First Person: The Economics of My Christmas Tree Purchase

Real or fake? Big or small? Pine or fir? Pre-lit or not? Local nursery or big box retailer? Buying my Christmas tree was an easy decision once I applied what I had learned in Economics 101. These lessons guide all my purchases and keep me from overspending. Read more here.

First Person: I'm Doing All My Holiday Shopping Online

Over the past few years, I have been moving much of my shopping online. And I am not alone. According to comScore, Internet sales are expected to rise 15% in the 2011 holiday season, compared to only 3% increase in in-store sales. Better price is only one of the many reasons I prefer to shop online. Read more here.

Investing in Our State's 529 College Savings Program

Total cost of four college for my two children is estimated to be over $550,000 in aggregate. We are saving for this daunting goal primarily through the New York state-sponsored college savings plan. Read more here...

Disclaimer: The author is a former investment professional who is currently not employed in the financial services industry, as such she does not maintain her securities licenses. 529 accounts are not insured by FDIC and may lose value. This article is personal opinion and should not be considered a recommendation or solicitation.

Rising Health Insurance Premium Costs Are Outpacing Income Growth

The cost of health insurance grew five times the rate of income growth from 2003-2010. Health insurance expenses are more than 20% of income on average. Will ObamaCare slow down the increase in healthcare costs? Read more here.

Crafts, Games, and Activities for Kids During Winter Break

Its almost here. The holidays are coming, so is the dreaded winter break and cabin fever that comes along with it. Here are a few crafts, games and activities to keep the kids engaged and parents sane during Christmas break, in New York and around the country. Read more here!

Early Parenting Mistakes and How to Overcome Them

Like most first time mothers, I thought I prepared myself for parenting by reading books and taking classes. Yet, I felt totally unprepared when my son was born. Lessons in parenting were learned along the way but I did make some early parenting mistakes. When I gave birth again, my real-life experience of being a mom made me feel prepared and much less prone to making mistakes. Today, both my children are happy and healthy kids. Read more here.

Open Enrollment -- Two Articles

Image courtesy: sxc.hu

Two articles discussing new laws affecting benefits elections. The first focuses on 2012, while the second is a two year plan.



My Open Enrollment Action Plan
Like many other employees, my husband's benefit elections enter the annual open enrollment period in November. Here are some changes I am making to 401(k) contributions, medical, dental and vision insurance, FSA withholding, and commuter expenses for 2012 because of new laws and a new family member.


Maximizing My FSA Benefit and Lowering Taxes
President Obama's health care reform has made two significant changes to FSA. Since 2011, OTC medications require a doctor's prescription for reimbursement. In addition, for 2013, the maximum FSA contribution is reduced to $2,500. Health care expenses are tough to budget, more so if you are budgeting two years out. However, by front loading some of the known spending in 2012 and getting a master prescription list, I plan to partially offset the negative impact of FSA reform. 

Happy Thanksgiving! A Couple of Articles on Being Charitable

Americans are a generous bunch--we cumulatively donated $212 billion (73% of total giving) in 2010 to over 1.28 million charities in the United States.  As we get ready to open our hearts and our wallets this holiday season, here are a couple of articles about charitable investments, and volunteering.

My Investment Approach Toward Charitable Giving
I use a disciplined investment approach toward charitable giving. This ensures the intended recipients get the maximum bang out of my buck and I see savings on our tax return.

Working for Free Worked for Me
Volunteering my time and working for free brings me a unique sense of fulfillment. However unpaid work has also provided tangible benefits that led to higher income potential down the road.

Hey Baby--Top Baby and Kid Related Articles

A selection of my household finance articles pertaining to children's purchases and saving for college. Also included are parenting articles.







Yahoo Finance Articles

• What Not to Buy for Baby
• How I Saved Over $1,000 on Baby Gear
• When I Splurge, When I Save
• No More Splurging on New Baby Purchases
• Building a Tax-Advantaged College Fund for My Children

 
Associated Content Parenting Articles

• How I Am Preparing Myself and My Older Child for a Second Baby
• Traveling with a Child? Find the Closest Public Restroom
• What to Pack when Traveling with Kids
• Ease Your Child's Transition to Preschool

Looking for my missing articles?

Due to a Yahoo glitch, some of my recent articles are not appearing on my profile and some others have gone missing. The links below should work (for now)!





 
Recent articles published in November
What I Learned as a First-Time Home Seller
Learning to Be a Landlord
Working for Free Worked for Me

Some older articles with broken links.
Building a Tax-Advantaged College Fund for My Children
Financial Lessons From My Friends
Managing the Risk and Cost of Food Borne Illnesses in a World of Food Recalls