Last night, the musician screamed into his microphone, “45 seconds until the new year. Have you made your resolution?”

Did you spend any time reflecting on ways that you wanted to be better this year? Given 45 seconds, I didn’t come up with a foolproof improvement plan. Lucky for me, I have a database of favorite Aridni articles that I often look to for inspiration:

What does it really take to make money? This article guides you in defining and reaching your financial desires

Is it better to let your dreams die or do a poor job? Todd’s had an idea for about a year… but he lacks skill. What does he do? What do you do?

No longer the bride today I celebrated my one-year anniversary this summer and found a finance partner to boot for - I discovered a 5-step plan to seeking goals and reaching objectives.

Are you climbing to the top when there is no top? Before you can get somewhere tomorrow, you have to think of where you are today. Examine the corporate ladder at your office.

Make your success move from the polls to the ballot Women are starting new businesses twice as fast as men. Three success secrets revealed–

One month to impress Define your image in one month, step by step.

If like many Aridni readers, you are saving every extra dollar for your next investment and are striving to make money work for you, there are lots of reasons to vote Democrat the next time you go to the polls. Sure, Republicans swear by lower taxes and fiscal responsibility, but who cares how well they can “eliminate wasteful spending” when our president can’t even balance the budget (which his Democratic predecessor left at a surplus) and average people like you and me are emptying our wallets so that the wealthiest 2% of the population can get tax relief while the middle class pays for it? Unless you are part of that 2%, you won’t save any money by voting Republican except maybe a little bit in income tax if you’re lucky.

Republicans love to say that they will “cut frivilous spending,” but what does that mean for you and me? It means they are going to cut back on essential social programs like Medicare and Medicaid to make their tax cuts possible and create “responsible alternatives” such as tax-free Health Savings Accounts to make those cuts appear fair and reasonable. In reality, only those who are already economically solvent can afford to put this money away and don’t need to save it to begin with. People who are living pay check to pay check cannot take advantage of these policies in a way that improves their standard of living.

Would you rather pay a little more in taxes or be able to afford health insurance As of this writing, approximately 45 million Americans do not have health insurance due to a Darwinistic culture in Washington that lobbies for the survival of the fittest or the wealthiest. The people who are getting these tax cuts don’t need health insurance anyway so why let them save their tax money while you’re struggling to get by?

Even for people who are part of the top 2% of the population, the tradeoff of lower taxes is a breakdown in city services including trash pick-up, snow plowing, and recycling; more crime on the streets due to fewer police officers; less money spent on mental health services for would-be-criminals which means your tax dollars are being used to keep these people alive in jail; bad roads which can result in expensive repairs on your car, and less environmental regulations which translates into an unhealthy, polluted planet for all of us. Irresponsible cuts are no better than irresponsible spending because budget cuts end up hurting all members of our society, especially the most vulnerable citizens. As MA Democratic gubenatorial candidate Deval Patrick describes the damage done by the tax cuts of the Republican Romney-Healey administration, “Our local communities have been left on their own, abandoned to carry most of the burden for the essential services our citizens need and deserve.” *Patrick also recognizes that lowering income taxes will simply result in a rise in property taxes, making it harder for many members of the middle and working classes to afford their homes.

So next time you go to the polls, remember to vote for the party that represents all of us, not just the top 2%. Don’t be penny-wise and pound-foolish by voting for short term gains at the expense of long term losses in your pocket book and quality of life.

*For more information, please visit: www.DevalPatrick.com

How can we achieve the American Dream if we fall prey to American commercialism which is addictive and consumer-based? Whether it’s junk food, drugs (including cigarettes and alcohol), money, politics, body weight… we are all subject to mass commericalism which convinces us that we simply cannot be happy if we don’t have a particular product that will change our life for the better. Because taxes are so low here compared to our trans-Atlantic counterparts, Americans can afford to buy these products in bulk which means we need to work harder to reduce the impulse to buy. If you are struggling to find a balance between these perpendicular forces in our society, it’s time to take a lesson from the people of Europe and Canada who have much higher taxes than we do and as a result, tend to be more penny wise.

According to a savy friend of mine who has lived in Canada, France, Great Britain, and the U.S.A., people in the first three nations think twice before spending double or triple the amount Americans spend on gasoline, depending on the country. Yes, that is quite expensive, but in exchange for their tax dollars, these countries offer free universal health care and subsidized higher education to all their citizens which gives those governments an incentive to take care of their people- much more so than here. After all, if you are paying for someone’s health care and education, you want to make sure they have a healthy, productive lifestyle so that they can give back to the country in the form of their tax dollars. In Sweeden, there is a 25% sales tax and 50% income tax. Amazing, yes?

People in these countries are more careful about spending money on food and are therefore less obese than Americans and on average have fewer health problems. The tax on cigarettes is much higher than in the U.S. and as a result smokers have a financial as well as a health incentive to quit. In essence, smokers pay for the cost of their chemotherapy through the tax on each pack. European countries make it harder for people to impulsively buy products without thinking twice about the impact on their wallets.

