Decision Making

Putting Off Now for Later

I find that one of my problems as a young person trying to plan for the future is that I’m young and retirement (and even a real adult life with a house, family, kids) seems like such a long way off. How much of my fun here and now should I put off so that [...]

How Much Money would Someone Have to Pay Me to do X?

On the way home from a recent family vacation I was shopping duty free and found a bottle of a particular vodka for only $7 compared to the $25+ I pay in the States. How could I pass up this savings? I couldn’t and so I bought a bottle. When I returned to the gate [...]

What’s it Worth to You? Liquor, Lotteries, and Cast Iron Pans

I don’t really care about clothes or shoes or designer labels. So, I think it’s crazy when I find out my friend spent several hundred dollars on a pair of jeans. But then again, she thinks it’s crazy that I would spend $15 on a notebook or $50 for a nice dinner. One of the [...]

Does Money Make You Mean?

There is a very interesting article on Bankrate.com today about the effects of money on independence and helpfulness. There are a number of interesting points which I’ll discuss below, but if you’re just looking for a quick summary here’s what they say: “A new behavioral study finds that folks with money on their minds are [...]

State School Debt-Free or Ivy-League Drowning in Debt?

The Minneapolis Star Tribune published a story today about whether it matters if you attend a “big name” college. The first student profiled, Luna Yang, has “already been admitted to the University of Michigan and has been offered a full ride at the University of Minnesota. … But the mystique of schools like MIT and [...]