Whether you desire a career in journalism, a trip to China, or a relationship with a wonderful man, your dreams are never out of reach. As long as you work hard and never cease believing in yourself, you can achieve anything you aspire to. Rest assured, on the road to success, you will experience setbacks along the way that'll test your mettle. The key is never allowing such challenges to faze you. When you want something badly enough, nothing or no one can get in your way. Unfortunately, our own negative thinking is often the single biggest obstacle we're up against. For example, you might feel tempted to throw in the towel because: You're hard up on cash. You've applied for several promising jobs and seem to fall short each time. You've had bad luck with a string of recent dates, convincing you that you'll never find true love. Instead of calling it quits, why not use such struggles to drive you to work harder? Maybe you need to get somet...

If you had a choice between stealing or cheating, which one would you do? And, no, "neither" isn't an option. Also, assume that you won't get caught or go to jail if you pick the former, and your partner will never find out you cheated if you choose the latter -- unless, of course, you spill the beans yourself. Tough choice, isn't it? Cheating and stealing both feel very wrong. This would be a very difficult position for anyone to be in. Here's what I'd do: I would steal, but then find a way to return the items. The way I see it, stealing is something you can "undo" simply by getting the stolen goods back into the hands of their rightful owners. It's just a matter of hanging on to them until you can track down the victims and give them back their belongings. Cheating, on the other hand, can't be taken back. Once you sleep with someone other than your partner, it'll haunt you forever, the guilt likely driving you to come clea...

It annoys me to no end when a person has money and yet he still chooses to be stingy. You know, the kind of person who never gets you a gift on your birthday, or always opts for the cheapest restaurants in town. One thing is to not spend because you really are strapped for cash, or you're trying to save up for a big life event -- like a wedding or the purchase of a car. Another is to be thrifty just because you'd rather have a root canal done on you than shell out a buck. The worst offenders are those who have a lot of money but never donate a cent to charity. I think people have every right to spend their money as they wish, but there's something to be said for those who use it for good causes. What's the harm in getting a friend a small birthday gift? Or donating $2 to St. Jude? People who refuse to spend even this much get under my skin. I could never date a woman or have as a friend someone who seems to care more about their money than their loved on...

Gift cards are yet again expected to be among the hottest gifts of the year.  This should come as no surprise considering the myriad conveniences of gift cards as opposed to other items, both for the buyer and seller. When it comes to the buyer, he or she doesn't have to worry about the item not fitting the recipient or possibly breaking on the drive home. It's also nice not to have to stuff cash or a check in an envelope, which, studies show, people are more likely to misplace. The person who receives the gift has the freedom to use the gift card to buy whatever item(s) he or she desires, provided that the total doesn't exceed the amount on the card. The only time a gift card becomes an inconvenience is when the retailer(s) listed on the card are those you wouldn't be caught dead shopping at. For example, how would you feel if you, a vegetarian, received a $50 Burger King gift card? Before giving anyone a card, consumers should make sure the recipient regularly...

As someone who's been a victim of identity theft multiple times, I know firsthand how important it is to keep your personal information safe, and how frustrating it can be once it's compromised. Here's a valuable tip: If you can't use cash, use credit cards. You should aim to use debit cards only in the event that you need to withdraw money from the ATM. Credit cards offer two key advantages over debit cards: 1. They're safer: Most credit cards these days offer consumers zero liability protection. This means that they're not responsible for any transactions made without their authorization. All fraudulent purchases are removed, thus bringing the cardholder's balance to where it should be. With debit cards, the process isn't as hassle-free. The bank will dig deeper to ensure you didn't make the transactions and will usually require you to fill out and send over paperwork. What's worse, you have to wait for the bank to give you your money b...

What would you do if someone gave you a cheap gift ?  With Christmas just a few weeks away, people are hitting the malls in full force, snagging everything from clothing to electronics. For some people, their holiday shopping list includes a few less expensive items they may plan to give to acquaintances or people they don't know all too well, like their kids' teachers, the cleaning lady at work, and so on. But sometimes we receive what we'd consider cheap gifts even from friends or relatives. This especially throws us for a loop when we've always given the other person higher-quality stuff. Would you feel the gift is a reflection of how much (or little) that individual values you? The first thing one has to determine is whether the person is strapped for cash. If he or she bought you something cheap because they really can't do any better at this time, then it's understandable. Most of us would probably do the same if we were in their shoes. The mere ...

In the battle between paper and plastic, paper is the undisputed winner. Consumer psychologists have found that people are less likely to splurge when they only use cash. And this makes perfect sense. It's always easier to limit yourself to a predetermined amount when using dollar bills. Once you run out of them, you have no choice but to run to the ATM for more. In the case of credit cards, we can have a credit limit of, say, $8,000, a fact not lost on us when we're at the mall. Thus, we feel less predisposed to put the brakes on our purchases when we know we can just swipe the card countless times. Using cash also "stings" more because you actually feel like you're losing something. You can open your wallet or purse and see that your hard-earned cash is no longer there. With credit cards, you can postpone feeling the sting until you receive your bill in the mail, which is what the vast majority of consumers would rather do. Let's not forget that ca...