MomsRules

Do moms really choose to defer having kids when the economy is bad?

Does the economy have any impact on whether moms will defer having kids?    For older moms, the biological clock has a bigger impact on the decision to have kids now than the economy.   

Although younger moms may defer having kids, surprisingly enough the statistics show that people  actually have more sex during bad economic times!   I think you will see some less planned pregnancies, but more unplanned pregnancies.  Over all, I think nature wins, and we end up with more kids.

We have not noticed any change on the number of estates we plan in our practice for parents with new kids, so I would have to guess that people are still going about having their families, and hope that they don't miss out on a great part of life even when the economy is bad.  

Mina N. Sirkin is a Family Wealth Lawyer and a Legal Expert in Personal Finance matters in Los Angeles, California.   Ms. Sirkin is Certified as a Specialist attorney in Estate Planning, Probate and Trust Law by the Board of Legal Specialization of the State Bar of California. http://www.Sirkinlaw.com.  MSirkin@SirkinLaw.com.  Mina Sirkin has reported on the Estate of Anna Nicole Smith, and the Guardianship relating to Anna Nicole Smith and her daugher for CBS2/ KCAL9.

Mad at the economy? Do something about it!

Are you mad at the economy?  We might be suffering from communal pain.  I was reading A New Earth, a book by Eckhart Tolle.  There, he talks about a type of pain called communal pain.  It took me a few minutes to really see what he was talking about.   His communal pain theory is based on the premise that as humans the way we think as a society attracts things based on our thoughts.    When the news services report news of the bad economy, it creates fear in some people's minds, who then react to it by spending buying less, or by hiring less people.  A bad economy is our communal pain now.  Likewise, as soon as the news services chain their tune, people behave accordingly and the pain eases.

The idea that communal thinking creates chain reactions goes back to tribal communities.   Some tribes in Africa for example engaged in the rain dance and truly believed that the dance would attract rain.   But you can apply the same theory to the economy.   Some people react to the news in the economy while others see the bad economy as a door way to prosperity.    Those like Warren Buffet know that while some people are thinking negatively, there are many opportunities out there.   Why not you?

It's easy to sit back and let others do our thinking for us.   Taking a step forward to change our thoughts about the economy creates changes in actions and a chain reaction which can propel us forward to prosperity.

Next time someone tells you how bad the economy is, run away, and take a simple action toward prosperity no matter how hard you may think it is.   

Here are some ideas:

1.   Sell just one item on ebay.

2.   Call someone to do a joint venture.

3.   Make your own coffee in the morning and put your Starbucks money towards something new.

4.   Post something about your expertise on a friend's blog.

5.   Learn how to create a new product.

6.   Spread the word about good products.

Mina N. Sirkin is a Family Wealth Lawyer and a TV Legal Expert in Los Angeles, California.   You can find out more about her work at http://www.SirkinLaw.com.

Avoiding the money arguments

Most married people at one point or another of their marriage hit a spot where it seems like most of the arguments are about kids and money.   Here are some tips on avoiding the money arguments:

1.   Divide the sum of your disposable money.  If you are a saver, save your half.  If you are intent on buying something with it, or if your husband wants to buy a pair of nasty speakers with it, he can do it with his own half.  This always allows the fiscally conservative spouse to save some of the money.

2.    Every month ask each other if there are things you want.   Write down your top three and cross out two.   Then plan for when and how you can purchase the remaining two items.

3.    If you disagree about giving allowances to kids, see if you can settle for giving points to kids which they can in turn convert into cash allowances. 

4.    Don't talk about money when you're hungry.   Most people get into heated arguments when blood sugar is low.  If you want to talk about money, do it on a full stomach.   Odds are you will get farther in making a deal when you are not at the mercy of your insulin.

5.    Never spend large amounts on credit cards without your spouse's knowledge.  This is one of the top deal breakers in marriages.

6.    Use a site like Mint.com to create a budget and spending plan.  This helps you put your budget in plain view and share it with your spouse.

Copyright 2008 Mina N. Sirkin