The vibrant colors of Autumn remind me that Halloween is not far off. I remember the socks full of chalk, the raw eggs, costumes galore, and trick or treat-ing! So much fun. So much candy. On Halloween 2007 keep it safe and have fun. Remember to watch out for kids behind masks. Most important, don’t forget the chocolate!

I read a great article that I believe relates to so many of us, so I want to share it:

Do you wonder where your money goes, especially if you’re not a big spender? It’s surprisingly easy to blow thousands, a few dollars at a time.

It’s easy to fritter away money on little daily expenses. If you fall into these money traps, learn to avoid them and pocket the savings.

Coffee: According to the National Coffee Association, the average price for a cup of brewed coffee is $1.38. There are roughly 260 weekdays per year, so buying one coffee every weekday morning costs almost $360 per year.

Cigarettes: The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids reports that the average price for a pack of cigarettes in the United States is $4.54. Pack-a-day smokers fork out $1,650 a year. Weekend smoker? Buying a pack once a week adds up, too: $236.

Alcohol: Drink prices vary based on the location. But assuming an average of $5 per beer including tip, buying two beers per day adds up to $3,650 per year. Figure twice that for two mixed drinks a day at the local bar. That’s not chump change.

Bottled water from convenience stores: A 20-ounce bottle of Aquafina bottled water costs about $1. One bottle of water per day costs $365 per year. It costs the environment plenty, too.

Manicures: The Day Spa Magazine Price Survey of 2004 found that the average cost of a manicure is $20.53. A weekly manicure sets you back about $1,068 per year.

Car washes: The average cost for a basic auto detailing package is $58, according to Costhelper.com. The tab for getting your car detailed every two months: $348 per year.

Weekday lunches out: $9 will generally cover a decent lunch most workdays. If you buy, rather than pack, a lunch five days a week for one year, you shell out about $2,340 a year.

Vending-machines snacks: The average vending machine snack costs $1. Buy a pack of cookies every afternoon at work and pay $260 per year.

Interest charges on credit card bills: According to a survey released at the end of May, the median amount of credit card debt carried by Americans is $6,600. The average interest rate on a standard card is about 13%. Making the minimum payment each month, it will take 250 months (almost 21 years) to pay off the debt and cost $4,868 in interest. Ouch!

Unused gym memberships: Costhelper.com reports that the monthly service fee at gyms averages between $35 and $40. At $40 per month, an unused gym membership runs $480 per year.

Published Oct. 11, 2007 MSN

From the time we are young we begin to experience the world as a place where we will come together with another human being, our soulmate. The world, it seems, is made up of pairs. Men and women, women and women, men and men, and any other combination you can think of. They are here to stay. Wherever you go - to dinner, a movie, a museum, a park, or anyplace imaginable couples are around us.

Have you given thought to who your soulmate will be? Who you will marry or create a partnership with? Spend the rest of your life with? Our dream come true often starts off as, just that, a dream. And we all dream. Our dreams become our fantasies and one day our fantasies becomes our reality. That is the day we all wait for, when the person we believed never existed finally shows up and all the dream pieces begin to fall into place.

The point is to never give up hope. Whether you find your true love on a store line or online, there is someone out there for everyone. Looking for love can be a special journey.

This issue comes up often in today’s world which offers more earning potential for women. Historically and socially men have been the “bread winner”. The glass ceiling, however is beginning to crack a bit as women begin to slip through and earn more than their partners. What goes on in the relationship when one partner earns more than the other? How is the partnership negotiated financially, personally, and intimately?

Couples who were once comfortable in their Tarzan-Jane roles are now caught up in the teeter-totter of the financial unevenness. Simply, when one person earns more money than the other does fairness ever win out?

Relationships are based on trust and security. That trust and security translates into a sense of stability that is hard to find anywhere else. Money, known to be the root of all evil, can easily separate a coupleship that is not stable. A sense of insecurity in one’s own earning capacity can cause jealousy; I want what you have! The partner who is generous and giving, who understands that money is just the mechanism to get what you need and want in life, will not see the disparity. The notion of being in a relational partnership, is exactly that, to be partners who share what they have with one another, without fear of it being taken away or held over one’s head. That comes with understanding, respect, and love.