I’ve been trying to help my husband find work for the winter. My husband is one of the best brick and stone masons in the country. His work speaks for itself and you can’t really put that in a resume. Sure, he’s run projects; he’s ordered materials, estimated and managed crews. But his forte is his eye for beauty.

Although the pictures are lovely, the home my husband worked on in Hawaii is just breathtaking in real life. He and my son built every arch, laid each stone from the house to the barbecue to the bridge over the lagoon style pool. In fact, my husband laid the block on that house in 2001.

Anyway, he’s now looking for work since things are slowing down around here with the cold weather. I’ve had no luck at the traditional job search engines but I have found a number of leads at Simply Hired and Indeed. These sites seem to include a wider variety of occupations.

I’ve just discovered the employment forum at Indeed so I’m going to look through there to learn even more about online job searches. If you know of other good job search sites, especially for the construction industry, let me know. And if you know of someone who needs a top-notch brick and stone mason, drop me a note. I know the best!

My husband has been eligible for the past two years but hasn’t joined yet. I think I’ll sign up both of us, though. After doing some research into life insurance quotes, I’ve decided that I should just join AARP and find out what they offer those of us who have crested that proverbial hill.

This could work out well for travel purposes, too. I wonder if my husband joins now, if I’m also covered. Or must I wait for that half century mark?

I spoke with a friend who works in finance and has access to a number of mortgage lenders. My friend says that most people who are losing their homes have adjustable rate mortgages instead of fixed rate. I remember that the adjustable rates were lower – and very tempting – but we opted for a fixed rate instead. I just didn’t like the idea of the monthly payment changing at some point.

I’m really glad we made the choices that we did.

So imagine my surprise when I found myself actually paying attention to some spam. Or maybe it wasn’t spam. It was an email offering affordable life insurance for people over 50. Interesting. My husband is now over 50 so I took a look. And honestly? I’m checking it out.

My son is paying back student loans now. He’s doing well at his job in Hawaii and he has no other debts. However, I’ve let him know that if he needs it, there are student loan consolidation companies that can help with managing student loan debt and getting it paid back. I hate to say it but if Jesse ever comes back here to this valley, he may need something like that. Of course, why would anyone leave Hawaii to come back to West Virginia?

Even those who did it all right, got a good education and pursued success in a career can find themselves unemployed. A college degree used to be a ticket to a good salary. Now, there are no guarantees.

So many people are learning this first hand that personal bankruptcy numbers have skyrocketed. This hAS led to stricter rules regarding bankruptcy but it hasn’t fixed the problem of our economy. Some people have turned to refinancing their homes. The question, of course, is whether this is the best solution.

Before making such a huge decision that will surely affect your financial stability for years to come, I suggest taking a look at the free online consumer portal Bills.com. From top financial news to refinancing tools and even an online Bill Pay, Bills.com is a one stop shop for a financial tune-up.

Their free 17-page step-by-step guide to financial freedom is worth the visit all by itself. While you’re there downloading it, check out their Savings Center and Debt Boot Camp. It’s never too late to get into financial shape!