by Liesel Darby, Mediator & Divorce Coach

Growing up, you likely heard others, at some point, say the “F- word”, and it wasn’t’ “fudge.” It was a taboo word, and could possibly land you with a bar of soap in your mouth.  In this blog we will discuss a different “F-word”, and it still isn’t “fudge”, but it can still cause all sorts of unpleasant side effects for the unfortunate user.  The guilty word is FAIR, and by extension, FAIRNESS.

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

What’s so bad about fairness?  The concept itself seems benign enough and has the ring of righteousness to it. When we perceive that a situation is fair (usually that means it benefits us in some way), life is good. However, that is precisely the problem.  It is the expectation that things should be fair, and when they are not, we can feel like our world is in despair.  We feel indignant, out of sorts, and want the situation to be corrected, pronto. At the extreme end, if we feel we have been legally wronged in some way...

Spring, with its symphony of budding leaves and the soft hum of renewed life, is more than just a change in the calendar. It's a metaphor for rebirth, a reminder that no matter how barren the branches of our lives may appear, the potential for growth always exists. Each sprout breaking through the soil carries a whisper of promise and begs the question: what in your life is awaiting rebirth?

Hello, brave souls. Yes, you—the women who are emerging from the cocoon of financial dependency into the empowering sunlight of fiscal autonomy. Spring is calling to each of you, beckoning you to plant seeds of independence and cultivate a garden of self-sufficiency.

From Barren to Blossoming

It’s that time of year again, when everyone is sick of the cold weather.  If you have to wear a turtleneck one more time, you will scream. It seems as if the days of feeling a warm breeze blow through your hair, let alone lounging by the pool in your new bathing suit, are a long way out. The trees are still...

Personal finance books come in two varieties: entertaining or drier than twice-reheated pork chops. So, you may not think of giving recent graduates personal finance books for fear of wasting your money on a book they’ll never read (see: pork chops).

That said, there are some fantastic personal finance books out there! I love giving at least one of these ten books as graduation gifts because they all teach wise financial lessons in relatable ways so grads start out their young lives on the right financial foot.

(Our original post included five books, but I found five more that are worth checking out!)

1. The Latte Factor by David Bach

I love giving The Latte Factor as a gift to everyone, not just recent grads. This book is short and sweet, but very impactful. It teaches that no matter where you are in your personal finance journey, you have the power to achieve your financial goals. You’re richer than you think (and you didn’t have to take any big leaps to make that your reality)...

April is Financial Literacy Month! It’s such an important time for me because I truly believe in the importance of education, especially around money. The reality is that the schools don’t provide much, if any, financial education.

So, I want to make sure you have the tools to feel confident in sharing this information with your kids and also so you are confident in advocating for yourself when it comes to your finances.

I remember learning about money at a young age — I must have been about 10 and my brother was 15. My mom was a single mom. She hurt her back and couldn't go grocery shopping, so it fell to us (my brother and I) to go to the store and get what we needed.

It was the first time we had to be responsible to get the groceries and it was a little scary. We were in charge of making sure we chose wisely so we would all have food to eat for the whole week and hadn’t loaded the cart with groceries that would exceed our budget.

Even though it was a little nerve-wracking, that ...

Teaching kids about anything (and especially money) is always easier when you  make it fun for them to understand, so that’s why I love games! Using games to talk to your kids about money can be rewarding because you have an example right in front of you to base your conversation on.

I don’t know about your kids, but hands-on experiences are always preferred to hypothetical discussions in my house! (And, let’s be honest, they don't want to hear a lecture about money and quite frankly, I'm guessing you don't want to give it.)

Talking to your kids about money can be a confusing conversation to have, especially if you don’t even want to have that conversation in the first place. So, why not incorporate it in your family nights so it's not a drag?!

On Sundays, we usually have dinner at my mom's, which is often followed by an evening of board games and other family fun. Here are some of our favorites that teach some great lessons on financial literacy.

Games To Teach Kids About Money