When times are tough and you're looking for any financial help you can get, it's only natural to start thinking about some alternative forms of financing. While payday loans and cash advances can really help you in a bind, it's important you really understand what you're getting yourself into. It's quite possible to find yourself digging an even deeper hole while attempting to just get through a few rough weeks. So, before jumping into a payday loan take a few minutes to learn how they work, what they really cost, and what alternatives you may have available.

The first step in personal financial planning is controlling your day-to-day financial affairs so that you can do the things that bring you satisfaction and help you reach your goals. This is achieved by planning and following a budget. Controlling spending, saving money, and investing for the future are all important aspects of financial planning, but those things mean nothing if you don't have specific goals that you're trying to reach. In order to gauge your financial success, you need to have goals so that you can measure your success. The second step in personal financial planning is choosing and following a course toward long-term financial goals.

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Life insurance is an important aspect of almost every financial plan, but how can you make sense of all the different policies available? Everyone seems to have their own opinion, and unfortunately there are also a lot of insurance salesmen who may be more inclined to earn a commission than to put you in the best type of policy. So, it's up to you to understand how each type of policy works so that you can decide what's best for you.

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Credit card debt is one of the biggest problems most people face when trying to get a handle on their finances. Credit cards make it easy to spend more money than you have, and then the crippling interest rates and fees make it seem impossible to get out from under. While there isn't an instant cure for credit card debt, there are steps you can take to put yourself on a path to becoming debt free.

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Have you ever filed your tax return and hoped you could get your hands on your refund early? You're not alone. In fact, this has been a common practice in recent years. Most large tax preparers would offer what's called a tax refund anticipation loan. How it works is they determine how much of a refund you'll be receiving when filing your taxes and then lend you the money immediately so that you don't have to wait a few weeks for the IRS to send you a check. Then when your refund actually does come in it goes towards paying off the loan, less any fees. Sounds good, right?

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... according to Match.com that is. I received a note from their PR folks the other day, showing some stats about which US cities were heating up their system via winks, emails and chats for the past few months. They are:

Miami, FL
New York, NY
Los Angeles, CA
Chicago, IL
Washington, DC
Dallas, TX
San Diego, CA
Phoenix, AZ
Boston, MA
Houston, TX

Do you live in one of these cities, and have you noticed more singles online and making contact this summer? Or do you disagree with this list, and feel that other locations were overlooked and deserve closer review?

Related: Projected Online Dating Growth to 2012, Top US City for Being Single in 2009.

Some days, I get a kick out of how many dating questions revolve around whether or not a relationship is viable, healthy or just plain wrong. Others, like the day ...

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We've all had it happen: you go out on a date with someone, things go exceptionally well, and then you never hear from them again.

What went wrong? Depending on how you view the world (and the date), it could go a few different ways:

• Maybe he/she got into a car accident on the way home? I should send them an email to make sure all is well.
• Wow, I really liked him/her. I can't wait to talk to them again! Hm, its been three days? I should check their Facebook status and see what's going on.
• I can't believe he/she didn't get in touch with me yet. I sent them lots of emails/called several times/stopped by their work. Why are they ignoring me? Maybe I'll send another email just to be sure they got the other ones.
• Ah, it happens. Maybe they were just grinning and bearing it and I was too focused on myself to notice.
• Hm. They weren't interested? Surprising, they seemed really into me at the time. Ah well, maybe there's something else going on that I don't know about.
• Thanks for sparing me the heartache and time, wondering what if? Now I know, and I can invest my time in other folks who are either really are into me, or who are more polite to let me know they aren't interested.

Of course, there are other possible variations - as many as there are people. So, you tell me. What's a *good* reason for disappearing after a date? When is it okay? And in turn, when is it not? Has someone ever disappeared after a date with you? What happened, and why do you think it went down that way?

Related: Bad Date Stories, Why Are They Online If They Don't Want To Date?, Why Won't He Date Me?, When He Says He Doesn't Want a Relationship,

Lindsay asks: "I just met this guy who seems perfect on paper. Four dates into what seemed like a fairytale and he told me that he's a recovering alcoholic. He goes to AA meetings every week and says he hasn't had a drop to drink in three years. I don't want to throw something amazing away... he really does seem perfect. But I'm not sure I want to get involved with an alcoholic even if he's admitted it. Help?"

In a nutshell: I think it depends on your situation. Notice I say your situation and not the man you're dating. Why? Because the only person you can control or change is you. I don't know your history, nor am I aware if you or another family member has ever struggled with an addiction. But many, many folks who were raised in families where alcohol was a problem find that they are attracted to alcoholics in their romantic relationships. Or, they attract people where alcohol (or drugs, abuse, narcotics) are issues. Now this isn't always the case, and I'm also not saying that any of this is your fault. Its not. But it is something to be think about, be aware of, and act upon if its a theme in your life.

Dating someone with any sort of illness isn't easy, but the first step is the same: educate yourself. Learn everything you can, see how your date's alcoholism may affect you, and seek out preemptive support for when it does. Give it a few weeks or even months to make a decision to determine if dating an alcoholic is something you can do, or if its a deal breaker for you.

What say you, dear readers? Would you date an alcoholic? Have you? Are you an alcoholic? What factors should Lindsay take into account, and what do you recommend?

Related: Why Do I Need Help? He's the Alcoholic!, Al-Anon, Detachment.

How To Recognize Love shared by Her wkelly61 (Share Your Love Story)
"Seeing that we have just met recently, and a short time has elapsed, many of my friends and family feel it is too soon to be in love. I say BULL!! I am older, wiser, and know what I want."

How To Recognize Love shared by luv4ever (Share Your Love Story)
"i am only 11. im not supposed to be "in love" but i really like him."

Defining Pansexuality shared by Elymi (Share Your Definition of Pansexuality)
"I would date a transgendered man as soon as I would a man that was born that way, and the same for women."

Flirty Text Messages shared by Elymi (Share Your Flirty Text Message Ideas)
"i said, "watcha doin?" and he said, "talking to a cute girl." i said, "oh cool whats her name?" and he said my name..." And a reader submission:

Conscious Dating shared by Collette Kenney (Share Your Dating Blog)
"It is my mission to help you achieve YOUR mission of creating the life you love with the love of your life."

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When I try to get started on a task I'm not particularly thrilled about doing (bookkeeping, for example), I can happily entertain myself with a variety of other things. I might check email, take a look at Facebook and Twitter or even check out local news sites. Before I know it, an hour has gone by and the dreaded task is still there waiting for me. Now, if procrastinating could actually make unwanted jobs go away ...

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