I had the most phenomenal English teacher in seventh grade and have been hooked on writing ever since. I ended up going to college for accounting but have always preferred words to numbers. I currently work in the accounting department of a small property management company and live in New Jersey with my husband and son.

For me, deciding what to write about has always been my biggest challenge. One of the things I love about being a part of Helium is the selection of article topics from which to choose. I tend to gravitate toward Arts & Humanities but I enjoy trying new genres.

I would love to network with other writers and any feedback is always welcome.

My passion is ...

writing, reading, gardening, working on the house, playing with my son.

I know too much about ...

useless trivial things. I can say the Hail Mary in three languages and recite Dr. Seuss's The Lorax from memory.

My parents always told me ...

that I could be and do anything.

My childhood ambition ...

Believe it or not, I always wanted to be a writer. For some strange reason I decided that the way to become a writer was to major in accounting in college.

Why I write ...

I write to do something at least moderately productive with my daydreaming.

What I am reading/watching/listening to ...

I don't even have an answer. My tastes are so eclectic that I might be found reading Jane Austen while listening to Incubus and watching Dancing With The Stars.

My first job ...

Selling newspaper subscriptions door to door. It was about as fun as it sounds.

My inspiration ...

Everything inspires me. I live in my own world.

Personal Finance > Investing Basics Painless ways to save money

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Ironically, the circumstances that make saving money difficult are the very reasons that saving is important. Monthly bills increase, debt payments mount up, or unexpected emergencies occur. It is easy to get caught in an endless cycle of debt that leaves us with a frighteningly small savings. Ideally, a portion of each paycheck should be allocated to savings. Unfortunately, life isn't always ideal. Not to worry, there are a few painless ways to save money.

Grandma might have been on to something when she said to save your pennies for a rainy day. If putting aside a few dollars fro...

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