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Mother’s Day is just a few days away. If you haven’t already done so by now (and you know you should have), you’ve already purchased a nice gift, along with the bouquet of flowers, candy and cards designed to express in one day the person many of us take for granted during most of the other 364 days of the year. That’s okay. Most will appreciate the gifts and will love you just the same. That said, cards are eventually discarded (or stored away in the limbo of attics and basements), candy is eaten (most of it by you, likely as not) and flowers will wilt and die. (Please tell me you didn’t buy plastic ones.)

As for the gifts, Mom will likely be thrilled with the clothes, shoes, jewelry and night out at that fancy restaurant you have planned for her. (You’re not really going to let her cook, are you?) However, your mother has probably spent your entire life investing in you. Mother’s Day is a great time to return the favor, by thinking of gifts that will not just celebrate her for the day, but that will literally enrich her life.

Thinking about giving mom some personal finance guidance for Mother’s Day? Click through to Black Enterprise to learn more about how to help her out.

(Black Enterprise) — If you or your child has just graduated from college, your number one goal may be getting a j-o-b.  Of course, that’s a lot easier said than done, with unemployment rate around 9% and even higher–a staggering 16%–for African-Americans.  Still, there are many steps recent college graduatescan take to put themselves on the road to financial security, including numerous steps that have nothing to do with finding that next work gig. In fact, if you don’t yet have a job, the tips below can help you keep your finances in tip-top shape while you actively pursue employment.  Here are four financial strategies for the Class of 2011:

Avoid Credit Card Pitfalls:  Once you leave campus life, it’s important to learn how to juggle a host of new expenses–rent, food, utilities, and more. If you haven’t already landed a job, you might be tempted to rely on credit cards to make end meet. But for your own sake, resist that temptation.

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Let’s now kid ourselves, shall we?  Girl you know by now you should be going organic whenever you can.  Yeah, it’s generally more expensive, but a lot less than chemotherapy, wouldn’t you say?  Here’s a quick and dirty guide on how to go organic on a budget.

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What’s a fab girl to do when her wants are excessive and as a result saving usually takes a backseat? Although the practice is hard, the concept is easy: if the fab girl wants to remain fabulous years from now, she better change her habits, live within her means, and have a cushion of savings in case of emergencies.

While the economy is gradually picking up, it’s still a chance that your job may suddenly give you the pink slip, the car you’re almost finished paying off could require some serious mechanical work, or other emergencies occur. For this reason, saving money allots you a peace of mind that even the hautest pair of Christian Louboutins won’t provide if you lose your job or other financial hardships arise.

If you’re like me, you understand the concept of saving and how vital it is to your financial well-being; but still, you love to splurge on your favorite clothes, eat out with friends, and travel as much as your paychecks allow.

So for those who subconsciously consider saving the enemy of fun and flyness, yet still understand its importance, check out these tips to help you begin your financial journey. Some of them are easier than others, but all of them are vital if you’re serious about saving.

Check it out!

As some of us inch closer to the 30 year mark, our lives become a time of reflection, decision making, and even a bit of ‘life cleaning’. Letting go of some bad habits, embracing new interests, and setting ourselves up for more financial, emotional, and mental stability seems to take precedence over ‘partying and BS’, as the big 3-0 approaches.

Some profess that life begins after 30. While I believe that life begins as soon as you actually have breath, turning 30 is definitely a pivotal time in a woman’s life. And although age alone doesn’t make you an adult, at the age of 30 you are assumed to be a ‘grown woman’. And grown women should know how to do grown women things.

From performing domestic tasks to maintaining emotional balance, there are some things that all women should know before turning 30. Check out our list, hopefully you know most, if not all.

Many of our parents tried to teach us that in this life you can’t always get what you want. Today, right now at this very minute I don’t know if I necessarily agree with that “lesson.” I think you can get everything you want, but it might not come in a package.

I watched this movie, or I heard this movie playing in the background as I was doing something else-  whatever it’s semantics. Either way in this movie, one character explains to another that personal fulfillment falls into four categories: love, career, money, and happiness.

He went on to say you’ll never have all four at once, if you have love and happiness your money might be funny and your change might be strange or if you have career and money you may be lacking love and therefore aren’t happy. You get the picture. He said the best we can hope from life is to get two or three, if you’re lucky.

And that’s where I disagree, slightly. While I can honestly say I don’t have all four right now, (I’m working with three out of the four) I don’t feel like all four are unattainable, at the same time. Now I’m realistic. I don’t expect to be completely fulfilled at every point in my life but there are those high moments when the sun seems to shine just for you and I’m striving to get back there.

I want to know what you think about this little theory? Can you have all four at once? Is there another component to self fulfillment?

(Chicago Sun Times) — This is the perfect week to get organized for the new year. And every year, you promise to be better organized — for your taxes, for your investments, for your retirement planning — and just for the sake of your conscience.  You know that if anyone tried to figure out your “system” — in case of emergency — they’d be stymied by the way you failed to file your important papers, such as insurance policies or investment records. They’d be blocked by the lack of passwords to your online accounts. And valuable time would be lost because no one could find authorization to make health-care or financial decisions if you were incapacitated.

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