My husband and I are 28 years old, have three children and plan to have one more child in the near future. We live in Virginia (DC area). His annual earnings are about $70k; I also work part time earning annually about $35k. We currently have life insurance through our employers, but we want to get policies on our own. Can anyone recommend a good company to go with and a type of policy that we should get? Also, should we get life insurance on our children? if so, what kind? The goal that I want to accomplish with the life insurance is this. If my husband or I was to die, I would want my children to continue the same financial life that they would have had with both parents living. For this I am calculating that we need about a $2 million policy. After our children are grown, I would like for us to have a lower policy; just enough to cover the cost of bills and a little something to help the kids, I am thinking something around 200k.

I have to write a report about life during the Depression, which includes interviewing someone who lived through it. What would be some good questions to ask?

Do you have any good suggestions for simplying life, saving money, having more time for things that truly matter to you?

I have been becoming a very positive person and am trying to learn to appreciate things in life. I've heard of a book by some guy named something W. Dyer. It looks like a good book, but what else is out there that you would recommend.