about

Hi everyone! My name is Abbey and I am hoping to answer questions about personal finance, relationships, career and anything else that might be on your mind. My specialty is financial guidance. I am a CPA and work in the corporate world. I personally have overcome many struggles with my own personal finances and hope to help others with this as well. I believe that our personal finances impact not just our wallet or wardrobe, but every aspect of our life. Healthy finances are the way to go and I am here to help.
Thank you for your questions!

advice

I am a 13 year old girl. My height is 5.4 ft and my weight is 135 pounds.I am overweight for my age/height.I want to do the lemon diet because i'm feeling sluggish and tired.I also want to lose weight but i want to lose fat not muscle.should i try the lemon detox for a few days?
P.S. I can i use honey instead of maple syrup?

Hi. I think that is great that you are looking for a way to increase your energy and achieve a healthy weight. You are at a great age to begin developing good habits that will benefit you for many years to come. As for the detox - I personally have nothing against them, if you really want to try it, that's fine. However, I think a detox is truly a "quick fix" - which is not the path to achieving your ultimate goal.

Instead, I recommend looking at your current lifestyle. What kind of foods do you eat and when? A good idea is to write down your meals and snack for several days or a week. This is simply a way for you to start being aware of what you are putting in your mouth. If you find that you are eating lots of potato chips and ice cream...then I think we found the true culprit for low energy. You should be eating plenty of vegetables, fruit and protein.

Next, take a look at your physical activity. Do you play any sports? Do you have any hobbies that require physical exertion - like running or tennis?? If you live a sedentary lifestyle consisting of television and video games then we have found culprit number two. Start to think about the kinds of activities that you would enjoy and gradually begin to add at least 30 minutes of physical exercise per day to your life. Whether it's walking, jogging or rock climbing!! You will feel better if you move and stay active (plus it is easier to start being active now and maintain than to decide at the age of 30 that you want to become a triathlete).

Good luck with achieving your health and fitness goals!

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Is it possible to get a payday loan direct from the lending company instead of going to a check cashing company? Would it be cheaper/better to do so? I am in a bind and could really use the loan, but the last time I got one of these things it was awful and took me months to pay back! Any Help is appreciated!

Hi. Don't do it!! Again. Payday loans are a RIPOFF. Do some easy research and you will find that the interest charged for payday loans is over 100%!! Do what!!

You said you have been in the payday loan trap before and paid it back - good job, that is excellent news. I think what you need rather than a small loan (that will end up costing you twice what you receive) is a plan. Do you have a budget? Do you know how much money you will bring in each month and an estimate of the expenses you have??

Step 1 - create a monthly budget. I can definitely help you with this in more detail if you would like. Ultimately, start with your income at the top of the page - and allocate according to the most basic necessities: food, rent, transportation.

If you would like to talk more about your specific situation I would really love to help. It sounds like a payday loan would be treating the symptom and not the true problem. Let me know!

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My friend's dad said that the american express card (amex) was better than other credit cards, but I am in college now and all these people want to give me credit cards and I don't know which I should choose. Are amex rewards worth getting that card for or should I take the ones I am being offered instead? Thank you!

Hi. You are in school so you must be a very bright person. You are also probably surrounded with lots of advice suggesting that "building credit" is your next step to achieving financial success in life. Personally I also fell under the pressure of building credit and it took me almost three years to pay off two credit cards and a car loan - all of these were obtained while I was in school and making very little money...but hey - I have excellent credit!

My recommendation is door number two - don't have a credit card. Period. Easy. Then you don't have to worry who will give you more points or who will charge you less than 20% interest. As a young college student you are in a great position to make financial decisions that are wise and will ultimately lead you to wealth. Please consider the idea of working and saving up money for purchases.

Imagine a life where you don't owe a bank money for a meal you purchased two years ago or a t-shirt that you never wore. Good luck!

P. S. Check out this site that shows alternative credit options: http://ecredable.com/

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