Budgeting

If you have never been a parent or done the research, it can be truly astonishing to learn how much it will cost to raise children over the span of an eighteen year period.

In 2007, my wife and I learned we were expecting. It was an amazing rush that was soon followed by total and complete panic. Like 13 percent of all pregnancies in the U.S., we found ourselves expecting and without health insurance. A pregnant woman lacking coverage is basically the same as someone diagnosed with stage 4 cancer; untouchable. While this is a huge obstacle, there are avenues including simply negotiating with the hospital directly to help reduce costs.

If a new job has you moving to a new city, you may want to check to see how expensive life in said city is before you celebrate your new salary. The following is a list of the most expensive cities in which to live in our United States, according to the 2009 Forbes survey. […]