Emily’s list: Haiti edition

Right now, our lives seem petty and mundane compared to the recent devastation in Haiti. While we may be bummed out that we may not have a vacation in the budget and whether we have enough money to pay off our HD televisions and student loans, Haitians are worrying about whether their loved ones are still alive and if they will have clean water to drink.

Although we would all love to donate a truck full of supplies to those in ..read more

Emily’s list: New Year’s resolutions edition

I don’t like making New Year’s resolutions. They often sound fun or motivating at first, but then I just feel guilty if — or rather, when — I cannot live up to them. Despite my qualms about setting lofty goals, I still appreciate the practice of it. Starting the calendar over makes many of us feel like we are wiping the slate clean and getting a new start. It’s as good a time as any to start over and set ..read more

Emily’s list: New Year’s resolutions edition

I don’t like making New Year’s resolutions. They often sound fun or motivating at first, but then I just feel guilty if — or rather, when — I cannot live up to them. Despite my qualms about setting lofty goals, I still appreciate the practice of it. Starting the calendar over makes many of us feel like we are wiping the slate clean and getting a new start. It’s as good a time as any to start over and set ..read more

Leveraging my fly to the awesome, I avoid fail

Are there words that, exhausted from overuse, should be retired at the end of each year? If so, as 2009 comes to a close, you could easily make the case that “leverage” and “fail” are among the recent buzzwords that need to be swatted.

Mighty Bargain Hunter highlights those words (as well as “awesome” and “fly”) for what he calls “parts-of-speech abuse” — and has chosen that as the theme for the latest edition of the Carnival of Personal Finance, which ..read more

Use payment cards to keep your New Year’s resolutions

The end of 2009 is just a few weeks away, which means it’s time to think about New Year’s resolutions for 2010. Amid the economic downturn, financial resolutions are increasingly popular, according to a recent study by Fidelity Investments, with saving more and spending less topping the list of consumers’ fiscal commitments.

While it might seem like canceling your credit card accounts would be the best way to reach those goals, plastic can actually help you achieve your New Year’s ..read more

Emily’s list: Burger King edition

On this day in 1954, the first Burger King opened in Miami. Now, after 55 years of whopping growth, the fast food chain can be found in 71 countries with its array of tempting — and sometimes diet-busting — menu items.

A typical meal at Burger King

Soon, many of us will be making New Year’s resolutions to help us start the year off fresh. And every year, two of the most popular post-holiday resolutions will be shedding weight and ..read more