…