My conversion came when I had to clean out my mother's home and put it up for sale. Her treasures went to an indifferent Goodwill. Since that time, I don't buy stuff. I won't put my kids through that.

The biggest problem will be that so many adult children live in  another state, no one can follow your recommendations.

Yes, I worked in retail, but only in high school and college. The work was tedious and boring and certainly not a career choice. The pay was minimum wage, but I never dreamed it should be more. If I were a great sales person, I would have sold cars or insurance and made commission. (And no, my parents didn't pay for co...more

We have HIS, HERS, and OUR savings accounts. The HIS and HER get small automatic deposits through our employers. I deposit to OUR savings out of checking, every month. We have hit all of them for emergencies over the years, but the point of the HIS and HERS is to save for personal dreams like being able to buy and rebu...more

Good for you, Sean, thinking about your parents and not just yourself! But, do your actions speak as loudly as your words? Here is what I wish my son would do: make a budget and sit down with us to go over it. Then live within the budget. Don't go out and buy new skis, the latest I Pad, etc., and call home saying "I'...more

I live in the rural midwest. All of our community docs take Medicare and Medicaid, and if you don't have insurance, they will see you anyway and send a bill. No wallet biopsy. The only problem is that, if you aren't having an emergency, it takes six weeks minimum to be seen. Of course, we still have 24/7 access to the ...more

No, I wouldn't ask him to move in, especially if you have a spouse or family. But, if you are really in a position to help him get set up in housing, ask him what HE wants. If he has a plan, tell him to pitch it and you'll see if you can help. More info will help you make a better decision.

Excellent article. When I administered my mother's estate (Dad had died 20 years before) I took no fee for my work. Yes, it is stressful and time consuming, but over the years, all my siblings had pitched in to help Mom in one way or another. Nobody kept time sheets. When my spouse's sister administered their mothe...more

I have a question. How do you help someone who is having a rough time without hurting their pride? Anonymous cash in a card? Obviously, it won't be enough to solve the problem - but does every little bit help? Or just make it worse?