Can Friends Get You In Money Trouble?

My answer to that question is a definite yes! The article below talks about the ways that friends can lead to money trouble and how to try to handle that.

I don't mind buying gifts for friends, because I am one of those who thinks that gifts are precious. Just don't overdo it!

I don't have so much trouble from friends about money now, but I did when I was young. I had three friends, all older, who set me off on the wrong financial course, one that I am still dealing with today. OK, I know that it was really my fault that I spent more than I had to keep up with my older, glamorous friends. But I got the feeling that they liked that I was struggling to keep up with them and goaded me into it. See, they ended up not being very good friends--it just took me a while to catch on.

So, the result was I developed really bad money habits right out of college. And when I say I am paying for that years later--decades later--I really am. But my debt level is going down fast, and within a year I will be out of debt, except for my car. And that is where I want to stay.


http://money.msn.com/frugal-living/post.aspx?post=4674a9c0-a983-49b5-8743-9ccb55fa9215

Boomers To Go Bust? Uh Oh

Articles like that linked below scare me to death. I am a boomer, albeit a younger one. But to read that boomers are probably going to go bust in retirement is frightening! I am not as bad off as some mentioned in the article, but I am on par with some others, which is still not good.

I don't mind working hard and forever, but what worries me are the factors out of our control: the economy, medical costs, social security, etc.

We as a group need to get on the stick, but how to collectively do so?

http://money.msn.com/baby-boomers/5-reasons-boomers-will-go-bust-fiscaltimes.aspx