One of my rules is: If it's good for the planet, it's usually good for your wallet.

Find the autonomy in your work. Autonomy is key to feeling good about the work you do, no matter what kind of work it is.

Your retirement comes before your children's tuition. That's because there's no financial aid for retirement, and there's still a good deal available for college.

Show your kids that needs and wants are two different things. The best way to teach our kids to be smart consumers - and savvy savers - is to model good behavior for them.

Generally, there are three rules when it comes to borrowing money: You need to have good credit, proof of income and cash for a down payment. Most people have the first two, but it's the third that trips them up. And nowhere does that come into play more than the mortgage market.

If you live in a yard sale kind of neighborhood - in good weather, most neighborhoods are crawling with them on weekends - do a sweep to see what the competition is charging. No one is going to buy your $7 book if they can get it down the block for $1.