How often do you worry about money? Once a week? Once a day? All of the time? At one time in my life I was so stressed about money (specifically, how much I owed and how little I made), that I couldn’t focus on anything else. It had to stop. Worrying about money isn’t only a waste of time, it’s unhealthy, because as you worry, you put unnecessary stress on yourself. So if money worries are keeping you up nights or interfering with your life, read these tips and stop worrying about money! [...]

I read a great post this morning by Monica O’Brien of TwentySet about Generation Y bloggers and generational stereotypes. It got me pondering stereotypes I’ve encountered about how twentysomethings handle money. What are these stereotypes? Are you validating these stereotypes with your financial behavior, or smashing through them? [...]

I’ve been working on personal financial goals for over three years. During that time, I’ve also set goals to get stronger, eat better, and lose weight. Unfortunately, I frequently failed to achieve my health goals…until recently. I’ve lost more than 15 pounds since January and have been able to make a healthier lifestyle stick. As I continue to work on these goals, I see connections between getting fit and getting rich. [...]

The 80/20 rule, or Pareto principal, is one of the most common management strategies to help people focus on what’s important and get more done. Simply stated in terms of productivity, the 80/20 rule says that 80 percent of results come from just 20 percent of your effort (and, conversely, that 80 percent of your effort affects just 20 percent of your results). Today I ask: How can you apply the 80/20 rule to your personal finances? [...]

Did you know that 19% of 18-29 year-olds are currently unemployed, compared to just 7% of the general population? We’re also less likely to have health insurance than older workers. On top of that, 60% of us carry the same amount or more debt than we did a year ago, according to poll results released today by non-profit advocacy group Qvisory. In response to these scary stats, Qvisory also unveiled new services to help young Americans cope with these financial burdens and regain a foothold on our financial future. [...]

As I’ve said before, I try to avoid writing excessively about the recession. I don’t believe that ruminating on lost jobs, retirement savings, and credit opportunities will fix anything—let alone make us feel in any better. In fact, I think the media’s obsession with economic horror stories is the last thing we all need. That said, I want to know: Has the recession has changed your life for the better? How? [...]

People spend—and overspend—for a lot of reasons. Here are five reasons may people spend more than they have. If you have trouble overspending, uncovering why is an important step in learning to reign in the behavior and get on track to financial stability. [...]

Imagine a crisp one dollar bill. What does that one dollar mean to you? How would you spend or save it? Now imagine you are homeless and only have $4 to your name. Now what would that dollar mean to you? Finally, imagine you are a billionaire. What would that dollar mean to you then? Your answers can tell you a lot about your chances of becoming rich. [...]

I’m excited to announce a new project I am involved in that could revolutionize the way we choose our checking accounts and CDs: BankAround.com. [...]

A fresh year on the calendar or not, resolutions are hard to keep. Whether the target weakness is overeating, undersweating, or overspending, temptation is everywhere and old habits die hard. But if you want to make some positive changes to your bottom line in 2009, here’s some good news: When it comes to your financial fitness, some small changes can yield amazing results. Here are five examples: [...]