While it seems that we hear the same story every year around this time, charitable organizations that help those in great need are in need of help more than ever because of the recession.

Our chiropractor the other day had an event that drastically cut the price of a visit in exchange for canned food donations that would be given to the local food bank. So, my daughters went to the store and picked up 10 cans of food to take with us. Now think about it. Even if each can of food were a dollar, you would be able to help at least one needy family with such a small contribution. This is about the cost of a single movie ticket, and less than the cost of the popcorn/drink combination.

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I caught a news story today that talked about how banks are becoming more fee-based as time goes on. They get their fees through things like bounced check charges, overdraft charges, ATM charges, low balance fees, and the list goes on. The story interested me because I heard about a financial coach who had a client who put bank fees into his budget planning. Huh? Part of the problem with fees lies with the consumer of course, because if we don't keep track of our expenses, we pay. And part of it's the bank's fault, but of course, they are in the business of making money.

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The financial crisis in our country and our personal lives has people stressed out more than ever. And we Americans are popping pills in order to deal with our personal financial crises more than ever, but why is that? Isn't there a better way? It seems that a lot of the problem is the paycheck-to-paycheck lifestyle and the lack of simple budgeting.

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Just under 10 million Americans are the victims of identity theft every year. According to the Identity Theft Resource Center, the average out-of-pocket expense is $808, and the time to resolve is 175 hours.

So why did I title the section as I did?

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Last week, while balancing my business account, I discovered a charge that was unfamiliar. Further investigation revealed that the charge was unauthorized. I went to the bank to inquire about it, and we determined that my card number may have been stolen. We immediately canceled the card, and the bank refunded the money.

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