- my iParenting
- quick clicks
- grandparents today articles
- grandparents today q&a
- message boards
- research baby names
- prepare a birth plan
- content channels
- ip channel rss feeds
- read birth stories
- read parenting stories
- recommended books
- e-newsletters
- safety recalls
- ip diaries
- ip store
- mom of the month
- dad of the month
- editor's letter
- letters to the editor
 |
- e-newsletters
- Sign up to receive our free weekly e-newsletters
- award-winning products
The iParenting Media Awards program helps parents find the best products for their families.
Beating the W-2 Blues
8 (Surprisingly Painless) Ways to Achieve Financial Sanity This Year
You just got your W-2 and you're feeling a bit discouraged. OK, you didn't make a Bill Gates-size fortune last year but you didn't do too badly, either. Problem is, you're not sure where all the money went. Surely your bills 
can't be that high, can they? Your credit card balance has ballooned to frightening levels and, once again, you've failed to save a cent toward retirement. Meanwhile, you still haven't taken that long-awaited trip to Europe. And now – adding insult to injury – it's time to pony up to the tax man.
Don't fret, says financial planner Diane McCurdy, author of How Much Is Enough? Balancing Today's Needs with Tomorrow's Retirement Goals (Wiley, 2005). This is actually the perfect time of year to change your (financial) ways – ensuring that in 2008 you'll be patting yourself on the back, not kicking yourself in the, er, wallet. And surprise! Making a budget is not only the "responsible" thing to do; it's also your fast-track ticket to getting the fun stuff you fantasize about.
Perhaps the word "budget" and the word "wish list" feel like polar opposites to you. Not to McCurdy. She is a big believer in the life-affirming power of budgets. And her book – which teaches readers how to delve into their money attitudes, identify their personal pitfalls, separate their wants from their needs and chart out a realistic financial road map – makes it clear that if you don't embrace the B-word, your money will never work for you.
