Christine Luken releases second book, ‘Manage Money Like a Boss,’ aimed at creative entrepreneurs
Special to NKyTribune
When Christine Luken began writing her second book Manage Money Like a Boss, her original target audience was anyone with a small business. But then she noticed something interesting.
She observed that many of the creative entrepreneurs she knew – artists, musicians, photographers, and the like – had a strained push-pull relationship with money and success. They wanted...
Christine Luken: Changing directions — money lessons I learned from calling off my wedding
A wedding dress was hanging in my closet. A deposit had been paid on the reception hall. Then, I called off my wedding.
After seven years with my fiancé, Jeff, I finally realized our relationship wasn’t heading in a positive direction. I was the breadwinner and the responsible one. Jeff could never seem to keep a job for more than a few months at a time and he depended on me to pick up the slack....
Financial Lifeguard Christine Luken launches new book, ‘Money Is Emotional,’ today
Seventy-two percent of Americans confess that they are always or sometimes stressed about money, yet 68% of them do not have a written monthly spending plan. Why don’t more people utilize a budget if they are so anxious about their finances? Christine Luken, the Financial Lifeguard, knows the answer: money management isn’t just about math; it’s about emotion.
The emotional, mental, and relational...
Christine Luken: How you think about money translates to action; upgrade your thoughts
The battle for your money begins in your mind.
Many people make financial related resolutions for the New Year: save more, spend less, pay off credit cards.
Our thoughts are a very powerful force that can either support or sabotage these money goals. Yet most of us never stop and think about what we’re thinking about when it comes to money!
What are you saying – in your head and out loud –...
Christine Luken: Ask for better deal; nothing wrong with negotiating and you have nothing to lose
Beautiful girl holding many shopping bags and smiling
If you’ve travelled to other countries, you’ll know that they love to haggle and negotiate. In fact, merchants in other parts of the world might be offended if you don’t try to negotiate with them. However, most of us who are stateside believe that asking for a better deal is reserved for used car purchases and garage sales. It’s rare...
Christine Luken: Confessions of a ‘coupon queen’ — here’s how to save money without coupons
Shopping cart with goods
I have a confession to make: I used to be a diehard coupon queen. Every week, I’d buy four Sunday papers and spend time clipping and organizing them in my gigantic coupon binder. I’d scour the store ads and match up coupons with the sale items. I bought items in bulk and had an impressive stockpile in my basement.
I did save a ton of money, but it was very time-consuming....
Christine Luken: What’s a few bucks between friends? Almost always, a lot more than you think
Closeup portrait of a male hand holding US dollars
Have you ever loaned a friend or coworker $50, $100, or more?
Did you notice that things between you felt a little strained until the debt was repaid?
That wasn’t your imagination.
When you loan money to someone, friend or family member, it changes the emotional fabric of the relationship. King Solomon, thought to be one of the wisest men...
Christine Luken: What to do with a windfall? Be aware, it can be a source of stress; don’t waste it
We fantasize about being the recipient of large financial windfall: winning the lottery, getting a huge bonus at work, receiving an inheritance from a long lost relative. We dream about what we’d spend all that money on: luxury cars, oceanfront property, trips to exotic places. In truth, a financial windfall can actually be a source of stress if we are not operating from a detailed Financial Roadmap.
Happy...
Christine Luken: Happy spending — really, it’s the experiences that matter most
Most of us would say that we enjoy spending money, although some things are more fun to splurge on than others. It’s definitely more exciting to spend money on things we want, like sporting tickets or a massage; rather on thing we need like groceries or gas for the car.
However even among the fun splurges, some give us fleeting feelings of bliss and others bring us joy even decades afterwards....
Christine Luken: Meal planning really does go a long way toward ending stress at dinner time
Meal planner
I started meal planning over five years ago when I was coupon queen. At the time my sole motivation to start planning my meals was saving money.
I wanted to make better use of the food that I was buying at a fraction of the cost with my couponing strategies. I instinctively knew meal planning would cut down on the amount of food I threw away, and my family would eat out less.
However,...
Christine Luken: Beware the high cost of competitive sports — trending to out-of-control
There are many positive benefits of having your kids involved in sports: making new friends, physical activity, and learning the benefits of teamwork to name a few. However, I have noticed a trend with my coaching clients recently, and that is out of control costs revolving around their kids’ sports activities.
It’s not hard for the cost of sports (and other extra-curricular activities) to spiral...
Christine Luken: Tips for eating well on vacation — without breaking the bank and spoiling the fun
Vacations are supposed to be fun and relaxing, but if you’re not careful it’s easy to stress out over the high price of meals when your family is traveling.
My husband and I learned this lesson first hand on our trip to Hawaii. The night we arrived on the island, we were starving after a long day of travel. We happened upon a picnic-style buffet at our resort shortly after checking in to our...
Christine Luken: When is right time to refinance consumer debt (while paying more than minimum)?
While you are working to pay off your debt, is it ever a good idea to refinance some — or all of it — to a lower interest rate? Financial gurus seem split on the issue. I say it all depends on your particular situation and your mindset.
My personal experience with consolidation loans wasn’t a positive one. I went to one of those shady finance companies located in a strip mall to consolidate...
Christine Luken: Growing your own garden is a great way to save and have fresh produce all season long
With the warm weather finally upon us, my husband and I have been planning out our vegetable garden and prepping the beds for our starter plants and seeds.
My husband, Nick, and I are accidental gardeners. Several years ago, we became tired of spending top dollar on vine-ripened supermarket tomatoes that tasted bland at best. Produce isn’t cheap, especially organic produce, and coupons for fresh...
Christine Luken: Common budget blunders to avoid to get to your ‘Preferred Financial Destination’
Doing a monthly budget is the quickest way to get to your Preferred Financial Destination, however, it’s important to be aware of the most common budget blunders and how to avoid them.
The first Budget Blunder is being unaware of what you’re spending as you go through the month, which causes you to go over budget on entertainment, dining out, clothing, or another category.
Sometimes we have...
