A few days can make a huge difference.

Kristin is a lead editor at Forbes Home and has nearly a decade of professional experience as a writer and editor. She's previously worked at sites like Talking Points Memo, Insider, Delish, Angi and ...

On occasion, I’ll be revisiting and updating past columns with the most universal financial advice. This column originally ran on April 30, 2005. Robert Frost had it right in “The Death of the Hired ...