A life-changing, budget-crashing, celebratory event

Sorry for the pre/post New Year's hiatuses. There's much to talk about in the economy that I'll get caught up on this week, particularly the Obama administration's proposed $300 billion tax cuts (and what there's a good chance they'll lead to higher taxes later), and a few reader questions I've gotten over the past few weeks.

But the real news, at least in my life, is that I've had a series of life-altering events that are affecting my own finances and have kept me away from blogging. Since Dec. 15, I've moved from Cincinnati to Cleveland, left my job as a reporter to become editor of Catalyst Ohio magazine and and in the process of securing custody of my 12-year-old son, Malik, moving him from Pennsylvania and enrolling him in school here in Ohio.

It goes without saying that something like this alters life dramatically in all kinds of ways, not the least of which is financially. Already, I've reconfigured my budget to account for higher spending on food, gasoline, clothes and haircuts, and my health insurance premium contribution will also increase. Some of this, though, will be offset by a decrease in my tax burden (I've ranted in the past about the ridiculousness of my own taxes).

In any event, I'll keep chronicling the financial aspects of the change here. Wish us luck.