Organize Your Personal Finances ...In No Time

Introduction

Remember Monopoly? I loved that game, and I was always the banker. I enjoyed stacking the money neatly in order by denomination, making sure the bills all faced the same way as they nestled in the little cardboard banker's drawer, and I kept the property cards in order according to their position on the board. (Yes, I was born to be an organizer.)

With an adult's perspective, it's interesting to recall my childhood approach to playing this game. I had a vague notion that you could borrow money, but I never did: In my Monopoly world, transactions were strictly cash-only. I didn't want to be bothered with keeping track of what I owed or gambling on whether I would have the payment in the future. I wanted to just hand the money over ...