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We're slowly but steadily heading east as we continue our series on the United States' 529 plans. Up to the plate this week: Colorado. The state that his home to the Rockies and Mile High's Tim Tebow has an impressive four 529 college savings plans to choose from. It's worth noting an internet search for plans in this state will yield results for a fifth plan, the Prepaid Tuition Fund; however, this plan is no longer open and is being allowed to phase out.

Love is a wonderful thing. Really, it is. Of course, everyone who’s ever been in a relationship knows that that love often comes with a lot of compromise…and one of the biggest places for compromise is in finances. This is completely understandable when you think about it: people are different and they want to purchase different things. Makes sense. But what do you do if your spending habits are worlds apart from one another? How do you accept your differences and skip off into the sunset?

Talk About It

Bankruptcy. Just seeing the word might induce a shudder at its implications. It's a topic that might not be on the top of your list to discuss, but it makes up a significant part of our financial culture. In an effort to keep financial terms in a simple, easy-to-digest format, we'll give bankruptcy and all of its connected points the "simple does it" treatment.

Debtor and Creditor

Last weekend was leaf cleanup weekend in my household, and I made an unplanned purchase. I bought a leaf blower. Many people (including my former self) consider this contraption an unnecessary tool. But for me on this particular weekend, it made my job a little easier.

You see, with the toothache of a few weeks ago, I wasn’t feeling 100%. Okay, I was barely feeling 50%. In any case, I was not on top of my puppy cleanup duty, and the backyard was littered with horse-sized presents. All which were buried under leaves.

There’s a lot of talk these days about foreclosures and short sales in our poor housing market, and it can seem at first like these two words are interchangeable. Overall, both mean that the seller cannot afford payments on the house, and the home must be sold; so it’s tempting to lump them together. However, foreclosures and short sales are actually more different than they appear. Let’s look at both definitions in more detail.

Foreclosure

When my girls were babies, we would attract a lot of attention going about the store in our double stroller. Strangers would often stop us, asking if they were identical, commenting on them in general. And always there was at least one kind soul who thought they’d give us a pearl of parenting wisdom.

When times are tough and money’s tight, decorating your home may be put on the back burner. But if you’re anything like me, not decorating your home may drive you up your un-painted walls. I mean, really, the beauty that exists in your home can be a catalyst for creativity, peace and calm. So what do you do if you want to decorate but have a limited budget? Let’s take a look at a few ways to stretch the dollar while beautifying your home, including painting, purchasing on the cheap and using some tried-and-true decorating tips.

Paint It!

Join our guest blogger Mitchell Pauly for a serious topic with some hilarious twists: The Purpose of College.

“There is a time and place for everything…and it’s called college.” -Chef (South Park)

Today is cold and windy, and as I stare out my window into the dreary November chill, I know that winter is not far off. Sigh. I suppose it comes every year, so I shouldn’t be surprised that it’s on its way again. Yet I am.

I’m surprised at how quickly the year went. It flew by, seemingly faster than before, and I’m left dreading the next six months of cold, wind, snow and sleet (I guess I’m not cut out to be a mailman, huh?).

For many reasons – jobs, education, economy, etc. – many of us find ourselves needing or wanting to move from our native soil into areas where we might not know a lot of people. Going this route alone is hard, but what are parents to do when this move involves children?