I agree with your assertion that 'it depends,' but your point illustration isn't valid. I'm not saying that to be a pain, but it's important for people to truly understand when it is better to own or rent. For instance, you will not be paying the same rent for 30 years in almost any case ever. You will have a…

That's simply not true. First of all, you can buy condos, and you can rent houses - so expenses on lawns and so on are not a given in either scenario. Secondly, there are tax deductions, loans, etc. that don't automatically make repairs cost a retail/cash price. If a renter isn't maintaining the property/water heater…

I agree. At most, anyone wanting to see pay stubs will want to see the last two, so why not just verify that they're correct and only keep those?

I'm a bit skeptical of miles-only rewards cards, though. I do the whole 'pay it off' thing (I pay weekly instead of monthly, to be a bit more mindful of spending) but get cash rewards. It seems that every time I've compared cash to travel rewards cash has always worked out better (plus the example given is only DC to…

It's technically not just one program (it includes Bridge and Camera RAW), but it's also technically not for the 'average user.' It's for professionals. Seriously, if buying a tool for $120 a year that lets you make money is too much, then you're not a professional. In which case, any of these amateur programs should…

The average user in your use case uses Photoshop Elements. And Photoshop standalone is only $9.99 a month right now.

I did this years ago, and it was always a challenge to maintain civility at the sheer lunacy of some people. But their craziness will only affect you temporarily! Definitely make a game out of it to keep it from affecting you too.

I've taken these tests oodles of times and always end up INTJ. SOOO many INTJs here. Wonder what the story there is? (I also have to play a sort-of ENTJ or ENTP for my job, which is exhausting at times - but for some reason I have always gravitated towards things that require extroversion. Anyone else have to 'play'…

This is great. C.R.E.A.M. can be very unhealthy but not unusual, especially for those of us who have dealt with poverty. It's really hard to avoid binge/purge cycles and enjoy money without neglecting budgets!

I see this as two distinct issues: one is an opportunity to train/learn, the other is a manipulation game of power/control.

I say this a lot, but it's true - there are only three ways to improve your finances: reduce your expenses and/or increase your income. Either way, you ALSO have to improve your attitude. If you whine, focus on negatives, come up with excuses for why you can't, mire yourself in the difficulties and short-term losses,…

I typically don't give advice on these things because most people have a strong case of but-itis when you offer any. If you really want to succeed, you will listen more than make excuses. (I'm not saying you're doing that, just that it's common.) But here is some that may help: barter. Seriously. Walk dogs, water…

And not just rental cars; also shuttle services. Plus, if you're close to a status, some airlines will allow you to buy miles for way cheaper than usual as an add-on to an existing flight; so if you have a round-trip flight with one stop you can get 12K miles for about 180 bucks. Yes, I know that also involves…

I just did a 'splurge cos I'm worth it' shopping spree. I can sometimes be overwhelmingly penny wise/pound foolish (in that I scrimp so much rather than really look at my investments and other ways to save), so I gave myself rules when I got a big bonus check. First rule: splurge has to have a budget (which also helps…

The wisdom I've always adhered to is to go with the smallest band size you can wear comfortably, since (as was mentioned) the band should be doing the support. I do buy the extender hooks for, er, monthly variations where they get a little tight :)

Right there with ya; I typically wore 34 Bs or Cs because I am really not that bewby, but I should be in 32DD-E/34Ds. It is amazing how much less I do the 'grab-tug-twist' and the 'shove back in' now though!

Give yourself time before you need to make any purchases or financing; some places recommend to stagger your three free reports so that you have an opportunity to fix things more often, but I've found that each one always has its own errors. Experian seems to be the most difficult to get; the site constantly throws…

I used to think that (some) people didn't know how to prioritize and be efficient; now I think it's more a matter of that they don't want to. I see a lot of employees rewarded for looking busy and being vocal about being busy, not for being productive and using time effectively. Some of it is certainly fear-driven,…

I think two things here are really key: first of all, set expectations. Don't just avoid/get away from the situation to process your emotions, but specify a time/place when the conflict resolution part will take place. This is especially important with people with abandonment issues! Also, realize that sometimes the…

Much of this seems to be centered around happiness. Happiness is important, but you have to be realistic about where you are in life in weighing whether you can (and should) suck it up short-term for long-term goals. Sometimes sticking with a less-than-ideal job with a higher salary can net you better opportunities…