I’m not suggesting that you pack your suitcase and move to France (although that would be nice), but the next time you go shopping, try to put yourself in a European frame of mind. If that product was 25% more expensive would you still buy it? If so, then you probably need it, but if the answer is no, put your credit card back in your wallet where it belongs!

A lot of people look at financial websites and scoff, figuring we have nothing but dollar signs in our eyes. Is that scenario really the case? How do you feel about the thought of having more money than you need? Are you thrilled? Are you disgusted?

To me, the idea of accumulating more money than I need today means that I can do more and give more in the future. What about you? If you told someone, “My goal is to be wealthy,” do you have a reason? What would people think of your goal?

A lot of finance blogs talk about ways to cheat the system. I used to love to read a particular blog… then the author found a way to register for an online banking account multiple times with his same information. He thought he struck gold; every time he registered for a new account, he got a $50 gift card to his favorite store. Ideas like this, and it’s no wonder people scoff. At Aridni, we don’t believe in these strategies. If you want to make money, we think you should find a way that enriches people.

Todd and I grew up in a mining town. The city started off as an underground mining hayday. Then the mine owners found a way to extract minerals at less expense and more profit—strip mining. Strip mines continue to operate today, and the northern half of the town looks uglier than sin. I can barely stand to look to the north. Todd and I have seen what greed can do, how it can damage a society and stain our environment.

If you feel good about your money behaviors, then earning more money can enhance your feelings and spread a positive experience to others. Is it wrong to want to be a wealthy person? I don’t know—how are you getting that wealth?

People talk a lot about the keys to wealth. Yet somehow, they forget something we have to find in ourselves.

Every week, I determine two primary goals for my spare time. This week, my goals are

(1) restructure our personal finance files and paperwork and
(2) write about my personal expectations for life in a journal every day.

I find that one of my goals is satisfied for the week, I cross it off. I find great satisfaction in drawing that bold line. And I challenge you to do similar projects.

What’s this list stuff got to do with money?

Lining up your finance files this week will put your current financial situation in perspective. You know exactly where to find items for banks, stock trades, mutual fund purchases… You can see how much risk you’re comfortable taking and a rough sketch of your financial obligations, assets, and needs.

Second, what’s the point of pinching pennies and spending every spare minute on accumulation of wealth if you don’t have a plan for this money in the future? Take time every day this week to reflect on your direction. Ask yourself these questions:

1. In twenty years, I see myself spending my evenings with whom, doing what?

Imagine your ideal town, beautiful house, hobbies… Do you have kids? How are you all dressed? What are you eating? Here’s your chance to day dream about your happily ever after.

2. In twenty years, how do I want to spend the hours of 9 to 5?

You basically have three options: work for someone else, work for yourself, or not really work much at all. What do you pick? Why did you pick this choice?

3. Do I want a specific amount of money? When will I be satisfied with my amount of wealth?

Are you shooting for a specific dollar sign in the bank? The feeling of a specific lifestyle?

4. What do I want so much money for?

You probably want a specific lifestyle—but what else? Do you want to give money, give time? Do you want specific things? Why are you equating the value of money to the value of your future dreams?

5. Who do I want so much money for?

Do you want your spouse or kids to have a certain lifestyle? Are you hoping to give them specific opportunities that you had or never had? When you’re working with someone else in mind, you can find yourself much more eager to go the extra mile when all you want to do is quit. (Know any new fathers who hate their jobs? They go every day for that wife and baby—no question, no hesitation.)

6. What’s one idea I have for increasing my net worth in a way that can grow without my constant supervision?

This question requires an absolute, which makes it the hardest question to ask yourself. But ask yourself this one every day. After a while, you start to see opportunity where you never did before. You’ll be like Walt Disney—seeing the potential in full-length films and cartoons, discovering the significance of a destination family vacation like Disney Land, then spotting the rapid love affair with televisions and tapping into the channels with shows like the Mickey Mouse Club.

7. Finally, what can I do better tomorrow to reach these goals that I learned from today?

This weekend, I want you to collect all of your bank statements, credit card bills, Quicken reports, net worth statements, and piles of loans; hand them to a complete stranger. Let him read over everything, sift through your budgeting, and throw in a lot of hmms and mmms. What will he think? Are you spending money intelligently? Are you earning money intelligently?

I feel like I am always nitpicking at the financial behaviors I see in others—one friend spends too much on cigarettes and Mountain Dew. My cousin eats out too much, and my old roommate buys expensive furniture on credit that she’ll be paying off for years along with the newer, cooler car she just upgraded to.

Then I see people making money by selling plasma. Others spend their whole lives working to make their bosses rich (note to self: stop doing that!).

Yet I look at my own financial situation and find nothing wrong. I’m perfect! And I suppose that you are perfect, too!

The truth is—I attempt to admit to myself—is that it’s easier to find faults in the spending and earning habits of others than pin down problems in ourselves. But imagine handing over your finances to a complete stranger. He might find you and I have similar silly spending habits.

I’m not trusting any stranger. I’m pasting a fake mustache on myself and calling this new guy “Mr. Frank”. Mr. Frank is examining my habits. Heck, he’s already bombarded my kitchen to report an exceeding abundance of pasta and corn. He’s still trying to help me pinpoint illogical financial decisions. Has he found anything to report to you?