I met Patti recently at a networking event in Los Angeles, and loved her specialty: teaching kids to manage money. Don't all of us wish he had had Patti when we were growing up? I was so excited to have her on the site and am delighted to share her guest post today! so now, take it away, Patti! (be sure to read her amazing bio at the bottom, where you can learn about her book: How to ditch your allowance and be richer than your parents)

This past week, I learned about something called "The Compact." It started as a San Francisco group devoted to buying nothing new other than Food, toiletries and medicine. It is acceptable to buy used and to borrow or barter. This got me thinking. I have long been an advocate of voluntary simplicity, loved Janet Luhr's book, Simple Living, and have looked for many ways in my own life to cut costs and to be more conscious in how I choose to spend money. And while a certain part of me heaves a sigh of relief about no trips out to shop for a year, or for life as some of these members imply, there is part of me that balks at this method. This is not only because I enjoy finding new things and have recently discovered a new passion for earrings, it is also because when I do choose to spend money, I relish the opportunity to support those I purchase from. A good example is my love of Etsy, a site where designers and artists can sell their goods directly to the consumer. I have bought jewelry, clothes, art and gifts from this site and have loved the contacts and connections buying from these amazing people have created. So how to embrace simplicity while still enjoying the process of shopping with purpose? I think this is a challenge we each must face individually. What is your philosophy around spending? Has it changed in the last year? How do you decide who you would like to support with your money. Please share in the comments below!

This week, I found the video above and was so happy to see the concept of investing spelled out in such a no-nonsense way. 

This past year, we have seen a lot of crazy shifts in the market and in the language the media uses to talk about money. One of the things I always try to do with clients is to help them get down to the core of the issue and take the emotion out of the concept they are working with.

This week, I received the very informative results of a survey that Ramit Sethi had conducted on his readers. (You will remember Ramit from my previous post on his work and his new book, I Will Teach You to Be Rich).

During these crazy times, many people are feeling grateful to have jobs at all. Every time we turn around, there is a piece on the news about someone who has taken a job as a janitor because their corporate position was downsized. This is a scary thing to think about. When we find a penny, we pick it up.

 Still, I have been reading quite a bit about the concept of underearning lately, and I think it is especially important to address during a period of transition, like the one we are seeing now. 

image: dawnzy58 via flickr.

Greetings, Conscious Bookkeeping community! My name is Caroline Donahue, and I am so excited to be your guide on this fabulous blog. I am a long time student of Bari's and have been so delighted to apply the methods and philosophy of Conscious Bookkeeping in both my personal finances as well as my business. 

 Each week, I will be sharing inspiring and informative discoveries to support your relationship to your finances. I am really excited about this project. Please do share your thoughts in the comments about how this material strikes you, as well as the sorts of things you would love to see here.

This is the second guest post in this series by April Lane Benson.

April Lane Benson, PhD., is a nationally known psychologist who specializes in the treatment of compulsive buying disorder. She has been in private practice in New York City for over 30 years. Dr. Benson is the founder of Stopping Overshopping, LLC (linked to website), and creator of Stopping Overshopping, a comprehensive program to help eliminate compulsive buying. She is the editor of I Shop, Therefore I Am: Compulsive Buying and the Search for Self (linked to page on website about book). Her newest book To Buy Or Not To Buy?: Why We Overshop and How to Stop, is scheduled for publication at the end of 2008.
www.stopingovershopping.com

By now we all know that a transaction need not occur within the walls of a store for it to be titled “shopping. ” And no matter how clearly you know what you’re shopping for, there are always pressures to overshop. Shopping—at a mall, on the Internet, or even from a catalog—is almost guaranteed to stir up feelings and impulses. Mindful shopping can help in all of these cases.

This is a guest post by April Lane Benson.

April Lane Benson, PhD., is a nationally known psychologist who specializes in the treatment of compulsive buying disorder. She has been in private practice in New York City for over 30 years. Dr. Benson is the founder of Stopping Overshopping, LLC (linked to website), and creator of Stopping Overshopping, a comprehensive program to help eliminate compulsive buying. She is the editor of I Shop, Therefore I Am: Compulsive Buying and the Search for Self (linked to page on website about book). Her newest book To Buy Or Not To Buy?: Why We Overshop and How to Stop, is scheduled for publication at the end of 2008.
www.stoppingovershopping.com

 To Buy or Not To Buy— it’s a question we ask and answer almost every day, if not multiple times a day. For many people, this question is one that doesn’t cause much inner turmoil. But for compulsive buyers, it’s a high stakes question, and an affirmative answer can be devastating.

Did you wake up last January with a spending hangover? You know what I mean- come January, when all the gifts are opened and the parties are over, the credit card bills begin to arrive. Sadly, it takes the average American who uses credit cards to finance Christmas six to seven months to pay off the holidays. Who wants to be basking in the summer sunshine while still paying for the gifts you gave your kids, family and friends?

Be it right or wrong, women do a majority of the holiday planning and shopping. I hear many of them exclaim to me, "I hate the holidays!" and "I might as well give up trying to pay off these cards- I've got to put on Christmas." "Savings?! Who can save money during the holidays?"

Ironically, our friends and family would never intentionally want us to jeopardize our financial security, or rack up debts on their behalf, but who ever thinks about it like that? However, in the current economy, many people are even more stressed. Some have less money to spend for the holidays and feel overwhelmed at having to buy lots of gifts. But there is hope!